One of the most sought-after vintage Gibsons is back, complete with a gleaming gold medallion and authoritative T-Top humbuckers
Gibson Custom has revived one of its most celebrated vintage solidbody models with the 1971 Flying V™ Medallion Reissue, an exactingly crafted tribute to a pivotal guitar in the history of hard rock. Fans may associate the Flying V Medallion with Michael Schenker and Kirk Hammett, who is the proud owner of Michael’s famous black and white Flying V, which received its own Gibson Custom Collector’s Edition recreation in March 2026.
The 1971 Flying V Medallion is regarded as one of the most desirable vintage Gibson guitar models ever produced. The original had an estimated production run of just 350 instruments, making it rare and sought-after by collectors. Originally created to commemorate the 1972 Olympic Games, each Medallion V featured a numbered gold coin mounted to the upper wing. These guitars were among Gibson’s earliest Limited Edition offerings and, apart from the recent Michael Schenker Collector’s Edition model, have not been reissued until now.
The 1971 Flying V Medallion Reissue features a two-piece mahogany body constructed with the same thinner profile as the original Medallion models. At approximately 1.375 inches thick, it is slightly slimmer than the 1.5-inch Korina Flying V bodies from 1958, resulting in reduced weight for a comfortable playing experience.
Michael Schenker’s use of an original Medallion V in UFO was an inspiration to Kirk Hammett
Its three-piece mahogany neck is carved to an Authentic 1971 Flying V profile, while a period-correct volute adds structural stability and a one-piece rosewood fretboard carries 22 authentic medium jumbo frets with classic cellulose dot inlays. The rounded Flying V headstock is fitted with a Corian® nut, Kluson® double-ring tuners with keystone buttons, and a truss rod cover bearing the Gibson logo.
Chrome-plated hardware is used throughout, including the Historic Reissue wired ABR-1 bridge and Historic Reissue Stop Bar tailpiece. Electronics consist of a matched pair of T-Top humbucker™ pickups with Alnico 5 magnets, delivering the growling output that vintage T-Tops are known for. On par with the original 1971 models, the pickups are left unpotted and are hand-wired to independent volume controls and a single master tone control.
This model, of course, would not be complete without a 1.5-inch diameter gold medallion, which is mounted on the bass-side wing of the body. Each medallion displays the Gibson logo and the Limited Edition Model text and is individually numbered. Finished in Medallion Cherry, it comes housed in a Gibson Custom hardshell case.
Each Medallion V features a numbered gold coin mounted on the upper wing
Kirk Hammett shares his love of Flying V models in The Collection: Kirk Hammett, the premium coffee table book from Gibson Publishing: “I have three from the sixties, I have at least 15 Medallion Vs, I pretty much have every year from the seventies, I have eighties Vs, I have those crazy V2s with the V-shaped pickups,” he says. “I even see new Flying Vs, and I’m like, ‘I gotta have that!’”
He continues, “The Schenker Flying V is almost like a religious relic for me. It represents so much of my youth and all the travails I went through in just trying to learn how to play guitar and be a great improviser and soloist like Michael Schenker.
“I spent so much time as a teenager just staring at this guitar on the back of UFO’s Force It album. There’s a picture of Michael Schenker playing this very guitar—it’s red, you can see the medallion—and I used to stare at the guitar and go, ‘I need to get a Flying V.’ Little did I know that, decades later, I would have the very Flying V that I was staring at.”
Find out more about the 1971 Flying V Medallion Reissue and shop now.
