Gibson Flying V

The Gibson Flying V is an electric guitar model introduced by Gibson in 1958. The Flying V offered a radical, "futuristic" body design, much like its siblings: the Explorer, which was released the same year, and the Moderne, which was designed in 1957 but not released until 1982. The initial run of guitars used a distinctive wood of the Limba tree marketed by Gibson under the trade name "korina"; later models used more conventional woods.

Perhaps too radical for its time, the initial run of Flying V guitars was not successful and fewer than 100 were manufactured and sold. Some players, such as blues guitarist Albert King and rock guitarists Lonnie Mack and Dave Davies, gravitated towards the unique design and helped popularize the model years after it had left production. After renewed popularity led to increased demand, Gibson manufactured a small number of Flying V guitars in 1963 from leftover parts from the original run, and the guitar reentered regular production in 1967 and has been reissued numerous times since then. A number of variant models, including the redesigned Flying V2 from 1979 to 1982, and an unusual Reverse Flying V from 2007 to 2008, have been released as well.

Origins

Gibson president Ted McCarty pushed for a line of modernist guitars in the mid-1950s to compete with the newly designed, and highly successful, Fender Stratocaster. They manufactured prototypes of the guitars in 1957, including a mahogany version that was abandoned because it was extremely heavy. They eventually used the wood of the limba tree, which the company marketed as "korina" (a term Gibson invented). The wood is similar to, but lighter in color and weighed less than mahogany, though it presented similar tonal characteristics. This Flying V had two sister models that were developed alongside of it, and debuted at the NAMM Show that year, the Futura, and the Moderne. Based on feedback at the NAMM show, only the Flying V and the Futura, now rebranded as the Explorer, went into production, while the initial prototype of the Moderne was never seen again, though several decades later production models were produced. 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. Manufacturing records indicate that 98 Flying V guitars were manufactured during its initial 1958–1959 run. Due to the rarity of the initial run and the later popularity of reissued models, 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 magazine, and worth between US$200,000 and US$250,000 .

thumb|[[Jimi Hendrix's custom-made 1969 Flying V guitar with left-handed configuration ]]

Famed blues guitarist Albert King and pioneering blues-rock guitar soloist Lonnie Mack started using the guitar immediately. Mack used his 1958 Flying V almost exclusively during his long career. As it was seventh off the first-year assembly line, he named it "Number 7". King used his original 1958 instrument, dubbed Lucy, into the mid-70s and later replaced it with various custom Flying Vs. Later, in the mid-late 1960s, such guitarists as Dave Davies, 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.

Reissues

Gibson reissued the guitar in mahogany in 1967, updating its design with a bigger pickguard, and replacing the original bridge, which had the strings inserted through the back, with a short Vibrola Maestro Tremolo. This 1967 model is now the standard for the Flying V although the earlier design is periodically reissued. Like other Gibson guitars, the Flying V's headstock is angled at 17 degrees to increase string pressure on the nut to increase the amount of sustain. The design of the V places the pickups near the center of mass of the entire guitar, further enhancing sustain. Jimi Hendrix owned a '67, '68, and finally a '69 Custom Flying V ordered by Hendrix with Native American arrowhead-shaped fret marker inlays. For 2020 Gibson produced 125 right handed recreations of Hendrix's '69 Custom Flying V and 25 left-handed copies. Marc Bolan of the band T. Rex owned a rare Walnut Flying V, of which only 35 were produced between '67 and '71. Bolan's V was part of the same run of Flying Vs as those owned by Hendrix. Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top played an early Korina V on the album Fandango!. Flying Vs later became a popular heavy metal guitar due to their aggressive appearance and were used by guitarists Paul Stanley, Rudolf Schenker, Andy Powell, Michael Schenker, K. K. Downing, James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, and Dave Mustaine.

Modern models

Both Gibson and Epiphone currently produce a 1958-style Flying V, designed to look like the original korina models.

Although a staple in the Gibson lineup, the guitar has been discontinued on-and-off again in the 2010s, along with the Gibson Explorer. For 2015, Gibson did not have a production Flying V available so a limited run of high-performance (HP) Flying Vs were produced by the Gibson Custom Shop as "demos" for the Japanese market. These Japanese market Flying Vs were designed like the mid-70s Vs, with a neck volute and small headstock. They included a granadillo fretboard, raised profile neck, and 6 lb. slimline body. In 2016, Gibson carried over some features from the 2015 Japanese Market Pro HP demos and produced the Flying V Pro (similar to the Explorer Pro) which also featured a slightly smaller body, but traditional (T) versions had dot inlays, and HP versions had cream binding on the neck and body, and rectangular pearloid inlays. Since the 2017 models have been released, however, Gibson has changed its name to the Flying V 2016. As of 2017, Gibson USA manufactures the Flying V and differentiates model years by including the year in the name (e.g., 2017, 2018, etc.). These models have a "half" pick guard and are available in Natural, Aged Cherry, Ebony, and Alpine White, depending on the year. Some years offer T spec and HP models. Gibson Custom Shop continues to produce the Flying V Standard and Custom. For 2021, Gibson Custom Shop's Murphy Lab released a run of 81 aged '58 Korina Vs, and 19 aged '58 Korina Explorers to commemorate the number of Vs and Explorers ordered in the models first production year 1958.

Flying V2

When Tim Shaw arrived at Gibson in 1978, one of his first assignments was to help with designing a companion guitar to the newly designed E2 Explorer Guitar. This companion guitar would be the new Gibson V2. The general shape of previous Flying V's was retained by Gibson, but the new V2 sported a new 5-layered sculptured walnut and maple body. Initially, these guitars came in a natural finish to accentuate the layered effect, with either Maple or Walnut for the top and bottom layer. This layering was known at Gibson as the "Sandwich" and the sculpted body gave the layering a 3D effect. Knobs were moved off the pickguard, and a Pearl Gibson logo was inlaid into the black headstock, along with gold Gibson Tuners. Two solid brass 5/8 studs known as the "Sustain Sisters" were fitted into the body to anchor the "Tune-o-matic" Bridge along with a brass nut and brass "V" shaped tailpiece. Gibson felt this would provide the sustain and brilliance they wanted for the new V2.

The 1979 through 1981 models used the "boomerang" humbucker pickups, Epiphone also made V-shaped basses. In late 2011, Gibson re-released the Flying V bass under the Gibson name; it was discontinued again in late 2012.

Notable Gibson Flying V players

File:Fanclub1967TheKinks3.jpg|Dave Davies of the Kinks holding one of fewer than 100 Korina Flying Vs manufactured during their initial 1958–1959 run

File:Albert King 1968.jpg|Blues guitarist Albert King here playing his original Korina Flying V in 1968

File:Judas Priest With Full Force 2018 03.jpg|Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner has his own line of custom Flying Vs manufactured by Gibson subsidiary Epiphone

File:Michael schenker.jpg|German guitarist Michael Schenker performing on his signature brilliant white Flying V in 1981

File:DH Twist 08.jpg|Brian Tatler of Diamond Head shown in 2008 playing an ivory Flying V

File:Zakk Wylde 1.jpg|Zakk Wylde plays a Flying V with his signature bullseye paint job in 2006 with Black Label Society

File:Eagles of Death Metal @ Steel Blue Oval (1 3 2010) (4416148835).jpg|Dave Catching of Eagles of Death Metal playing a 1967 mahogany Flying V with a stop tailpiece in 2010

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In fiction

A 1958 Flying V named Amos appeared in the 1984 movie "This is Spinal Tap", and it was played by actor Christopher Guest, who played character Nigel Tufnel.
In the anime series FLCL, the character Naota Nandaba uses a Flying V as a weapon.
In the animated series Regular Show, Rigby uses a red Flying V every time "Mordecai and the Rigbys" appear.
In the feature-length animated movie Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem, Shep's spaceship resembled the shape of a Gibson Flying V electric guitar. A yellow outline of his ship was often used a symbol for Interstella and was seen several times throughout the film.
Murdoc Niccals of the virtual band Gorillaz sometimes uses a red Flying V bass. It can be seen in the music video for "Feel Good Inc.".
In School of Rock, lead guitarist Zack "Zack "Zack-Attack" Mooneyham plays with a white Flying V.
Toki Wartooth of the animated series Metalocalypse typically played a Flying V as rhythm guitarist in Dethklok, but switched to the Gibson Brendon Small "Snow Falcon" V for the fourth season.
In the fourth season of House, M.D., Dr. House is repeatedly shown playing a white 1967 Flying V.
Azuma Genkaku from the anime Deadman Wonderland plays two Flying V's that have been modified to also act as compressed air machine guns.
Jasper T. Jowls of the pizza chain Chuck E. Cheese's used a guitar resembling a Flying V painted like a wedge of cheese, before switching to bass guitar in 2012 when Chuck E. Cheese became the lead guitarist.
In the horror franchise Five Nights at Freddy's, the animatronic Bonnie the Bunny used a red guitar with a design identical to the Flying V until the company issued a copyright strike, changing the design to a flat -bottomed guitar for the re-releases of the games.
At the ending credits of Yowamushi Pedal season 4, Sohoku Cycling Team starts a rock band, and Naruko Shoukichi holds a red guitar with a design identical to the Flying V, while Imaizumi Shunsuke holds a black and white Fender Stratocaster.
Valhallen, the Viking God of Rock superhero from the Justice Friends segment of Dexter's Laboratory, plays a pink Flying V.
Eddie Riggs, the protagonist of the video game Brütal Legend, plays a Flying V he calls "Clementine," which he uses to cast spells by playing guitar riffs.
In the video game series Phantasy Star Online, the player is able find a weapon named "CRAZY TUNE" which is a two-handed sword that resembles a red Flying V.
In the movie The Protégé, one of the main characters, Moody, interpreted by Samuel L. Jackson, received a Flying V 1958 as a birthday gift.
In the anime series Black Heaven, main character Oji Tanaka plays a weathered Flying V.
The story Rainbow in the Dark by Amy Meister - Marcus Midnight of the metal band Guillotine is estatic when he is offered a V-Bass for sale, and overpays the seller just to own it.
In the film Sinners, a rock and roll guitarist is seen playing a Flying V in a scene where spirits of the past and future are summoned.

References

Bibliography

External links

Gibson's Failed Modernist Experiment, February 2018 article from Reverb by Tony Bacon
Steven Seagal's Flying V Collection
History of the Incomparable Gibson Flying V Blog post from Disc Makers