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New Epiphone Korina Explorer Bass
- Thread starter Dr Cryptosis
- Start date
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Okay. Its all restrung and set up. Flats. DK Legends. Fit and finish excellent. Electronics work fine. Sounds great. Low noise. Fretwork excellent. No sharp edges. Body looks like 3 pieces. Fairly even size. Narrow straight grain. No small patches. Nice light weight. I dont have a scale but I would estimate 7.5 - 8 lbs. Manufactured in China 2022. Biggest difference between Gibson and Epiphone. Nitrocellulose lacquer. Complaints. Packing. What saved it from damage was the excellent job Epiphone did on the inner box. I think the ball ends on the Made in China strings are
larger than typical ball ends as it was a bitch getting the old strings out of the bridge. Waiting on the hardcase. Other than that happy with the purchase and would recommend it to others. If this is what can be expected I will be waiting on the Flying V
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Looks good , real good ! How’s the balance on a strap ?
I’d get a short scale Explorer in a minute , Gibson or Epi .
I’d get a short scale Explorer in a minute , Gibson or Epi .
pretty cool, how's the neck profile on yours? have they slimmed down?
is the photo a truer representation of the body finish than the brighter examples online?
From 2017:
"The one here weighs in at 7.8 pounds."
No neck dive on the one I have.
More info on it here from 2017. New Epiphone Limited Edition
Still have the bass but the pickups will probably get replaced with T-Bird pickups and/or active EQ onboard. The one I have has zero neck dive but I do use a wide LEVY strap that seems to show up on a lot of pro bassists shoulders also. Even holds boat-anchor weight basses OK:
"The one here weighs in at 7.8 pounds."
No neck dive on the one I have.
More info on it here from 2017. New Epiphone Limited Edition
Still have the bass but the pickups will probably get replaced with T-Bird pickups and/or active EQ onboard. The one I have has zero neck dive but I do use a wide LEVY strap that seems to show up on a lot of pro bassists shoulders also. Even holds boat-anchor weight basses OK:
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are you not liking the stock PUs?
they're half the reason I'm still interested in these basses.
is pau ferro currently used for the fretboards? does it look typically bad (not dark)?
I'll have to revisit it and fully "explore" what the pickups can do. The pickup swap is(was) inspired by Martin Turner(Wishbone Ash) who has a black explorer he put 60's T-Bird pickups in.
The fretboard looks and feels normal to me except for not being played on much and full of sweat, finger grease, dirt/dust, etc.
The fretboard looks and feels normal to me except for not being played on much and full of sweat, finger grease, dirt/dust, etc.
I got one recently and love it. Today’s Chinese Epiphones aren’t your Uncle Bubba’s Indonesian junkers. 15 of my 20 guitars and basses are American. And one of the other five is a Chinese ltd Ed Casino. It’s one of my favorites, and I find myself playing it more and more.
Friday, my lefty Gibson Explorer guitar will be in to keep the Epi bass company.
Friday, my lefty Gibson Explorer guitar will be in to keep the Epi bass company.
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Two of my best playing and sounding T Birds are the 60’s Epi Pro from Indonesia.
Do the basses themselves actually know which country they were made in? They all require certain levels if machine and handwork. I think it really comes down to the individual instrument. There are great ones and crappy ones made from USA, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, or China. Im of an age when a ton if basses were poorly made.
I'm delightedly surprised with the total package, tho already GAS'd out with my Epi 'Bird I can't imagine ever wanting another bass, it's sufficiently different sonically to merit equal play time with #1, build-wise it's the same production line high quality. what a lucky break to have to wait til finances and model changes coincided in my favor. I don't care where it was made, when the rockin' is this good it's universally accepted. NBD = NCR
Agreed. IME, I have two basses made in the USA, one from Korea, and one from China; as for guitars, one from the USA, one from Japan, and one from Mexico...all of them are quality builds that all needed slight tweaks to my playing style...and one of my USA's still leave something to be desired.
I think companies want to offer products that are accessible to and meet the demands of most people and will also live up to expectation of the brand. These days, OofM doesn't matter much to me as long as the quality is there and the price tag is reasonable for the product.
Just got mine today from zZounds and all seems well. Box was banged up but bass was fine. No issues and love it so far. I bought the Epi T-bird IV a month ago and absolutely love that too (after changing the bridge and nut).
I have one. I have a pile of basses, including a 64 Tbird IV.
This Epi Explorer is a really really fun bass.
I find the only truly useful tone is both pick ups on. Middle position. As with Gibsons etc all you have to do is move either volume know a hair for a different tone or lean on the corresponding pick up.
Anyways. It's the coolest axe I have. I get a lot of compliments on it and I use it in a variety of gigs. It looks and sounds killer on a big stage. But some say not everyone can pull it off. You gotta be pretty rockin'.
I also have a real Korina V guitar. Was my friend Eric from the Spin Doctors. It was custom made. Its also the coolest guitar I own, and I own a pile of really cool guitars.
These Korinas are DEFINITELY worth having and playing.
I have one. There is no neck dive as some think that there is. It was a limited run, with a 60's D thin taper neck. It sounds great, very much like a thunderbird (same humbucker style of pickups) and is absolutely beautiful. The neck is same length as my tbird, fender P and Jazz's, and the body sticks out far enough the opposite direction that it balances quite nicely. If it was a Gibson it would automatically be heralded as an amazing, collectors bass, even though gibson makes mostly crap these days and at that time. I have a Gibson cherry burst les Paul, and it had several issues that needed correcting (strap screws stripped 1st week, plastic input jack broke 2 weeks in, needed a neck filing, etc) and the Epi has had zero issues aside from tweaking the set up.
It's no more difficult to play than any other bass I own, I will admit I'm not huge on the 60's D neck. I prefer a flatter neck but the taper is very much like a Jazz neck. She's a beauty. I just don't gig with it, it's in mint condition and I don't wanna wreck it.
It's no more difficult to play than any other bass I own, I will admit I'm not huge on the 60's D neck. I prefer a flatter neck but the taper is very much like a Jazz neck. She's a beauty. I just don't gig with it, it's in mint condition and I don't wanna wreck it.
