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tjon901 « A flying V for everyone. »
Published on 05/24/11 at 17:02The Flying V is a classic design by Gibson. It was introduced in the late 50s and was way too radical and ahead of its time. It was re-introduced in the mid 60s and people loved it. Gibson has been making them ever since. This Faded version is currently the most popular Flying V model right now. Gibson noticed that people were starting to like worn in looking guitars. They decided to start a line of Faded guitars that do not have the final clear coat on them to give guitar players a line of new guitars that look old. The guitar is made from solid mahogany with a mahogany set neck. The neck is 22 frets with a rosewood fretboard. The neck is not bound. It has two volume knobs and one tone knob and a 3 way pickup selector. It has 496R and 500T ceramic magnet pickups in the neck and bridge respectively. These pickups are Gibsons own design. It has a traditional Les Paul style tune-o-matic bridge and stop tailpiece.
UTILIZATION
Because of the V design the upper frets are easier to reach than on a Les Paul. The set neck design means there is a bit of a heel at the neck joint but on this model it is not bad. Because there is no clear coat on the final the guitar feels very smooth and it does not ever get sticky. Because of the shape you may have to play in a classical position when you play sitting down but this is not a problem for me because I always play in a classical position.
SOUNDS
The pickups the V comes with are generic Gibson pickups. They are good at everything but not great at anything. The mahogany wood give the guitar a really deep sound even though the body is not that big. If you want to play heavier music you may want to change out the pickups. The Gibson pickups are medium output and are voiced more for classic rock.
OVERALL OPINION
Its great for Gibson to put out cheaper models of their guitars that have practically the same features. The flying V is a very popular guitar. The Flying V has been around for over 50 years and will be around for a many more years. So if you are looking for a classic design that will always be cool and popular the Faded flying V might be right for you.
UTILIZATION
Because of the V design the upper frets are easier to reach than on a Les Paul. The set neck design means there is a bit of a heel at the neck joint but on this model it is not bad. Because there is no clear coat on the final the guitar feels very smooth and it does not ever get sticky. Because of the shape you may have to play in a classical position when you play sitting down but this is not a problem for me because I always play in a classical position.
SOUNDS
The pickups the V comes with are generic Gibson pickups. They are good at everything but not great at anything. The mahogany wood give the guitar a really deep sound even though the body is not that big. If you want to play heavier music you may want to change out the pickups. The Gibson pickups are medium output and are voiced more for classic rock.
OVERALL OPINION
Its great for Gibson to put out cheaper models of their guitars that have practically the same features. The flying V is a very popular guitar. The Flying V has been around for over 50 years and will be around for a many more years. So if you are looking for a classic design that will always be cool and popular the Faded flying V might be right for you.