Gibson Flying V

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Gibson Flying V

Manufacturer	Gibson
Period	1958—1959, 1966-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.

1 Origins
2 Other makers
3 V Bass
4 Notable Gibson Flying V players
5 Musical icon
6 Trivia
7 See also
8 References
9 External links

[edit] 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. (Korina, originally spelled 'Korena', is the name that has been given to certain types of African 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 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 Tremolo. This 1967 model is now the standard for the Flying V or, as Gibson now calls it, "V Factor".

[edit] 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 asymmetrical 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 and Jr. V Models. 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.

[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. Dean Guitars also makes V basses.

[edit] Notable Gibson Flying V players

Main article: List of Gibson players

[edit] 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.

[edit] Trivia

The Gibson Flying V was featured in the Sony Playstation 2 games "Guitar Hero" in 2005 and "Guitar Hero 2" in 2006. The "Guitar Hero" games also featured the Flying V2 finish of the guitar.