Gibson Faded Flying V  

Ever since I first got into guitar playing, I wanted a Gibson Flying V. It's design and shape are just awesome! I was finally able to buy one last year and loved the thing. It's a pretty good guitar but becomes really amazing once you add a couple of modifications to it. In my case, I changed the tuners and pickups. My only real problem with the guitar is that high bends tend to fade out which is quite annoying but other than that, this thing is really comfortable to play and just looks cool.

I've had this guitar for about 2 years now and i love it. the first thing i noticed was that the neck was smaller than my SG, which is a plus for me. You can play lead so easily on this axe. And the sound is even good clean. this is a must buy.

I bought mine 4 years ago and left a review about it in early 2007. Loved it then, Love it now. I only wish folks would read the product description before leaving bad or negative reviews about an obvious killer, all american lengend with a more price freindly twist on it. First off it has a satin finish, not "no finish and just stain"...that's rediculous it is the same finish they use on all their Satin and/or Faded finishes and has been that way for years and years. Thick nitro rubs off too after years of playing but after 4, this one still looks like new. I did install chrome pickup covers a bone nut, chrome grover rotomatic tuners (not that the green key Klusons didn't work great, cause they do, I just did it too match the covers and bridge etc.). I also soldered in a Sprauge bumble bee capacitor and took out the stock, mini orange drop style one, and now this guitar is an absolute monster. I only use Gibson's "Brite Wires" in 10's for strings as they sound the best on it. It roars now and has a very usable tone knob that gives you a nice Eric Clapton "Women" tone when dialed back. Through a cheap and simple overdrive pedal (Rocktron Sonic Glory) and my 50 watt Marshall Plexi with a 4x12 Greenback cab., I now have the ultimate rig. Metal, Classic Rock, Country, Jazz, Alt. it's all there for the playing. I hardly ever touch my 58 Les Paul VOS anymore which I have called the holy grail of guitars. That's how good these faded V's with a couple cheap mods are. I can't say enough about it and you know with the chrome upgrades I did, it now has a look all of it's own and stands out in the crowd of V's out there nowadays. I know that folks have taken their pickup covers off to supposedly give them more volume etc. but on this Faded V with the high output ceramic pickups it actually gave me a slight change in tone, and for the better by far, and didn't take any volume away that I can tell. I love this upgrade the best next to the bumble bee which I advise all to do or have done. It will take your "pretty good Gibson tone" and make it an absolute unbelievable Gibson roar with articulation and harmonics you've never even thought of, let alone have heard. 

I bought one of these when they were blowing them out at 499.99, i thought i was getting a great deal. When it showed it up i like it at first but quickly started having problems, the main one being that there is no finish over the stain, so it wears off very quickly leaving the wood unprotected, i had to have a finish put on to make sure the wood didn't dry out in the climate i live in. I also found the bridge pickup to be too dark, and the nut sheared off on the low E string one day, very poor quality control. I will never buy a gibson again, for the price you can find a good PRS or Schecter that will be much better, IMO.