Rock Style from The Boyd Collection 
27 June 2019
Rock Style from The Boyd Collection 
169

Gibson

1978 Flying V electric guitar

USA, 1978
lacquered mahogany, rosewood, chrome-plated steel, chrome, plastic, aluminum, pearloid 44½ h × 16½ w × 2 d in (113 × 42 × 5 cm)
estimate: $3,000–5,000
result: $2,750
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Serial number: 72368176
Printed to truss rod cover ‘Gibson’. Stamped to reverse of headstock '72368176 Made in USA’. Stamped to tuners ‘Gibson’. Sold with hardshell case.

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The futuristic Flying V guitar was first introduced by Gibson in 1958. Initially the guitar did not sell well, and production was halted in 1959. Interest in the distinct form of the Flying V came in the mid-1960s and Gibson updated the design and reissued it 1967. The Flying V has become widely associated with the Heavy Metal genre, and despite it being a staple in the Gibson line, production has been discontinued variously over the last decade.  

Dave Davies with the Flying V

Notable musicians who have played the Flying V include:

Dave Davies
Jimi Hendrix
Keith Richards
Michael Schenker
Marc Bolan
Mick Ralphs

James Hetfield
Billy Gibbons
Tom Petty
Eddie Van Halen
Randy Rhoads
Kirk Hammett

Paul Stanley
Albert King
Leslie West
Rudolf Schenker
Lenny Kravitz
Grace Potter

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