Key Features
- Weight: 7.94 lb
- Actual guitar photographed
- Korina body and neck with historically accurate 1958 construction
- Gibson Custom Shop Historic build with brown and pink hardshell case
Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Explorer Reissue, White Pickguard #85729 Overview
The Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Explorer Reissue recreates one of the rarest and most forward-thinking electric guitars ever produced. When the Explorer first appeared in 1958, its radical shape and futuristic styling placed it decades ahead of its time, with only a handful originally shipped. This Custom Shop reissue faithfully revives that landmark design, combining period-correct materials with meticulous craftsmanship to capture the tone, feel, and presence of the original instruments.
A solid Korina body and matching Korina neck deliver a resonant, articulate voice with strong midrange character and natural sustain. Finished in nitrocellulose VOS for a gently aged appearance, the guitar feels broken in from first time you pick it up. Equipped with Custombucker pickups, traditional wiring, and gold hardware, this Explorer reissue offers authentic late-’50s Gibson tone and playability. Supplied with a historically accurate brown and pink hardshell case, it stands as a faithful tribute to one of Gibson’s most iconic designs.
Product Ref: 346599
Full Description
View Full DescriptionHistorically accurate Korina construction
The 1958 Korina Explorer Reissue is built around a solid Korina body with no weight relief, staying true to the original specification. Korina is prized for its balanced tonal character, offering warmth, clarity, and strong note definition across the frequency range. The distinctive Explorer body shape contributes to its bold attack and extended sustain, while hide-glue neck joint construction enhances resonance and structural integrity. Finished in nitrocellulose VOS, the guitar develops a natural patina while retaining an open, lively acoustic response.
Korina neck and vintage playing feel
A Korina neck with a 1950s vintage profile delivers a substantial yet comfortable feel that suits expressive rhythm and lead playing. The Indian rosewood fretboard features a 12-inch radius, offering a familiar balance between chord comfort and controlled bends. Twenty-two reissue frets provide an authentic playing surface consistent with late-’50s Gibson instruments. Period-correct details, including a nylon nut, no-tube truss rod, and pearloid dot inlays, reinforce the historically faithful neck design.
Custombuckers and period-correct electronics
Gibson Custombuckers are voiced to replicate the open, dynamic character of early PAF-style humbuckers. They deliver clear articulation, harmonic complexity, and natural compression that responds directly to picking dynamics. The electronics are wired using vintage-spec CTS potentiometers and a traditional phone book capacitor, with two volume controls and a single tone control for authentic tonal shaping. A Switchcraft three-way selector allows quick switching between pickups or blended tones.
Vintage hardware and Custom Shop detailing
Hardware choices reflect original 1958 specifications throughout. An ABR-1 bridge and lightweight aluminium Stop Bar tailpiece provide solid sustain and tuning stability, while aged gold-plated components enhance the guitar’s visual authenticity. Kluson tuners with celluloid tips offer smooth, reliable tuning, and True Historic plastics complete the period-correct appearance. Supplied with a brown and pink Historic Explorer hardshell case, this reissue is a complete Custom Shop instrument built for collectors and players alike.
Specifications
- Product Name: Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Explorer Reissue, White Pickguard #85729
- Product Code: 58KEXVOGH1 #85729
Body
- Body material: Korina
- Body shape: Explorer
- Finish: Nitrocellulose VOS (Vintage Patina)
- Weight relief: None
Neck & fretboard
- Neck material: Korina
- Neck joint: Hide glue fit
- Neck profile: 1950s vintage
- Scale length: 24.75 inches / 628.65 mm
- Fingerboard: Indian rosewood
- Fingerboard radius: 12 inches
- Frets: 22 reissue
- Inlays: Pearloid dot
- Nut: Nylon, 42.86 mm
- Truss rod: Authentic 1950s no-tube
Hardware & electronics
- Bridge pickup: Gibson Custombucker
- Neck pickup: Gibson Custombucker
- Controls: 2 volume, 1 tone (CTS vintage taper pots, phone book capacitor)
- Pickup selector: 3-way Switchcraft
- Bridge: ABR-1
- Tailpiece: Lightweight aluminium Stop Bar
- Tuners: Kluson with celluloid tips
- Hardware finish: Aged gold
- Case: Historic Explorer brown and pink hardshell case
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