Reverse Flying V
Innovative. Groundbreaking. Daring. Revolutionary. These are the words most commonly used to describe Gibson’s legendary Flying V. Those same words are no doubt surfacing again as Gibson proudly introduces a bold, fresh take on the legend—the new Reverse Flying V. Once again, Gibson turns the guitar world upside down, this time by flipping the body of one its most iconic guitars, and adding the eye-catching, asymmetrical split headstock design from another of its 1950s classics, the Futura. The solid mahogany, V-shaped body stays true to form, as does the four-ply pickguard, Kluson-style green key tuners, and retro-style V-shaped gold tailpiece. The neck is the traditional Flying V neck, a hybrid between the standard ’50s rounded contour and the ’60s slim-taper profile. The ebony fingerboard and gold-plated truss rod cover round out this striking example of Gibson’s pioneering imagination. Add a pair of ’57 Classic humbuckers, with warm, rich tones and vintage vibe, and you’ve got an instant rock and roll classic that shatters the norm. And it’s already a hit with players and collectors, as confirmed by the overwhelming demand for Gibson’s previous Reverse Flying V from its Guitar of the Week line. The new Reverse Flying V will certainly follow in the footsteps of so many of Gibson’s legendary instruments.
Finishes
Hot Points
The Gibson Logo
The most innovative and revolutionary stringed instruments of all time have bared the name Gibson—the Les Paul, the ES-335, the Explorer, the Flying V, the SG. The list goes on and on. There is no mistaking the classic, hand-cut mother of pearl logo, inlayed into a pressed fiber-head veneer that is then glued to the face of the mahogany headstock. A thin coat of lacquer finishes the process. It is the most recognizable logo in all of music, representing more than a century of originality and excellence. There is simply no equal.
Angled Headstock
The asymmetrically-designed headstock on the Gibson Reverse Flying V is a scaled-down version of the split headstock Gibson used on the experimental Futura and Moderne models of the 1950s, and another example of Gibson’s industry-changing way of thinking. Like every Gibson headstock, it is carved out of the same piece of mahogany as the neck. It is not a “glued-on” headstock, and the process takes craftsmanship, time and effort. But the rewards are worth the effort. The headstock is carefully angled at 17 degrees, which increases pressure on the strings and helps them stay in the nut slots. An increase in string pressure also means there is no loss of string vibration between the nut and the tuners, which equals better sustain. A gold-plated truss rod cover adds a nice finishing touch to the headstock, and perfectly complements the Reverse Flying V’s gold hardware.
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 limitless 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.
Hybrid Neck Profile
No guitar neck profiles are more distinguishable than the neck profiles employed on the Gibson models of today. The more traditional ’50s neck profile is the thicker, more rounded contour, emulating the neck shapes of Gibson’s iconic models of the late 1950s. The ’60s neck profile is considered the more modern, slim-tapered contour most commonly associated with the Gibson models of the early 1960s. The neck on Gibson’s new Reverse Flying V has the best of both worlds—it is a hybrid between the ’50s rounded contour and the ’60s slim-taper profile. It’s not too thick, and not too thin. It’s just right! As with all Gibson necks, 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. So while it still has the basic characteristics of its respective profile, each neck will be slightly different, with a distinct but traditional feel.
22-Fret Ebony Fingerboard
Ebony has always graced the fingerboards of the world’s finest stringed instruments, including today’s Les Paul Custom, Les Paul Supreme, and the pioneering HD.6X-Pro Digital Les Paul. The fingerboard on Gibson’s new Reverse Flying V is constructed from the highest grade ebony on the planet. The ebony is personally inspected and qualified by Gibson’s team of skilled wood experts before it enters the Gibson factories to be fitted onto the necks of the Les Paul Classic Custom. The resilience of this dense and durable wood makes the 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. Resilient and less porous, ebony absorbs oils well, allowing it to preserve its rich, beautiful color.
Nickel and Silver Alloy Fret Wire
The fret wire on all Gibson models 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.
Dot Inlays
The classic dot inlays is one of the most distinguishable features of many traditional Gibson models, including the ES-335 and the Les Paul Junior. A figured, swirl acrylic gives these inlays that classic “pearl” look. They are inserted into the fingerboard using a process that eliminates gaps and doesn’t require the use of fillers.
Set-Neck Construction
Like all classic Gibson guitars, the necks on the new Reverse Flying Vs are distinguished by one of the more traditional features that have always set them 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.
Solid Mahogany Body
Probably the most central of all Flying V features is its V-shaped, solid mahogany body. Whether it’s the regular Flying V, or Gibson’s new Reverse Flying V, the mahogany solid body provides absolute 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 Gibson 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.
Two Gibson ’57 Classics
Among the qualities that make Gibson’s original “Patent Applied For” humbucking pickups so unique are 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 mix and match and explore a complete spectrum of tonal possibilities. The ’57 Classic pickup is the result of Gibson’s drive to capture and recreate this renowned characteristic. Introduced in 1992, the ’57 Classic provides warm, full tone with a balanced response, packing that classic Gibson PAF humbucker crunch. It is by Gibson 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.
Tune-O-Matic Bridge
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. This pioneering piece of hardware 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. It is the epitome of form and function in electric guitar bridge design, and is one of the most revered and copied pieces of guitar hardware ever developed.
Nitrocellulose Finish
Applying a nitrocellulose finish to any Gibson guitar—including the new Reverse Flying V—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. But this fact has never swayed Gibson into changing this time-tested method, employed ever since the first Gibson guitar was swathed with lacquer back in 1894. Why? For starters, 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, which makes it easily repairable. You can touch up a scratch or ding on a nitro finish, but you can’t do the same on a poly finish. In addition, a nitro finish is very porous in nature, and 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
When it comes to guitar electronics, less is definitely better. And that certainly holds true with Gibson’s new Reverse Flying V. For the first time on a production model, Gibson has chosen to install only one volume control, which translates into less resistance between the pickup and the actual output. That means you end up with nothing but pure tone from the pickup, and one flat-out screaming rock and roll machine.
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