Slash may be a confirmed Les Paul guy, but he’s also a korina fan
Late 2022 saw the launch of “The Collection: Slash,” the debut release from Gibson Publishing. As you might expect, there are plenty of photographs of Gibson Les Pauls in the 364 lavishly illustrated pages of this premium coffee table book.
“The Collection: Slash” explores in unprecedented detail the guitar collection of the Gibson Global Brand Ambassador and rock legend, but it’s not all Les Pauls; there are more than a few surprises among Slash’s 400-strong arsenal. One such instrument is this 1958 Gibson Explorer with Bigsby® vibrato, and an interesting backstory.
Even if you can afford it, an original Gibson Explorer from the late 1950s is almost impossible to find. Once upon a time, Slash owned two of them.
“When I went into the studio to record ‘Use Your Illusion,’ I picked up two ’58 Explorers,” Slash recalls.
“I gave one of them to my guitar tech at the time, only to find out later that he’d sold it. That’s one of my very, very few regrets in life!”
Vintage guitar aficionados love provenance, and the 1958 Explorer that Slash kept hold of came with plenty of it. This included the paperwork to prove that the Bigsby vibrato was fitted by Gibson at the Kalamazoo factory in 1975, among a whole raft of repair and restoration work carried out on this much-loved and heavily gigged guitar.
Also included were some old parts, a photograph of the Explorer’s original owner Kirk ‘Pal’ Jennings, a setlist and concert poster from Jennings’ band, and more besides.
To see more amazing guitars from Slash’s personal collection, watch The Collection: Slash on Gibson TV and shop for your copy of The Collection: Slash from Gibson Publishing.
