Gibson Flying V Limitations

ICBM

clarkefan said:

Anybody remember the guitar mag April Fool creation, the Thunderbolt? I liked the look of that at the time, at least it would work sitting down

Only with a strap as well...

But it was also much less ugly than the genuine Gibson Reverse Flying V .

clarkefan

Yeah sorry, don't know what I was thinking when I wrote that...

Saw it or a knockoff at a guitar show in the States once, looked cool

Unlike the reverse Vee which looked truly ridiculous!  

Neill

I agree it's a marmite guitar.  Some years ago when I was gigging I had enough money to buy a Les Paul which is what I thought I wanted, but when I actually tried one I just found it so uncomfortable.  The shop I was in had two V's for sale, cheap, gathering dust, they just weren't very popular at the time so I thought I'd give it a go and viola it felt just right.  I made the shop a silly offer and they took it, I think they were just glad to see the back of it.  TBH I didn't really care about the sound, it's all about playability in my book, and also the V is so light you don't notice the weight, well I don't.  I sold the guitar when I finished gigging and it was a huge mistake which I instantly regretted.

As for playing sitting down, who plays sitting down?  (I'll make an honourable exception for  BB King and Bo Diddley in their latter days)  Even if you do, by rights you should balance the guitar - any guitar - on your left thigh (for a right hander) not your right as most folk do.  With the rig on your left leg it's nearer to the position you would be in when playing standing up.  IIRC Noel Gallagher of all people said he got a shock when he first started to play with a band because up until then he had never played in a standing position.  

 

Philly_Q

FelineGuitars said:

Here is one of ours that we have in stock:
The neck tenon goes under and beyond the neck pickup and the body extends under the neck so not weak there

For comparison, I just found a pic of one of the 1980s Gibson reissues.  Oops.

Ossyrocks

FelineGuitars said:

I keep gigbags and cases for them
Fusion gigbags and SKB cases


Here is one of ours that we have in stock:
The neck tenon goes under and beyond the neck pickup and the body extends under the neck so not weak there

I really really really like that. 

Rob

Funkfingers

clarkefan said:

Anybody remember the guitar mag April Fool creation, the Thunderbolt? 

The Gibson Thunderbolt was based on one of Ted McCarty's red herring patent application drawings. It illustrated a guitar that looked like a Vee with one half of the body glued on facing the wrong way. I think of it as a "fellow traveller" to the Futura and Moderne.

Maynehead

They cannot be played comfortably sitting down, making them a bit of a performance instrument, and of course not all guitar buyers are performers.

I think they look awesome though, here’s mine:

https://i.imgur.com/Cum9uNl.jpg

midlifecrisis

i think they look great. for a few years i had a "vintage" brand, flying V. super guitar although the pickups werent great but a good gigging posing guitar. I dont think it would suit the type of music i gig now although as mentioned above they dont really sound different to any other humbucker gibson type guitar.

Modulus_Amps

FelineGuitars said:

The Grinch that stole Riff-mas







Recessed straplock fitting

@FelineGuitars ;;Love this one seen it in one of your posts before and if I had the money I would...

I have an Epiphone V with a 60's neck, plays great standing up on a strap, sitting down sucks unless you are playing classical style, other than that though they are great, never getting rid of mine

Caveat I am 6'3" tall so the size does not bother me

Sassafras

I quite like it.

Nunogilberto

I've had a couple in the past - a Gibson Faded V and a Tokai copy. Both great guitars, yes they weren't easy to play sat down but they were incredibly playable instruments, the access to the upper part of the fretboard on a V is unparalleled in my view. 

I had a case with the Gibson, and the case itself was huge.

tampaxboo

Vees look fairly cool but are an ergonomic black hole. That sheer awkwardness-annoyance factor keeps price and interest down.
If i was shopping for an awkward and annoying shaped vintage style guitar I would probably go for a Vox Shovel (Phantom/Teardop). Less sticky out and tripody.

Schnozz

You can't say you wouldn't like one, but they're a bit of a luxury as opposed to a practical necessity - I had a Charvel Star that I loved the look of, but as an instrument...

Neill

Nunogilberto said:

I've had a couple in the past - a Gibson Faded V and a Tokai copy. Both great guitars, yes they weren't easy to play sat down but they were incredibly playable instruments, the access to the upper part of the fretboard on a V is unparalleled in my view. 

I had a case with the Gibson, and the case itself was huge.

Yes the case is a drawback but on the plus side you don't need a guitar stand...

57Deluxe

they should've come with an instruction booklet on how to play them!!

GSPBASSES

May be try a Ukulele size "V"   

prowla

The master at work (and a great band!)...

JayGee

dazzajl said:

I spent ages wondering if I’d missed the point in my life where I could pull off a vee. In the end I realised that if
you stop for even a second to ask yourself, you have. 

I did the same. After a suitable period of mature reflection and careful consideration I realised that ship had sailed so I bought an Explorer instead... :-)

FelineGuitars

prowla said:

The master at work (and a great band!)...

Wonderful - The outro solo at 4.24 gets me every time!

I was in the company of bassist Chris Glen last weekend (and Doogie White and Graham Bonnet too) at the Winterstorm Festival In Troon, Ayrshire. Scotland .

A few MSG tunes went down during the various sets too, but nothing quite like seeing Michael at work (The Schenker Fest a few weeks before had been excellent though)

Clarky

stonevibe said:

Surely the sit-down position is with your knee between the wings? Makes it really easy to play sat down and it won't slip at all.

when you sit with it you have a posture that's a lot like playing a classical guitar..
the bottom horn of the V is between your legs..
so [for a righty] the underside of the body rests on the left thigh
the only thing is that you have to sit quite forward on the chair to do this, which can get a little uncomfortable if you're seated for long periods.. you can't slouch back in the chair..
but if you're playing seriously [recording or serious practice for example] you shouldn't be slouched back anyhow

my V's are really cool... I love em