Giordano Guitars Tributo Korina Special
Giordano Guitars returns to the channel with the Tributo Korina Special — and the Sunbear '58 Reserve SB-PAF pickups in tarnished aged gold make this one a perfect 10. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
In this episode the Giordano Guitars Tributo Korina Special takes center stage — all-Korina body and neck, nitrocellulose lacquer with finish checking, Sunbear '58 Reserve SB-PAF Humbuckers in tarnished aged gold, into the Benson Amps Earhart head and Benson 2x12" cabinet with Scumback H75-PVC 65W speakers via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. The Echo Fix EF-X3 Chorus Echo, Effectrode Tube Vibe, and Expresso FX MK1.V Fuzz all feature.
Follow Giordano Guitars: https://www.instagram.com/_giordanoguitars_/
Follow Sunbear Pickups: https://www.instagram.com/sunbear_pickups/
The Tributo Korina Special is the Giordano family's tribute build — all-Korina construction, the same tonewood used in the late 1950s Gibson Flying V and Explorer, chosen for its lighter weight compared to mahogany and its open, resonant midrange character. Paired with the Benson Earhart's top boost circuit, the Korina's natural clarity and note separation come through with exceptional definition. The nitrocellulose finish checking and aged hardware make this instrument look every year of its references.
The Sunbear '58 Reserve (now the '58 Archive) SB-PAF set was originally inspired by Stuart Robson's time with guitarist Bob Wootton's original 1958 Burst — specifically its bridge PAF, which Stu considers one of the finest original PAFs he has encountered. The specifications — turns per layer, coil build and shape, internal coil start lengths, coil offsets, low-carbon steel parts — are all referenced from 1957/58 PAFs Stu has had in for repair and rewinds. The covers are reshaped in-house at Sunbear with direct reference to vintage examples and then aged to match. Bridge: Alnico II / 8.1K — rich mids, airy highs, rounded lows that respond dynamically to playing feel. Neck: Alnico III / 7.4K — classic open humbucker tone with expressive highs and satisfying low-end warmth. The tarnished aged gold covers against the aged hardware of the Tributo Korina Special are a perfect match.
The Expresso FX MK1.V from 11:05 is Sof's dual-transistor Tone Bender variant — sitting between a Fuzz Face and a full Tone Bender MKI in character. Thicker and wilder than a conventional Ge Fuzz, but less aggressive than the three-transistor Fuzz Bender. Built with two NOS Mullard OC75 and one NOS Mullard OC76 germanium transistors, Mullard and Philips caps, Allen Bradley carbon comp resistors.
🎸 Giordano Guitars: https://www.instagram.com/_giordanoguitars_/
🎸 Sunbear Pickups: https://www.sunbearpickups.com
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers
Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.
🎸 Giordano Guitars Tributo Korina Special | All-Korina Body + Neck | Nitro Finish Checking | Sunbear '58 Reserve SB-PAF (AII Bridge 8.1K / AIII Neck 7.4K) | Tarnished Aged Gold Covers
🎛️ Expresso FX MK1.V | NOS Mullard OC75 x2 + OC76 | Dual-Transistor Tone Bender Variant | Effectrode Tube Vibe | Echo Fix EF-X3
🔊 Benson Amps Earhart Head + Benson 2x12" | Scumback H75-PVC 65W | Boss Waza TAE
Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Ableton Live 12
