Gibson Flying V

The Gibson Flying V is an electric guitar first released in 1958 by Gibson. It is probably best known for its distinctive shape.

Related Topics:
Electric guitar - In 1958 - Gibson

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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.

Related Topics:
1957 - Korina - Limba - Mahogany - Tune-O-Matic - Bridge - Modernist - Ted McCarty

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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.

Related Topics:
1960 - Albert King - Dave Davies

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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 as shown in the photo of Jimi Hendrix above. 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 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, and Lenny Kravitz, 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.)

Related Topics:
1967 - Jimi Hendrix - 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 - Ozzy Osbourne - Randy Rhoads - Karl Sandoval

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The Flying V is still a highly favored design, with many guitarists using "V" guitars made by other manufacturers.

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