Gibson Flying V
| Gibson Flying V | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Manufacturer | Gibson |
| Period | 1958—1959, 1967-present |
| Construction | |
| Body type | Solid |
| Neck joint | Set-in |
| Scale | 24.75" |
| Woods | |
| Body | Korina, Mahogany |
| Neck | Korina, Mahogany[1] |
| Fretboard | Rosewood, Ebony |
| Hardware | |
| Bridge | Tune-o-matic, and "Short Lyre Vibrola" used on some models |
| Pickup(s) | H-H: 496R (neck), 500T (bridge) |
| Colors available | |
| Classic White, Cherry, Ebony, Natural | |
The Gibson Flying V is an electric guitar model first released in 1958, recognized for its "V"-shaped body design.
Contents |
[edit] Origins
Gibson first manufactured prototypes of the guitar in 1957. Production guitars were made of korina wood, a trademarked name for limba, a wood similar to but lighter in color than mahogany. This Flying V, along with the Futura (Explorer) and, initially, the Moderne, made up a line of modernist guitars designed by Gibson's then-president Ted McCarty. These designs were meant to add a more futuristic aspect to Gibson's image, but they did not sell well. After the initial launch in 1958, the line was discontinued by 1959. Some instruments were assembled from leftover parts and shipped in 1963, with nickel- rather than gold-plated hardware.
McCarty started out with a mahogany guitar that was rounded in the back instead of being cut out. Gibson decided to change the back for weight reduction.
Blues-rock guitarist Lonnie Mack and blues guitarist Albert King started using the guitar almost immediately. Later, in the mid-late 1960s, such guitarists as Dave Davies and Jimi Hendrix, in search of a distinctive looking guitar with a powerful sound, also started using Flying Vs. The renewed interest created a demand for Gibson to reissue the model.
Gibson reissued the guitar in mahogany in 1967, updating its design with a bigger, more stylish pickguard, 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 1967 model is now the standard for the Flying V. Like other Gibson guitars the Flying V's headstock is angled at 17 degrees to tighten string tension to increase the amount of sustain.
The 1958-59 korina Flying V is one of the most valuable production-model guitars on the market, ranked at No. 5 on the 2011 Top 25 published by Vintage Guitar, and worth between $200,000 and $250,000.[2]
Both Gibson and Epiphone currently produce a 1958 style Flying V, designed to look like the original korina models.
[edit] Reverse Flying V
| Gibson Reverse Flying V | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Gibson |
| Period | 2007 — present |
| Construction | |
| Body type | Solid |
| Neck joint | Set-in |
| Woods | |
| Body | Mahogany |
| Neck | Mahogany |
| Fretboard | ebony |
| Hardware | |
| Bridge | Tune-o-matic |
| Pickup(s) | H-H: '57 Classic (neck), '57 Classic (bridge) |
| Colors available | |
| Natural | |
The Gibson Reverse Flying V is a limited-edition guitar to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the original Flying V. To achieve the "reverse" style, the body of the guitar is rotated 180 degrees relative to the original Flying V. It was first produced in 2007 as a guitar of the week (week 29) with a run of only 400, and again in 2008, when 900 were made. The headstock was borrowed and scaled down from the 1957 Gibson Moderne Prototype. The guitar has a solid mahogany body, and an ebony fretboard. It has hand-wound Gibson '57 Classic Pickups and a single volume knob.[3]
[edit] 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. Epiphone also currently makes V-shaped basses. In late 2011, Gibson re-released the Flying V bass under the Gibson name.
[edit] Notable Gibson Flying V players
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=SDHhzvmH_wwC&dq=flying+v+%22korina+neck%22+-epiphone&source=gbs_navlinks_s
- ^ Greenwood, Alan; Gil Hembree (April 2011). "25 Most Valuable Guitars". Vintage Guitar: pp. 38–40.
- ^ "The Flying V Turns 50". Gibson Guitar Corporation. http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/The%20Flying%20V%20Turns%2050/. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
- Gruhn, George; Carter, Walter (May 1999). Gruhn's Guide to Vintage Guitars: An Identification Guide for American Fretted Instruments (2nd ed.). Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0879304225.
- Bacon, Tony (1997-10-15). The Ultimate Guitar Book. Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 978-0375700903.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Gibson Flying V |
- 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
- Flying V Model DataBase
- Epiphone Flying V Bass
