Looking to shake up a conservative guitar world, Gibson introduced the Flying V as part of its radical Modernist Series in 1958 (alongside the Explorer)—and the world is still shaking 53 years later. Way ahead of its time when it hit the ground six decades ago, the Flying V became a rock icon by the late '60s, and evolved—in all its permutations—into one of the most iconic thrash and metal guitars ever produced.
The new Flying V with Floyd Rose™ from Gibson USA takes the rebellious heritage of this great Modernist axe and supercharges it with high-performance features for today's demanding musician. This new rendition of a legendary design carries high-output humbucking pickups and the most advanced vibrato tailpiece available, and wraps it all in Gibson's renowned playability, while retaining the sleek, space-aged looks that made its namesake a legend in the first place. And it's all presented in a stunning high-gloss nitrocellulose finish in Classic White.
Although it's a high-concept rock machine for the 21st century, the Flying V with Floyd Rose™ still starts with Gibson's traditional cornerstone of select tonewoods and superior construction. A solid mahogany body provides the blend of warmth, depth and richness that has made it a favorite with players for more than half a century. A solid quarter-sawn mahogany neck—glued in, of course—both enhances resonance and sustain, and is capped with a dark Obeche fingerboard for clarity and durability. It offers a sweetly fast and comfortable feel, too, with a hybrid neck profile that blends the rounded '50s shape with Gibson's sleeker SlimTaper™ profile, starting at .800" at the 1st fret and rising gradually to .850" at the 12th.
On top of this time-tested template, the first major update comes in the hardware department: a Floyd Rose™ vibrato unit partnered with a locking nut. Together, this system yields everything from deep divebombs to subtly tremulous wobbles, all with the highest tuning stability available. Floyd Rose™ originated the high-performance "double-locking" vibrato, and the use of the real deal on the Flying V with Floyd Rose™ takes this axe right over the top.
The heart of the beast lies in a pair of high-gain pickups from Gibson USA's Hot Ceramics range, a 496R in the neck position and a 500T in the bridge. The former offers rich, creamy tones with outstanding clarity, while the latter, one of Gibson's hottest humbucking pickups, provides everything from heavy crunch to wailing lead tones with endless sustain. In short, they constitute a pickup set that delivers in spades all the attack and aggression that modern metal players demand, while achieving sweet tonal nuances when desired. A simple control array of master volume and tone, along with Gibson's traditional three-way toggle switch, keeps it all down to business.
Put it all together, and it's one of the fastest and most powerful shredding machines available for today's heavy rocker, and a sweet looking ride on top of it all. Each Flying V with Floyd Rose™ includes a Gibson hardshell case with owner's manual, adjustment literature and Gibson's Limited Lifetime Warranty and 24/7/365 Customer Service.
