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Epiphone 58 Korina V


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Posted

I didn't realize it was made out of solid korina, not a veneered butcher block body....they weren't made this way for very long. it does have a maple neck though

Posted

I have one of the basses from the same era, solid korina with a maple neck. It's a cool bass. I tried to get Hamer to make me one but didn't feel it was worth their asking price.

Posted

I didn't realize it was made out of solid korina, not a veneered butcher block body....they weren't made this way for very long. it does have a maple neck though

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

You were going to sell it piece by piece on Ebay, and then were scared off of that option by another post.

We know! :ph34r:

Posted

Out of curiosity, what supposedly determines solid korina construction as opposed to something else?

I've had several of these from different era's, 2 late 90s in black and natural, 02 Popa Chubby V in natural, and 2 late 00s to current in natural and white. I've never read/heard anything that suggested any were solid korina, and none of mine appeared to be.

Posted

Out of curiosity, what supposedly determines solid korina construction as opposed to something else?

I've had several of these from different era's, 2 late 90s in black and natural, 02 Popa Chubby V in natural, and 2 late 00s to current in natural and white. I've never read/heard anything that suggested any were solid korina, and none of mine appeared to be.

A solid peice of wood vs a veneer glued to the top and back of a different peice of wood.

Posted

Out of curiosity, what supposedly determines solid korina construction as opposed to something else?

I've had several of these from different era's, 2 late 90s in black and natural, 02 Popa Chubby V in natural, and 2 late 00s to current in natural and white. I've never read/heard anything that suggested any were solid korina, and none of mine appeared to be.

A solid peice of wood vs a veneer glued to the top and back of a different peice of wood.

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I guess I need to be more specific. Epiphone V's aren't known to be solid wood guitars. Brent, after being contacted by Jay, said his was and that they weren't made that way very long. Jay saw something and tipped Brent off to it. This is what I'd like to know.

Is there a way to tell the difference beyond the obvious inspection of the grain. Brent's photo's didn't really show this, so I'm guessing there's another way.

Posted

I'm very curious about that too. Brent, what did Jay say?

Posted

Wow, sooo curious!

This what I said~

" you have, and trying to sell....

a Czech made epi Korina V.

the body is actual 2 piece center seam Korina, Limba wood.

Not the typical Korean butcher block sen wood with a laminated veneer on top and bottom of the body.

Same Czech factory that made the elusive euro Deans that are sought after....

Pretty darn rare Epi you have there Brent.... :)

Now if you can remove that gibby logo off, and put the epi back on..."

That is what I relayed to Brent.

Not very many of them out there, let alone any of guit from the czech factory.

Posted

Wow, sooo curious!

This what I said~

" you have, and trying to sell....

a Czech made epi Korina V.

the body is actual 2 piece center seam Korina, Limba wood.

Not the typical Korean butcher block sen wood with a laminated veneer on top and bottom of the body.

Same Czech factory that made the elusive euro Deans that are sought after....

Pretty darn rare Epi you have there Brent.... :)

Now if you can remove that gibby logo off, and put the epi back on..."

That is what I relayed to Brent.

Not very many of them out there, let alone any of guit from the czech factory.

And how do you know it's a Czech Epi? I feel my GAS slowly raising. :)

Posted

It's a Korean one.

If I'm reading the serial number correctly: U98123194

"U" = the Unsung factory in Korea, and the guitar was built in December, 1998.

Definitely one of the earlier ones, but I think the Czech ones were the only solid Korina models. The Czech factory code on the serial number should be a "B", correct?

Posted

It's a Korean one.

If I'm reading the serial number correctly: U98123194

"U" = the Unsung factory in Korea, and the guitar was built in December, 1998.

Definitely one of the earlier ones, but I think the Czech ones were the only solid Korina models. The Czech factory code on the serial number should be a "B", correct?

Correct. Just googled around and found the info, so yes, it seems to be a Korean one.

Posted

Wow, I never knew any of the Epi's were solid wood, Czech made. Hopefully none I've sold!

I did have a black one that was a much better guitar than the others I've had.....but it wouldn't make sense to do them in black.

Posted

Good snooping!

From the pics that Brent showed me,

solid two piece center seem korina.

I only assumed from Czech being solid.

Me bad.

Posted

So, it's not solid limba? And it's Korean?

Posted

From the pics that Brent pm'd me, It appeared solid two piece.... ;)

but, what do I know. just some pics, not in hand.

Posted

You know much more than most, Sparky. :)

Bummer for Brent, but if it's anything like my '98 Unsung "Korina" Explorer (also made in December- U98123458) it's still a damn nice geet fiddle....

Posted

One way to tell for sure.....Got a bandsaw? :rolleyes:

Posted

I've got one of the basses I ordered before they even hit the stores. The guy at the local store didn't even know what I was talking about when I asked him to order it for me. I've had it apart and I swear it's a 2 peice solid wood body. I'll have to take it apart again and inspect closer.

Posted

One way to tell for sure.....Got a bandsaw? :rolleyes:

I pulled the pickups last night and it is solid korina body

Posted

One way to tell for sure.....Got a bandsaw? :rolleyes:

I pulled the pickups last night and it is solid korina body

Or Mahogany? How would you tell which with any certainty?

Posted

It isn't mahogany, but it isn't one piece limba (korina is a term Gibson came up with for the finish back in the day, the wood they used was African Limba) either.

In my (fairly exhaustive) research done before buying my own December '98 Korean "Korina", I found that the bodies are either butcher block limba or one or two piece Alder. It's going to look like a one piece body in the PUP cavities even though it is butcher block because THAT part of the body is one piece- the two wings will be the add-on blocks. Necks on the '98s are maple (they changed to mahogany necks in the early 2000s). The axe is really lightweight, super comfortable to wear, great balance.

Still damn good guitars for the money. I put a pair of Gibby Classic 57/57+ in mine, changed out the crap nut, replaced all the electronics, tuners, bridge and tailpiece and it's a monster. All in all with replacement parts she ran me about $750 and competes with and beats any of the $1000 and up Gibsons I've played lately.

Posted

Forgot to mention- one way to tell if it's limba is to pull the PUPs again and see how porous it is. Limba is very porous wood (it sports medium to fairly large pores which makes it a little harder to fill and thus easier to spot) and is pretty easy to distinguish from Alder which has much smaller pores.

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