Before I buy a flying V, I should....

[lantis]

Ok, so I´m going to buy myself a flying v. Any advice from people who own or owned one?

[StijnV]

Maybe check first the different specifications and then go to one of our authorized dealers to play them, feel them, hear them:

 

http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Flying-V.aspx

 

Dealers:

 

http://www2.gibson.com/Support/Dealers.aspx

 

The Flying V's are more for "standing up" while playing, while playing these when being seated the Flying V's are not very practical.

[Blaster]

I'm a fan of the '58/'59 Korina models. I've owned a few Gibson re-issues, including the early '80s Korina reissue and later on the "Historic: models. I've still got one that's a serious instrument, a member of the pair pictured below. Each V pictured weighs in around 6lb, I've had a lot of fun running them thru a Komet 60W amp that Ken Fischer "adjusted" then thru a 1968 Marshall 1960 "B" cabinet with original quad of

Celestion G12M 20w speakers.

 

Find a lightweight one if possible, and get a decent strap so that you can tell if it's balanced or not. Due to their shape, Flying V's are hard to hold onto without a strap, so make sure you're comfortable with the guitar, it's a cool looking guitar, but you go through a learning curve when you first start playing them, Personally I prefer the traditional model from the '50s, or the '60s models. They're somewhat versatile you can play Blues. Rock etc. The Heavy Metal ones sound a bit muddy or over distorted if you play anything other than Metal. Good Luck with your new V!

 

 

[antwhi2001]

Most of them 1990s onwards come with Gibsons' ceramic humbuckers, good for heavy rock but not so good for blues or classic rock. I swapped mine out for PAF style alnico pickups.

 

I may be the only person to have swapped Epiphone pups into a Gibson rather than the other way around, but in case anyone didn't realise, the Epi pups in their Japanese Elitist guitars were made by Gibson USA and are very similar specs to Gibson Classic 57s and Burstbuckers.

 

I also rewired it to 2 tones and a master volume rather than the other way around. Works better for me, I like to roll the highs off on the neck pup most of the time for a fatter sound.

 

I don't have any problem playing mine sitting down. Unlike most guitars, when you lean it against your amp it won't fall over sideways. I found it surprisingly light and comfortable to play, only problem I have is bashing the points when walking through doorways.

[brundaddy]

You should play as many as you can, and buy used if possible.

[ScottGrove]

I own and have owned most of them. I must honestly say that the overall best sounding, most balanced and just plain old best Gibson made V would be the Reverse V. It sounds like a real guitar, feels like one, no learning curve to holding or wearing it. It simply is an AMAZING guitar. It is (IMHO)Gibson's best sounding guitar period in many decades, no matter what shape.

[Majkel]

I honestly can't decide which I like better - my (quite) expensive Explorer E2 from -81 or my cheap-*** Flying V Faded from -07... It just plays like complete butter, and the neck is just absolute killer. Not as fat as the Explorer's or Les Paul's, not as thin as say an Ibanez Wizard neck, but somewhere in between that's just "right".

 

The only nitpick I have about it is that - to my eyes at least - you kind of have to sling a Flying V pretty low to not look like a complete tool, and in my case that means I can barely reach the pick-up selector =D It's not possible without routing, but I'd definately prefer the selector in a Les Paul position rather than all the way down closest to the input jack, but that's my one and only complaint.

[ne14t?]

I would definitely see if the feel is right for you, I love V's but I cant feel comfortable playing one something clashes between the size and shape of the guitar and the size and shape of my fat ***.