DeathJag wrote: ↑Fri Sep 09, 2022 10:43 am
Mine neither. I decided I'd like one after Mike's first round of affectionate posts. Now it's an actual want. Dammit.
Okay here's a question that can only be answered from the dark side - what's a good first buy? I know I'll never fork out more than say, $1000 for one. The Gibsons are way more!
Sorry/not sorry.
I've played and owned an increasingly wide variety of these.
The short answer is to look for/hope for a deal. My original V, a black '67 style from 2012, was under that price - $1100 CAD/$850 USD.
I've since begun to explore other models in both directions, price-wise. If you like korina '58 style ones, Epiphone is the only game in town other than insanely pricey Custom Shop stuff, and they're surprisingly well made. They'd come under budget even with a set of replacement pickups (which are probably something you'd want).
Gibson-wise, there first step up the price ladder is the Melody Maker model from 2011 which has a slab of maple with a single bridge pickup and wraparound tailpiece. They won't scratch the itch for most of what a V will do, though they're slightly smaller and even lighter, so that's a plus if you're into the single pickup thing.
Then you get to the "Faded" models of the 2000s, which are the '67 style and come in a brown satin sort of finish, with very hot stock pickups.
Next in price come the gloss black or gloss white '67 style from the 2000s. Still have the very hot pickups (500T bridge and whatever they call the matching neck - 498R or something?). This is the one I mentioned above.
Roughly around the same price are the 2016 "Pro T" models. These have binding on the body and neck, lower output pickups (57 classic neck and a Burstbucker bridge), gloss black or red top, and satin black or red neck/back/sides. I didn't like this one nearly as much as the '67 style despite my general preferences for binding and low output pickups. Don't know if it's my bias against its looks (which are very,
very 80s) or what.
You then run into the 2015 Japanese limited run, which were the '67 style but with covered 57 classics instead of the high output ones on the standard model. They also came in one or two different colours, like a sunburst you never see on Vs. There's one for sale a little ways from me and I'm trying to resist it.
Then, the current flying V, which has a stop tailpiece but a smaller pickguard that's like a hybrid between the 58 and 67 styles. It has low output pickups as well (57 classic/burstbucker, I believe) and has come in dark cherry, natural, black, and olive drab AFAIK.
Above that price range, there's the recent "70s" one which isn't 70s in spec at all - it's just a gloss white 67 style with binding, pickup rings and extremely high output pickups, none of which were characteristics of 70's Vs.
I think I skipped over a couple of limited-run variations (like the B2, which is a gothic-spec variant of the current small-pickguard V), but those are the main ones before you get into older or weirder, and pricier, options.
The Epiphone '58 and Gibson '67 styles are my bang-for-the-buck favourites, but both really benefit from new pickups (at least for my tastes). A good deal on a 2015 Japanese model would be my absolute ideal, since I doubt I'd feel the need to change the pickups, and that era of '67 style V is my favourite in looks and feel.
The artist formerly known as mbene085.