50-Year Commemorative Flying V

The very first Flying V left the Gibson factory in 1958. And although it took time for the legend to grow, the Flying V has become a true, vintage guitar rarity, as well as a benchmark for what a powerful, performance-driven guitar should be today. Now, 50 years later, Gibson USA honors that legacy with the introduction of the 50-Year Commemorative Flying V—a fitting tribute to one of the world’s most recognizable guitars, and Gibson USA’s Guitar of the Month for March 2008. The 50-Year Commemorative Flying V combines several timeless elements of the 1958 model, with a few modern appointments for today’s demanding players. The solid mahogany, V-shaped body has been outfitted with a AA maple top and beveled edges exclusive to this limited edition. Also created especially for the 50-Year Commemorative Flying V is an exclusive Brimstone Burst finish, and the headstock’s rare, art deco Gibson logo, which was recently found among old drawings belonging to legendary Gibson President Ted McCarty. The neck sports the traditional Flying V profile—a hybrid between Gibson’s standard ’50s rounded contour and the ’60s slim-taper profile. It is topped by a 22-fret ebony fingerboard with pearl split-block inlays. This special Flying V is powered by a Gibson ’57 Classic pickup in the neck and a Gibson ’57 Classic Plus in the bridge. Other select features include gold fret wire, Steinberger Gearless Tuners, and a custom Guitar of the Month case from Gibson USA. Like all of Gibson USA’s Guitars of the Month, production is limited to just 1,000 guitars.

Finishes

  

Hot Points

The Gibson Logo

Some old drawings belonging to legendary Gibson President Ted McCarty were recently recovered. Among them, an art-deco style Gibson logo McCarty drew during the mid-’50s was found. To celebrate the introduction of the 50-Year Commemorative Flying V, that same logo is topped by a V-shaped red swirl acrylic inlay on this limited edition guitar.

Angled Headstock with Steinberger Tuners

The pointed headstock on the 50-Year Commemorative Flying V is carved out of the same piece of mahogany as the neck and is carefully angled at 17 degrees to increase the pressure on the strings, keep them in the nut slots, and enhance sustain. The 50-Year Commemorative Flying V is outfitted with gold Steinberger Gearless Tuners—a “straight through” tuner with no gears, and locking knobs on top to secure the strings and prevent slippage. These unique tuners deliver an astounding 40:1 tuning ratio for accuracy and smooth tuning action.

Adjustable Truss Rod

The adjustable truss rod is a Gibson innovation that revolutionized the guitar. Before this ground-breaking discovery in the early 1920s, the truss rod was used only to strengthen and stabilize the neck. By making it adjustable, the truss rod now allows a guitar to be set up using a variety of string gauges, as well as string heights. This easily accommodates any style of playing, and allows a wide range of set-up options. And by placing it at the base of the headstock, the adjustable nut is easily accessible, even while the strings are still on the guitar. The gold truss rod cover on the 50-Year Commemorative Flying V perfectly complements the white binding that surrounds the headstock.

The 50-Year Commemorative Neck Profile

The neck on the 50-Year Commemorative Flying V is the best of both worlds; it is a hybrid between Gibson’s two iconic neck profiles—the ’50s rounded contour and the ’60s slim-taper profile. It is machined in Gibson’s rough mill using wood shapers to make the initial cuts. Once the fingerboard gets glued on, the rest—including the final sanding—is done by hand. That means there are no two necks with the exact same dimensions—each one will be slightly different, with a distinct but traditional feel.

22-Fret Ebony Fingerboard

The fingerboard on Gibson USA’s 50-Year Commemorative Flying V is constructed from the highest grade ebony on the planet. The resilience of this dense and durable wood makes every fingerboard extremely balanced and stable, and gives each chord and note unparalleled clarity and bite. The 12-inch radius of the fingerboard provides smooth note bending capabilities and eliminates “dead” or “choked out” notes, common occurrences on fingerboards with lesser radiuses.

Nickel and Silver Alloy Fret Wire

The gold fret wire on the 50-Year Commemorative Flying V is a combination nickel and silver alloy (approximately 80 percent nickel and 20 percent silver) specifically designed for long life and superior wear. Gibson’s traditional “medium/jumbo” fret wire is first shaped by hand, then cut to an exact 12-inch radius. After hand pressing it into the fingerboard, a machine press finishes the job to eliminate the gap between the bottom of the fret wire and the fingerboard.

Set-Neck Construction

The necks on the 50-Year Commemorative Flying Vs are distinguished by one of the more traditional features that have always set Gibsons apart—a glued neck joint. Gluing the neck to the body of the guitar ensures a “wood-to-wood” contact, no air space in the neck cavity, and maximum contact between the neck and body, allowing the neck and body to function as a single unit. The result? Better tone, better sustain, and no loose or misaligned necks.

Mahogany Body

The Flying V’s mahogany body provides tone, sustain, and performance. The mahogany goes through the same rigorous selection process as all of Gibson’s woods, and is personally inspected and qualified by Gibson’s team of skilled wood experts before it enters the factories. Inside the Gibson factories, humidity is maintained at 45 percent, and the temperature at 70 degrees. This ensures all woods are dried to a level of “equilibrium,” where the moisture content does not change during the manufacturing process. This guarantees tight-fitting joints and no expansion, and helps control the shrinkage and warping of the woods, in addition to helping reduce the weight. It also helps with improving the woods’ machinability and finishing properties. Consistent moisture content means that a Gibson guitar will respond evenly to temperature and humidity changes long after it leaves the factory.

Tune-O-Matic Bridge and Stopbar Tailpiece

The Tune-o-matic bridge was the brainchild of legendary Gibson president Ted McCarty in 1954. At the time, it was a true revelation in intonation, and set a standard for simplicity and functionality that has never been bettered. The Tune-o-matic provides a firm seating for the strings, allowing the player to adjust and fine-tune the intonation and string height in a matter of minutes. It also yields a great union between the strings and body, which results in excellent tone and sustain. It is combined with a separate “stopbar” tailpiece, essentially a modified version of the earlier wraparound bridge. To this day, the Tune-o-matic remains the industry standard.

Brimstone Burst Nitrocellulose Finish

The deep red color of the Brimstone Burst finish accentuates the natural beauty of the AA flame maple top, and can be found exclusively on the limited edition 50-Year Commemorative Flying V. Applying the guitar’s nitrocellulose finish is one of the most labor-intensive elements of the guitar-making process. A properly applied nitro finish requires extensive man hours, several evenly applied coats, and an exorbitant amount of drying time. A nitro finish dries to a much thinner coat than a polyurethane finish, which means there is less interference with the natural vibration of the instrument, allowing for a purer tone. A nitro finish is also a softer finish, making it easy to touch up a scratch or a ding. Very porous in nature, the finish actually gets thinner over time. It does not “seal” wood in an airtight shell—as a poly finish does—and allows the wood to breathe and age properly.

Electronics

Gibson installed only one volume control and one tone switch on the new 50-Year Commemorative Flying V, which translates into pure tone and less resistance between the pickups and the actual output.

Classic Split-Block Inlays

The classic pearl split-block inlay is one of the most distinguishable features of several traditional Gibson archtops, including the LeGrand and Super 400, and it’s a fitting choice for the 50-Year Commemorative Flying V. These inlays are made from genuine Mother of Pearl, and are inserted into the fingerboard using a process that eliminates gaps and doesn’t require the use of fillers.

’57 Classic and ’57 Classic Plus Pickups

Gibson’s original “Patent Applied For” humbucking pickups are noted for the subtle variations between coil windings. For the first few years of their production—1955 to 1961—Gibson’s PAF humbuckers were wound using imprecise machines, resulting in pickups with slightly different output and tone, desirable to players who wanted to explore a spectrum of tonal possibilities. Inspired by those original PAFs, Gibson introduced the ’57 Classic in 1992, capturing the warm, full tone and classic crunch of a Gibson PAF humbucker. Meanwhile, the ’57 Classic Plus is the perfect bridge-position companion to the ’57 Classic. Both pickups are made to the exact same specs as the original PAFs, including Alnico II magnets, nickel-plated pole pieces, nickel slugs, maple spacers, and vintage-style, two-conductor braided wiring. Instead of enamel-coated wiring, Gibson added poly-coated wiring—which improves consistency by eliminating thin or thick spots on the wire—and wax potting, which removes all internal air space and any chance of microphonic feedback.

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