Flying V
From GuitarWiki
| Gibson Flying V | |
| |
| Manufacturer | Gibson |
| Period | 1958, 1967 — present |
| Construction details | |
| Body Type | Solid |
| Neck Join | Set |
| Woods used | |
| Body | Korina, Mahogany |
| Neck | Mahogany |
| Fretboard | Rosewood, Ebony |
| Hardware | |
| Bridge | Tune-O-Matic |
| Pickups | H-H: 496R (neck), 500T (bridge) |
| Colours Available | |
| Classic White, Cherry, Ebony, Natural | |
The Gibson Flying V is an electric guitar first released in 1958 by Gibson. It is probably best known for its distinctive shape.
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. They had a Tune-O-Matic bridge and were part of a modernist line of guitars designed by then-president Ted McCarty. The modernist design of the guitars was meant to change Gibson's stodgy image, but they didn't sell well, and were eventually retired.
In the mid-1960s, guitarists such as Albert King, Dave Davies, and Hendrix, in search of a distinctive looking guitar with a powerful sound, started using Flying Vs, creating a demand for Gibson to reissue the model.
Gibson reissued the guitar in 1967, 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 Tremelo. This 1967 model is now the standard for the Flying V or, as Gibson now calls it, "V Factor X". The likelihood of the 1967 models well defined fame of is most likely due to Jimi Hendrix's Psychedelic V, a black 1967 Flying V with psychedelic designs hand painted by Hendrix himself. Reissues and similar models have been used by such guitarists as Chris Shiflett, Andy Powell, Carlos Santana, Eddie Hazel, Eddie Van Halen, Pete Townsend, Bob Mould, Michael Schenker, Rudolf Schenker, Luther Allison, K.K. Downing, James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Lindsay Hartley, Keith Richards, Lenny Kravitz and Adam Levine to name a few. (While Ozzy Osbourne's most famous band mate Randy Rhoads is also a well known "V" player, his trademark black with white polka dot V was a custom job built by Karl Sandoval.) The Flying V is still a highly favored design, with many guitarists using "V" guitars made by other manufacturers. Though more preferable to use for "gigs" while standing because of its difficulty to use while sitting down, this drawback is ignored as it looks and sounds a powerful guitar, also imitated by B.C. Rich with various artists endorsing it, such as Kerry King.
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
