Sheepdog1969
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Status Replies posted by Sheepdog1969
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Thanks for your reply to my post. Regarding your question about the vol/tone knobs: My Explorer is all original, I have changed nothing. I purchased it new in 1985 from Guitar Center in Arlington Heights Illinois for $350 (not kidding) without a case, as they did not have one for it. (I did by a case from Gibson years later and it cost me far more than I paid for the guitar.) It cannot be a Heritage because it is a Custom Shop Edition with Gold hardware and a "pressed" 8 digit serial number indicating it was finished on March 10th, 1983 in Nashville, TN. Apparently less than 100 Custom Shop Edition Explorers were made in 1983. 1983 Heritage Explorers did not have Gold hardware, and had "inked" serial numbers that started with a 1, then a space, then a 0 followed by three digits starting at 001 through 100. They also had "tulip" style tuning pegs and all of them were natural finish Korina. (only 100 Heritage Explorers were made in 1983) I heard that Heritages may have had Made in USA inked on, versus pressed, as well. I also read that the pearl inlaid Gibson logo on the head stock was the original '50's font/design, which differed from the inlaid pearl Gibson logo on the Custom Shop Edition '83 Explorers, (and the painted on Gibson Logo on Standard '83 Explorers), which are in the current font/design. All Heritages had covered humbuckers in silver/nickel which matched the rest of the hardware.
I have seen many '83 Explorers for sale online that claim to be Korina Custom Shop Edition Heritages. No such '83 Explorer exists. A $10,000 asking price '83 Korina "Heritage" Explorer with Gold hardware is NOT a Heritage. A '83 Explorer with a painted on Gibson logo on the headstock is NOT Korina, is NOT a Heritage, and is NOT a Custom Shop Edition.
As for pictures, I will try to upload more as I have time. Again, thanks for your reply and data.
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Still haven't taken the Explorer out of storage, but the next rainy day, I will get it out and get you better pics. I saw you mentioned that you heard 500 CSE (Custom Shop Edition) Explorers were made in '83. What I have read is that between 1982 and 1984, just under 500 CSE Explorers were made, (480 or so). But, that is three years of production. My research shows that under 100 CSE Explorers, (94-96) were made in 1983, all of which were Korina. (approx. 1/2 [50] in natural finish, and almost all of the remaining half in either black or red [approximately 40] , and only a few in Ivory/white). I am unaware of the production numbers for '83 "Standard" Explorers, (with painted on Gibson logos on the headstock), or 1983 production numbers for the Explorer "II", and/or any other version of the Explorer made that year, (if any). Because data is hard to find, especially accurate data, it is possible that there were 500 or so Gibson Explorer Custom Shop Editions made in 1983, and only 100 (or less) of them were "Korina", (hence my many pervious posts asking about that possibility). However, based on info gathered from multiple sources, I am inclined to believe that only 94-96 Gibson Explorer Custom Shop Editions were made in 1983, and they all were "Korina". I am also inclined to believe that "under 500" total Explorer CSE's were made between 1982 and 1984. (I am biased, and my "wishful thinking" leans towards my '83 CSE being a Korina, and quite rare, versus it being "just a non Korina, and a not as rare CSE Explorer", he he he). I would love to see where you heard about 500 CSE Explorers being made in 1983, btw.
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