eminor Posted July 13, 2008 Posted July 13, 2008 Hello, I bought this from Willcutt's a few months ago, and it's just not fitting into my rotation, and because my wife gives me a very small room for this hobby, I don't have room for it. Upgrades have been WCR Icebuckers and a bone nut. Original nut and original '59 pickups included. Never has left my home except to get a professional set up and fret crown and polish at CB Perkins, a solid 3rd generation luthiery shop nearby. This luthier also installed the bone nut and the Icebuckers. The Icebucker sare tweaked versions of the popular WCR Goodwood bridge and Crossroads neck. As I understand it, they are asymmetrically wound for easier harmonics. They are essentially slightly overwound PAF-style pickups, less than 10K dcr. I've got Icebuckers in another guitar of mine - great pickups, and not cheap. Tonepros locking bridge and tailpiece, Schaller tuners, you may know the story. This particular one has figuring in the korina that has a subtle but stunning look to it. Amazingly light at 7 lbs, 9 oz, per Willcutt's. But it feels lighter. To pick up a big guitar like this and have it weigh less than my strat is somewhat shocking. Tone is great, but when I play Explorer-style guitars, I'm typically doing the Metallica thing, and I use my ESP MX-2 or my 84 Explorer. This one is just more vintage sounding. I guess it's worth noting that Brandon at Willcutts played a bunch and told me what he thought before I picked this one. List on this guitar was $4400. I added over about $600 of pickups and professional set up work. Price is $2050 shipped in the lower 48/paypal'd. For all intents and purposes, the guitar will appear new to you when you get it. This pic shows some of the figuring (hard to photograph) - Note the dark fret board in the bright sun, next to a Vector I bought at the same time, and then up close, note very tight grain.
specialk Posted July 13, 2008 Posted July 13, 2008 Very nice! And almost exactly what I'm looking for. Good luck with it, looks like a good price.specialk
eminor Posted July 14, 2008 Author Posted July 14, 2008 Nice Vector....is it for sale?Thanks all - the Vector is not for sale. It will soon be the only V I have once I sell my Greco. Vs aren't my thing really, but I figure I should have one, and that Vector's got to be as good as a V gets. On the other hand, with my love affair with Hetfield-style Explorer-style guitars, the Korina Standard just feels a bit out of place. When I hang an Explorer, I feel like I want to do the metal thing. The SD 59s that came standard in the Standard were really vintagey. Nothing wrong with them, and that's what I'm keeping in the Vector. I put the Icebuckers in in a half-way attempt to get a slightly hotter output in there without violating the vintage tones. But in the end, the Icebuckers are a lot like my Goodwoods and Crossroads in other guitars, and hence still vintagey. I actually bought a black pickguard from Hamer in anticipation of making it appear more "metal," but all in all that just felt futile, and I never installed it. I can include that as well.
cmatthes Posted July 14, 2008 Posted July 14, 2008 Considering that the list for a Standard Custom just went up on July 1st to $4,500, I'd say this is a great price for that Korina beauty.
eminor Posted July 15, 2008 Author Posted July 15, 2008 That's a good point regarding prices rising. Thanks. BTW, correction on my part - the actual name of this guitar is Hamer Korina Vintage Standard. Still available.
eminor Posted July 15, 2008 Author Posted July 15, 2008 Taking this off the market for now. Thank you for the interest. Kinda thought it might go quickly at this price, but the market gave me time to play it again...with my Soultone 45...I guess I don't HAVE to do Metallica with an Explorer-style guitar.
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