1958 Specs. Figured Black Korina (Limba) Explorer Replica
This auction is for a 58 Specs. Figured, Black Korina (Limba) Explorer Replica that I am currently building and should have finished by end of March or mid April.
The reason for the continued delay is I'm recovering from Bell's Palsy, which is facial paralysis to one side of the face. It's been just over a month and I'm finally able to talk more clearly, still It's been fairly rough, and is a very slow recovery.
Anyway, It is my fourth Explorer Replica, and I will be featuring it in a Vocational Video Series on my YouTube channel starting soon.
Note: I have two other Explorer Replicas available in my other Listings (One nearing completion, and one body only).
The specs. will be virtually identical to the Blonde Korina Explorer Replica shown in all the photos and listed below, which is based on the authentic original 1958 Specs. Explorer. Eventually I will revise all the Photos and Description, and clearly showcase the new Build. Note: The Ebay Listing will always take precedence over the video series.
Anyway, It's a lot of information, but contact with any questions. For certain, it will be an incredible guitar, and eventually I will drop the Start Price considerably and maintain the No Reserve/Sell to the Highest Bidder format.
The new series will be titled; "How To Build A 58 Korina Explorer Replica Using Figured Black Limba." The channel is also Deja Blu Guitars.
ORIGINAL LISTING FROM 2023:
This guitar is featured in a step by step build series on my YouTube channel, which ended about five months back. I primarily build Archtop Jazz Guitars and 50's Specs. Les Paul and Flying V Replicas, etc., and have been building for about 25 years. I was based in Nashville, TN between 2002 to 2015 and have shipped worldwide since early 2000's. It's a Pro-Level Build and could ship to and/or Tour any country or climate (meaning it is perfectly stable).
SEARCH:
Deja Blu Guitars, "Building A 58 Korina Explorer Replica Per Vintage Specs. Using Flamed/Figured Limba." Video 14 was the last video, and covers the Specs. in detail, but Video 1 to 14 takes it from concept to completion, and in extreme detail.
GENERAL SPECS:
1958 to Early 60's Historical Specs. Flamed/Figured Quartersawn Korina Explorer Replica. Neck and Body wood are perfectly quartersawn and are from the same lightweight billet of wood. The flame/figure as well as the tap tones are Master Level. The wood alone was over $500 and came from a Pro Luthier/Guitar Tonewoods Supplier in Seattle. It weighs 8.3 pounds before the pickups and I covered the weight and balance analysis at the end of Video 14.
The neck to body join is Per 1950's Les Paul mortise and tenon design and is far superior to the late 50's Explorer or Flying V. The tone and sustain is literally off the charts. It's phenomenal for crystal-clear Studio/Jazzy work, yet is a mid-range sustain and tone monster. I'd really like to keep it, but am just more into archtops and hollow-body guitars. Besides, I have way too many guitars.
DETAILED SPECS:
Vintage Specs. Kluson USA Gold Tuners with Tulip knobs and press-in ferrules.
1-11/16" Gibson Specs. Bone nut. Cut to medium-low action, yet could be dropped even lower if needed for no charge.
Quartersawn Rosewood Fretboard (12" Radius)
Actual 24-3/4" Historically Accurate length Scale (CNC Precision Cut). Deep dark chocolate brown and has been oiled, buffed and polished. Dot markers are Australian White Mother of Pearl from Stewart MacDonald.
Double adjustable truss rod- adjustable from headstock. It looks historically accurate, yet has the benefits of the modern design for forward or back relief.
Jescar 18% Nickel Medium Jumbo frets. Frets are CA glued in, leveled and polished to a mirror reflection. It seems a lot of the pro builders are using Jescar frets exclusively, but do your on research. I have used the Jescar on the past 12 to 15 Guitars, and will likely never change back to the Stewmac frets. I do know that by gluing any fret in it guarantees a exceptional balanced tone and produces a very stable build. I even epoxy them in at times- again, a common practice in fretwork.
NECK:
Neck is just under 7/8" thick at first fret, and just under 1" at the 11th fret, and was initially machined with a 1" Radius round over bit, then final shaped to a rounded, soft Oval C profile. It's very comfortable, and not fat and chunky at all. The fat/chunky necks are initially machined with 7/8" Radius bits, therefore producing the Fat, Baseball Bat profiles. It is no where near Shredder Thin, etc.
Also, since the Korina 50's guitars (Flying V and Explorer) had no binding, they were able to roll the evolving softer D shape necks of the Korina into the Rosewood fretboad- creating the softer, rolled, rounded, Oval C overall neck profile. Keep in mind all this goes out the window if the fretboard Radius is flatter or tighter, or it's Compound Radius (typical of Fender), or once the Scale drops to 24.56 or increases to 25, 25.5, etc. Also, if you have really stocky hands vs lean and long thin hands and fingers... and on and on.
All in all it's closer to a late 50's or early 60's Gibson designs, and again- it's not chinsy and thin. Since I built it with the historically accurate 24.75" length Scale, a 12" Radius fretboard l, and per all the above mentioned extreme detailed Historically accurate Specs, it will feel like a late 50's to early 60's Gibson. So, do your own research based on that info., and if you don't understand any of it, you need to get with a seasoned guitar player or Tech. to guide you. I've owned countless vintage guitars and have played since the early 70's, so am confident of all the assessments, but I can't tell you what you may want or need.
Vintage Specs. Kluson USA Gold ABR-1 bridge with natural brass saddles. Intonation is perfect.
Vintage Specs. Kluson USA Gold Light-weight Aluminum Tailpiece with Tone Ninja Steel Anchors. Anchors are epoxied in, so you could install a Vibramate and B5 Bigsby and near dive bomb with it! Tuning stability will be exceptional- regardless of whether it remains fixed, or you install a Bigsby.
Set up with Elixir 10's and with medium-low action. It has approximately 1/32" forward relief, and is buzz free with moderate/typical playing.
Pickup rings are Gibson USA. Pickups are not included, however all machine work is finished so your tech can easily install any typical humbucker.
Pickguard and all control plates are custom made per the historically accurate Specs. I could make a White three ply Pickguard as well, but it would be extra (It would ship about 1 week after the guitar, and you could switch it over within about 10 minutes, since the pickups and potentiometers are mounted individually. Personally, the black looks very nice with the Gold and is likely more recognized as a Custom Build/possibly more valuable.
Gold Switchcraft 3-way (short), potentiometers are CTS 525K within 5% long brass split shaft. All wiring is typical per vintage specs.- braided and cloth. Switchcraft Gold mono jack mounted in vintage specs. square plate.
Finish work is Behlen Mohawk Nitro Cellulose Stringed Instrument lacquer and sprayed in super thin coats. It has about 17 to 20 coats. The figure/flame, which is called Chatoyancy, is Custom Shop Master Grade, and didn't require any artificial tints or stains. It's a beautiful Natural Blonde and is exactly what they would have looked like off the late 50's assembly line. It will turn more Amber over time, and according to how much sunlight it is exposed to.
Ships via UPS within the States and Via USPS Priority International worldwide, but please contact first if you are an international bidder. I will gladly consider a realistic Buy it Now Option, before it receives any bids, but prefer to let the auction run it's course.
NOTE:
Once the guitar receives multiple bids, I will let the auction run it's full 10 days, and go to the highest bidder. I've never ended an auction early, so please understand I won't waste anyone's time since it's a rather long auction at 10 days!
In closing, please study the details of how I built the headstock. It is far superior to the original 50's design and the joinery is near invisible. It appears to be one large piece, rather than the extreme chopped-up 3- piece original design. This is how I build all of my guitars and is Per Robert Benedetto Jazz Guitar Specs. I'll cover this in detail in Video 15, because very few Luthiers are willing to take the time to build on this level.
Marc
Deja Blu Guitars