A limited series of 10 individually unique Korina Explorers inspired by the heavily worn 1958 original, “Big Ed”
Leo Scala’s fifth contribution to the Gibson Custom Master Artisan Collection consists of 10 one-of-a-kind Gibson Explorers™ with Retrophonic humbuckers™ hand-wound to Leo’s own recipes, and artfully aged finishes that need to be seen to be believed. Each of these incredible instruments is shaped by Scala’s obsessive approach to detail, aging, and tone.
The heavily aged vintage 1958 Explorer nicknamed “Big Ed” served as one of the central inspirations behind Leo Scala’s The ’58 Addiction Collection. After building customized Explorers for guitar legend Slash and actor and musician Jason Momoa, Leo turned his attention to creating 10 similar, but individually unique Explorers for the Gibson Custom Master Artisan Collection. The result is a series of guitars that are deeply personal to Leo, all showcasing his uncompromising approach and unique craftsmanship.
There are five different types of Korina Explorer in this series of 10: Four in the Heavy Addiction group, three in the Ultra Addiction group, and three individual guitars—The Maestro™ Addiction, Dark Addiction, and Custom Addiction Explorers. Each guitar is individual, distinct, and unique. Gibson Gear Guide host Dinesh Lekhraj joined Leo for a tour of his LA workshop and find out more about these incredible instruments, including the inspiration for the name of the collection. Check out the video below.
The foundation of every Leo Scala ’58 Addiction Explorer
Every guitar in the Leo Scala ’58 Addiction Collection begins with the same foundational blueprint, inspired by the original 1958 Gibson Explorer. Each guitar features a Korina body and neck joined with hide glue, an Indian rosewood fretboard, and a ’58 Vintage neck profile that instantly transports you back to the late 1950s.
Each guitar comes with Retrophonic humbuckers hand-wound by Leo Scala himself, paired with 50s-style hand-wiring and a phone book tone capacitor, which responds beautifully to the incremental volume and tone changes. Each instrument ships in a custom G&G wine-suede hardshell case with Leo Scala aged hardware, accompanied by a handcrafted leather strap from Don Pepe in Spain and a custom hand-signed Certificate of Authenticity box.
The Leo Scala Heavy Addiction Explorers comprise four unique models
Leo Scala Heavy Addiction Explorers
The Leo Scala Heavy Addiction Explorers comprise four individually unique Natural-finish Korina models. In this collection, you’ll find heavy hand-aging on each guitar, displaying distinct lacquer wear and character that makes each guitar look like it’s been played lovingly for decades. Two feature white pickguards and jack plates, while the other two are fitted with black appointments. These guitars feature an Alnico 3 neck pickup and an Alnico 2 bridge pickup, both with double-black bobbins, housed in aged gold covers and paired with VIPots vintage taper 550k potentiometers.
All three Ultra Addiction Explorers feature more exaggerated levels of aging
Leo Scala Ultra Addiction Explorers
Limited to three instruments in this category, the Leo Scala Ultra Addiction Explorers each display their own finish character, with deeply worn surfaces and a level of ultra-aging that pushes beyond convention into true individuality. One Leo Scala Ultra Addiction Explorer is fitted with a black pickguard and jack plate, while the other two feature white pickguards and jack plates. Like the Heavy Addiction group, these models feature Leo Scala hand-wound Retrophonic humbuckers, with an Alnico 3 neck pickup and Alnico 2 bridge pickup magnets, paired with VIPots vintage taper 550k potentiometers. The Ultra Addiction models stand out due to their more aggressive aging, which reveals layers of lacquer wear, edge erosion, and patina.
L-R: Leo Scala Custom Addiction Explorer, Maestro Addiction Explorer, and Dark Addiction Explorer
Leo Scala Custom Addiction Explorer
The Leo Scala Custom Addiction Explorer is one of the three standalone guitars and is a one‑of‑a‑kind Dark Cherry Korina creation—a deeply personal interpretation of the 1958 Explorer that features custom black appointments and a raised metal Gibson headstock logo. Its pickup configuration is unique within the Leo Scala ’58 Addiction Collection. The Alnico 2 neck pickup is reverse-mounted and wired out of phase, paired with an Alnico 4 bridge pickup for added contrast and dimension, making it a tone monster capable of both crisp cleans and crushing drive tones.
The Dark Addiction Explorer features a finish that takes on an amber glow under stage lights
Leo Scala Dark Addiction Explorer
Finished in Dark Natural with Ultra Aging “plus plus” treatment, the Leo Scala Dark Addiction Explorer represents one of the most striking collaborations in the series. A keen eye will notice that its finish shifts subtly from a shadowy, understated presence to a glowing amber under stage lights. One of the major defining details is the distinct neck dent at the 4th fret, mirroring the playwear found on “Big Ed,” which is just another testament to Leo’s attention to detail. The pickup pairing differs here as Scala’s hand‑wound Retrophonic humbuckers use an Alnico 2 magnet in the neck and an Alnico 5 magnet in the bridge, complemented by Master Artisan-aged gold hardware.
The Maestro Addiction features cool metal skull knobs and a modified vibrato
Leo Scala Maestro Addiction Explorer
Finally, the Leo Scala Maestro Addiction Explorer is the most radical interpretation in the collection, finished in a custom “Rat Rod”-style finish. You’ll probably notice that this guitar has particularly aggressive aging. But it’s not just about the aging of the lacquer and wood. This guitar also replaces traditional plastic components with custom metal appointments, including a metal pickguard, metal jack plate, engraved metal control cover, Master Artisan metal skull knobs, and a metal switch washer labeled “Hell/Back.”
A customized Maestro Vibrola™ tailpiece that Leo modified based on his own playing style makes a great addition to the guitar, as the bespoke vibrato arm is entirely unique to this guitar. The Leo Scala hand‑wound Retrophonic humbucking pickups are present here, with an Alnico 2 magnet in the neck and an Alnico 5 bridge pickup, both of which feature uncovered double-black bobbins. They’re hand-wired with 50s‑style wiring, feature vintage-taper VIPots 550k potentiometers, and a phone-book tone capacitor. This means your guitar responds to subtle changes in volume and tone, delivers the clarity and crunch you need, and the phenomenal dynamic response discerning guitarists demand. This guitar is made to be gigged, so gig it loud.
Shop the Leo Scala ’58 Addiction Collection now at Gibson.com. Looking for more conventional Explorers? Go here. Have a great idea for a custom Explorer and want Gibson Custom to build it for you? Find out more about our Made to Measure program.
To see more from the Gibson Custom Master Artisan Collection, check out what Rickie Hinrichsen built for the NAMM Show.
