The Gibson Explorer 1957-2026 Introduced in 1958, the Gibson Explorer was a commercial failure. By 2026, Vintage Guitar ranked the original 1958-59 Korina model first among its 40 most valuable production guitars, with a guide value of $1,000,000-$1,350,000. Its origins lie in Gibson president Ted McCarty’s Modernistic project. The 1957 Futura prototype and patent drawings featured a radical asymmetrical body and split headstock. The production Explorer adopted the now-famous six-inline hockey-stick headstock. The 1958 Explorer featured a solid Korina (African limba) body, set Korina neck, 24.75-inch nominal scale, 22 frets, natural finish and gold hardware. Period Gibson literature specified a rosewood fingerboard, although some later descriptions say ebony. Its two PAF humbuckers used dual coils, Alnico bar magnets and typically 42 AWG plain-enamel magnet wire. ~5,000 turns per coil is a period reference, not a documented count for every example. Electronics comprised two volume controls, one tone control and a three-way selector, with an ABR-1 Tune-o-matic bridge and stop tailpiece. Gibson’s shipping ledgers record only 19 Explorers in 1958 and three in 1959. Those 22 shipments do not establish how many were built. Some researchers suggest as many as 40 bodies and necks. Around 1963, leftover Korina assemblies were completed with newer components, including nickel hardware, patent-number humbuckers and updated electronics. Some retained 1958 serial numbers. The Explorer returned in revised production form in the mid-1970s. Early-1980s Heritage Series Korina reissues renewed interest in the original design, followed by further reissues and Gibson Custom recreations, including the 2021 Collector’s Edition. Allen Collins, Rick Nielsen and Eric Clapton helped raise its profile. Clapton’s 1958 Explorer appeared at Christie’s in 1999; Nielsen owns remarkable early examples. Prototypes and one-offs can be rarer, but the original Explorer ranks among Gibson’s scarcest production electrics; from an unwanted novelty to a seven-figure collectible. vintageguitar.com/88778/the-… guitarworld.com/features/the… guitarplayer.com/gear/the-19… christies.com/en/lot/lot-152… gibson.com/it-eu/blogs/gibso…