Korina, Korina

This intriguing collaboration between Epiphone and Gibson's fabled Custom Shop yields faithful reproductions of two of the most brilliantly radical guitars ever devised

- Neville Marten

EPIPHONE 1958 KORINA EXPLORER & FLYING V

BOTH £1,219

CONTACT Epiphone PHONE [phone] WEB www.epiphone.com

What You Need To Know

1 What exactly is korina? 

Also known as limba, korina is a West African timber that’s used in veneers, plywood, turned objects and, of course, guitar bodies and necks. As well as Gibson and Epiphone, PRS and Fender have also employed it, and it’s the standard choice of Reverend Guitars.

2 These look like remarkably accurate remakes… 

Epiphone collaborated with Gibson’s Custom Shop to ensure that they remained as faithful to the original specs as possible, given the price. It’s all top-notch under the bonnet, too, with Gibson Burstbucker 2 and 3 pickups, CTS pots, Mallory capacitors, and Switchcraft switches and jacks.

3 Are the finishes nitro? 

No, these are ‘thin skin’ polyester and have been given something akin to Gibson’s VOS treatment, where the surface is left satin. It gives them a slightly weathered appearance but feels great to the touch.

THE RIVALS