This Guitar packs an excellent punch to many worlds of music. Pickups are in perfect place, knobs are not loose, and with some locking tuners, this guitar is surely not to come out of tune.
Flying V
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on november 09, 2012 11 of 11 people found this review helpful
Purchased from: Guitar Center
Features: - 22 frets
- Mahogany neck
- Rosewood fingerboard
- Chrome plating/hardware
- Tune-o-matic bridge
- 496R ceramic magnet humbucker on the neck
- 500T ceramic magnet humbucker on the bridge
- Two tone, one volume knob
- 3-way voice Switch // 8
Sound: This Guitar packs an excellent punch to many worlds of music. Whether it be blues, rock, punk, metal. Anything. I use this wonderful Guitar with a Marshall MG100HDFX/MG412 Slant Cab. As goes for any other effects, I have 4 Effects Pedals: (All "Boss") Metal Zone, Flanger, Turbo Distortion, and a Wah-Pedal. The only time I am givin feedback is just when I use my Turbo Distortion pedal. But certainly all of the other sounding is great. // 10
Action, Fit & Finish: This Guitar itself is flaw-less factory wise. Pickups are in perfect place, knobs are not loose, and with some locking tuners, this guitar is surely not to come out of tune. My V-Factor is a White on White finish (Colorwise). Thats the coolest looking pair of colors, 80's style. // 10
Reliability & Durability: The Gibson V-Factor is built like a tank. I am in a band myself and is used plenty on times live, I am so sure that it wont have any problems, I dont bring a spare, and I havent needed to yet, or maybe never will need to. Strap buttons are sealed down like a vault door. // 10
Impression: As I said above blues, rock, punk, and metal are all the varietys I play. Including sub-genres between those main ones. If this guitar were stolen, I would go find the prick who did so and beat his ass raw and get my guitar back. It would be worth the time. And if were broken? Not thinking of happening soon unless dropped off of a 20 Story Building. Anybody out there looking for a new reliable, excellent guitar? Pull out the Piggy Bank and go buy this baby. // 10
Flying V
Reviewed by:
DancinSteve, on november 09, 2012 4 of 4 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 1052.25
Purchased from: Dolphin Music
Sound: I play mainly blues or blues rock (Wishbone Ash, Thin Lizzy etc), and it fits those styles like a glove. There is a really nice contrast between the two different sounds of the pickups. On the neck you can get a really nice full bluesy tone which literally sings on the higher notes, with an incredible amount of sustain. But in contrast you can get a really crunchy sound out of the bridge pickup (great for those Thin Lizzy riffs), and that really packs a punch when you turn the gain up. I use this guitar through a Marshall AVT 50, usually with the gain on about 7 or 8, and even then you can get an awesome sustain with this guitar. Harmonics are easy to find, pinch harmonics can be a little tricky to get on some strings. As far as feedback goes you never get the high squeal or the low rumble, just a nicely pitched note, which can work really well in solos or to add ambience to a chord progression. Only given a 9, because there is a little too much contrast between neck and bridge pickups, and I find I have to change between neck and bridge when I play above or below the 12th fret. I fitted the Gibson Vibrola unit to make it look like an original 67' V used by guitar legends such as Andy Powell or Jimi Hendrix. This addition also helps add to the unique sound of this instrument, as when your playing the long sustaining solo's either high up the neck or lower down, this guitar really does sing. It's inspiring! // 9
Action, Fit & Finish: This guitar came ready to play, I didn't have to adjust anything like pickup height or action or truss rod tensions. Since I have developed my playing style I have lowered the action a tiny bit to make those legato runs a bit easier, and have brought the pickups a little closer to the strings, but that is just personal taste at the end of the day! A small electrical problem developed a few months after I got this guitar, with a loose connection on one of the volume pots that caused the volume to swell unpredictably, but this was soon rectified. The pickup selector can be noisy if you abuse it, but if you guide it firmly into place it doesn't give you much hassle! A common problem with a lot of Gibson guitars is their rediculously tight string tension. This guitar is not like that at all, and the tension is lovely, not to tight but not too loose either. I've played a Fender Strat with 9's on and the tension on this guitar is looser than that and I use D'Darrio 10's. It has quite a wide neck compared with other Gibson guitars aswell (especially the Les Paul), especially when playing at the 12th fret. You have to work to get the sound out of this guitar, it almost repays you for your work! Don't be put off by that, it makes you a better player. // 8
Reliability & Durability: This guitar is honestly built like a tank! It stays in tune very well (I haven't had to tune it in about a week). I would happily go into a gig with just this guitar and be very confident in its ability to last out the show. The strap buttons are locked down very tight, and I've never had the strap come off while playing. The finish seems to be lasting alright at the moment, I regularly polish and clean this guitar though as I am prone to sweat a lot while playing! // 10
Impression: As I said before this guitar is very well suited to blues, blues rock, prog rock or classic rock. I also have a Fender Mexico Strat, and this guitar beats the socks off that (even for playing blues). I do not regret for a second buying this guitar, it is the best thing I've ever bought! If this guitar were stolen I would rush off to buy another one, or go off to find who stole it from me and beat them senseless! I compared it to a couple of other Gibson guitars (the SG and the Les Paul), and fell in love with the shape, sound and feel of the V. There is a unique sound that only a Flying V can make! The thing I love about this guitar is (as I have said before) the way it literally sings on the higher notes, especially when the gain is whacked up and the neck pickup is being used. I also love the really old school crunchy sound that is possible out of the bridge pickup. The only pain about this guitar is that it is a b*tch to play sitting down, you have to play it like a classical guitar between your knees, but that improves your playing action anyway, so I can't really complain! When I first bought it I really did miss the absence of a tremolo/vibrato unit on this guitar, and I really wish Gibson made it with the old style Vibrola arm, but they're only £75 to buy and dead easy to fit, so it's no big deal really. // 8
Flying V
Reviewed by:
hhamdy283, on november 09, 2012 2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 932.2
Purchased from: Lauzon Music
Sound: I play a wide variety of music, but I generally play funk, blues, classic rock, progressive rock, heavy metal and progressive metal. I feel that the V fits my style of music. It is versatile enough to play softer, cleaner funk and blues, but sound just as good with Dream Theater, Iron Maiden, Rush or Led Zeppelin. I use a Roland JC-120 and a Marshall MG with Boss and Dunlop pedals. Compared to my Les Paul, the guitar is brighter than my Les Paul, but still has a nice full tone with the neck pickup. // 10
Action, Fit & Finish: On the whole, I did not have to make many adjustments to the instrument when I brought it home. The action is good, but I did get some fret buzz. The neck, pickups, bridge were all fine, and I did not see any major problems. The low action was irritating though. // 8
Reliability & Durability: I am certain that this guitar would be fine Live and touring. The case is durable, and the guitar is built solid. I am somewhat concerned about the tuners though, since the guitar has as difficult time staying in tune. I need to retune every 2 or 3 songs. I would never do a gig without a backup as a matter of course, but put into that situation, I would rely on this guitar. I have not really had the guitar long enough to see how the finish will turn out, but judging by how well my Les Paul has held up in the time I have had it, I think I will be fine. // 9
Impression: As I stated earlier, this guitar is musically compatible with me. I have used Gibson products in the past, and I am still satisfied with their craftsmanship. Had I tried it out more before I bought it, I would have asked about the action and the fret buzz to see if I could get this improved before I bought it. If stolen, I would buy it again if I was limited to the amount I paid for it, but if I had more, I might go with a Thunderbird or another Les Paul, or possibly a PRS. I love its easy playability, its tone, its feel, and how it looks so damn good. I'm not terribly pleased with the action, and having the toggle Switch at the tone knobs is a problem if you need to Switch quickly. My favorite feature is it's appearance, and the presence that it has. Whilst shopping for it, I was choosing between this and an Explorer. I picked the Flying V just because the Explorer was too difficult to play standing up. I find the V very easy to play sitting down, as long as you rest the "crotch" of the guitar on your right thigh, or off to the side. I wish that the guitar had a tremolo like the Jimi Hendrix signature Flying V, but alas, I shall make do. // 9
Flying V
Reviewed by:
Triumph2002, on november 09, 2012 2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 990
Purchased from: Guitar Center
Features: All mahogany necktrough, 22 nickel/slver frets on a rosewood fretboard. I got the black with white pickguard to match my Explorer. 2 Gibson humbuckers, 496R and 500T with 2 volume, 1 tone and 3 position selector switch. Tune o-matic bridge and Gibson deluxe tuners. Of course, it came with a hardshell case, ah the new smell. // 10
Sound: Well, I play mostly prog/death metal so this guitar is a good instrument of destruction. I would prefer better pickups but the 500T on the bridge does well, I play through a 6505+ head, so the pickups are ok but I will get some SDs later. It has a tight puncy sound, it is a rock/metal guitar and not a bad one. // 9
Action, Fit & Finish: Factory set up? Well there is a problem, I do not know who set it up but the intonation was crap, the bridge p/u was set so high it was rubbing on the strings if hit too hard. The frets are good no ugly spots on them, just the usual dirty fingers all over the guitar from siting on the show room. No flaws, this is my third Gibson in 2 years and I am very happy with the quality. // 8
Reliability & Durability: As I mentioned, this is my third Gibson and they have proven to be good reliable instruments, the tune o-matic bridges are rock solid, but the Gibson deluxe tuners need a little improvement as they tend to loose their tune with heavy bending but not bad. The finish is layered very well and should last many years with proper care. // 9
Impression: Metal and rock are well suited for this axe. The tight punchy sound is perfect for metal, the light weight is nice for playing long sets with no fatigue. I would buy another if the wife would let me, I compared this to a Jackson RR24 and the Gibson was better for me, plus it is made in the USA and was less expensive and lighter than the Jackson. // 8
Flying V
Reviewed by:
TeekWan, on november 09, 2012 1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 1300
Purchased from: second hand
Features: The guitar is a 2006. Faded model made in USA. Typical modern Flying V, 22 frets, 24.75" scale, 60s style neck. Multipart mahogany body (as it's the cheapest Gibson line), set in mahogany neck, relatively rough matte cherry finish (wood pores open, very little lacquer), looks nice but the thin lacquer wears off easily due to usage - great for those into relic guitars. Usual fixed Tune-O-Matic bridge, two HOT ceramicGibson pickups (great stuff!) and usual 2-vol/1-tone controls. Matching TKL-made gigbag included. // 6
Sound: I play mostly metal and this is a great guitar for both riffing and leads. I use Engl Blackmore E650 with Marshall 4x12 cab, the sound is great, throaty, full and defined. No noise at all, great on cleans and crunchy sounds too. When played unplugged it's very resonant despite its relatively low mass (it's very light) and I think it reflects very well on the amplified sound. // 10
Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar is Gibson's cheapest series as stated earlier, but that doesn't bother me much aside from the fact it lacks tuning stability. Nothing big, you can play a gig in tune pretty much, but where it rears its ugly head is in the studio. When I double-track the guitars a small phasing appears which is a result of slight detuning of the strings (maybe a few cents) during the take, not much but definitely audible. It's very frustrating having to redo an otherwise good take because of the tuning instability.
I've tried fixing this with TonePros Locking Kluson Deluxe tuners which look the same as factory fitted Gibson Deluxes. The improvement was there but didn't remove the problem so I suspect the lowest grade wood was used which practically warps and bends slightly during usage causing the tuning to slip. // 4
Reliability & Durability: Very durable, no excessive string breakage (and I have a heavy riffing hand), great for live use. The finish is very sensitive (one of the reasons this guitar is relatively cheap) thin matte lacquer which wears off with regular use, but I don't take it as a fault, I actually like the feel of the wood. And I can always have it repainted if I desire so... So all in all a 10 but I have to lower the score because of the aforementioned tuning issues. // 8
Impression: Great for rock and metal, I've been playing for 20 years and this guitar immediately clicked with me. I'd like to get another V with better tuning, it's the only thing that bothers me on it. Always dug the shape and appearance and before acquiring I was a bit curious whether it would be comfortable to play and I have to say it's a very comfortable guitar for both stand-up and sit-down playing. // 9
Flying V
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on november 09, 2012 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 700
Purchased from: Craigslist
Features: 2005 US-made ax
22 frets, smooth rosewood fretboard, nice frets
All Mahogany, with ebony finish
Gibson 496R and 500T pups - nice and HOT // 10
Sound: It suits Thrash really well, but it can be used for any genre. It's a really versatile guitar with great tone and flexibility. I currently run it into an Orange Micro Terror and a Marshall 4x12, and it's got great hard rock tone. The only downfall is that the bridge pickup is a little too HOT for cleans; your headroom is limited. // 9
Action, Fit & Finish: Everything was in great shape. The only flaws were cosmetic, and that was because it is a used guitar. Everything else is great. // 9
Reliability & Durability: This guitar seems very well put together and I would absolutely play without a backup. I replaced the strap buttons with strap locks, but the holes were clean and worked well. Everything seems very sturdy, and I'm not concerned with longevity with this one. // 10
Impression: I'm primarily a thrash/hard rock guy, so this guitar fits my mold perfectly. I've been playing for a little over a year and I also own a couple cheap pedals, my Marshall, and my Orange head. I'd absolutely buy it again if stolen. I love the look, tone, and overall feel of it. It just sounds very full and thick. I hate nothing about it, really. I'd highly suggest it to anyone looking for a good mid-range level guitar. // 10
Flying V
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on november 09, 2012 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: € 700
Purchased from: www.thoman.de
Features: This is the typical, un-laquared, bottom of the line USA made Gibson. But don't let that deter you, it is affordable and doesn't have all this crazy new stuff that Gibson have gone mad with lately. Here is some copypasta from the Gibson site:
Body
Body Style Flying V
Body Species Mahogany
Hardware
Plating Finish Chrome
Tailpiece Gibson Stop Bar
Bridge Gibson Tune-O-Matic
Tuners Grover Kluson Style Green Keys
Electronics
Neck Pickup 496R
Bridge Pickup 500T
Controls 2 Volume - 1 Tone - 3-Way Toggle
Control Knobs Black Tophats with Silver Inserts
Neck
Species Mahogany
Nut Corian
Nut Width Standard Gibson: 1.695" +/- .050"
Truss Rod Gibson Adjustable Truss Rod
Truss Rod Cover Flying V cover, stamped with Gibson Logo
Fingerboard
Fingerboard Species Rosewood
Inlays Acrylic dot
Number of Frets 22
Scale Length 24 - 3/4"
Case
Type Flying V Gigbag
Case Interior Black
Case Exterior Black
Silkscreen Gibson USA Logo
It came with no tools, and seeing it is still a USA made Gibson, a hard case would be nice. // 8
Sound: This guitar is surprisingly versatile. It is my singular work horse guitar for this year. I play mainly metal in my spare time, and have started playing with the local swing band. By rolling off a little tone and volume and switching to the neck p-up, I find it suitable. The p-ups are noiseless, which is a feature that is to me: invaluable. But the real beauty of this guitar is bridge humbucker, full volume and tone. Coupled with this guitar's solid and beefy construction, it is tonally brilliant. The sound can get a little muddy, but I think that is more the amp (Roland Cube 30 - ancient). Even acoustically, one can hear this guitar's tonal qualities. Despite it not being one piece of wood (I think it's 5 (+ the neck)), it sounds lovely and bright, with good sustain. This guitar has no hard lacquer which really "lets out the sound". // 9
Action, Fit & Finish: The factory set up was a little disappointing, but if you buy from a store, that should all be corrected there as part of your purchase. The nut is far too shallow, and I cannot get the strings close enough to the fret board without getting buzz. At the moment, the bottom E is maybe 6 or 7 mm off the 12th fret, which is not good. Another problem with the filing is that the difference between pressing the bottom E string against the first fret and against the fret board is perhaps a quarter tone. I discovered this when playing Opeth's "Blackwater Park", which is tuned in drop D, and it sounded horrible.
As for the p-up's adjustment, I had to move them a little, but it really isn't hard to do at all and shouldn't be a deciding factor on purchasing this guitar. I had to adjust the truss rod, as the neck was slightly convex, where slightly concave is correct. This compensates a little for the incorrect nut filing, the action is only too high between the 9th and 15th fret. The wood is bookmatched superbly, I only found it was not one piece by reading the specs. Other than what I have mentioned, the guitar was set up perfectly, and there is nothing that a guitar tech couldn't fix with ease. Let me now move on to the true beauty of this guitar:
THE NECK.
It is superb. It fits the hand so well, it is nice and round at the nut, and nice and flat and thin towards the join to the body (or at least for a Gibson). Though I had been mainly looking at more "metal" guitars; Jackson, Ibanez, ESP, I find this neck profile much more comfortable, and it's nice and chunky to cling on to the get great bends. Even with the terrible action, I can play just as fast as I can with my Ibanez (it is an SA series, with an even faster neck than the RG series). Another advantage endemic to the "cheapo" un-lacquered Gibsons is that the hand does not stick or grip with the finish on the neck.
I have heard that Gibson's quality control is going out the window, but there is nothing wrong that isn't fixable. Just for the neck, this guitar deserves a 10. // 10
Reliability & Durability: This guitar is made for live playing. There is no finish to worry about, and in my opinion, and hard played and worn guitar (that you have made yourself by playing it for years) is very sexy. Apparently, this guitar is more prone to fading, but the colour is already "Faded Cherry", so one could say it would only be an enhancement. Another advantage of it being un-lacquered is that it cannot crack due to temperature or humidity change. The hardware is the same as any USA Gibson guitar, and if you can't trust them, the world is a sad place. I replaced the strap buttons with looking strap buttons (durrrr), and there was no problems with installation (I had read that one hole was too big, but it wasn't a problem with my model). As I said, there is no finish to wear off. I have no gigging experience with it yet, but it will be my solitary guitar for one year (I am currently abroad), and I plan on doing parties, as well as jazz in a big band. But I am confident that this guitar will last. Another good point to note that this guitar is deceptively light, and I feel I could stand with it for a big set just fine. It is not too awkward when sitting, but don't expect to be able to lean back in your favourite armchair and still play it. // 10
Impression: As I said before, nothing speaks better for this guitar's versatility than the fact that it will be my only guitar for a year. I have been playing for 5 years, and own a Fender Jaguar Special and a middle of the road Ibanez SA260FM, and naturally this guitar is my favourite (electric, my Taylor is a thing of great love and beauty). I play mainly through a little Marshal 30 Valvestate - which is a great amp, and I'd consider running it through a cabinet, it sounds very nice. I have no regrets about this guitar, and I would replace it if it were stolen. I also love the look. This guitar is so metal, yet I don't feel that I will scare old ladies with it. It is subtle in its symmetry and simplicity. It is a the best looking guitar I have ever owned (and Jaguars look pretty awesome). I have nothing to compare it to, it is my first HH guitar. // 10
Flying V
Reviewed by:
fretmaster5000, on november 09, 2012 1 of 2 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 500
Purchased from: Airport Music
Features: My Gibson Flying V is a new 2007 with a metallic red finish, the man Who sold it to me said it was made in america so I'll take his word on that. It has 21 frets a normal sized neck with a triangular shaped head. It's body is shaped like an upside down V (thus the name). On it are 2 tone controls along with a volume. It has active active electronics and came with only a gig bag. // 7
Sound: Without an amp the Flying V has a smooth almost jazzy sound, but with an amp you can rock on it as hard as you want. Since I like rock and heavy metal it suits my needs fine even better than I expected. The guitar can do many effects it can slide, bend, hammer on, and pull off just as well as a $3000 Ibanez. I used a large performance amp along with a wah wah pedal and got as good results as I could have asked for. // 9
Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar I'd say was made for quanity not quality. I bought the thing Brand New and it had a noisy pick up sector and a loose control for the volume. The overall look is nice the classic red (even though it does get old). The shape that people could kill over, and it's head that I think is it's best quality. // 5
Reliability & Durability: I'm pretty sure this guitar will be able to rock for a couple of gigs maybe it's not give it to your grandchildren sturdy, but sturdy enough to last for a while. Maybe after a while it would start to wear down a little bit, but I think it would still play the same enen if the back got dented, a peg loosened etc. All of the strap pins are ok for now. // 7
Impression: I play rock music so in my genre this guitar is very popular so I think it is a good match soundwise and lookwise. I have been playing for three years and have three guitars (this one is my prized possession) I have two practice amps 1 performance amp a wah wah pedal along with a floor switch. I wish I had asked if they had another finish but the red because it doesn't go with any of my performance clothes. If it was lost I would not buy thos guitar over again because I've always wanted an Ibanez and 500 is a lot for a guitar with a loose control. I love it's smooth sound and it's ability to Switch from that to hard rock and that's probably my favorite feature too. I hate that the guy sold me one with a loose volume control. I did in the store compare it too a Kramer something but I chose the Flying V after I played them both. There is only one thing I wish it had and that is a whammy bar! // 8
Flying V
Reviewed by:
T00DEEPBLUE, on november 09, 2012 0 of 1 people found this review helpful
Price paid: £ 900
Purchased from: PMT
Features: This guitar is a reissue of the 1968 Gibson V made famous by so many famous player, Metallica, Schenker, Hendrix, Ratt and a load of others. At this price range, the guitar isn't that heavily specc'd, but it makes great use of what it does have.
- Made in USA 2011.
- 22 medium jumbo frets.
- Comes in a few finishes, ebony, cherry and white, mine is in ebony.
- Mahogany body with a 1-piece quartersawn mahogany neck with a North American rosewood fingerboard with a 12" radius.
- TOM bridge and a stopbar (of course).
- Passive Gibson 500T/496R ceramic humbuckers.
- 2 volumes, i tone, 3-way Switchcraft selector.
- Kluson tuners and a corain nut.
- Came with a nice hardshell case (truss rod Allan wrench included which is nice). I received a couple of freebies including a Gibson shirt and a capo. // 7
Sound: I'm primarily a rock and metal player, with a bit of funk thrown in for the hell of it. I play a fairly wide variety of different kinds of metal, mostly from the 80's and 90's ranging from thrash, glam, death, to progressive. I use a Peavey 6505+, but I've also used a Mesa Dual Rectifier, a Marshall JCM2000 212 and an Orange Rockerverb 212 with this guitar.
This guitar really surprised me in terms of tone. The bridge pickup is fantastic for high gain because its articulation and somewhat breathy tone really helps to cut through a mix. Its has a fairly bright attack, but the undertones are dark and crushing. Leads are clear and articulate with a breathy midrange voicing. IN crunch, with the 6505, it was really surprised at how good this guitar is with funk; it has a great brownsound which makes playing all the funky riffs a barrel of laughs.
The neck pickup is great too. For clean, its very clear-sounding with a warm low end and a sparkly high end. I love it. For leads, it maintains this character well and it isn't so loaded down with bass that you can't hear the high end sparkle. Its also not so HOT that it distorts your clean channel either. The guitar doesn't have an enormous amount of sustain (more than most guitars though) because although the wood and the construction are excellent in quality, there isn't physically that much here to resonate, but it means that the guitar is extremely light and perfectly balanced.
The only complaint that I have with this guitar is that it sometimes gets noisy. This is probably because the inside of the guitar is not foil shielded, which is a shame, but production guitars rarely have copper shielding in their cavities, so I won't judge the guitar too harshly. Its not a big problem as a noise suppressor or simply touching something metallic solves it, its just a minor complaint.
Overall though, this is one of the best sounding Gibson's I've ever played for my style of music, so it scores very high in that regard. It even sounds huge unplugged, in fact it sounds a lot like it does when amplified, which I like because it shows that the guitar is doing its job of being resonant, as any quality guitar should do. Overall, its not a particularly sweet-sounding guitar but its versatility with different amp setting really showcases this guitar's capabilities. Overally, its clear, brutal and articulate. Hearing such a tone from the speaker cabinet is inspirational. // 9
Action, Fit & Finish: This guitar really caught my eye when I first glanced at it in the shop. The finish was IMMACULATE when it was new. The only slight blemish was a small defect just to the right of the bottom of the split. But its almost invisible visually. I examined the guitar carefully when I first got a close look at it and never noticed it until months later. The action on this guitar was fantastic. Low and absolutely zero buzz on all notes. No fret-out with bends, nothing, even the intonation was correct. The only thing was that the fretboard was very dry when I first got it, but some lemon oil fixed that. The board was also a bit rough, but that problem has smoothed itself out with playing.
The neck profile is glorious on this guitar. It has a D-shaped neck that is thinner than a lot of Gibson's, but its not as thin as your typical shred machine guitar. I have enormous hands, with long, thin fingers and very large palms. Everyone's hands are a bit different to one another's, but this guitar fits my hands perfectly. I haven't come across any other guitar in my life that has a more comfortable neck profile for me.
The pickups required adjustment though, the bass side of the bridge pickup was high, but it took nothing to solve it. I'm not going to mark the guitar down for it. The bridge feels just fine, it does what its intended to do perfectly and no sharp saddles to speak of. The only complaint I have is that it doesn't stay in tune perfectly. That may be because I tend to play it an awful lot, causing the strings to go old quickly; old strings do fall out of tune frequently. There can be a bit of pinging in the nut, but a bit of pencil lead in the slots fixed it in a snap. // 9
Reliability & Durability: I'm sure it would withstand years of playing. The only thing I might change out are the tuners. They look great and they hold tune fine, but they can be a little twitchy because the large buttons make small changes more significant. It just means that you need to turn the machine head a few times to get the tuning exactly right. Everything else feels rock solid though. The controls are all tight fitting and robust. The Switchcraft Jack and switch are chunky and positive-feeling. TOM bridges are virtually indestructible so no problems there in terms of wear with use.
The nitro finish on the guitar feels solid enough. Nitro finishes tend to scratch a bit more than poly in their nature, but at least they allow the wood to dry out, making the guitar sound even better with age. Even when the finishes are old and decrepit, the relicing effect looks cool on them. The buttons feel fine, but I did put Jim Dunlop straplocks on the guitar just in case. There isn't really anything else to say here, it just feels like a dependable guitar. // 9
Impression: A '68 Gibson V was my very first love affair with guitars and guitar-orientated music when I was a 7 year old boy, I've wanted a Gibson V ever since. I was a bit worried that I was going to be disappointed but the guitar turned out even better than I thought it was going to be. I've been playing for 5 years now. I've done several jam sessions with former professional band members along with private guitar lessons, I consider myself to not be completely shit at guitar. I've owned a small variety of instruments probably the most similar to the Gibson V is my Epiphone Futura Prophecy EX with EMG81/85's. But this guitar is an awful lot more versatile.
If it was lost or stolen, I would go f--king apesh-t, I would rape whoever stole it in their sleep until they give it back. The things I love about it is a long list of things, The guitar looks AWESOME; it wows everyone who sees it including other players and bandmates. What I love the most about the guitar are what counts the most in a guitar; the guitar is a tone machine that pretty much plays itself.
I would get this guitar if you love most classic metal and hard rock. Its not a jazz guitar by any means but its versatility really impresses in how it does blues and funk in its own unique and vibe-y way. This guitar is a bit of a dream machine with a lot of rock and metal history behind it. Its earned that history for a reason; its a great guitar that does what it says on the case and more. The only thing I wish it had is possibly locking tuners for the sake of convenience with restringing, but that's pretty much it. Take it from me, if you play the sort of things I play, do check it out. // 9
Flying V
Reviewed by:
I<3Gibson, on november 09, 2012 0 of 5 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 1000
Purchased from: Guitar Cetnter
Features: This is a 2007 model and has the same major problems that in the features that every Gibson has. THEY OFFER NONE. The olny diffrence between Gibsons is the color. They don't offer Ebony fretbords or Locking trems. You have no choice of what you get on your guitars. You get a Rosewood bord and a tune o matic bridge. How boring. // 1
Sound: Well I can't complain hear. For the money you pay for it you get a preaty good sounding guitar in the Vee. I pluged it into my jsx and it sounded prety good. The notes were clear and the attack was good. This is the best sounding Gibby I've ever played. If they made Les Pauls at this price and they sounded this good they might be a ok guitar. Now on to the problems. Their are dead notes on the higher strings at the 12th 14th 17th and 21st fret on the b and e strings. This is a major problem for a metal guitar player like my self. // 5
Action, Fit & Finish: Gibson should not say they do a factory set up. It dosent matter anyway because the frets are unlevel and if you lower the action any you get major fret buzz and more dead notes than before. The finish was ebony but it had runs in the clear coat and for 1k that is unacctpabal. The untune o matic Bridge (lol I'm so clever) wasn't level and I could not get it to intoneate. Gibson needs to get its quailty control issues straghtend out or they will go down the crapper. // 1
Reliability & Durability: I don't think I would use this guitar live ever. Just like the Les Paul Custom I owend breifly the finish was to delicat and the headstock was still angeled wrong. The hardware seemed better built on this one but for 1k I could get better. The v shape is awesome to play sitting down so no problem their I just wish the fretbord and finish was better // 2
Impression: I'm in a thrash metal band and this guitar sounded ok but my B.C. Rich, Jackson KV2, and Ibanez still sound and play better. I had this guitar for 20 days and took it back. For a grand I could get a Jackson RR24 and have a better built and better sounding guitar with a ebony fretbord and a floyd rose. The Name on the Headstock means nothing to me so don't flame my review with he dosnt know what he's talking about Gibson is Teh best. NO THEY ARE NOT. The old saying of you get what you pay for is thrown out the window when it comes of Gibson guitars. // 2
you play it classical style, it actually improves your form, and becomes very comfortable if you get used to it.
i even play my Jackson Soloist like that now
no matter what you do, it's nearly impossible to play sitting; i have one, i should know. my gonads have suffered as a consequence. still, play it standing up and it's a sick guitar.
I got mine 2nd hand from a musical supply, it had a small sratch on the back of the neck so I got it for 600 CAD, so i would say if i got a mint new one, you could get it for anywhere from 750- 1000.
yes this this is a pain to play and sit down it slides down and then your thy is resting on the fret board, i put the bottom between my thys when sitting or put the strap so high to it wont rest on your thys.
I own an SG Standard, but I was told the Flying V beat the SG at all positions, so I think wether to buy the Flying V or just stay with my SG which is still Ok.
SG is in my opinion better than V, but they're actually pretty similiar with same pickups. I have a Flying V, nice guitar, but needs some changes to be made... When it comes to neck, I prefer Fenders small neck and bolt on necks generally. Humbuckers are okay (and expensive, so if you don't like them, sell them and buy SD or DiMarzio or something), but not very versatile. I mean, neck pickup is very muddy (IMO) and quite weak, bridge pickup is vicious. But it doesn't give you the same versatility as HSS-setting.
And yeah, it's pretty hard to play because of it's shape, but it's still a good guitar. I'll have Kahler to be installed to my V and then it's perfect.
SG is in my opinion better than V, but they're actually pretty similiar with same pickups. I have a Flying V, nice guitar, but needs some changes to be made... When it comes to neck, I prefer Fenders small neck and bolt on necks generally. Humbuckers are okay (and expensive, so if you don't like them, sell them and buy SD or DiMarzio or something), but not very versatile. I mean, neck pickup is very muddy (IMO) and quite weak, bridge pickup is vicious. But it doesn't give you the same versatility as HSS-setting.
And yeah, it's pretty hard to play because of it's shape, but it's still a good guitar. I'll have Kahler to be installed to my V and then it's perfect.
I hate the look of SG's and I just dont like them.. If someone handed me an SG for free I'd sell it in a heartbeat. I just put a 100 $ deposit on a gibson flying v. I can't wait for it eheh . Flying v's kick ass
Ya you play the Flying V in between your legs it improves your form tremendously and helps alot when playing faster songs.. It's more of a guitar to play standing up anyways.. but it is an excellent guitar.. I love mine! =D
I play my old V with the bottom half of the lower "arm" of the body between my legs and kind of hooked in by my right calf. This is similar to how classical players play. The only real disadvantage to this is that it makes it even harder than the normal "casual" position to play in a chair that has arms - you kind of have to sit on the edge of the seat and turn youself away from the left arm.
*sorry for the double post*
I just remembered, there's a video floating around somewhere of Kirk Hammet showing how to play some Metallica riffs. Aside from some soloing he does in the beginning of the video, he's sitting on a stool with a V. You might want to watch how he does it.
It's one of those guitars that spring into mind even when you mention the word 'guitar'. It takes alot of popularity to do that. For example, if you say "BC Rich Warlock" to any random person that hasn't got any concept of guitars, they'd have no clue what you're going on about. But "Gibson Flying V" would mean something to them. The man who designed this guitar and put it into production is a genius. Anyone like to say something to that?
Rivers :
Any of you seen Jimi's flying V at gibson's custom shop? Now that is a kickass guitar!
yea at musiciansfriend.com and probably more places but they are way overpriced and not really worth it considering the paintjod on his was done by hand and they probably just stamped on witha machine and the signature of course isnt real
uh,m what id like to know if the clean sounds on the flying v are the same or worst that the cleans of a sg..i assume by the body of the sg the cleans sound better and warmer but...any comments?
the faded series are pretty nice guitars. Very affordable price and i personally like the finish on the faded series more than a standard V. I personally think they sound very good on clean, not muddy at all.
*sorry for the double post*
I just remembered, there's a video floating around somewhere of Kirk Hammet showing how to play some Metallica riffs. Aside from some soloing he does in the beginning of the video, he's sitting on a stool with a V. You might want to watch how he does it.
I've seen that, I'm not sure if it's a Gibson V or and ESP re-make. Awesome video, go to Youtube and search Kirk Hammett and go down to the picture of him with the v.
If you don't have enough money for a gibson flying v, you an always buy the epiphone version. You can get them for a bargain at musiciansfriend.com, nearly half the price :O
If you don't have enough money for a gibson flying v, you an always buy the epiphone version. You can get them for a bargain at musiciansfriend.com, nearly half the price :O
And I recommend to buy a used Gibson rather than a new one. You might save a lot of money if you're lucky. New Gibsons are just too expensive I think and they're becoming more expensive all the time. Couple of years ago they were even 100e cheaper here.
get an SG there so much easier to play, the sg has a really cool look though and no u dont dont have to be bill gates to get the jimi cause guess what! i have one (got it used for 1200) and i love that guitar like my brother lol
This would be part 3 of my Gibson collection. I own a LP Special and plan on buying the V and the SG. Any recommendations on replacement pickups? On the SG Special I want to install P30/P93's. Since the LP, SG & V have similar pickups I would like to get something totally different sounding. Any suggestions?
I've heard it's a bitch to play sitting down, does anyone have any comments on this?
yeah! i've played one at a store and it was almost impossible! I had to borrow one of their straps to play at all. awesome guitar though, but my impression was that if you want that bluesy sound you should go for a LP instead, but thats just me
*sorry for the double post*
I just remembered, there's a video floating around somewhere of Kirk Hammet showing how to play some Metallica riffs. Aside from some soloing he does in the beginning of the video, he's sitting on a stool with a V. You might want to watch how he does it.
I've seen that, I'm not sure if it's a Gibson V or and ESP re-make. Awesome video, go to Youtube and search Kirk Hammett and go down to the picture of him with the v.
Kirk has a Esp re make.I cant wait till i buy this guitar.
Sg is made for ladies ya fools , les paul made it for his wife to be lighter & easier for her to play , & 2 me they look fricken ugly & retarded like angus young that goon,,,,,lmao
you play it classical style, it actually improves your form, and becomes very comfortable if you get used to it.
i even play my Jackson Soloist like that now
hi just what is form? im not taking the mick, but i hear loadsa words and don't actually get what they mean its the same with fluid (playing style)
The word form refers to posture. Its important to have good posture so you don't do your back in later in your life. It also can refer to your hand postitions. chili157, its totally up tto you whether you replace a V with an SG. I probably wouldn't cause theres such little difference between them. They both have similar pickups, similar woods, similar distorted sounds. The cleans can be slightly muddy to some people on the V but so can the SG. The necks are thiner and more like a Strat than the V which means you can play faster on them. But other than that, theres only aesthetic reasons to change.
The SG is more versitile, a bit better sounding, great upper fret access, better finished. The only thing is its a bit neck heavy, but its a dream to sit down with unliek the V
Amazing guitar, and the one I bought was an amazing deal. It was like $700-ish at Guitar Center when I bought it in February of 2007. The only beef I have about it is it didn't come with pickup covers already on it. . .
flying v's are awesome, I wish I could afford one though.
oh, and I can't believe people don't know how to play one of these guitars, you don't have to only stand up and play it. they're really easy to play sitting down
i bought one of these new for 150$ I got the black on white I love it. It draws attention wherever you play it I also have a jackson dkmg dinky and im thinking about stealing my emgs for my v. the pickups in it though are sweet and sour hard to squeal with but get out crunchy riffs awesome!
yes this this is a pain to play and sit down it slides down and then your thy is resting on the fret board, i put the bottom between my thys when sitting or put the strap so high to it wont rest on your thys.
Thats why you have to put a wing of the guitar between your legs, like Michael Amott did whit his ESP Ninja, lol
Flying V's are much better then SG's. I dont know why there are no reviews for it, but the Gibson flying v faded 3 pickup, is one kick ass Flying V guitar!. If you wanna know more email me... dorey15@hotmail.com, or check out dorey15 on youtube to see it.
And IMO the Explorer only looks sexy in white. Natural Korina or some other wooded/faded wooded color woks too, but a black explorer doesn't look right in my eyes.
I'm personally contemplating if I should buy this, or the Gibson Faded Flying V, or the Epiphone Flying V. The Epi is much cheaper, and I suppose I dig the gold hardware. But that gold hardware is gonna wear out (fast?) and if it breaks strings easily and go out of tune, a Gibby would be the way to go.
I have a Jackson RR, which is a similar design. Playing classical style sitting down is pretty easy. I can see it being hard if you try to hold the guitar sideways like one would normally do.
I recall one Epiphone V I played, it had a strip so you could play it sideways without slipping, anyone else seen one of these?
I've heard it's a bitch to play sitting down, does anyone have any comments on this?
It's totally impossibe to play sitting down. Just get used to playing it the classical way if you have to sit down with it.
Zosochild wrote:
What would be good pick ups to replace the current pick ups in a Flying V?
I suppose that depends on what you play and what grade of V you've got. The one that I bought came with a pair of Gibson 500T's, which even as passive pickups manage to keep up the EMG 81/85 set on my main guitar. Personally, I wouldn't change the 500T's for anything else.
Forgot to add they also had a string thru body instead of the stop tail like this one. The 58 also has a different shape/profile at the body where the neck joins, making it have better fret access pretty much like an SG. So I guess the 58 and 68 are quite different all together now that I think about it.
If you want to see how to rest a V while playing, have a look at the youtube video of Michael Schenker playing "Armed & Ready" - granted, the most recent video is of him playing a Dean V - no doubt due to some falling out with Gibson way back when (read the liner notes of the Remastered MSG albums, this dude was craaazy) but the earlier videos of him playing this with Micheal Schenker Group are on a Gibson. Watch and be amazed!
