First introduced in 1958, the string through body Korina Flying V remains one of the most sought after instruments ever produced by Gibson, with only around 80 units produced during 1958. The Flying V has undergone many changes to the look and the spec over the years, but it is these string through body models that are considered the most desirable, both in terms of the original guitars and the later reissues. This model from 1981 is a particularly interesting and rare example, being one of only a handful of guitars manufactured out of Mahogany before the initial run of Flying V Heritage reissues released by Gibson in 1981, all of which were made out of Korina.
When Gibson first announced this reissue series of string through body V's, they had trouble sourcing Korina wood of sufficient quality, so instead made a series of 6 guitars from Mahogany that would be taken to Frankfurt Musikmesse to launch the model. The full release of the limited run of Heritage models would later be made from Korina wood sourced in the meantime, making these six pre-production Mahogany guitars extremely rare, of which this guitar is a fine example.
The full story of this guitar can be found in an article written by it's original owner, Richard A. Riis Jr, that was published in Vintage Guitar Magazine in the 1990's, including contributions from Gibson staff at the time and George Gruhn to add to its provenance. A preview of the article can be found here - https://www.vintageguitar.com/1928/gibson-reissue-58-flying-v/ - and an original copy of the Vintage Guitar Magazine issue containing the full article is included with the sale.
In terms of the spec of this guitar, it stays true to the feel and tone of the original '58 models. The body is fitted with a set of custom wound PAF style pickups, and the string through body design greatly adds to the woodiness and resonant quality of the tone. This guitar also includes its original brown tolex, pink lined Gibson case.
This guitar is in excellent condition with barely any signs of play wear to speak of, and is a real collectors item. This guitar has been given a full service and appraisal by our luthiers at the Vintage Instrument Workshop, and includes a 3 year warranty.
