ThreeChordWonder
New member
What you or I pay on the internerd is probably at least 5 or 10 times what Epiphone pays buying bulk. And these days do you expect any decent wood to be "cheap"?
Epiphone korina explorer and flying V
- Thread starter Mikelamury
- Start date
What you or I pay on the internerd is probably at least 5 or 10 times what Epiphone pays buying bulk. And these days do you expect any decent wood to be "cheap"?
JMP/HBE
Well-known member
Chinese / Indo wooden guitars are cheap, don't get any cheaper.
Try being a Trim Carpenter buying exotic wood stocks for construction.
An Epiphone guitar is as cheapo as it gets.
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
Kinda hard to tell from this pic, but that doesn't look like a veneer there?
Honestly, I think that looks pretty good.
ThreeChordWonder
New member
Chinese / Indo wooden guitars are cheap, don't get any cheaper.
Try being a Trim Carpenter buying exotic wood stocks for construction.
An Epiphone guitar is as cheapo as it gets.
Agreed.
Many moons ago, back in 1987, the UK got hit by a rare hurricane. Trees down all over the place.
I was living on my University' campus out in the country, well, Egham, and there were 100 year old hardwood trees down all over the place.
My pal Nick, whose dad had a business building very expensive solid wood luxury leisure boats by hand (no fiberglass allowed) got up, saw the damage and called his dad. Then he went to see the University managers. Told them he would clear the trees if he gave THEM a thousand Pounds.
The he went to B&Q and bought some chainsaws. Then he went to the unemployment exchange and hired some guys for 100 Pounds each, cash in hand, for a day's work.
Meanwhile, his dad got the 18-wheelers organized.
In today's money they probably carted off over half a millions worth of English Oak, Chestnut, Beech, Scots pine, even an American redwood IIRC.
Nick was forgiven for flunking year three twice.
ThreeChordWonder
New member
Mines definitely 3 pieces of wood, they say real Korina, with veneers on the front and back.
But let's face it, guys. Unless you're hanging out at the Flying V Corksniffers Club, who's going to know or care? Your average bar audience won't, that's for sure.
ICTGoober
New member
For the record, Korina is a copyrighted word Gibson invented to market limba.
And there is nothing wrong with Indian Laurel. It's even related to limba in the taxonomic universe of Latin wood terms. I've worked on some Russian Strat copies whose bodies were made of Indian Laurel. They finished well, sounded great, looked and weighed about what a mahogany body looked like and weighed. Some of the lighter colored varieties look more like ash to me.
And there is nothing wrong with Indian Laurel. It's even related to limba in the taxonomic universe of Latin wood terms. I've worked on some Russian Strat copies whose bodies were made of Indian Laurel. They finished well, sounded great, looked and weighed about what a mahogany body looked like and weighed. Some of the lighter colored varieties look more like ash to me.
JMP/HBE
Well-known member
That looks like a Gibson and not Epi but what do i know ?
JMP/HBE
Well-known member
Can't be a copywrite, Ace sez it doesn't exist and Gibson hasn't sued me yet for talking about it. ---->
Agree Indian Laurel ain't bad on a $400 guitar but absurd as a turd for a $1200 price point.
Mikelamury
New member
While we're talking about 'korina' I just realized something. My Orange O-bass is made of African limba (korina) I just put that together and it only cost 600. Probably multi piece but it's a good size piece of korina or African limba and sounds good, has a maple neck and purple heart fretboard. So korina can't be that expensive if it came on my mid priced Orange O bass.
ThreeChordWonder
New member
There's no reason Korina should be expensive. Well, more expensive than African mahogany, anyway. They've been farming Korina since the 50s, I believe, and it cuts just the same to cut a Korina tree down, saw it up and ship it to China and make it into guitars as it does any other wood.
And have you seen what Home Depot charges for a 2x4 these days?:angryfire
JMP/HBE
Well-known member
They've been cutting Honduran Mahogany, Rosewood & Ebony since the 50's too and they are all endangered / restricted.
Theory invalid.
I can assure you whereever Epi is getting Korina its aint that great and cheap af for them.
All trees aren't 100 years old.
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
You're right, LOL. My bad.
ThreeChordWonder
New member
Figure out what they pay the locals to cut the tree down. Peanuts. Figure out what it costs them to get sawn into planks nearby. More peanuts. Now Figure that it costs to ship the sawn lumber from South America or Africa to somewhere in China. NOT peanuts
NegativeEase
New member
Korina is cool, but it definitely has a lesser low mid thing (almost like you notch filter out something down in the 400-600 hz range) versus a Mahogany or Maple instrument -it's subtle of course and it may be something you prefer if you can hear it, or select hardware and pickups which accentuate it.
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
So apparently, no veneer and 2-piece bodies. Cool!
I love the Explorer, TBH. Looks so Van Halen.
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Mikelamury
New member
I just saw this video too, I watch trogly every morning with my coffee. I was just about to post the same video. That top looks very well matched in the center, two piece top with no veneer.
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