Gibson Flying V
| Gibson Flying V | |
|---|---|
| File:Flyingv-guitar.jpg | |
| Manufacturer | Gibson |
| Period | 1958—present |
| Construction | |
| Body type | Flying V |
| Neck joint | Set-in |
| Woods | |
| Body | Korina, Mahogany |
| Neck | Mahogany |
| Fretboard | Rosewood, Ebony |
| Hardware | |
| Bridge | Tune-o-matic |
| Pickup(s) | H-H: 496R (neck), 500T (bridge) |
| Colors available | |
| Classic White, Cherry, Ebony, Natural | |
The Gibson Flying V is a popular electric guitar first released in 1958 by Gibson.
Origins
Gibson first manufactured prototypes of the guitar in 1957. They were made of korina wood, a trademarked name for limba, a wood similar to but lighter than mahogany. This Flying V, along with the Explorer and, initially, the Moderne, made up a line of modernist guitars designed by then-president Ted McCarty. These designs were meant to add a more futuristic aspect to Gibson's image, but they didn't sell well. After the initial launch in 1958, the line was discontinued by 1959.
In the mid-1960s, guitarists such as Albert King, Lonnie Mack, Dave Davies and Jimi Hendrix, in search of a distinctive looking guitar with a powerful sound, started using Flying V's. The renewed interest created a demand for Gibson to reissue the model.
Gibson reissued the guitar in 1966, updating its design with a bigger, more stylish scratchplate, and ditching the original bridge, which had the strings inserted through the back, in favor of the stopbar tail piece more commonly associated with Gibson models. Some models were shipped with a short Vibrola Maestro Tremolo. This 1966 model is now the standard for the Flying V or, as Gibson now calls it, "V Factor X".
Other makers
Many other guitar companies have copied the Flying V design, most adding several "personal touches" to avoid legal entanglements with Gibson. Among these other V's are: the Jackson Rhoads model, custom built for Randy Rhoads in 1981. As the very first Jackson guitar and colloquially known as the "Shark Fin", it featured an asymetrical cut among other differences from Gibson's. Jackson also produces another V variation marketed as the "King V". Another popular V shaped guitar is the B.C. Rich Kerry King Model. Dean Flying V's are often referred to as "the best deal in V guitars". Other manufacturers, such as Cort, Antares, and Ibanez, produced clones so close to the original Gibson design that they reportedly incurred the wrath of Gibson's legal team.
V Bass
In 1981, Gibson produced a four-string bass version of the Flying V. Only 375 were produced, most of them black but a few in alpine white, silverburst, or transparent blue.
Famous V players
Reissues and similar models have been used by such guitarists as Michael Schenker, K.K. Downing, Chris Shiflett, Andy Powell, Carlos Santana,Buckethead, Eddie Hazel, Pete Townsend, Bill Spooner, Bob Mould, Rudolf Schenker, James Iha, Luther Allison, James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Lenny Kravitz, and Cameron Muncey to name a few.
Musical icon
In the hands of such famous guitarists, as mentioned above, the Flying V has become a musical icon. With its futuristic, arrow-shaped design, original high-output PAF pickups and fast, thin neck, the original model and many of Gibson's "reissues" have become some of the most sought-after instruments among vintage guitar collectors world-wide.
See also
 | This article relating to musical instruments is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
External links
- Flying V 1967 reissue, V Factor X, V Factor Faded, Flying V Gothic, and Flying V Limited edition, from the Gibson website
- Gibson's Historic Korina Flying V, a June 2001 article from Guitar Collector magazine
- Gibson Flying V Site, a tribute site that lists all models and re-issues and most notable players
Trivia
This guitar is used as a weapon by the character Naota in the anime FLCL aka Fooly Cooly or Furi Kuri.
References
- Gruhn's Guide To Vintage Guitars By George Gruhn and Walter Carter.
- The Ultimate Guitar Book By Tony Bacon