ESP 400 Series, Electric Guitar, J vs Gibson Explorer Korina
The ESP 400 Series, Electric Guitar, J and the Gibson Explorer Korina are both electric guitars. The ESP 400 Series, Electric Guitar, J leans mid-forward and high gain. The Gibson Explorer Korina leans bright.
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Blended from circuit-archetype lineage, dynamic feel, tone-signal overlap and tone-vector distance — the tone vector itself is derived from editorial description text, not a measured acoustic signal, so this reflects how similarly the catalog copy describes the two, not a lab measurement. Shown only within a gear class, and only where there's enough evidence to be meaningful.49% — somewhat different
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Genres both listings are associated with.- Metal
- Rock
ESP 400 Series, Electric Guitar, J
Unknown brand · electric guitar
Gibson Explorer Korina
Gibson · electric guitar
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Citation/mention fame — how often this gear is cited across artist rigs and gear discussion.$6500via Reverb
The ESP 400 Series comes from the Japanese-built tiers ESP ran through the 1980s, where the number denoted the price level and the build quality that went with it. The 400 sat in the middle of that ladder, using solid alder or mahogany bodies and bolt-on or set necks, and these instruments established ESP's reputation among American players before the LTD line existed.
Kirk Hammett owns a 1963 Gibson Explorer assembled from korina body and neck stock left over from the model's original, extremely limited late-1950s production run, one of the roughly 17 rare vintage Gibsons he showcased in an episode of Gibson TV's The Collection alongside a 1957 Korina Flying V prototype and Peter Green and Gary Moore's famous 1959 Les Paul, Greeny. Korina, a lightweight African wood Gibson used briefly for the Explorer and Flying V before both models were discontinued in 1958 due to poor initial sales, gives these guitars a brighter, more resonant voice than the mahogany used on most other Gibson solid bodies from the era. As one of the rarest body shapes Gibson ever produced in this wood, Hammett's example represents a significant piece of guitar history well outside the metal-oriented gear he's more commonly associated with.
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Genres this gear is documented as being used in.- Alternative Rock
- Blues
- Country
- Jazz
- mid-forward
- high gain
- sustaining
- bright