Gibson Flying V

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Gibson Flying V
Gibson FlyingV.jpg
Three Flying V models, on the right the version from 1958
General
Type Electric guitar
Manufacturer Gibson ; United States
production 1958–1962, since 1967
Construction and materials
Scale length 24.75 inches (628 mm)
Body Solid body made of Korina or mahogany
neck Set-in neck made of mahogany
Fingerboard Rosewood or ebony , 22  frets
Mechanics 3 × left, 3 × right; capsuled
Footbridge / bridge Two-part Tune-O-Matic metal bridge with individual saddles
Pickups and Electronics
Pickups

2 × humbuckers

Tone control passive
  • 2 × volume
  • 1 × sound
  • 1 × 3-way pickup selection

The Flying V is a 1958 first proposed in electric guitar model of the American musical instrument manufacturer Gibson Guitar Corporation . With the arrow-shaped body, which is unusual for a guitar, the Flying V was initially unable to establish itself on the market. The first edition was only built in small numbers. The model's economic success only began with a new edition around ten years later. Since then, the Flying V has mainly been used in various styles of rock music .

history

The president of Gibson Guitar Corporation, Ted McCarty , decided in the mid-1950s to add some new models with a modern design to the company's range. As a result, in the developed Modernistic designated number the designs Explorer , Futura (an early prototype of the Explorer), Modern and Flying V . According to Ted McCarty, Gibson wanted to use these models to change its image as a conservative and traditional company by showing that it was also capable of making modern and progressive instruments. The attention these instruments received at a trade show in January 1958 seemed to justify Gibson. According to Ted McCarty, 40 instruments were ordered at this first performance of the Flying V.

The first series of the Flying V was built from 1958 to 1959. The prototypes had already been produced in 1957 and some had different equipment features or were exhibits for trade fairs. In the early 1960s (around 1962–1963), unfinished Flying Vs were fully assembled and delivered at Gibson. These instruments differ from their predecessors in terms of hardware and the optionally available instrument case. The wood and outer shape are identical to the predecessor.

The Flying V had hardly any commercial success in the first few years after its market launch, and sales figures remained low. In 1958 81 instruments were delivered, in 1959 only 17 instruments. About 20 more Flying Vs were delivered in the early 1960s. The guitar's popularity only increased after some well-known blues guitarists (among others Albert King and Jimi Hendrix ) played this model from around the mid-1960s . Gibson therefore reintroduced the Flying V in 1967 , but now with a mahogany body and a modified body shape. The guitar is produced in different variants up to the present day. The originals with Limba bodies are among the most sought-after and expensive solid-body electric guitars today due to the low number of pieces produced . Instruments in well-preserved original condition are traded well into the six-figure range.

construction

The body and neck of all models from the first edition of the Modernistic series are made of Limba wood, an African mahogany type that is also sold in the USA under the names Korina or Idigbo . The use of this type of wood became a characteristic feature of the early Flying V and Explorer models. According to Ted McCarty, the choice fell on Korina wood because it did not have to be bleached in order to obtain the “natural” look, which was very popular at the time, and this saved costs.

The body of the Flying V consists of axially symmetrical halves that are glued together in the middle, resulting in the shape of a "V" open to the rear. Together with the pointed headstock , the outer contour of the guitar forms an arrow. The shape was created after Ted McCarty made several sketches and opted for a guitar with the body in the shape of a triangle, among other things. When building a prototype, it turned out that an instrument with such a body shape would be too heavy. Therefore, a piece of the body was removed so that it formed the shape of a "V". In order to make playing the instrument easier while seated, a strip of rubber was glued to the lower narrow side of the body of the first models. This should prevent the guitar supported on the thigh from slipping.

Gibson also deviated from tried-and-tested designs in some details when it came to the technical equipment of the Flying V. Instead of a tailpiece mounted on the top of the instrument like in other Gibson models, the lower ends of the strings are passed through the body through an arrow-shaped metal plate and are attached to the back of the instrument. In the models manufactured from 1967 onwards, the string guide through the body was given up again; Instead, they received the Gibson-typical stop-tailpiece tailpiece or were provided with a vibrato unit with a lever. The photo in the info box enables a direct comparison.

The Flying V is equipped with two double coil pickups ( humbuckers ) of the PAF type developed in 1957 . However, both the Flying V and the Explorer have only three tone controls instead of the usual four Gibson models with two pickups - one volume control for each pickup and one tone control for both pickups . The pickups are selected by a three-stage toggle switch. On the Flying V, the jack socket for the instrument cable is built into the ceiling of the lower body tip.

The Flying V in music

Hendrix Gibson Flying – V, exhibition 2010, London, Mayfair, Handel House

The guitar is particularly popular with rock music and heavy metal guitarists. Some of the most famous guitarists who play or played a Flying V include:

Similar guitar models from other manufacturers

The Flying V also influenced guitar designs from other manufacturers. Among the best-known of these are the US American companies BC Rich with their models offered under the designation V or Vee ("Speed ​​V", "King V", "Junior V") and Jackson Guitars with their Randy-Rhoads , which was first introduced in 1983 - Model Jackson Rhoads . Other manufacturers of similar and further developed models are the Dean company and the American-Japanese company ESP with several signature models , including the ESP Alexi Saw Tooth, designed for the Finnish metal guitarist Alexi Laiho . All guitar models from these manufacturers inspired by the Flying V are primarily aimed at the target group of heavy metal guitarists.

V bass

In 1981 Gibson built a four-string electric bass version in an edition of 375 pieces. Most in the color black, but it was also available in the colors Alpine White , Silverburst and Transparent Blue . This bass had a 30.5-inch short scale. From 2002 to 2005 the Gibson subsidiary Epiphone also built a Flying V bass.

Trivia

In 2003 an edition of 80 copies of the Flying V was added to a special edition of the Opel Speedster in cooperation with the German rock band Scorpions .

literature

  • Tony Bacon, Dave Hunter: Totally Guitar - the Definitive Guide ,
    Guitar Encyclopedia. Backbeat Books, London 2004. ISBN 1-871547-81-4
  • André R. Duchossoir: Gibson Electrics . Hal Leonard 1994, ISBN 0-7935-9210-0 .
  • Zachary R. Fjestad, Larry Meiners: Gibson Flying V . 2nd Edition 2007, Blue Book Publications, ISBN 1-886768-72-2 .
  • Gil Hembree: Gibson Guitars - Ted McCarty's Golden Era 2007 . Hal Leonard, ISBN 1-4234-1813-1 .
  • Tom Wheeler: American Guitars . Revised and updated Edition 1992, Harper Perennial, ISBN 0-06-273154-8 .

Web links

Commons : Gibson Flying V  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ AR Duchossoir: Gibson Electrics - The Classic Years
  2. ↑ Tom Wheeler: American Guitars
  3. ↑ Gil Hembree: Gibson Guitars - Ted McCarty's Golden Era
  4. ↑ a b c Fjestad, Meiners: Gibson Flying V.
  5. ↑ Various authors: Totally Interactive Guitar Bible . guitar facts book, p. 40.
    Zweausendeins Verlag, no year. ISBN 3-86150-776-5
  6. ^ A b c Tony Bacon, Dave Hunter: Totally Guitar - the Definitive Guide . P. 409 f.
  7. ↑ a b Gil Hembree: Gibson Guitars - Ted McCarty's Golden Era.
  8. ↑ a b Neville Marten: Guitar Heaven - Legendary Guitarists - Fascinating Instruments . Heel Verlag, Königswinter 2008, ISBN 978-3-86852-002-6 , pp. 105-109.
  9. ^ The Flying V Turns 50 ( September 11, 2011 memento on the Internet Archive ) on the Gibson website. With illustration of Lonnie Mack's Flying V with Bigsby vibrato
  10. ↑ Tony Bacon, Dave Hunter: Totally Guitar - the Definitive Guide . P. 496 ff.