NGD, what have I done?!? I'm a Flying V man now, apparently.

For guitars of the straight waisted variety (or reverse offset).
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Re: NGD, what have I done?!? I'm a Flying V man now, apparently.

Post by DeathJag » Tue Sep 28, 2021 7:03 am

I read that those can sound great for surf. I’m pretty sure I’ve never heard that?

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Re: NGD, what have I done?!? I'm a Flying V man now, apparently.

Post by Embenny » Tue Sep 28, 2021 7:04 am

Flurko wrote:
Mon Sep 27, 2021 11:33 pm
I just realized why I like '58 style Vs slightly more than the one you have, same kind of pickguard-to-body ratio than on '61 vs 'batwing' SGs.

Does your V come with the piece of rubber/tape where it can sorta not slide if you want to put it on the right leg?
That's really funny, I like the '67 style V more for the exact same reason that I like batwing SGs more!

The '58 style V feels like the awkward teenage stage of the V to me for some reason. Something about having a pickguard pressed right up against the pickup rings or something. It's like the pickup rings emphasize the square shape of the humbuckers, but then the V-shaped tailpiece and wings of the body disagree with it.

The '67 is the only look on them that has more of a classic electric guitar design language to me. The V tailpiece is gone, and the giant body has a giant pickguard. Something just feels right about that to me.

You might like Gibson's new V, though. It basically takes a '67-shaped guard cuts it down to '58 dimensions, while keeping the stop tailpiece.

Image

And no, my '67 style one doesn't have that rubber pad. I can't imagine ever using it though, the ergonomics of putting the treble wing between the legs when seated just make so much more sense to me.
Flurko wrote:
Tue Sep 28, 2021 6:05 am
I'm always blown away when considering that Flying Vs and Explorers came out in 1958. It's just ten years after the very first solid body electric guitars, Gibson is making guitar-shaped instruments but they also somehow design something as weird as that. I can't imagine what they were on about at that time, when you mostly had serious players wearing their suits and ties onstage..
Yeah, it's really funny to think that Bo Diddley was being a wild man with his one-off rectangular guitar right around the time that the longstanding, traditional guitar builders over at Gibson were like, "I dunno, people like Leo's canoe paddle, how about we try a fucking triangle?"
HNB wrote:
Tue Sep 28, 2021 6:06 am
Image
That's pretty sharp - no pun intended. Is it the angle, or is that one of those variations with a lower wing a little shorter than the upper one?
Jonesie wrote:
Tue Sep 28, 2021 5:35 am
Fuck yeah! V's fucking rule, rock that shit.

My personal dream is for an Explorer, which is almost as ridiculous looking.

Also, for lower output pickups, check out the DiMarzio 36th anniversary PAF's. Incredible sounding and the price is definitely right.
Thanks for the suggestion, I'll put those on my radar as well.
Lost In Autumn wrote:
Tue Sep 28, 2021 2:34 am
Sweet! I just started working very part time at DiPinto Guitars in Philadelphia, (I also paint guitars for them), they've got a 70's Fujigen or Matsumoku flying v that I'm very tempted to pick up... I can sneak a new jazzmaster or even a hollow body into the house, but there's no way I could get away with this one... Still, with the right pickups... :P :?

I had a blast playing it in the store last weekend, confusing the hell out of customers, playing Johnny Marr/Smiths riffs on it.
Cool! Both about working with DiPinto (congrats!) and about the V. What's it look like? I'm now appreciating the diversity within the world of flying Vs. And I love the idea of Marr riffs on a V.
windmill wrote:
Mon Sep 27, 2021 11:30 pm
Well, wasn't expecting that !
:)
Neither was I, until I played it!
noisepunk wrote:
Mon Sep 27, 2021 11:12 pm
i've wanted a V for ages–never had any particular inspiration for why, maybe hendrix, but i never really listened to the music most people play on these. to me, they're a retro-futurist shape, like jazzmasters and jaguars– it would make much more sense to me seeing a band like broadcast or stereolab use a V than the crowd that ultimately finally appreciated them (which, no shade, i'm glad v's stuck around because of them).
...

i'm also realizing now you wrote celebratory and not celebrity in the first post :fp: so not only did the Ian Curtis guitar look absurd (my goal) it also didn't make any sense...
:D That's pretty funny. And I agree. Now that I'm looking at the 50's and 60's style ones with fresh eyes, I see the retro-futurism at play. Like the SG and AC/DC, I was letting the Scorpions and Metallica association deter me from trying out a really cool guitar that I'm enjoying playing far more than I ever expected.
HedonismBot wrote:
Mon Sep 27, 2021 10:40 pm
Remember Bob Mould with his Flying V?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5tcr2k1FrQ
Nope, I was born in '86 and, like with the Kinks, only ever heard HD, and never saw photos or footage that made me associate him with a flying V, but that's cool that he played one!
Larry Mal wrote:
Tue Sep 28, 2021 6:24 am
There is that... over the years Gibson has concluded that the Flying V is a heavy metal/hard rock guitar and has loaded it up with pickups appropriate to that often, although I see that the current model has BurstBuckers in there. I think the move is towards low wind pickups now and Gibson is aware of this (although the BurstBuckers aren't particularly low wind).

Kind of like how Gibson figured the Firebird was a blooze guitar and put those ceramic pickups in there.

And while Gibsons with hum buckers can vary based on body type and so on, put a good set of PAF pickups that are designed to be versatile and then no shit, you have a versatile guitar.

I never had a Flying V, but I would certainly make a trade for one and have tried in the past. I guess I figure that I'm one Flying V away from being this cool:
Yeah, Gibson definitely pigeonholed the V, which doesn't really make sense to me. Now that I'm learning about them, you had Albert King, the Kinks, and Hendrix as early adopters - that pretty much covers the stylistic territory of most of their solidbody guitars.

I do remember discussing the Flying V2 with you back when I was first learning about Norlins, because they had those funky V-shaped noiseless single coils.

I balked at picking one up because they were expensive. They're now double the price, like 3 years later. Sigh. Another boat missed, like the Victory.

But other than the fact that they make the guitar look like it's horrified or depressed or both, there's nothing they do that I couldn't get from putting single coil-sounding humbuckers in my V for 1/5th the price.

But seriously, does this not look like the face of a guitar that is experiencing intense emotional turmoil? Like it knows that nobody liked how it sounded or looked, and understands that the only people willing to pay $5k for it in 2021 intend to stick it in storage as an investment in a rare oddity.

Image
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Re: NGD, what have I done?!? I'm a Flying V man now, apparently.

Post by HNB » Tue Sep 28, 2021 7:27 am

mbene085 wrote:
Tue Sep 28, 2021 7:04 am
That's pretty sharp - no pun intended. Is it the angle, or is that one of those variations with a lower wing a little shorter than the upper one?
The lower point looks a little smaller.
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Re: NGD, what have I done?!? I'm a Flying V man now, apparently.

Post by gishuk » Tue Sep 28, 2021 9:33 am

mbene085 wrote:
Mon Sep 27, 2021 8:49 pm
Larry Mal wrote:
Mon Sep 27, 2021 8:08 pm
Congratulations!

You want to look to Dave Davies on this one...
HNB wrote:
Mon Sep 27, 2021 8:24 pm
Standing, do you play arm through the legs or above them? ;) I am an arm above them guy personally.
Ok, so I gotta admit, I listened to the Kinks a bunch in high school but never actually saw them much, so these two statements didn't make much sense until I did some googling.

Image

It didn't even occur to me that that was an option! It looks like he's aiming a campy retro-futuristic raygun at his bandmates.

Also, never knew he played a V, which goes to show you that it just sounds like any other Gibson, given appropriate, non-500T pickups.

But truly, in all my years playing guitar, I thought flying Vs were just Gibsons that looked ridiculous for the sake of looking ridiculous. I had no idea that they were, paradoxically, practical.

But this thing is like 2 full pounds lighter than the 335, balances perfectly on a strap, and is the only guitar I can hold in classical position without having to prop my leg up on something or cross them.

It's just so new to me and makes so much sense that I'm having a hell of a honeymoon phase. It's also a hilarious departure from all my curvy Offsets. The only guitar I've ever had with more straight lines was my rectangular Bo Diddley.

I can't wait to hear how this sounds with some clearer, lower output pickups in it.

That photo is amazing. I've never seen a flying V played like that, and in that context it looks so out of place

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Re: NGD, what have I done?!? I'm a Flying V man now, apparently.

Post by cestlamort » Tue Sep 28, 2021 10:11 am

Cool. I'll echo the strange disbelief that the V and Explorer were so early in the guitar continuum. Very cool guitars. I think they really only went "full metal" with non-Gibson ones in the 80s (which got to be all sorts of strange pointy)

Bob Mould = :-*

I seem to remember there was some Elvis movie where he plays a red Flying V, but I could be wrong. (Ooops. Never mind: I'm thinking of the SG in Easy Come Easy Go)

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Re: NGD, what have I done?!? I'm a Flying V man now, apparently.

Post by Lost In Autumn » Tue Sep 28, 2021 10:14 am

mbene085 wrote:
Tue Sep 28, 2021 7:04 am
Lost In Autumn wrote:
Tue Sep 28, 2021 2:34 am
Sweet! I just started working very part time at DiPinto Guitars in Philadelphia, (I also paint guitars for them), they've got a 70's Fujigen or Matsumoku flying v that I'm very tempted to pick up... I can sneak a new jazzmaster or even a hollow body into the house, but there's no way I could get away with this one... Still, with the right pickups... :P :?

I had a blast playing it in the store last weekend, confusing the hell out of customers, playing Johnny Marr/Smiths riffs on it.
Cool! Both about working with DiPinto (congrats!) and about the V. What's it look like? I'm now appreciating the diversity within the world of flying Vs. And I love the idea of Marr riffs on a V.
It’s funny, Chris DiPinto was pretty impressed by the paint job I did on a DiPinto Belvedere, that he asked me to paint some guitars for him. viewtopic.php?f=9&t=118404&p=1680470&hi ... e#p1680470 I didn’t really ask for a job and definitely don’t need the money, but I got a text the other day asking if I could cover a shift while he and his #2 were at a festival gig and I thought, “sure, why not?” It was kinda fun and I’ll probably only do like one day per month and preferably get paid in store credit.

I’m not well versed in the varieties of Vees, but I’d say that it’s mostly a ‘58 style, with a V tailpiece and a bolt on neck. It was a surprisingly decent playing guitar- even the pickups sound alright- they’re most likely Maxons. Thanks to this thread, I can’t stop thinking about it now…

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Re: NGD, what have I done?!? I'm a Flying V man now, apparently.

Post by Embenny » Tue Sep 28, 2021 10:27 am

Lost In Autumn wrote:
Tue Sep 28, 2021 10:14 am
It’s funny, Chris DiPinto was pretty impressed by the paint job I did on a DiPinto Belvedere, that he asked me to paint some guitars for him. viewtopic.php?f=9&t=118404&p=1680470&hi ... e#p1680470 I didn’t really ask for a job and definitely don’t need the money, but I got a text the other day asking if I could cover a shift while he and his #2 were at a festival gig and I thought, “sure, why not?” It was kinda fun and I’ll probably only do like one day per month and preferably get paid in store credit.

I’m not well versed in the varieties of Vees, but I’d say that it’s mostly a ‘58 style, with a V tailpiece and a bolt on neck. It was a surprisingly decent playing guitar- even the pickups sound alright- they’re most likely Maxons. Thanks to this thread, I can’t stop thinking about it now…
So, how much is he asking and how much for you to make it sparkly?

:D
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Re: NGD, what have I done?!? I'm a Flying V man now, apparently.

Post by Lost In Autumn » Tue Sep 28, 2021 10:45 am

mbene085 wrote:
Tue Sep 28, 2021 10:27 am
Lost In Autumn wrote:
Tue Sep 28, 2021 10:14 am
It’s funny, Chris DiPinto was pretty impressed by the paint job I did on a DiPinto Belvedere, that he asked me to paint some guitars for him. viewtopic.php?f=9&t=118404&p=1680470&hi ... e#p1680470 I didn’t really ask for a job and definitely don’t need the money, but I got a text the other day asking if I could cover a shift while he and his #2 were at a festival gig and I thought, “sure, why not?” It was kinda fun and I’ll probably only do like one day per month and preferably get paid in store credit.

I’m not well versed in the varieties of Vees, but I’d say that it’s mostly a ‘58 style, with a V tailpiece and a bolt on neck. It was a surprisingly decent playing guitar- even the pickups sound alright- they’re most likely Maxons. Thanks to this thread, I can’t stop thinking about it now…
So, how much is he asking and how much for you to make it sparkly?

:D
I think he wants $400 or $500 for it; I can’t remember, but I’m sure I can get it at a discount. I might have to stop by tomorrow after work and put it on hold. I’m doing a P-Bass restoration for him- a body that was thoroughly shagged & getting a refin in Olympic White; I might be able to make out a little bit ahead on a trade. ;D

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Re: NGD, what have I done?!? I'm a Flying V man now, apparently.

Post by Larry Mal » Tue Sep 28, 2021 11:18 am

I looked up the pickups you have in there, Mike, and I see that they have boring part number names but have the nicknames of "Hot Ceramic" and "Super Ceramic" to them.

I bet they are awful.

I was also wondering if they were just renamed "Dirty Fingers" pickups like I have in my Sonex, but no, they are their own thing for some reason.

Anyway, good news is, there's nowhere to go but up!
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Re: NGD, what have I done?!? I'm a Flying V man now, apparently.

Post by Embenny » Tue Sep 28, 2021 11:37 am

Lost In Autumn wrote:
Tue Sep 28, 2021 10:45 am
I think he wants $400 or $500 for it; I can’t remember, but I’m sure I can get it at a discount. I might have to stop by tomorrow after work and put it on hold. I’m doing a P-Bass restoration for him- a body that was thoroughly shagged & getting a refin in Olympic White; I might be able to make out a little bit ahead on a trade. ;D
If you like it, that sounds like a great price.
Larry Mal wrote:
Tue Sep 28, 2021 11:18 am
I looked up the pickups you have in there, Mike, and I see that they have boring part number names but have the nicknames of "Hot Ceramic" and "Super Ceramic" to them.

I bet they are awful.

I was also wondering if they were just renamed "Dirty Fingers" pickups like I have in my Sonex, but no, they are their own thing for some reason.

Anyway, good news is, there's nowhere to go but up!
Yeah, these are basically the hottest humbuckers Gibson makes, dating back to the 90s, and I'm pretty sure they were singlehandedly responsible for me being turned off by Gibsons when I was a teenager. They used to put them in everything, or at least everything affordable. I'm pretty sure they made their way into Les Paul Classics and Standards at some point though, which is pretty stupid. I thought I hates all humbuckers for years because the fabled Gibsons I'd pick up at the music store all sounded crazy hot and muddy.

They're fine for doing what they do, which is being a hot honky midrangey mess (by my standards). They're more or less Gibson's take on the Super Distortion style humbucker.

Before I swap anything out, I might try the 6-screw mod, turning them into essentially single coil sized P90 s with dummy coils. The 500T is around 15.5k and 7.8H, so you're looking at around the inductance of a low output P90 or medium output strat pickup by doing that.

Not sure it'll be any kind of "keeper" tone, but I don't even need to remove the strings to do it, so it'll be a worthwhile experiment.
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Re: NGD, what have I done?!? I'm a Flying V man now, apparently.

Post by DrQuasar » Tue Sep 28, 2021 11:58 am

Cool! I got a no name bolt-on all white '67 V copy in '03 or '04 and I adore the thing. So much fun. It also sits the right way when you play sitting down in a chair and is incredibly stable that way. I can sit with it in my lap and it won't move at all and I can use both hands without worry to do other things if needed. Great when you're working at a computer. I think about getting another one from time to time.

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Re: NGD, what have I done?!? I'm a Flying V man now, apparently.

Post by Larry Mal » Tue Sep 28, 2021 12:57 pm

mbene085 wrote:
Tue Sep 28, 2021 11:37 am


Yeah, these are basically the hottest humbuckers Gibson makes, dating back to the 90s, and I'm pretty sure they were singlehandedly responsible for me being turned off by Gibsons when I was a teenager. They used to put them in everything, or at least everything affordable. I'm pretty sure they made their way into Les Paul Classics and Standards at some point though, which is pretty stupid. I thought I hates all humbuckers for years because the fabled Gibsons I'd pick up at the music store all sounded crazy hot and muddy.

They're fine for doing what they do, which is being a hot honky midrangey mess (by my standards). They're more or less Gibson's take on the Super Distortion style humbucker.

Before I swap anything out, I might try the 6-screw mod, turning them into essentially single coil sized P90 s with dummy coils. The 500T is around 15.5k and 7.8H, so you're looking at around the inductance of a low output P90 or medium output strat pickup by doing that.

Not sure it'll be any kind of "keeper" tone, but I don't even need to remove the strings to do it, so it'll be a worthwhile experiment.
I think the ubiquitous pickups in the 90s were the ones that I have, the 490R/498T setup, which is an Alnico set of pickups. The bridge pickups were very hot in some years. You have the 500T/496R set unless I am wrong, which are ceramics and also a good reason why you want to give products fucking names that customers can understand so people can discuss the products intelligently.

But I've always said that the 490R/498T pickups are actually pretty good, if not wildly versatile, and I think those pickup sets were what Gibson was just slopping out back in the day.

I have grown to understand them, but I remember playing my new Studio one day and thinking that I sounded like Bad Company. So I totally get why you were uninspired with them back in the day, I was, also.

Yours pickups, though, I bet are pretty awful.

Also, as long as I'm being a know it all asshole about your new guitar thread, I did look up the Dirty Fingers and your 500T/496R pickups to see which was hotter, and I think that the Dirty Fingers might be.

Your gonna love this number:

Dirty Fingers pickup= Output: 14

500T "Super Ceramic"= Output: 11.4

There is no number for the 496R "Hot Ceramic" pickup.

What the fuck these numbers mean I don't know, except I'll bet they refer to the turns of wire, and Gibson is happily saying that number is thus the "output".
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Re: NGD, what have I done?!? I'm a Flying V man now, apparently.

Post by shoule79 » Tue Sep 28, 2021 1:27 pm

I always liked how light V’s were standing up. I discovered on a buddies that they are also great for playing sitting down…if you put it up on your upper leg like a classical player.

FWIW I have a mid 90’s Les Paul Classic with the 496/500 config. They can sound good, the neck especially, but I have mine set pretty low in the rings to lower the output. I also played with the coil heights to even things out, big improvement.

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Re: NGD, what have I done?!? I'm a Flying V man now, apparently.

Post by HedonismBot » Tue Sep 28, 2021 4:34 pm

mbene085 wrote:
Tue Sep 28, 2021 7:04 am
HedonismBot wrote:
Mon Sep 27, 2021 10:40 pm
Remember Bob Mould with his Flying V?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5tcr2k1FrQ
Nope, I was born in '86 and, like with the Kinks, only ever heard HD, and never saw photos or footage that made me associate him with a flying V, but that's cool that he played one!
Oh, in that sense, I don’t remember them either. I was born in 1987. I just remember watching a bunch of recordings of their live shows back in my college days. I still like watching old live shows. But maybe it’s just me. Anyway, when I think of the Flying Vs and Explorers out of the context of hair metal, my first association is HD.

P.S: Beautiful guitar, congratulations!

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Re: NGD, what have I done?!? I'm a Flying V man now, apparently.

Post by Jaguar018 » Wed Sep 29, 2021 7:20 am

I'd like to mention that Bob Mould used to play one... but then again the recording quality on those early albums was atrocious.

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