Innovative. Groundbreaking. Daring. Revolutionary. Again.
Gibson's original limited run of Reverse Flying Vs flew out of stock, selling out faster than any other electric guitar model. Hundres of lucky guitar players were very happy and tens of thousands hollered for a Reverse V guitar of their own. Since then, the letters and e mails to Gibson have flooded in, demanding another chance to own a Reverse Flying V.
You asked, Gibson listened, and they have handcrafted a small number of Reverse Flying V guitars for another very limited run of these flame throwing cult classic collectibles. For those who missed it the first time, here is one more chance to grab an amazing Reverse Flying V electric guitar from Gibson USA. If there is this much demand for them now, think what they will command when they are vintage.
Innovative, groundbreaking, daring, and revolutionary were the are the words most commonly used to describe Gibson's legendary Flying V, first introduced in 1958. In 2007, when Gibson took it a step further with the bold and fearless Reverse Flying V, people couldn't believe their eyes. Smart guitarists grabbed one while they could, nabbing one of the most popular and collectible Gibson electrics of the past 20 years. Now, in response to a popular demand that has increased ever since the original run, Gibson USA is proud to once again offer the Reverse Flying V, in a very limited edition.
This limited edition Reverse Flying V features a solid mahogany, V shaped body, four ply pickguard, Kluson style green key tuners, and retro style V shaped gold tailpiece. The neck sports the traditional Flying V profile, a hybrid between the classic '50s rounded contour and the popular '60s slim taper. The ebony fingerboard and gold pasted truss rod cover round out this testament to Gibson's bold and pioneering design tradition. With a pair of '57 Classic humbuckers, for legendary vintage Gibson tone, the limited edition Reverse Flying V is available in Classic White, Ebony and Natural. Only 300 of each color will be produced. So act fast and take home this collectible classic while you can.
Tune o matic bridge
The Tune o matic bridge, also known as the ABR 1, was the brainchild of legendary Gibson president Ted McCarty in 1954. At the time, it was a true revelation in intonation, and set a standard for simplicity and functionality that has never been bettered. This pioneering piece of hardware provides a firm seating for the strings, allowing the player to adjust and fine tune the intonation and string height in a matter of minutes. It also yields a great union between the strings and body, which results in excellent tone and sustain. It is combined with a separate "stopbar" tailpiece, essentially a modified version of the earlier wraparound bridge. To this day, the Tune o matic remains the industry standard. It is the epitome of form and function in electric guitar bridge design, and is one of the most revered and copied pieces of guitar hardware ever developed.
'57 Classic pickups
Gibson pickups have been setting the standard for the guitar industry since 1935 when the company introduced its first electric model, the E 150 Hawaiian lap steel. Add the pioneering introduction of the revolutionary double coil "humbucking" pickup invented by Gibson's own Seth Lover in 1957 and you can clearly see that Gibson has dramatically influenced the evolution of popular music in all genres, from the warm jazz tones of Charlie Christian, to the world shaking rockabilly of Scotty Moore, and the crunching rock of Jimmy Page. The pickups in this limited edition Reverse Flying V are Gibson's '57 Classic humbuckers. With alnico II magnets and balanced coils, these pickups deliver an unmistakable vintage vibe with warm, rich tone. They are carefully hand wound at Gibson USA in Nashville, Tennessee.
Electronics
When it comes to guitar electronics, less is definitely better. And that certainly holds true with Gibson's limited edition Reverse Flying V. Gibson has chosen to install only one volume control, which translates into less resistance between the pickup and the actual output. That means you end up with nothing but pure tone from the pickup, and one flat out screaming rock and roll machine.
Solid Mahogany Body
Probably the most central of all Flying V features is its V shaped, solid mahogany body. Whether it's the regular Flying V, or Gibson's limited edition Reverse Flying V, the solid mahogany body provides tone, sustain, and performance. The mahogany goes through the same rigorous selection process as all of Gibson's woods, and is personally inspected and qualified by Gibson's team of skilled wood experts before it enters the factories. Inside the Gibson factories, humidity is maintained at 45 percent, and the temperature at 70 degrees. This insures all woods are dried to a level of "equilibrium," where the moisture content does not change during the manufacturing process. This guarantees tight fitting joints and no expansion, and helps control the shrinkage and warping of the woods, in addition to helping reduce the weight. It also helps with improving the woods' machinability and finishing properties. Consistent moisture content means that a Gibson guitar will respond evenly to temperature and humidity changes long after it leaves the factory.
Nitrocellulose Finish
Applying a nitrocellulose finish to any Gibson guitar including this limited edition Reverse Flying V is one of the most labor intensive elements of the guitar making process. A properly applied nitro finish requires extensive man hours, several applied coats, and an exorbitant amount of drying time. But this fact has never swayed Gibson into changing this time tested method, employed ever since the first Gibson guitar was swathed with lacquer back in 1894. Why? For starters, a nitro finish dries to a much thinner coat than a polyurethane finish, which means there is less interference with the natural much thinner coat that a polyurethane finish, which means there is less interference with the natural vibration of the instrument, allowing for a purer tone. A nitro finish is also a softer finish, with makes it easily repairable. You can touch up a scratch or ding on a nitro finish, but you can't do the same on a ply finish. In addition, a nitro finish is very porous in nature, and actually gets thinner over time. It does not "seal" wood in an airtight shell as a poly finish does and allows the wood to breathe and age properly.
Set neck Construction
Like all classic Gibson guitars, the neck on this limited edition Reverse Flying V is distinguished by one of the more traditional features that have always set them apart a glued neck joint. Gluing the neck to the body of the guitar insures a wood to wood contact, no air space in he neck cavity, and maximum contact between the neck and body, allowing the neck and body to function as a single unit. The result? Better tone, better sustain, and no loose or misaligned necks.
22 Fret Ebony Fingerboard
Ebony has always graced the fingerboards of the world's finest stringed instruments, including today's Les Paul Custom, Les Paul Supreme, and the pioneering HD.6X Pro Digital Les Paul. The fingerboard on this Gibson limited edition Reverse Flying V is constructed from the highest grade ebony on the planet. The ebony is personally inspected and qualified by Gibson's team of skilled wood experts before it enters the Gibson factories to be fitted onto the neck of the Les Paul Custom. The resilience of the dense and durable wood makes the fingerboard extremely balanced and stable, and gives each chord and note unparalleled clarity and bite. The 12 inch radius of the fingerboard provides smooth note bending capabilities and eliminates dead or choked out notes, common occurrences on fingerboards with lesser radiuses. Resilient and less porous, ebony absorbs oils well, allowing it to preserve its rich beautiful color.
Fret Wire
The fret wire on all Gibson models is a combination nickel and silver alloy (approximately 80 percent nickel and 20 percent silver) specifically designed for long life and superior wear. Gibson's traditional "medium/jumbo" fret wire is first shaped by hand, then cut to an exact 12 inch radius. After hand pressing it into the fingerboard, a machine press finishes the job to eliminate the gap between the bottom of the fret wire and the fingerboard.
Inlays
The classic dot inlays are one of the most distinguishable features of many traditional Gibson models, including the ES 335 and the Les Paul Junior. A figured, swirl acrylic gives these inlays that classic pearl look. They are inserted in the fingerboard using a process that eliminates gaps and doesn't require the use of fillers.
Neck Profile
No guitar neck profiles are more distinguishable than the neck profiles employed on the Gibson models of today. The more traditional '50s neck profile is the thicker, more rounded contour, emulating the neck shapes of Gibson's iconic models of the late 1950s. The '60s neck profile is considered the more modern, slim tapered contour most commonly associated with the Gibson models of the early 1960s. The neck of Gibson's limited edition Reverse Flying V has the best of both worlds it is a hybrid between the '50s rounded contour and the '60s slim taper profile. As with all Gibson necks, it is machined in Gibson's rough mill using wood shapers to make the initial cuts. Once the fingerboard gets glued on, the rest including the final sanding is done by hand. That means there are no two necks with the exact same dimensions. So while it still has the basic characteristics of its respective profile, each neck will be slightly different, with a distinct but traditional feel.
Adjustable Truss Rod
The adjustable truss rod is a Gibson innovation that revolutionized the guitar. Before this groundbreaking discovery in the early 1930s, the truss rod was used only to strengthen and stabilize the neck. By making it adjustable, the truss rod now allows a guitar to be set up using a variety of string gauges, as well as string heights. This easily accommodates any style of playing, and allows a limitless range of set up options. And by placing it at the base of the headstock, the adjustable nut is easily accessible, even while the strings are still on the guitar.
Gibson Logo
Many of the most innovative and revolutionary strings instruments of all time have borne the name Gibson the Les Paul, the ES 335, the Explorer, the Flying V, the SG. The list goes on and on. There is no mistaking the classic, hand cut mother of pearl logo, inlayed into a pressed fiber head veneer that is then glued to the face of the mahogany headstock. A thin coat of lacquer finishes the process. It is one of the most recognizable logos in all of music, representing more than a century of originality and excellence.
Vintage Style Split Headstock
The asymmetrically designed headstock on the Reverse Flying V is a scaled down version of the split headstock Gibson used on the experimental Futura and Moderne models of the 1950s. Like every Gibson headstock, it is carved out of the same piece of mahogany as the neck. It is not a glued on headstock, and the process takes craftsmanship, time, and effort. But the rewards are worth the effort. The headstock is carefully angled at 17 degrees, which increases pressure on the strings and helps them stay in the nut slots. An increase in string pressure also means there is no loss of string vibration between the nut and the tuners, which equals better sustain. A gold plated truss rod cover adds a nice finishing touch to the headstock, and perfectly complements the Reverse Flying V's gold hardware.
Gibson Reverse Flying V Electric Guitar Limited Edition Features:
- Solid mahogany reverse V shaped body
- Set neck construction
- 22 fret ebony fingerboard
- Medium/jumbo fret wires
- Classic dot inlays
- '50s/'60s hybrid neck profile
- Tune O Matic bridge
- '57 Classic Pickups
- Single volume knob
- Nitrocellulose finish
- Adjustable truss rod
- Vintage style split headstock
If you miss it this time, don't blame us. Order now.
