1959 Gibson Flying V, Serial Number 9 1707
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.
Specifications
Body Specs
Body Specs
Body Finish Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Body Material Korina
Body Shape Flying V
Body Styles Flying V
Neck Specs
Neck Specs
Fingerboard Material Brazilian Rosewood
Fingerboard Radius 304.8mm / 12.0in
Fret Count 22
Frets Medium Jumbo (Refret)
Inlays Celluloid Dot
Joint Glued In, Set Neck
Neck Material Korina
Nut Material Nylon
Nut Width 42.65mm / 1.68in
Profile Medium D
Scale Length 628.65mm / 24.75in
Electronics Specs
Electronics Specs
Bridge Pickup Patent Applied For Humbucker 707k
Controls Two Volume, Master Tone
Neck Pickup Patent Applied For Humbucker 766k
Output Jack 1/4"
Pickup Selector 3-way Toggle
Hardware Specs
Hardware Specs
Bridge ABR-1 (Original)
Control Knobs Black Top Hat
finish Gold
Jack Plate Cover White 4-ply
Mounting Rings Black
Pickguard White 4-ply
Pickup Covers Gold
Plastic Parts White Pickguard and Black Mounting Rings
Saddle Material Brass
Strap Buttons 2
Switch Tip Amber Catalin
Tailpiece Brass Chevron; String-Through-Body
Truss Rod Adjustable
Truss Rod Cover 2-ply Bell
Tuner Plating Gold
Tuning Machines Original Kluson Deluxe Single Line (New Buttons)
Misc Specs
Misc Specs
Accessories Letter of Appraisal, Certificate of Authenticity, New Limited Lifetime Warranty. Additional Accessories as Listed in the Description
Model: GCVP0071
Case Original Brown and Pink Geib Hardshell
Headstock Flying V
Headstock Inlay Raised Gibson Logo Badge
Strings Gauge .010–.046
Gibson Certified Vintage 1959 Gibson Flying V, Natural
Gibson Certified Vintage 1959 Gibson Flying V, Natural
Also available for store pickup at the Gibson Garage Nashville
Free & Fast Shipping
Free & Fast Shipping
Orders placed by noon CST Monday-Friday (excluding holidays) will ship the same day. Orders placed after this cutoff will ship the next business day. All orders over $100 receive free ground shipping within the United States.
Three Free Months of the Gibson App
Three Free Months of the Gibson App
For a limited time only, receive a three-month subscription to the Gibson App for free with the purchase of this product. Click here to learn more about the Gibson App.
1959 Gibson Flying V, Serial Number 9 1707
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.
Specifications
Body Specs
Body Specs
Body Finish Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Body Material Korina
Body Shape Flying V
Body Styles Flying V
Neck Specs
Neck Specs
Fingerboard Material Brazilian Rosewood
Fingerboard Radius 304.8mm / 12.0in
Fret Count 22
Frets Medium Jumbo (Refret)
Inlays Celluloid Dot
Joint Glued In, Set Neck
Neck Material Korina
Nut Material Nylon
Nut Width 42.65mm / 1.68in
Profile Medium D
Scale Length 628.65mm / 24.75in
Electronics Specs
Electronics Specs
Bridge Pickup Patent Applied For Humbucker 707k
Controls Two Volume, Master Tone
Neck Pickup Patent Applied For Humbucker 766k
Output Jack 1/4"
Pickup Selector 3-way Toggle
Hardware Specs
Hardware Specs
Bridge ABR-1 (Original)
Control Knobs Black Top Hat
finish Gold
Jack Plate Cover White 4-ply
Mounting Rings Black
Pickguard White 4-ply
Pickup Covers Gold
Plastic Parts White Pickguard and Black Mounting Rings
Saddle Material Brass
Strap Buttons 2
Switch Tip Amber Catalin
Tailpiece Brass Chevron; String-Through-Body
Truss Rod Adjustable
Truss Rod Cover 2-ply Bell
Tuner Plating Gold
Tuning Machines Original Kluson Deluxe Single Line (New Buttons)
Misc Specs
Misc Specs
Accessories Letter of Appraisal, Certificate of Authenticity, New Limited Lifetime Warranty. Additional Accessories as Listed in the Description
Model: GCVP0071
Case Original Brown and Pink Geib Hardshell
Headstock Flying V
Headstock Inlay Raised Gibson Logo Badge
Strings Gauge .010–.046
