Rock guitar straight out of the future!
Written: May 08 '01 (Updated May 08 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Futuristic looks, great sound, it's a Gibson
Cons: a bit awkward to play sitting down
The Bottom Line: The Gibson Flying V is a well crafted guitar that plays well and looks super cooool!
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| Paulblow's Full Review: Gibson Flying V '67 Electric Guitar |
I owned a Gibson Flying V guitar many moons ago, back in the day when I was just a mere bass player with yearnings to play guitar. I bought it used for $700, and mostly played it at home using cheap Peavy amplifiers. I really did not fully appreciate this fine guitar when I had it - that is, I never played it live or through a Marshall stack. Unfortunately, I had to hock my V when I was in a bind. I sure wish I still had it now, especially now that I have the Marshalls and am a bonafide guitar slinger extroadinare...
The Flying V is one of the coolest, most futuristic looking guitars in existence...it's looks suggest something alien and slightly sinister from the space-aged future. You really don't see too many guitarists playing this guitar, and when you do you can bet it's in a heavy metal band! Wendy O'Williams' punk rock band THE PLASMATICS had two Flying V -playing guitarists, and man did they look coool... The looks are the real reason to buy a Flying V (as well as the awesome sound)
The sound of a Flying V is simply ripping - especially when playing power chords. It sizzles and has a nice crisp sound to it, not unlike an SG or an Explorer. It is not as full-bodied sounding as a Les Paul, but when you crank up one of these beasts with a distortion pedal, you get the perfect hard rock/metal barrage. I used my V mainly for recording at home, and I still marvel at the sound of the guitar on those old recordings, even though I played it through crummy amps. Of course, the Flying V is well suited for playing other styles of music also - there is that famous Blues guitarist who plays a Flying V - although I have yet to see a country band with one...
The Flying V is a very nicely designed guitar: it stays in tune quite nicely, is rather light, and I never had much of a problem with breaking strings with my V. I also was able to play the action low without any fret buzzing. It handles well, and is an easy guitar to play - a sheer alien delight. An added bonus you get with a V is that you can lean it against a wall and not worry about it falling over, like other guitars will. The only complaint I've ever heard guitarists mutter about the Flying V is that it is a bit awkward to play when sitting down - since it has no curves to rest on your thigh. However, as I have found, one simply needs to straddle the inner-most point of the V around your leg to play it when seated.
Nowadays, I have a cheap Flying V copy, which looks cool but sounds fairly bad. I really want the real mcoy again - nay, I NEED a real Gibson Flying V in my guitar arsenal once again!
The final word: looks super cool, stays in tune, sounds utterly fantastic, and of course it's a genuine Gibson so you know it's a quality guitar!
One last note: This guitar goes GREAT with leather pants!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Paulblow
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Location: Seattle, WA
Reviews written: 104
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About Me:
Paul Blow: A man for all seasons, a man for all reasons.
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