According to my social media flying V’s are back

shaunm

@stonevibe i totally agree that any type of music can be played on any guitar that’s comfy to the player. My observation was more that players of a certain type of music seem to have popped up at once playing them. Perhaps it’s a fashion thing? These things move like that, amps are a fine example where one day it’s super reverbs and then it’s tweeds. 

My thought process was more that I being cynical and is it Gibson that have placed these instruments into the hands of these players? Or is it that Jobo playing them has influenced it? 

Jimi is interesting, he did of course play a V on occasion but I never associate it with him, no more than an SG. When I think of a V (outside of metal) I think of Albert King and Lenny Kravitz. 

monquixote

stickyfiddle said:

I've always been a fan of the Jim James approach. I'd love a V like that. Maybe a black guard rather than mirrored... 

Imagine how embarrassed he was when he looked at the photos from the gig and realized he was wearing his slippers.

Philly_Q

Enjoyed that Druid clip, great find.  Although I did a bit of a double-take when the vocals started...

I like Vs, I've owned three of them (though never a Gibson) before deciding I may be a bit too small to look right with one.  To address some of the comments, they're not uncomfortable at all, they hang well on a strap and it feels great playing at the top end of the fretboard with no obstructions.  I see the "not much different from an SG" point, and you could say the same about an Explorer, but I think the different body shapes and weight distribution do have a subtle effect.

I never seen a problem with playing them sitting down either, just sit with your right leg in the fork of the V and hold the guitar in a pseudo-classical position.  The bigger problem for me was banging the wings of the V on furniture or going through doors...

I still think the original '58 style Flying V and Explorer are two of the coolest guitar designs ever.  And to think that they came out in the same year, with matching features like the korina bodies and gold hardware, that was genius.

EricTheWeary

Tom Dumont of No Doubt was quite a cool V player ( mostly Hamer I think). I'm fairly sure I'd look ridiculous with one. 

Philly_Q

EricTheWeary said:

Tom Dumont of No Doubt was quite a cool V player ( mostly Hamer I think). I'm fairly sure I'd look ridiculous with one. 

Yes, he was a big Hamer guy - I almost think of him as a modern day Rick Nielsen in that respect.  He's very tall and skinny, that goes well with Vs.  I'm just skinny....

FelineGuitars

Offset said:

The nicest V I've seen in many a year is Feline's take on JoBo's 'Amos'.  It looks superb (even unfinished) and you just know it's going to be sublime.  I'm losing sleep at night trying to figure out how I can either justify or hide the price-tag to/from Mrs Offset.  We need some new windows and external redecoration this year... 

EricTheWeary

Somewhat blurry but Dumont’s V. Don’t try this at home. 

https://i.imgur.com/4knYZBr.jpg

longjaw

Still enjoying the one I picked up a few months ago!

flyingv

Love em!  

https://i.imgur.com/3LURcPX.jpg https://i.imgur.com/bgkW4pF.jpg https://i.imgur.com/iT38A06.png https://i.imgur.com/TJ9QGgO.jpg https://i.imgur.com/VGLj0Ct.jpg

DrJazzTap

I always think of hendrix with a flying V rather than a strat. His blues album is amazing.

chromatuna

hollywoodrox said:

Philtre said:

richardhomer said:

Playing a V is not an easy look to pull off.

As a fat, middle aged man, I know I’d look ridiculous.

Playing a Flying V wouldn’t lessen this in any way….

How were they not ever as big as Yes or Rush ? Or at least some other prog bands , it’s not my kind of thing at all but watching this  it seems as palatable to me as those other two bands and much more enjoyable than a lot of others of the genre . His voice is disconcerting at first to be seen coming from a bloke with a big beard but it really fits in with what I know of the scene from the 70s , I can imagine my cousin or other people from that era who listened to stuff enjoying it 

Apologies for turning this into a Druid thread. I think the answer to your question is timing. When Yes did this kind of thing in 72 it was fresh and new, by 75 / 76 kaftans and mellotrons were rather passe, seen and heard before. Druid went the way of the Enid and UK, swept away by the punk and new wave tides. Rush were different as they appealed to the heavy rockers too

Grangousier

Offset

FelineGuitars said:

Offset said:

The nicest V I've seen in many a year is Feline's take on JoBo's 'Amos'.  It looks superb (even unfinished) and you just know it's going to be sublime.  I'm losing sleep at night trying to figure out how I can either justify or hide the price-tag to/from Mrs Offset.  We need some new windows and external redecoration this year... 

Stop torturing me... 

TINMAN82

FelineGuitars said:

Offset said:

The nicest V I've seen in many a year is Feline's take on JoBo's 'Amos'.  It looks superb (even unfinished) and you just know it's going to be sublime.  I'm losing sleep at night trying to figure out how I can either justify or hide the price-tag to/from Mrs Offset.  We need some new windows and external redecoration this year... 

Was reading the custom build thread and thinking yeah, wouldn’t go there, too much risk of disappointment. Then I see this... immediate exception to the rule.

LastMantra

Who plays guitar sitting down?! 

hungrymark

fastonebaz said:

They should make a flying v with a bit of a leg curve in the lower v so at least you can play with it in your lap.  Bloody annoying trying play a flying v at down. 

Gibson Moderne

Gibson Moderne - Wikipedia

prowla

I've seen these playing a V:

• KK Downing
• Andy Powell
• Michael Schenker
• Rudi Schenker

Philly_Q

flyingv said:

Love em!  

https://i.imgur.com/3LURcPX.jpg https://i.imgur.com/bgkW4pF.jpg https://i.imgur.com/iT38A06.png https://i.imgur.com/TJ9QGgO.jpg https://i.imgur.com/VGLj0Ct.jpg

@flyingv That's a great collection!

Is the Schenker one a Gibson, or an MIJ version?  I had a very similar Edwards, but all white rather than black & white,

flyingv

Philly_Q said:

flyingv said:

Love em!  

https://i.imgur.com/3LURcPX.jpg https://i.imgur.com/bgkW4pF.jpg https://i.imgur.com/iT38A06.png https://i.imgur.com/TJ9QGgO.jpg https://i.imgur.com/VGLj0Ct.jpg

@flyingv That's a great collection!

Is the Schenker one a Gibson, or an MIJ version?  I had a very similar Edwards, but all white rather than black & white,

Hey @Philly_Q thanks  No it’s  not a Gibson, it is indeed a MIJ Edwards.... it’s super light as well.

Philly_Q

flyingv said:

Philly_Q said:

@flyingv That's a great collection!

Is the Schenker one a Gibson, or an MIJ version?  I had a very similar Edwards, but all white rather than black & white,

Hey @Philly_Q thanks  No it’s  not a Gibson, it is indeed a MIJ Edwards.... it’s super light as well.

That's what mine was like too, in fact it was maybe one of the few times I've felt a guitar was a bit too light.  There was a lack of body in the acoustic sound, which seemed to translate into the amplified sound.  I still kind of wish I'd kept it, I did quite a lot of work on it upgrading the pickups and electronics, changed the tuners to Sperzels etc.