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Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Explorer Reissue
Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Flying V Reissue
VS
Playability
73
Sound
72
Build
72
Value
57
Score
72
FIND IT ON:
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Playability
73
Sound
72
Build
72
Value
57
Score
72
FIND IT ON:
Sweetwater logoMusician's Friend logo
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Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Explorer Reissue vs 1958 Korina Flying V Reissue

Reasons to Get
Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Explorer Reissue over 1958 Korina Flying V Reissue

Neck Profile
Vintage 50s vs 50s Rounded Medium C
Thick neck that gives you a better grip

Reasons to Get
Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Flying V Reissue over 1958 Korina Explorer Reissue

Neck Profile
50s Rounded Medium C vs Vintage 50s
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Avg. Weight
7.75lbs (3.5kgs) vs 8.725lbs (4kgs)
Tends to be lighter

Other Key Differences
Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Explorer Reissue vs 1958 Korina Flying V Reissue

Headstock
6 vs 3-3
Different Headstock

Shared Features
Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Explorer Reissue vs 1958 Korina Flying V Reissue

Bridge Pickup
Custombucker
Same Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Custombucker
Same Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Limba
Same Body Wood
Neck Wood
Limba
Same Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Rosewood
Same Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Nylon
Same Nut Material
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
2
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
1
Same tone control
Pickups
HH
High output without hum
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Nut Width
1.688'' (42.9mm)
Same string separation at the nut
Paint Finish
Nitro
Thin finish that creates aging marks faster
Bridge
Fixed
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Joint
Set
Neck is glued to the body
Type of Frets
Medium
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Weight Relief
  • Locking Tuners
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that both instruments scored 72 out of 100, which makes them similar in terms of quality.

The Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Flying V Reissue wins when it comes to. On the other hand, the Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Explorer Reissue has the upper hand when it comes to.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Flying V Reissue.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Explorer Reissue is the better choice.

The Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Explorer Reissue meets 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Flying V Reissue meets only 3. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.

New Player Friendliness

Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Explorer Reissue
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Flying V Reissue
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable shape
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.

Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Explorer Reissue Overview

  • From Gibson Custom's 2022 Historic Collection series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Korina body
  • Korina neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Custombucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Custombucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 2 volume and 1 tone Bell knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • ABR-1 bridge
  • Vintage 50s Set neck
  • 22 Medium frets
  • Kluson with Celluloid Tips tuners
  • Weight between 8.15lbs (3.7kgs) and 9.3lbs (4.2kgs)
  • Compare Specs >

Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Flying V Reissue Overview

  • From Gibson Custom's 2022 Historic Collection series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Korina body
  • Korina neck
  • Indian Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Custombucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Custombucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 2 volume and 1 tone Bell knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • ABR-1 bridge
  • 50s Rounded Medium C Set neck
  • 22 Medium frets
  • Kluson Single Ring tuners
  • Weight between 6.9lbs (3.1kgs) and 8.6lbs (3.9kgs)
  • Compare Specs >

Sound Quality Comparison

The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.

Woods Used in Both

Limba wood pattern used for guitar building
Limba
Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood

Limba is a relatively rare wood that shows exotic tight dark grain stripes. It comes in white or black. As a tonewood, it is comparable to Mahogany but with richer mids. Find out more about Limba.

Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.

Winner: Tie.

Pickup Configuration

Both pickup configurations are HH. Double Humbucker (HH) is the choice for people who want a fuller, more round sound with tons of mids and lows. Humbuckers also get rid of the hum noise that plague single-coil pickups. They can work out for almost any genre going from Djent to even Jazz.

Pickups Quality

Both come with very good pickups from at least one of the specialized brands in the market. With pickups like these, you probably won't need an upgrade anytime soon.

Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.

Winner: Tie.

Versatility Comparison

Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.

Switch Options

Both are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.

Neither of them come with some kind of coil split or pickup mod option. This makes both lacking in terms of versatility.

They both share the following switching options:

Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Explorer Reissue and Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Flying V Reissue pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Explorer Reissue and Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Flying V Reissue's switch options

When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.

Winner: Tie.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Explorer Reissue
Pickups 90
Sustain 75
Versatility 51
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 72
Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Flying V Reissue
Pickups 90
Sustain 75
Versatility 51
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 72

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Explorer Reissue compares to the Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Flying V Reissue.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in United States.

The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.

Winner: Tie

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

In this case, both have Nylon nuts. It used to be one of the highest quality materials for nuts (and still is), but it's rare to find nowadays because it's hard to work with. It's a very resistant material with very low friction, so it will keep the guitar in tune and will last for a long time

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

Bridge

The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.

Both come with a similar bridge: Fixed. It's a simple bridge that is very beginner-friendly since it doesn't require any set-up. You can swap strings easily. It might also give more sustain since it doesn't have complex moving parts that make the strings lose vibration. However, it doesn't have the same versatility as a tremolo bridge.

Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.

Winner: Tie.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Explorer Reissue's are Kluson with Celluloid Tips while the Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Flying V Reissue's are Kluson Single Ring

Winner: Tie.

Neck Joint

Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.

Both have a Set neck joint. This neck is tightly glued to the body. They give you the least versatility because you can't swap them for a neck that fits your hand better if you want to, unlike bolt-on necks. Some people think this gives more resonance and sustain, but there's no real difference if the bolt-on joint is well built.

Winner: Tie.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Explorer Reissue
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Nylon Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Flying V Reissue
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Nylon Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Explorer Reissue
Quality of materials 66
Features 50
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 72
Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Flying V Reissue
Quality of materials 66
Features 50
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 72

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Explorer Reissue Nut Width
Both Guitars Have The Same Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, both have a nut width of 42.9mm (1.688'').

This is within the most common range of nut widths for a 6-string guitar. It offers a good balance of string separation at the nut. It's the size that most guitarists prefer as it gives them just enough space to play open chords without muting the strings, but without spreading the strings too wide and making bar chords difficult to perform.

Scale Length

Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Explorer Reissue and Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Flying V Reissue's Scale Length
Both have the same scale length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

In this case, both have a scale length of 24.75".

This is the scale length that Gibson uses for most of its Les Paul guitars. It's a smaller scale than the typical Stratocaster's 25.5''. Short scale lengths like this make it easier to bend the strings, which is pretty important if you have a fixed bridge. They also have a shorter fret separation, which makes it easier to change position fast at the fretboard.

On the other hand, a shorter scale like this one will make fret buzz more likely, which can affect you if you want to use thicker string gauges.

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Explorer Reissue Neck Profile
Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Explorer Reissue's neck profile
Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Flying V Reissue Neck Profile
Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Flying V Reissue's neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

In this case, both have different neck shapes:

The Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Explorer Reissue has a Vintage type of neck. This means that it's thicker than most modern necks, and makes it a better fit for playing chords and slow solos. Some people prefer this type of neck because it gives them a better grip thanks to the extra mass. Still, the vast majority prefer a thinner, faster, and more ''modern'' neck.

The Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Flying V Reissue, on the other hand, has a C neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

Fretboard Radius

Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Explorer Reissue Fingerboard Radius
Both Guitars Have The Same Fretboard Radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

Both the Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Explorer Reissue and the Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Flying V Reissue have the same fretboard radius of 12". This is the radius used in most Gibson guitars. It gives you a good balance for playing chords without muting, but also good comfortability for playing single notes and bending.

Hand Size Comfortability

Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.

And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Explorer Reissue favors large hands more than the Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Flying V Reissue.

Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Explorer Reissue:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Flying V Reissue:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Explorer Reissue and Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Flying V Reissue Frets Size
Both have a similar Medium fret size

Both have a Medium fret size. If you like feeling the fretboard when you play, but also appreciate some easiness to press down the frets, this size offers a good balance for that.

Final Playability Scores

Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Explorer Reissue
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 60
Playability 73
Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Flying V Reissue
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 70
Playability 73

Specs Side-by-Side

Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Explorer Reissue vs 1958 Korina Flying V Reissue
General Gibson Custom 1958 Korina Explorer Reissue 1958 Korina Flying V Reissue
Brand: Gibson Custom Gibson Custom
Year: 2022 2022
Configuration: HH HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: United States United States
Series: Historic Collection Historic Collection
Colors: Natural Natural
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Korina Korina
Bridge: ABR-1 ABR-1
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Kluson with Celluloid Tips Kluson Single Ring
Fretboard: Rosewood Indian Rosewood
Neck Material: Korina Korina
Decoration: Pearloid Dots Pearloid Dots
Scale Size: 24.75" 24.75"
Shape: Vintage 50s 50s Rounded Medium C
Frets: 22 Medium Nickel Silver 22 Medium Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 12"
Nut: Nylon Nylon
Nut Width: 42.9mm (1.688'') 42.9mm (1.688'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Custombucker (Humbucker / Passive) Custombucker (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Custombucker (Humbucker / Passive) Custombucker (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Bell Bell
Pickup Mods: None None
Volume Controls: 2 2
Tone Controls: 1 1