Up for sale, a 1982 Greco MSV-850 Michael Schenker signature Flying V in excellent, 100% original conditional and in perfect working order, complete with the original hardshell case. One of the more unique instruments to come out of the “lawsuit” era of Japanese guitar production, this MSV-850 faithfully replicates the specs of Michael Schenker’s (of Scorpions and UFO) signature Flying V. It was produced at Fujigen, one of the factories where Gibson would later produce their Orville line of Japan-exclusive guitars.

Tonewoods include a mahogany body and one-piece neck capped by a thick slab rosewood fretboard, yielding a big, bold acoustic voice, with the inherent warmth and midrange qualities of the solid mahogany construction translating well through the stock Maxon-made PU-2 humbuckers. These pickups are detailed and dynamic, lightly wax-potted to better interact well with high gain, and providing plenty of chunk and power. This V weighs 6lbs 14oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 10-46 strings, slinky action and spot-on intonation.

The neck has a medium C-shaped profile carve with round shoulders, measuring .855” deep at the 1st fret and .965” at the 12th. The rosewood fretboard has a 12” radius, and the medium jumbo fretwire benefits from a level and crown, only exhibiting a hint of wear beneath the plain strings on the crowns of frets 2-7. This guitar plays cleanly up the 24 3/4“ scale with a straight neck and a responsive, optimally-adjusted truss rod, and the nut measures 1 9/16” in width, carved from brass for optimal sustain and articulation. The headstock sports an inverted black/white truss rod cover, and the Greco-branded tuning machines turn smoothly and hold accurate pitch. The A82-prefix serial on the back of the headstock dates to January, 1982.

All of the electronics work as intended, with the Maxon PU-2 humbuckers wired to the stock harness with untouched solder joints and full-size pots that date to October, 1981. Hardware includes the nickel-plated ABR-1-style bridge and stopbar, while plastics comprise the original trio of Strat-style knobs and the two-tone pickguard.

Cosmetic wear on the gloss two-tone finish is limited to an area of buckle rash on the back and just a handful of tiny nicks on the body as a whole. The smooth matching gloss on the neck profile is nigh flawless.

The original hardshell case with form-fit plush interior is included.