1959 Gibson Flying V Natural

One of Gibson’s boldest designs, the Flying V™ debuted in 1958 and was built in extremely limited quantities during its original run. Made from Korina (African limba), these futuristic instruments have become some of the most sought-after vintage guitars in the world.

This Gibson Certified Vintage 1959 Flying V is a rare, standout example, accompanied by extensive provenance and vintage case candy. The original owner, who performed under the stage name “Hill Willy,” purchased the guitar while living in Hawaii and played it left-handed in the band Curt’s Country Cousins. The guitar is a standard right-handed model with the strap button installed on the treble-side shoulder, and the Gibson headstock badge has been flipped 180° to read correctly when played left-handed. A letter to Gibson from May of 1962 documents the original owner’s interest in having the instrument re-necked for left-handed use and fitted with a Bigsby vibrato.

The instrument had been played thoroughly, so it received a re-fret by Glaser Instruments with slightly larger 1959-style frets. A new nylon nut was installed for right-handed play. The slug coil of the neck Patent Applied For humbucker™ pickup was rewound by Gibson Pickup Manager Jared Brandon without unsoldering it from the potentiometers. The pickup cover was removed and resoldered after the repair. The tip of the original pickguard is broken and missing. Overall, the guitar shows light checking, mild playwear, and hardware tarnishing, but remains remarkably clean for its age.

This Flying V is housed in its original brown and pink Geib case and comes with an incredible array of original accessories and documentation, including an 8x10 photo of the original owner, the original Flying V stamped hang tag, an original 50s polish bottle, and a new case cover. It will also ship with a new Gibson Certified Vintage vintage-style strap, a new Gibson Certified Vintage vintage-style luggage tag, and a new Gibson Certified Vintage vintage-style pick container.