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I want a flying V.


RABid

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I definitely don't need one, but back in the late 1970's, in high school, my best friend got a white flying V guitar. It was the talk of school. I've wanted one ever since, and 45+ years later it may be time to fulfill that wish. I'm looking for a budget guitar. I want a true V, not one of those new fangled lopsided models. A capital V. Any suggestions on a budget V? The cheapest I have found is the Jackson KVX line and the JS 32 which is closer to my budget. Does anyone have experience with these, or suggestions? I'm in no hurry, but I do want one as a bucket list purchase.
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Preferred color is white, secondary is black. I like pickups that give a variety of sound. Want trem. Already have 3 Strats, 2 Ibanez and a nice PRS so I have most things covered. The only hole in my sound is I want a Tele. So, I'm pretty flexible as long as it is a true vintage shape V. This is entirely a choice based on looks. :) I don't mind going for a cheap V with good upgrade possibilities as I had planned at some point to buy a cheap tele and upgrade it just for the learning experience.
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This post edited for speling.

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A little off the beaten path but maybe right up your alley? A Flying V kit!!!!

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/234122084157?epid=25043417034&hash=item3682c37f3d:g:Gm8AAOSw6hFdFOlI

 

Here's one with a Floyd and EMG pickups. Lower the pickups down and you got a screamer.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/353599624509?hash=item52542e153d:g:k1EAAOSwusBf5asL

 

A little nicer black V with Floyd.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/124809581337?hash=item1d0f3b1319:g:G0wAAOSwUplg7ZQ8

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It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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I have a 1989 Epiphone Flying V as project Guitar. It was sitting in the back of a Music store where I worked, and I felt sorry for it; NOT a good reason to buy a beater Guitar.

 

Epiphone called the color Magenta, but it's closer to Pepto-Bismol Pink, IMHO. Most of the original parts died of metal fatigue, including the sustain block for the trem system. Sometime in the next year, I hope to finish it, probably with some professional help.

 

All that aside, bear in mind that just any V-shaped Guitar may not sound or feel like the Holy Grail White V you recall. In terms of the PU's and other hardware, there's no difference between an Epiphone V and an Epi LP or SG in the same price range. You're not going to get much, if any difference in sound or quality, just a different body shape; the same applies to Gibson solid-bodies, although you're at least likely to get a real Maple cap on a Gibson LP, otherwise, within a price range, they're all going to have the same hardware and electronics.

 

In terms of playability, yes, they're awkward. If you like to play standing up, a V is a great choice, ergonomically, and visually; it looks cool when you're playing live. If you prefer to play sitting down, they're difficult to hold in your lap, and you lose the visual impact in a live setting.

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"Monsters are real, and Ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." Stephen King

 

http://www.novparolo.com

 

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Assuming the V in question doesn"t have a badly positioned Jack- and some DO- the way to play a V while seated is with your thigh in the crotch of the V.

 

[video:youtube]

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Sturgeon's 2nd Law, a.k.a. Sturgeon's Revelation: âNinety percent of everything is crapâ

 

My FLMS- Murphy's Music in Irving, Tx

 

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I absolutely adoringly :love:LOVE :love: the look of a '50s vintage V style axe; I just CANNOT get comfy with them, sitting OR standing. I need some o' that upper-bout. An Explorer stylee is about as close as I can get to the retro-futuristic stylings of a V, Will Robinson... I guess that I cannot glide mbleepleeppleeppingly across the Jetson's happy sunlit blue skyways and must instead bend to new and further oppressively brutal guitarscapes... ;)

 

Assuming the V in question doesn"t have a badly positioned Jack- and some DO- the way to play a V while seated is with your thigh in the crotch of the V.

 

[video:youtube]

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Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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That"s actually my take on them as well. Love, love, love the look, just can"t get comfy with one.

 

There"s a guy on another board who has one from Moonstone. Absolutely gorgeous!

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Sturgeon's 2nd Law, a.k.a. Sturgeon's Revelation: âNinety percent of everything is crapâ

 

My FLMS- Murphy's Music in Irving, Tx

 

http://murphysmusictx.com/

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If one were of the right build and could also get comfortable with a V, one just might be able to glide mbleepleeppleeppingly across the Jetson's happy sunlit blue skyways with this beauty:

 

:love::cool::abduct:

 

O2N6Tpk.jpg

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Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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That "seal"-shaped pick guard is just slightly different from the Dano design, but there's no question what line inspired that look.
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"Monsters are real, and Ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." Stephen King

 

http://www.novparolo.com

 

https://thewinstonpsmithproject.bandcamp.com

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OK if you are looking for a classic V stick with Gibson , or an 70-80s Japanese copy v brand Fernandez , Greco ,Edwards, Tokia (gibson of Japan) , or Epiphone. Modern Deans are ok if your willing to redo the electronics(pick ups are not that good and the pots and caps are crap) and the tuning machines are poorly made grovers on their modern stuff. I love my Greco Flying Vs one MS650 from 1981 and one 1981 v850 both feel and look like 70s Gibson Vs as well as having great pick ups, the build quality is very high over all. The 80 Gibsons can still be had for reasonable prices from private sales (Reverb is way over priced for now) like 1500$ and a good Greco , Edwards, Tokia ect should still be around 1k$, 5 years ago it was around 500$.

I own 17 flying V as of now some Deans (I really like the 2004-2008 korean built and some of that era built in the eastern europe area, but I have replaced pick ups in most and said electronics), Grecos (mentioned) a few custom builds and three Gibsons 1987 is the only one that I use(its beat but sounds great) the other two are locked away as investments. I also have Jackson from the 80s round horn locked away that is an amazing guitar.

 

 

As to playing one sitting it takes some getting used to but worth it , The bottom horn goes between your legs and the neck stick up at and angle in front of your left arm, very comfortable after getting used to it(so much so that after playing flying Vs for along time I struggle with my les pauls ,PRS and strats and such), but standing is no problem either way.

 

 

Rabid if you live in the Pittsburgh area i could loan you one to see if you like it.

 

Lok

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1997 PRS CE24, 1981 Greco MSV 850, 1991 Greco V 900, 2 2006 Dean Inferno Flying Vs, 1987 Gibson Flying V, 2000s Jackson Dinky/Soloist, 1992 Gibson Les Paul Studio,

 

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OK if you are looking for a classic V stick with Gibson , or an 70-80s Japanese copy v brand Fernandez , Greco ,Edwards, Tokia (gibson of Japan) , or Epiphone. Modern Deans are ok if your willing to redo the electronics(pick ups are not that good and the pots and caps are crap) and the tuning machines are poorly made grovers on their modern stuff. I love my Greco Flying Vs one MS650 from 1981 and one 1981 v850 both feel and look like 70s Gibson Vs as well as having great pick ups, the build quality is very high over all. The 80 Gibsons can still be had for reasonable prices from private sales (Reverb is way over priced for now) like 1500$ and a good Greco , Edwards, Tokia ect should still be around 1k$, 5 years ago it was around 500$.

I own 17 flying V as of now some Deans (I really like the 2004-2008 korean built and some of that era built in the eastern europe area, but I have replaced pick ups in most and said electronics), Grecos (mentioned) a few custom builds and three Gibsons 1987 is the only one that I use(its beat but sounds great) the other two are locked away as investments. I also have Jackson from the 80s round horn locked away that is an amazing guitar.

 

Lokair is pretty much our resident V-Expert around here; I was wondering when he'd show up... :cool: Michael Schenker much, Lok'? ;):D:thu:

 

As to playing one sitting it takes some getting used to but worth it , The bottom horn goes between your legs and the neck stick up at and angle in front of your left arm, very comfortable after getting used to it(so much so that after playing flying Vs for along time I struggle with my les pauls ,PRS and strats and such), but standing is no problem either way.

 

Haahhaahh! You and I are on the flip-side of one another on that vector, Victor... :laugh::D:thu:

 

That "seal"-shaped pick guard is just slightly different from the Dano design, but there's no question what line inspired that look.

+1 definitely has the Dano vibe. Cool looker! :cool:

 

I just posted that for its looks and 'What IF... ?!' concept, it's priced out of the OP's stated budget. It is S0O0O cool that if I could afford it, I'd almost be tempted- almost. It's still a V, though, and I'd have a tough time adapting! :crazy:

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Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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...

Rabid if you live in the Pittsburgh area i could loan you one to see if you like it.

 

Lok

 

Thanks for the offer, but I am 7 hours away.

 

This is totally a vanity move just to fulfill a bucket list wish that I've had for 45 years. I'm really thinking buy used or buy cheap and make it a project guitar, which is something else I want to do. I do want to rebuild a guitar. Tuners, tremolo, electronics and pickups. My everyday guitar is a Jeff Beck Strat and that will never change. I'm too big of a Jeff Beck fan to ever give any other guitar serious time. Plus, if I screw up the V trying to rebuild it myself I can hang it on the wall and look at it. :)

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This post edited for speling.

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...to fulfill a bucket list wish that I've had for 45 years.

 

Kinda where I was with deciding to build and FINALLY HAVE a Telecaster style axe after all these years, and a good Tele SHOULD have been one of the first guitars I ever bought... ! So, I pretty much know whatcha mean...

 

 

(My first decent electric guitar- my second electric guitar- was a Peavey T-15, which has some things in common with a Tele, in design and materials as well as overall character. But not quite... )

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Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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What brand is that blue sparkle V? I tried blowing up the picture to read it on the headstock but it was too blurry.

 

Cool Danelectro-styled concept V guitar; Neptune, Nep-Tune, Nep-Tone, Idunno, the brand-name keeps getting changed due to legal rights, etc. etc., while the guitar is still up for sale on Reverb. ( < link)

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Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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Looking at that Reverb listing, it seems this was assembled using NOS Dano parts.

 

If it had been an Explorer or Destroyer based design of similar stylistic Danelectrification, I might have been unable to resist it when first it came to my attention. As it is, I'm glad that wasn't the case now- I wouldn't have been able to go ahead with my Tele style build project, which will really be somethin' when I'm done!

 

But, yeah, that does look to be a really cool guitar! I so love the concept, which would be lost on 'normal' people... :D:thu:

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Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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If its a case of a pretty wall hanger and guitar is secondary may I suggest a Gibson Faded, now on Reverb they are like 1500$ , but in reality they can be found for like 700$ , and they are all Mahogany with rosewood fretboard and are very easily refinished, I did one in a very dark stain and added pick up covers and it looked amazing, And they are fair guitar, I have seen them have tops put on them and the backs routed for controls, I saw one where the guy added a Floyd Rose and locking nut along with a single coil in the bridge and middle position. The Epiphones recently made are good too. I have not played a newer one, but if you like big neck guitars some Epiphones from the early 2000s had that Louwville slugger style neck.

 

As of Late I have been trying to play my 92 Les Paul studio more. The guys I jam with have been laughing at me trying to adjust to something other than a V , Some how I end up a whole step sharp if I get distracted. I really have no problem going to my tele , but strats and Les Paul's are all wrong feeling. Once you go V everything else is just not right in your hands and mind. (this is probably true and maybe everyone else should sell their old Vs to me for a fair price).

 

I even Have Cat Named Schenker after Michael

 

Lokk

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1997 PRS CE24, 1981 Greco MSV 850, 1991 Greco V 900, 2 2006 Dean Inferno Flying Vs, 1987 Gibson Flying V, 2000s Jackson Dinky/Soloist, 1992 Gibson Les Paul Studio,

 

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