NGD: Epi Korina Flying V

[1allspub]

Picked up one of the Epiphone 1958 Korina Flying Vs a few days ago from AMS. Surprisingly good. Usually not a big fan of Epi’s stock pickups, but I gotta say, these really aren’t too bad at all (Alnico Classic {N} & Alnico Classic Plus {B})... articulate, with a good crunch to them. I may just leave them in (don’t hold me to that, as I have a set of Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates just sitting around doing nothing, ha! ).

I also have the Epi Korina Moderne, which I also totally dig… I guess I’ll have to find one of the Korina Explorers now, as well, to complete the Korina Trifecta!

Here’s the V’s tale of the tape:

• 6.89lbs
• 0.803/0.864/0.901 (1st/7th/12th frets)

Nice weight, good color (matches my Moderne perfectly), nice fretboard (the Pau Ferro Epi uses nowadays on these guitars looks exceptionally good with the Korina—does on my Moderne, as well).

At just 6% the cost of a Gibson CS Korina V, these are a no-brainer, IMO.

And, of course, here’s a couple pics.

 

[1allspub]

Another pic in its newly arrived Epi V case.

And the V and Moderne together. Yep, definitely need to track down an Explorer now!

 

[Nick-O]

Looks solid, not veneer.
There was so much debate about the Amos v being veneer, it always left me wondering.
Great looking pair!!

 

[1allspub]

Looks solid, not veneer.
There was so much debate about the Amos v being veneer, it always left me wondering.
Great looking pair!!

It’s probably a veneer. But it’s well done, for sure.

 

[Puck Luck]

Nice! I almost bought one of those a few times but got tired of waiting on the backorders a while back. Great bang for the buck V.

 

[1allspub]

Nice! I almost bought one of those a few times but got tired of waiting on the backorders a while back. Great bang for the buck V.

Yeah, took a few tries for me too. I had one on backorder back last April with AMS, but then they got the Modernes in while I was waiting, so I canceled my V order and bought the Moderne instead. Then this past Christmas AMS got more Vs in and I bought one when their website said “1 left in stock”. Then after a few days I realized I’d never gotten a shipping notification or tracking number. So I called them and I was put on backorder again! So either they didn’t really have “1 left in stock” then or my timing was just perfectly wrong and someone juuust beat me to it before I got my order placed. Either way, I canceled the backorder.

When they got more in stock a few weeks later though, I called to make sure that they really were in stock... they were, so I took the leap and here we are.

 

[DeafDumbBlind Kid]

I want to get one, but I don't like the pau ferro boards. When they changed from rosewood, I tried to buy a NOS advertised as rosewood. What I got was hideous and definitely not rosewood. Never even got into the house, put it right back in the box and emailed Adorama and got an RMS and brought it to the UPS terminal at the earliest opportunity.

When Gibson dropped some mahogany V last year at a reasonable price, I put my name in for a pre-order. It showed up and I tried it out. It was nice, the guitar played and felt great. But good god, another fugly fretboard. I passed. Since then, I've been downsizing so my search for a V has been very half hearted at best.

 

[1allspub]

I want to get one, but I don't like the pau ferro boards. When they changed from rosewood, I tried to buy a NOS advertised as rosewood. What I got was hideous and definitely not rosewood. Never even got into the house, put it right back in the box and emailed Adorama and got an RMS and brought it to the UPS terminal at the earliest opportunity.

When Gibson dropped some mahogany V last year at a reasonable price, I put my name in for a pre-order. It showed up and I tried it out. It was nice, the guitar played and felt great. But good god, another fugly fretboard. I passed. Since then, I've been downsizing so my search for a V has been very half hearted at best.

As I said above in my OP, I happen to think the Pau Ferro compliments the Korina bodies quite nicely. The two woods have a very harmonious appearance, IMO. It definitely has a bit of a different look to it than rosewood, but it’s not unattractive to my eye (but maybe I just got a couple good examples). Same with the Indian Laurel I have on my Epi ES-335. It looks and feels just fine. Not quite like rosewood, but with the the challenges guitar makers have these days in sourcing sustainable woods, I get it. And especially in Epi’s case, considering the price point they maintain in the market. Would I want PF or IL on a Gibson version of either of these guitars (or any Gibson guitar, for that matter). No. Given my druthers, would I prefer they had rosewood instead? Yes. But am I fine with the PF and/or IL? Also yes. But each to his own.

 

[revtime]

Trying to lock one down now.
Its a trade thing so I am being realistic.

 

[revtime]

Got a meet up scheduled for tomorrow morning. Trading a schecter NJ hss in atomic orange.

 

[01GT Eibach]

Very nice guitar -- love that price, too. There was talk above about it having veneers. It seems like too much cost and trouble to bother putting Korina veneers top and bottom on a Korina-body guitar. I would be really surprised actually if that was the case (yet, I have been "surprised" before though).

 

[VancoD]

Nice find!

And I agree about the stock electronics. Not the best you'll find, but IMO for the price you absolutely can't beat Epi pickups. I recently got a mildly neglected Greg Bennett Avion AV-6 on the cheap and have a set of zebra Alnico Pros en route as we speak - $40 shipped (for the entire wiring harness - PUPs, (switch)pots, switch, and jack) - it even has the proper curved PUP rings!

 

[RNP]

My Epiphones. The neck on the Explorer is massive compared to the V or Firebird .. a lot thicker than my 2019 '50s Standard.
Right now the V is my favourite guitar to use. Light, well balanced, neck resonates nicely and it sounds great.

 

[rfrizz]

Picked up one of the Epiphone 1958 Korina Flying Vs a few days ago from AMS. Surprisingly good. Usually not a big fan of Epi’s stock pickups, but I gotta say, these really aren’t too bad at all (Alnico Classic {N} & Alnico Classic Plus {B})... articulate, with a good crunch to them. I may just leave them in (don’t hold me to that, as I have a set of Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates just sitting around doing nothing, ha! ).

I also have the Epi Korina Moderne, which I also totally dig… I guess I’ll have to find one of the Korina Explorers now, as well, to complete the Korina Trifecta!

Here’s the V’s tale of the tape:

• 6.89lbs
• 0.803/0.864/0.901 (1st/7th/12th frets)

Nice weight, good color (matches my Moderne perfectly), nice fretboard (the Pau Ferro Epi uses nowadays on these guitars looks exceptionally good with the Korina—does on my Moderne, as well).

At just 6% the cost of a Gibson CS Korina V, these are a no-brainer, IMO,

And, of course, here’s a couple pics.

[pix of a fine-looking V deleted.]

You may find this hard to believe, but I am a fan of the Flying V.

While I prefer cherry, I would snatch up your Korina V in a second, especially because it has the most important factor for a guitar, it plays well.

My first electric was a cherry '69 Gibson Flying V I bought in 1986. Some idiot changed out the pups with DiMarzio and slapped Ernie Ball knurled brass knobs on it, but it was sweet. I wound up trading it for a Tele, but I later found it in a store and repurchased it. Then I sold it again. Grrrr...

Exactly three years, 364 days ago, I received my new Gibson Flying V cherry w/case. Hard to believe it was only $1104, which was a decent price even back then.

About 18 months later, I got the bug for an Explorer. It also has a Korina body, and looks great. It also plays great. Six months later, I got a Firebird. Three months after that, I decided to complete the "set" with a Moderne. I got the case for it in less than a week, but the "closeout" guitar spend six months on backorder.

Just like your V, mine all came from American Musical.

 

[rfrizz]

My Epiphones. The neck on the Explorer is massive compared to the V or Firebird .. a lot thicker than my 2019 '50s Standard.
Right now the V is my favourite guitar to use. Light, well balanced, neck resonates nicely and it sounds great.
View attachment 671361

Nice collection! Are you going to get a Modern?

 

[1allspub]

Got a meet up scheduled for tomorrow morning. Trading a schecter NJ hss in atomic orange.

Good luck... keep us posted.

Very nice guitar -- love that price, too. There was talk above about it having veneers. It seems like too much cost and trouble to bother putting Korina veneers top and bottom on a Korina-body guitar. I would be really surprised actually if that was the case (yet, I have been "surprised" before though).

Looking at the side of the body inside the V cut it looks to be a 5 piece body, but from the top and back it looks like a 2 piece... so looks like it is veneered (front and back) just to hide all the glued together body pieces. Oh well.. no worries, it’s well done and looks great!... and for $534 (what I paid) I really cannot complain. Great value, even veneered.

 

[keys88]

That looks sweet! Congrats. I'd love to add a korina V to the collection someday.

 

[frehley76]

I had one I sold a while back, it was a very good guitar for the price. Mine had veneers on the top, back, and sides, but not on the lower inside of the V shape. I could see 2pc on one wing and 1pc on the other. Can't go wrong with them for sure.

 

[74JMP]

Looks solid, not veneer.
There was so much debate about the Amos v being veneer, it always left me wondering.
Great looking pair!!

I figured there had to be a catch. If it was solid they'd scream it from the roof tops.

 

[74JMP]

Picked up one of the Epiphone 1958 Korina Flying Vs a few days ago from AMS. Surprisingly good. Usually not a big fan of Epi’s stock pickups, but I gotta say, these really aren’t too bad at all (Alnico Classic {N} & Alnico Classic Plus {B})... articulate, with a good crunch to them. I may just leave them in (don’t hold me to that, as I have a set of Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates just sitting around doing nothing, ha! ).

I also have the Epi Korina Moderne, which I also totally dig… I guess I’ll have to find one of the Korina Explorers now, as well, to complete the Korina Trifecta!

Here’s the V’s tale of the tape:

• 6.89lbs
• 0.803/0.864/0.901 (1st/7th/12th frets)

Nice weight, good color (matches my Moderne perfectly), nice fretboard (the Pau Ferro Epi uses nowadays on these guitars looks exceptionally good with the Korina—does on my Moderne, as well).

At just 6% the cost of a Gibson CS Korina V, these are a no-brainer, IMO.

And, of course, here’s a couple pics.
View attachment 668449
View attachment 668448

Wondering if you could do me a favor. I have a PGK V and the 58's are wider the then 67's, but not sure if EPI carried that trait over. I had to get a big ass'd SJB case, no one can tell me the ID from wing point to wing point of the epi case. If I knew it would fit I can order a case. So would you mind measuring the width.