Just 81 Flying Vs and 19 Explorers will be built as part of the painstaking reissue
Gibson Custom Shop has announced a reissue of some of the rarest instruments in the firm’s storied history: the Collector’s Edition 1958 Korina Flying V and Explorer.
First debuted at the NAMM show in (you guessed it) ’58, the initial run was limited to just 81 Flying Vs and 19 Explorers. The models have since become some of the most sought-after vintage guitars in the world.
Gibson’s Custom Shop has now officially announced the arrival of a Collector’s Edition run that it says has been three years in the making.
Gibson Custom Shop 1958 Korina Explorer
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The new instruments have been produced in the same limited numbers as the originals and the firm seems to have thrown significant resources at recreating these two milestone instruments in fine detail.
The Gibson Lab team scanned a wide range of “museum model” Flying V and Explorers to ensure everything from the body contours, to the logos, fretboards and even the cases – reportedly rarer than the guitars themselves – were recreated as accurately as possible.
Gibson Custom Shop 1958 Korina Flying V
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The instruments both feature the original tone woods, with korina bodies and necks and Brazilian rosewood fretboards.
They’re also equipped with Kluson tuners, Custombucker PAF hum buckers and gold-finished hardware. In addition, the instruments have all been finished and hand-aged by the firm’s dedicated in-house Murphy Lab team, led by Custom Shop veteran Tom Murphy.
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The cases will also include a vintage-style cable, strap, picks and, an amusingly titled “historically legitimate pennant of the era.”
This may also be one of the first instances of the company issuing a case for its case, as the Collector's Edition Korina's vintage correct leather specimens come with their own canvas protectors (as below)!
Just in case... The leather reissue case has its own protection (Image credit: Gibson)
Finally, for those players who have so much spare money it’s just cluttering up the place, Gibson is offering a VIP ‘Complete Korina Experience’ package, which includes both Korina guitars, a first-class roundtrip to Nashville, overnight accommodation at a four star hotel, a private tour of the Gibson HQ from master luthiers and numerous other perks.
The (very) limited Collector’s Edition instruments are available for preorder now – Gibson says there will be an extended run due September 2021.
Matt is Features Editor for GuitarWorld.com. Before that he spent 10 years as a freelance music journalist, interviewing artists for the likes of Total Guitar, Guitarist, Guitar World, MusicRadar, NME.com, DJ Mag and Electronic Sound. In 2020, he launched CreativeMoney.co.uk, which aims to share the ideas that make creative lifestyles more sustainable. He plays guitar, but should not be allowed near your delay pedals.
