1980-1982 Gibson Modernistic Series Korina Flying V Explorer Moderne

Check out these triplets!!

1980-1982 Gibson Flying V ’58 Korina reissue - A serial
1980-1982 Gibson Moderne ’58 Korina reissue - B serial
1980-1982 Gibson Explorer ’58 Custom Shop Korina reissue - CS standard serial

The Gibson Modernistic Series guitars are based upon the original designs from 1958 that sported the wildest looks in Gibson’s history. All the 'Modernistics' had bodies made from African Korina wood, PAF pickups and crazy designs.

The 1st of them was the Flying V, whose extraordinary shape derived from a tongue-in-cheek idea proposed by Gibson President Ted McCarty himself. A few were produced in 1958, but the V was soon discontinued.

The 2nd model, the Explorer, had an angular body shape with dramatically extended upper treble and lower bass bouts, and electronics identical to the Flying V's (two PAF humbucking pickups with individual volume knobs and a shared tone control). Original examples of it are very rare, and no more than 40 1958 vintage Explorers are thought to have been built.

The 3rd guitar in the series, the Moderne, has a bizarre, confusing history. It’s design was blueprinted and patented in 1958, but despite persistent rumors to the contrary, only a few prototype versions of it were made and no authenticated example is currently known. Therefore the hypothetical 1958 Moderne has been called the "mythical great white whale" or "Sasquatch" of guitars.