Hello, I have been playing and collecting vintage Gibson Flying V's and other Gibson vintage guitars for several decades. Over that time I have acquired some very rare, clean and cool guitars that I would like to share with the vintage guitar web community. I hope you enjoy the pictures and the videos. Click on the nine tabs above to be directed to my various guitar collection groups and videos. To begin with, scroll down to see my full Flying V collection & my 1960's Flying Vs. Here are a few of my videos:
My Gibson Flying V collection. Picture taken October, 2023. This picture includes my two latest acquisitions......my 1959 Korina Flying V (in the foreground) and another Block Inlay Flying V from 1980.
My License plate. This pretty-much says it all.
My 1959 Gibson Flying V Korina. Serial number: 9 17xx. Its known as the "Suicide V". The name eludes to quite a story. This one is real folks. Refinished. This guitar is "The Bomb". Posted Oct. 2023.
Same guitar with different lighting. The tuner tips have been changed. I have the mummified / shrunken original tuner ends.
Key features of the 1958-59 Korina Flying Vs:
Concave wood edge along grip pad edge.
Notice the two small tooling holes in rear pickup cavity. Also, PAF pickups and M69 pickup rings.
Unmistakable squared body/neck shelf.
Notice the phone book capacitor and correct pot codes from 1959. Also notice the typical tooling marks in cavity.
Notice the rolled plastic manufacturing ridges. This is a trait of the typical Gibson plastic used in the 1950s.
My Gibson Les Paul Collection. Picture taken January, 2023.
Group picture of my nine 1960's Flying Vs with their original cases as of Nov, 2022.
Group picture of my eight 1960's Gibson Flying V's as of May, 2023.
Left to right: 1967 Cherry, 1967 Cherry, 1967 Sunburst, 1967 Sunburst, 1967 Sparkling Burgundy, 1967 Sparkling Burgundy, 1969 Walnut, 1969 Walnut. The two Sunburst Vs and the two Walnut Vs are "straight-as-an-arrow" and totally unmodified.
Group picture of my seven 1960's Gibson Flying V's as of June, 2021.
Left to right: 1967 Cherry, 1967 Sunburst, 1967 Sunburst, 1969 Walnut, 1969 Walnut, 1967 Sparkling Burgundy (refin) & 1967 Sparkling Burgundy. The two Sunburst Vs and the two Walnut Vs are "straight-as-an-arrow" and totally unmodified.
Here is an outdoor sunshine picture of five of my 1960's Vs taken in July, 2020. Notice how the finishes pop in the sunlight.
Group picture from August, 2018 of my five 1960's Gibson Flying V's, including the 1966 Sunburst Prototype (on the far right).
It has taken me 20 years to finally acquire a 1967 V with original cherry finish. I've always been a day late or dollar short when one with a cherry finish would pop-up. This guitar has been Groverized, has a neck repair and has an added strap button. It has the ultra-rare, long truss rod cover that has surfaced on only 9 other Flying Vs from the 1960s. I now own a 60's Flying V in every color that was offered. Posted Dec, 2019.
Notice the short neck self. This was used exclusively on the Batch #1 Flying Vs.
Ultra-rare long truss rod cover, and remnants from the Grover mod.
Serial Number: 000953. Andy Powell of Wishbone Ash has a Batch #1 Cherry V with a serial number of 000951.
Super clean, 100% original and totally unmolested. This guitar was under the original owner's bed in Texas for 39 years. He played it for a year then put it away. I purchased it in 2009. Of the 175 that were made by Gibson from 1966-69, very few are this clean. It is the twin brother of the famous Jimi Hendrix Sunburst Flying V.
Me and my 1967 Sunburst Flying V, December, 2022. Also pictured are my 2017 Aqua Les Paul Custom and my 2022 White Les Paul Custom.
This incredible V is also 100% factory original and unmolested. I purchased this one in June 2018. The previous owner bought it way back in 1973 when he was 19 years old.
Pictured below: 1967 Gibson Flying V with Sparkling Burgundy finish.
I purchased this incredible V in April 2017. The previous owner bought it in 1980. It had an added strap button that has since been removed. Other than that it is completely original and unmolested. The front has faded to a cool looking salmon color. Of all my Vs, this one is my favorite. I love the faded color.
This V is one of only two known to exist that have the natural neck with no black stinger.
This is the first-ever Prototype for the 1966-67 body style. This guitar was used in Gibson's re-introduction of the Flying V advertisement that was issued in September 1966. Amazingly, this incredible guitar is still factory original and completely unmolested, just player wear. The previous owner bought it way back in 1973. I purchased it from him in August of 2018.
This V has a few left-over features from the late 1950's Korina Flying Vs including the location of the strap button and toggle switch. Also, the pickguard is squared-off directly in front of the neck pickup. It is a one-of-a-kind pickguard.
Notice the short neck shelf. This is the only sunburst Flying V with the short neck shelf which was also was used on the earliest 1967 Cherry Flying Vs from Batch #1.
Here is the advertisement from September 1966 that re-introduced the Flying V. This is the same guitar that is pictured above.
Notice the long truss rod cover. The long truss cover was also used on a few of the cherry Flying Vs from Batches #1 and #2.
Serial number: 811197
1967 Gibson Flying V, Sunburst, SN: 000292
I got this incredible Batch #2 unmolested 1967 Flying V in July, 2019. The previous owner got it in 1969 or 1970 from an acquaintance who was in the Navy and was being shipped over seas. He bought this V and a Rickenbacker base for $500 and kept it in his closet for almost 50 Years. What an incredible story ! Posted Dec. 2019.
Notice the large U-shaped neck shelf, indicative of Batch #2.
My two 1967 Sunburst Flying Vs. Notice the two different shades of Sunburst.
Here is a close-up showing the two different types of Sunburst finishes used on the 1967 Flying Vs. On the left is reddish brown over amber. This combination was used on the earliest Flying Vs from Batch 1 and 2. On the right is black over reddish brown over amber. This was used on the later Vs from Batch 3 and 4. Posted June, 2023.
1969 Gibson Flying V, Sunburst, SN: 907113
I got this incredible 1969 Flying V with Walnut finish in May, 2021. It is one of the cleanest 1960's Flying Vs that I have ever seen. I got it from the original owner. It was probably made the same day as the T. Rex, Marc Bolan 1969 Walnut Flying V that has a serial number of 907116. Thanks Dave. Posted May 2021.
Here are a couple of pics of my two '69 Walnut Vs catching some sun rays.
Another cool pic of my two 1969 Walnut Flying Vs.
I bought this incredible V in October, 2022 in Kentucky. This V hung in a music theatre for over 30 years in San Diego. The nephew of the deceased owner then acquired it and had it for 10 additional years. It is one of the cleanest 1960s Vs that I have ever seen. Posted June, 2023.
Notice the natural neck and black stinger.
Notice how the finish changes with various amounts of light.
Notice how the finish changes with various amounts of light.
Here is a pic of both of my 1967 Sparkling Burgundy Flying Vs. Both guitars have about the same amount of fade and have turned an orangish-copper color. I love this finish. Posted June, 2023.
I got this cool Flying V in November, 2022. The original cherry finish was stripped off by the previous owner around 1974 and the guitar remained a dark walnut stain for the next 47 years. The previous owner, who bought the guitar in 1971 refinished it back to cherry back in 2021. We had several discussions about the guitar at that time. The guitar is unbroken and still has its original factory-stamped serial number and original case. Thanks for the V Michael. Posted December, 2022.
The V with its original case.
No cracks or breaks and the original serial number is still intact after the 2021 refin job.
The original serial number was still intact after the guitar was stripped back in 1974 (pictured below).
Pictured below: Here is the same guitar as it looked from 1974 when it was stripped until it was refinished in 2021.
My three Sunburst Flying Vs. I sold the one on the far left in May, 2021.