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MelbourneExplorer
05-02-2013, 03:01 AM
I wanted to see how close to an original 1958 ‘Korina’ Gibson explorer I could get by using the EX1 kit from Pitbull – and the answer was ‘pretty close’.

The first thing I did was buy some wood stain from the local hardware shop to try to make the basswood body look like aged Korina. After three or four coats of the wood stain I got pretty close to the colour I was after.

I also had to make the headstock black – which I did by using some acrylic black paint from Autobarn. I also got through three tins of acrylic lacquer from Autobarn on the headstock and body – because I wanted a truly glossy feel.

Next up I needed a three ply (white/black/white) pick guard – but the traditional Explorer pickguard doesn’t fit this particular kit guitar so I had to buy a blank pick guard and make it myself. It’s far easier than it sounds.

While I was buying the blank pickguard I also decided to buy a traditional bell-shaped Gibson truss rod cover – since the original ’58 Explorer had that.

The fretboard was a little lighter in colour than I wanted so I gave it two coats of cedar oil – which darkened the wood beautifully.

Then I painted the guitar lead socket black – since that is what the original had.

And then I thought I would have a bit of a laugh and turned the machine heads/tuners into the kind of Star Tuners that 1975 Ibanez Destroyers had (Ibanez Destroyers were early copies of the ’58 Gibson Explorer). Sort of mixing my genres here – but what the heck!

The end result is easily the coolest looking guitar I have – and it sounds pretty awesome too.

http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/p089i-The-finished-guitar.jpg
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/a2sbv-Star-Tuner-Headstock.jpg
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/yg843-Headstock.jpg

MikeL
05-02-2013, 03:27 AM
Oooh I like that :) Nicely done :D

keloooe
05-02-2013, 04:01 AM
Ooooohhhh... Me likey!!! Also nice to see that im not the only one here in Melb!!!

pablopepper
05-02-2013, 04:14 AM
Tasty! I love the korina explorers.

GlennGP
05-02-2013, 07:04 AM
Quote from pablopepper on February 4, 2013, 13:14
Tasty! I love the korina explorers.

Agree, that is one yummy looking guitar. I've only ever seen them in gloss black!

GGP

dingobass
05-02-2013, 08:23 AM
Hot damn that is nice!

Great job :D