Gibson's competitors had long accused the company of being conservative. In 1958, the company answered with what had to be the least conservative guitar designs in history - at least up until that point. Gibson introduced three "futuristic" guitar models that year, the Flying V, the Explorer and the Moderne. The first two went into limited production and while there have long been rumors of a production version of the Moderne, most doubt it went beyond the prototype stage. But Gibson certainly showed the critics that it was capable of and more than willing to break the conservative mold with these instruments, which actually owe an awful lot to late '50s automobile design. While there weren't many Flying Vs sold in 1958, the guitar has been reincarnated several times in the last four decades. The guitar here is a more modern take on the 1958 design, though it still keeps the vintage vibe alive with a special Worn Cherry finish that makes it look like a guitar that's spent years up on stage, but without the wear and tear.
Gibson Flying V Faded at a Glance:It's New, But Looks Vintage
Thanks to a special process developed by Gibson, the mahogany body of the Flying V faded has the look of a vintage instrument. Instead of bright and shiny, the body has the duller sheen we usually associate with guitars that have tons of stage and studio hours (or decades) on them. A closer look reveals no dings, chips or scratches, but the overall vibe is definitely vintage, down to the Worn Cherry finish. Hey, Jimi Hendrix used a Flying V both live and on many classic recordings. If it was good enough for Jimi, you might want to give this guitar a test flight!
Special Slim Neck Profile
Some Gibsons had huge mahogany necks, but by 1960 the company made a number of modifications until those early '60s necks became among the fastest available. The special slim neck profile of the Flying V Faded is one favored by many of today's top players. You can move up and down the neck at blazing speeds, but the rosewood fingerboard still has that warm, classic Gibson feel, allowing easy access to the upper frets so you can really dig into your solos. It also sounds great when grabbing big fat power chords. The pearloid dots complete the vintage look.
Two Smoking Hot Humbuckers
Historically, Gibson has long been associated with the dark, punchy tone of the humbucking pickup with its fat low end and crunchy, complex midrange. The Flying V Faded carries on that tradition with two scorching hot humbuckers with ceramic magnets (a 496R in the neck position and a 500T in the bridge position). Some players (Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page to name a few) felt that by removing the covers, humbuckers were louder and had more top end. The Flying V comes standard with coverless pickups.