MisterMiniMite
New member
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2003
- Messages
- 292
There are probably more than a couple of replica builders and secretive dealer types who might resent this list being put out in the open, but I'm all about having this type of stuff out there. Here are what I believe are original '58 through '63 korina Explorers:
(1) 8-2142
(2) 8-3873
(3) 8-3876
(4) 8-4541
(5) 8-4542
(6) 8-4543
(7) 8-4545
(8) 8-4548
(9) 8-4549
(10) 8-4559
(11) 9-1715
So, that's eleven, and to the best of my knowledge and ablilty, they're genuine. Anyone care to join in and add to the list?
Just a couple of observations: one of the obvious group ranges seems to be 8-4541 through 8-4559. Assuming there is an Explorer for each number in that sequential range (and that's perhaps a stretch of an assumption), that would be 19 in that range. I wonder if that's where the often quoted "only 19 made" comes from? Also, to my knowledge, and from what I have observed, this particular range seems to be a group that didn't ship until the early '60s (i.e. the ones with nickel hardware, reflector knobs, maestro vibrola, 6-on-a-strip tuners, etc.).
By contrast, the range suggested by the two known examples above in the 8-3873/3876 area seems to correspond to the ones with the typical '58 features (gold hardware, gold bonnet/tophat knobs, ABR-1 and tailpiece, individual gold Klusons, etc.). I'm just not sure where the upper and lower exampes of this particular range might be - perhaps there are several examples either sequentially above or below those two examples...
Anyway, if anyone else wants to come out of hiding about these serial numbers, I'd appreciate not being the only one out here flapping in the wind
(1) 8-2142
(2) 8-3873
(3) 8-3876
(4) 8-4541
(5) 8-4542
(6) 8-4543
(7) 8-4545
(8) 8-4548
(9) 8-4549
(10) 8-4559
(11) 9-1715
So, that's eleven, and to the best of my knowledge and ablilty, they're genuine. Anyone care to join in and add to the list?
Just a couple of observations: one of the obvious group ranges seems to be 8-4541 through 8-4559. Assuming there is an Explorer for each number in that sequential range (and that's perhaps a stretch of an assumption), that would be 19 in that range. I wonder if that's where the often quoted "only 19 made" comes from? Also, to my knowledge, and from what I have observed, this particular range seems to be a group that didn't ship until the early '60s (i.e. the ones with nickel hardware, reflector knobs, maestro vibrola, 6-on-a-strip tuners, etc.).
By contrast, the range suggested by the two known examples above in the 8-3873/3876 area seems to correspond to the ones with the typical '58 features (gold hardware, gold bonnet/tophat knobs, ABR-1 and tailpiece, individual gold Klusons, etc.). I'm just not sure where the upper and lower exampes of this particular range might be - perhaps there are several examples either sequentially above or below those two examples...
Anyway, if anyone else wants to come out of hiding about these serial numbers, I'd appreciate not being the only one out here flapping in the wind