# What should I upgrade on Epiphone explorer?



## venndi (Feb 14, 2016)

Hi!

I'm planning to buy Epi explorer korina or Goth 58. I'll change the hardware, but I don't know what is necessery.
So, I'll get an EMG 81/85, the wires, potencionmeters and the connector for guitar cable are all good which come with EMG pickups?

Bridge and tailpiece. Is there better than Gibson ABR-1 and gibson tailpiece? Some recommandation?

Which tuners should I get?
Is any noticeable tone difference, between plastic and bone nut?

Also, Korina Vs Mahogany?


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Feb 14, 2016)

The EMG 81/85 set will include everything but the switch. You'll have to solder on the stock switch to the EMG bus. 

Gotoh has import parts you can buy for like $40 for both the bridge and tailpiece. 

Stock tuners might be fine for now. If you want to make the switch, Gotoh might work. Or Schaller. 

Get a Tusq nut. It'll improve your tuning stability more drastically than a new bridge or new set of tuners can.

They're both going to sound similar if it's true Korina (the Korina might have a bit more midrange emphasis), but I honestly don't think the Epi is true korina. I believe it's a veneer or Korina over some other wood.


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## Aymara (Feb 14, 2016)

venndi said:


> Bridge and tailpiece. Is there better than Gibson ABR-1 and gibson tailpiece?



The ABR-1 is the one with the rattling wire and Gibson parts don't fit on Epi ... you need metric parts for Asian guitars! On my Epi Les Paul I chose Tonepros and didn't regret it. For the tailpiece I chose aluminium to brighten that full mahogany body up a bit.

Regarding the EMGs I would recommend checking out a 57/66 set, which I have in my Schecter Hybrid. This is the first EMG set I really like.

PS: Regarding the nut ... bone and Tusq are much better than plastic!


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## Electric Wizard (Feb 14, 2016)

Stock tuners on the Korina are Grover, I'm betting that the Goth has them too.

Both are mahogany. The Korina model with the natural finish just has veneers on the front and back.


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## Berserker (Feb 15, 2016)

Maybe play the guitar first and then decide if anything actually needs to be changed! You might like the way it feels and holds tuning just as it is.


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## Pikka Bird (Feb 15, 2016)

Electric Wizard said:


> Both are mahogany. The Korina model with the natural finish just has veneers on the front and back.



Can you document this? It's listed everywhere as korina, and Gibson (and affiliates) are usually very thorough and honest on their specs sheets.


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## Aymara (Feb 15, 2016)

Pikka Bird said:


> Can you document this?



It's well known, that Epiphone uses thin veneers for the Les Paul tops ... they have a standard maple cap on the mahogany body, but the beauty comes from a thin veneer.

I guess it will be similar with other models.

And you can count on it, that you won't find that officially documented by Epiphone, because that would be a marketing fauxpas


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## Pikka Bird (Feb 15, 2016)

Aymara said:


> It's well known, that Epiphone uses thin veneers for the Les Paul tops ... they have a standard maple cap on the mahogany body, but the beauty comes from a thin veneer.
> 
> I guess it will be similar with other models.
> 
> And you can count on it, that you won't find that officially documented by Epiphone, because that would be a marketing fauxpas



The veneers over a maple top is well known, yes. But it _is_ officially documented by Epiphone on their website for the models that have it. 

Korina isn't some extremely special unicorn-like wood species that's particularly expensive to source, so there's no need to be that stingy with it.

Check this picture of the "shoulder" on an Epiphone Korina Explorer - tell me where the veneer stops and the "mahogany" starts:







More pictures here. Pages 9 and 10 have most of the good close-up shots of the edges.


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## Aymara (Feb 15, 2016)

Pikka Bird said:


> Check this picture of the "shoulder" on an Epiphone Korina Explorer ...



Thanks, interesting ... there's also a discussion about the Korina in the official forum:

Epiphone 1958 Korina Explorer Wood Question - Gibson Guitar Board


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## Electric Wizard (Feb 15, 2016)

Pikka Bird said:


> Can you document this? It's listed everywhere as korina, and Gibson (and affiliates) are usually very thorough and honest on their specs sheets.


I think these pictures make it pretty clear:
IMG_1249_zps477949bc.jpg Photo by thewestwon | Photobucket

IMG_1248_zps04473f85.jpg Photo by thewestwon | Photobucket

Obvious here too:


You can see where the veneer stops right before the edges are rounded over. The example you posted doesn't look like there's a veneer but lots of these are pretty obvious where the front and back are usually darker than the sides. Could be that they're still Korina bodies. I've always read that they were mahogany.

Not saying they're not good guitars. The black one was my main guitar for like 5 years.


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## Pikka Bird (Feb 15, 2016)

^Oi, that is rather odd. It seems weird that they'd do that because it doesn't look like the pieces that make up the body are mismatched color-wise. But I do think the body is korina all the way through. One explanation might be that the cuts they used for the bulk of the body didn't have too much of that nice iridescence so they remedied it with a veneer of a better cut. Wonder which years they were made with veneers and which were without.


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## Floppystrings (Feb 16, 2016)

Plain White Limba body blanks, for $68. It isn't an expensive wood.

White Limba Glued Body Blank 1.75" x 14" x 20"

The veneers are were probably added to prevent the wood from soaking in too much paint at some point. Korina also has streaks.


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## Prophetable (Feb 16, 2016)

I recommend changing what you don't like rather than what you just think should be different, especially based on other people's ideas.


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## Pikka Bird (Feb 16, 2016)

Prophetable said:


> I recommend changing what you don't like rather than what you just think should be different, especially based on other people's ideas.



Rational thoughts? We don't need no shiftless wretch like you here on this band's wagon!


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## TruckstopChuckie (Feb 16, 2016)

Korina wood... I think there is a lot of difference between the korina used in Epiphone's and Gibson's... Korina isn't just korina.


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