Flying V question

[zerolynn]

I am a musician and have also dabbled with toy prototypes for the Toy Center in NYC.

 

This guitar has all the attributes of a prototype and would like some opinions.

 

I've attached photos of my item next to an actual Gibson Prototype which is to be from 1978.

If the prototype photos is a standard Gibson design process then the guitar I have may be one.

[cjsinla]

I am a musician and have also dabbled with toy prototypes for the Toy Center in NYC.

 

This guitar has all the attributes of a prototype and would like some opinions.

 

I've attached photos of my item next to an actual Gibson Prototype which is to be from 1978.

If the prototype photos is a standard Gibson design process then the guitar I have may be one.

 

Maybe we have a translation problem here but the Hammett Prototype is probably fairly new and may be modeled after a '78 V.

 

With yours, the pictures lack some detail in some areas. But, I've never seen a Gibson with a bell-shaped truss rod cover that has three screws. Yes, Flying V covers generally have 3 screws but they have those big covers. The old V's with bell-shaped covers have only two screws. So, something seems funny there.

[zerolynn]

Maybe we have a translation problem here but the Hammett Prototype is probably fairly new and may be modeled after a '78 V.

 

With yours, the pictures lack some detail in some areas. But, I've never seen a Gibson with a bell-shaped truss rod cover that has three screws. Yes, Flying V covers generally have 3 screws but they have those big covers. The old V's with bell-shaped covers have only two screws. So, something seems funny there.

 

 

I did find some Gibson Flying V Bass Guitars (which are pretty rare)from early 70s with that 3 hole rod covers which make me think that particular bell cover was pre-70s.

Here is another forum which these 3 hole bell covers were discussed....

 

From the Q&A section, by George Gruhn and Walter Carter, in the May 2010 issue of Vintage Guitar Magazine:

 

Q. It has almost become dogma that any Gibson guitar with a three-screw truss rod cover has to be a fake.

However, I have a 1973-'75 Gibson Heritage Custom with a three-screw truss rod cover, and it surely does not look, feel, or sound fake.

I believe I've encountered a few others from this period with three screws as well.

Have you ever seen Gibson from this period with three-screw truss rod covers?

 

A. I do not remember seeing a three-screw truss rod cover on a new Gibson in the 1970s (when I was looking at them back at that time),

but in the last year or two, we've seen several three-screw truss rod covers; all of them on flat-tops.

The upper part of the three-screw version has the same shape as Gibson's trademarked bell-shaped design,

but on the bottom edge, instead of the protrusion where the bell's 'clapper' would be, the three-screw version has a

straight edge that mounts flush with the nut. We have seen one three-screw example with the cover removed;

the screw holes in the headstock appeared to be original and there was no evidence of a screw hole in the location of the 'clapper'.

 

http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/gibson-les-pauls/84754-gibson-three-screw-truss-rod-cover.html

 

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Another statement about 3 hole truss rod cover...

 

they are not all fake...i had a 1973 Gibson heritage acoustic with a 3 hole truss rod cover.

..I contacted Gibson about it and the rep sent me a picture of an old magazine ad for the heritage which indeed had 3 screws for the truss cover.

 

__________________

Dakota Jones

www.dakotajones.net-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Thank you for your reply. I appreciate it.

Lynn

[zerolynn]

Maybe we have a translation problem here but the Hammett Prototype is probably fairly new and may be modeled after a '78 V.

 

With yours, the pictures lack some detail in some areas. But, I've never seen a Gibson with a bell-shaped truss rod cover that has three screws. Yes, Flying V covers generally have 3 screws but they have those big covers. The old V's with bell-shaped covers have only two screws. So, something seems funny there.

 

 

Do you know when they started to use the extra wide truss rod cover?

It seems to me they change it for reinforcement of the head.

So that it why I think my guitar was a prototype.

That small 3 hole bell truss rod cover was simply too small and changed to the wide rod cover.

 

Thank you

Lynn

[cjsinla]

Do you know when they started to use the extra wide truss rod cover?

It seems to me they change it for reinforcement of the head.

So that it why I think my guitar was a prototype.

That small 3 hole bell truss rod cover was simply too small and changed to the wide rod cover.

 

Thank you

Lynn

 

You do know that the pics of that Hammett prototype were made recently, that guitar was not make prior to 1979. It is a prototype of a new signature model and is a copy of a 79. Also, yours is not a prototype. It was somebody's attempt at a relic job if I had to guess. Even prototypes have decent paint on them. Your guitar has many issues and may not even be a Gibson. Do a search on Flying V's. The bell-shaped cover was only used on the late 50's V's and copies of late 50's V's and only had 2 screws. The early V's did not sell well and went out of production by 59 or 60 at the latest. They came back in 67 or so with the big, 3 screw truss rod cover at that time and have been that way ever since. Your example of 3 screw covers seems to come from flat-top acoustic guitars. Also, look at the headstock of any Gibson Flying V and note where the "Gibson" logo is and how it is made.