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Why does Epi use Korina wood?


jbailes

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I always wondered what the "romance" was between some Epi models and korina wood. Years ago, I took a chance on an Epi korina explorer. I replaced to Epi pickups with Gibson USA pickups, and the sound was a little better, but the guitar was impossible to play standing up. It was way too neck heavy. I'll take mahogany any day.

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I always wondered what the "romance" was between some Epi models and korina wood. Years ago, I took a chance on an Epi korina explorer. I replaced to Epi pickups with Gibson USA pickups, and the sound was a little better, but the guitar was impossible to play standing up. It was way too neck heavy. I'll take mahogany any day.

 

My guess is that they were trying to match the Gibson version to keep it authentic. Plus it looks killer. [thumbup]

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I may be wrong here, but I am guessing the Korina finish is a small veneer over a Alder or Mahogany body and does not contribute immensely to the neck dive on the Epiphone models! Some guitar models are just prone to the dive and like Bender suggested a good wide strap is one of a few ways to cure the problem!

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Yep. Epiphone never produced any guitars made of solid Korina (which is alleged to have exceptional tonal qualities). The Epiphone versions were made of the same Asian "mahogany" as their other guitars, with thin veneers of Korina front and back.

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Yep. Epiphone never produced any guitars made of solid Korina (which is alleged to have exceptional tonal qualities). The Epiphone versions were made of the same Asian "mahogany" as their other guitars, with thin veneers of Korina front and back.

 

Fascinating Parabar. Do you mean to say Epiphone is guilty of fraud when their guitar specifications for a Korina wood 1958 Flying V is in fact not made of Korina? Please explain. Or are you saying Epiphone is going just one foot over the line of truth by renaming wood as Korina to make the claims. Extraordinary claims requires extraordinary evidence. What'cha got?

 

From the US Epiphone website:

"Korina is one of the best tonewoods for guitar bodies and features tonal characteristics similar to mahogany but with added mid-range, which makes it a perfect fit for the 1958 Flying V's Alnico humbucker pickups. The 1958 Korina Flying V features a solid Korina body using the same dimensions as the original with a glued-in mahogany neck with a 24.75” scale and a SlimTaper™ profile. The rosewood fretboard has a 12” radius, a 1.68" nut, and features pearloid dot inlays."

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This page from Elderly Instruments describes a Korina Firebird as having a three-piece korina body with korina veneers

 

http://elderly.com/vintage/items/30U-18171.htm

 

Maybe it would be more accurate to refer to these as having an all-korina body rather than a solid korina body.

 

Some korina models are alder or mahogany with korina veneers:

 

http://epiphonewiki.com/index.php/Korina_Series

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