1971 Gibson Flying V
Maker
Gibson
(American, founded 1902)
Date1971
ClassificationsMusic
Description1971 Gibson Flying V Custom, serial number 625654, in natural finish. The guitar features a V-shaped mahogany body, three piece mahogany neck, V-shaped headstock, white plastic truss rod cover and pickguard with beveled edge, a stop tailpiece, and three witch hat black knobs in triangle configuration. Unlike the only production model available in the early 1970s, the Flying V Medallion, this guitar has an ebony fretboard with mother of pearl block inlays. The body and peghead binding is identical to a Gibson Super 400, the guitar is fully dressed with seven-ply on the body top, five-ply on the peghead, and three-ply along the fretboard and body back. It features upgraded Kluson K-500 waffle back tuners with metal keystone buttons and all of the hardware is gold-plated. In an original black Tolex case. George Gruhn and Joe Spann wrote a February 2021 article in Vintage Guitar detailing the history of this guitar. According to Gruhn and Spann, this guitar was a one-off custom-made instrument that was shipped in 1971, the only non Medallion Flying V produced that year by Gibson.
