A miraculous guitar, the 1958 Gibson Flying V, of which only 98 exist in the world, and only 1.26 out of 100 million people in the world are fortunate enough to own one. In Japan, only one person in the entire population could own one. The odds are even lower than becoming Prime Minister! Such an extraordinary stroke of luck has come to our store. This legendary guitar was once owned by Mick Mars of Mötley Crüe, and has also been held by Tamio Okuda, Rudolf Schenker of Scorpions, and Kazuyoshi Saito.

There are many guitars that are called vintage, but the Gibson '58 Flying V is the rarest of the rare. Perhaps because its cutting-edge design was too far ahead of its time, production ended in less than two years, and it boasts a production number that is orders of magnitude smaller than even the legendary '59 Les Paul, making it a premium guitar among premium guitars.

The people who have once held this guitar include legendary guitarists such as Keith Richards and Rudolf Schenker. I never imagined I would have the opportunity to touch such a guitar. Even before opening the hard case, it exuded an extraordinary aura and an inexplicable presence. There was a moment when I had to steel myself to open the case and face it.

The moment I opened the case, I was overwhelmed by the fact that the real thing was right there in front of me! I mustered up the courage to pick it up. It was heavy! The actual weight, which I later measured, was 3.85 kg, so it wasn't particularly heavy, but my initial impression was that, combined with the thickness of its tough neck and the weight of history this guitar exuded, it felt very substantial.

But! When you actually hold it, it's strange. The feeling of weight from before is nowhere to be seen. It feels so natural and comfortable that you hardly feel any weight at all. Perhaps this is the exquisite balance of this shape.

I feel an overwhelming urge to plug it in and hear it! This V-shaped guitar, probably much older than me, seems to be saying to me, "Youngster, listen to my sound." This guitar is so exciting that such a fantastical dialogue is echoing in my head. I immediately set up my Gibson '60s Skylark amp, and the atmosphere is perfect.

I turned it on and started playing... A moment of pure bliss. I expected to hear a gem of a tone... but instead, I got an immature sound. It was as if the guitar was laughing at me, saying, "You're still 10 years too early for this." Okay, this is a tough guitar, I thought, and pulled myself together, trying out various things. After playing for a while and getting used to it, I began to understand the unfathomable depth this guitar possessed.

The neck has a thick grip typical of the 1950s, but it's not difficult to play at all; in fact, it feels more comfortable the more you play it. And its tone is incredibly versatile. When played well, it sings with elegance, but when played poorly, your lack of skill is painfully obvious—it's a truly formidable guitar. The expressive reproduction capabilities of the PAF pickups are brilliantly evident in this guitar as well. With the amp set to natural drive, it breathes vividly with just a touch of your fingertips, from delicate clean to loud tones. If you can master using it in conjunction with the volume and tone controls, you'll be able to unleash a rainbow of sounds without any gimmicks whatsoever.

The easiest way to describe the playing feel is that it's similar to an acoustic guitar. The fact that it's a 1958 Flying V and uses Korina wood becomes clear once you play it. While symmetrical V-shapes are generally said to spoil the high frequencies, the solid response of this superb wood results in a very bright and vibrant sound.

The bass is tight and almost ferocious, perfectly balanced with a juicy, harmonically rich midrange and transparent highs. There's almost none of the sweetness found in V-series guitars from the 70s onwards (which is appealing in its own way). It has a sharp, cutting edge that would really suit a country sound, almost as close to a Telecaster in electric guitar terms.

These days, they're often considered the originators of unconventional guitars, and they have a strong image as guitars where design comes first. But this is a Gibson from the 1950s after all. It's so convincing that you almost feel like this shape was made specifically for this sound.

This guitar truly reminded me of the long tradition of this acoustic guitar manufacturer, teaching me about the true resonance of a live instrument. It's a guitar where the player's character, rather than their skill, is directly reflected in the sound. My conclusion after playing it is that I still have much to learn...

I would love to hear a skilled player play this guitar. However, I will never forget my encounter with this particular guitar, as it completely changed my perception of V-shaped guitars. And of course, I will also cherish the honor of having had the opportunity to play such a wonderful instrument.

The grip is thick and comfortable.

The tough neck grip makes you feel like your hands are being drawn to it the more you play.

That's precisely why it's a high-quality Corina product.

The tough neck grip makes you feel like your hands are being drawn to it the more you play.

That sound remains timeless, even after more than half a century.

This is a truly magnificent Flying V. Of course, the history it has taken to get here is no ordinary story! The biggest topic is that it was used in the recording of Mötley Crüe's legendary album "Dr. Feelgood." That's right, this guitar originally belonged to Mötley Crüe's guitarist, Mick Mars. This is even mentioned in a document written by Mick himself.

Mötley Crüe needs no introduction; they are undoubtedly a quintessential American bad-boy rock and roll act and a true rock legend. Since the band's formation in 1981, Mick Mars has not only been the core of their wild guitar sound, but he is also known as a highly talented and versatile player. When he participated in a session for Glenn Hughes' blues album, he showcased his superb slide guitar skills, and it is said that Hughes was surprised and impressed by his wide range of talents.

The fact that it was used on RATT's album is also intriguing.

This guitar is also featured on page 63 of the Vintage Guitar Photobook Vol. 3 (published in 2001). At the time, it was described as being owned by Mick Mars.

That sound remains timeless, even after more than half a century.

The Gibson Flying V was developed by a team called "Modernistic Guitars," formed to compete with Fender's new model development at the time, and was released in 1958. It debuted alongside the Explorer, another uniquely shaped guitar, but its overly avant-garde design proved to be a major drawback, as it didn't sell well and production was discontinued the following year. It is said that only 98 units were produced during those two years.

As a private enthusiast of mahogany 70's FLYING V guitars, I had the opportunity to touch an original '58 FLYING V that recently arrived at our store for the first time in my life... I immediately started blasting it with a vintage Marshall 1959 from our inventory! Hmm... (The distinctive smell of vintage, I checked the whole thing as if I were licking it) The innovative placement of the jack, the control knobs lined up in a straight line, the neck is slightly thicker from the tip and feels solid, and unlike later models the joint is shallower so it's easy to play the higher frets! Perhaps because it's made of korina, it has a solid weight and a very hard, resonant sound. Whether distorted or not, it has a natural and warm feel, and the way it "resonates" is very impressive.

In the end, I realized that this was completely different from the V-sound I had imagined for so many years, and it made me realize once again that this is the "original." It's no exaggeration to say that this is a guitar on a completely different level from the later reissues.

The original '58 Gibson Flying V began to gain popularity in the 1960s when Albert King and Keith Richards (of the Rolling Stones) started using it, and it was through these famous guitarists that it truly came into the spotlight. Even Jimi Hendrix used a 1967 Flying V with psychedelic painting.

Numerous models have been released since then, but the original Gibson Flying V was reissued in the 1980s along with the Explorer Modern, and today, along with other reissue models (which have been around since 1967), it is a model loved by guitarists of all genres, both domestically and internationally.

For those who love the Flying V, things like its awkward shape for playing while sitting, or its weak highs and lows (which I changed my mind about after playing the original this time...) don't matter. Kai Hansen, formerly of Helloween, even commented that it's "easy to play even while sitting," and I agree.

While it's not a 1950s V, Michael Schenker, whom I admire, is a prime example of its user, and he has created his own unique sound by combining its distinctive midrange sound with a wah pedal.

When it comes to albums where you can hear the sound of the Flying V, some famous examples include Michael Schenker's "The Michael Schenker Group - The Return of the Flying Arrow" ('80), and going back even further, Andy Powell's (Wishbone Ash) "Argus - The Hundred-Eyed Giant" ('72), and even further back, Leslie West's (Mountain) "Nantucket Sleighride" ('71).

The three artists I've mentioned here are all people who have influenced me, and although I discovered them later, I remember being blown away by the sound when I first heard Michael Schenker's album (I was in junior high school at the time), and almost falling off my chair. When I first saw Michael perform with UFO in 1996, I somehow managed to get a front-row seat, and there he was, holding his Flying V... I felt like it was fate. Around the same time, I bought a 1975 Gibson Flying V. It's still my favorite instrument, and I use it for live performances and jam sessions.

Original Flying V
Albert King
Ronnie Mac
Keith Richards (The Rolling Stones)
Stephen Stills (Buffalo Springfield – CS&N)

Flying V (1960s-1980s)
Jimi Hendrix
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Joe Perry (Aerosmith)
Leslie West (Mountain)
Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top)
Michael Schenker (Scorpions)
Rudolf Schenker (Scorpions, UFO, MSG)
Andy Powell (Wishbone Ash)
Marc Bolan (T. Rex)
Graham Oliver (Saxon)
Paul Stanley (KISS)
KK Downing (Judas Priest)
Lenny Kravitz
Fumihiko Tachibana
Tamio Okuda
etc.

In 1958, the year this guitar was created, the United States launched the world's first artificial satellite, "Explorer 1." Indeed, Gibson also has a guitar in the same series named after it. This era, imbued with a deep sense of wonder and romance for space, is undoubtedly connected to the design and naming of the FLYING V. It seems the guitar embodied the idea of soaring to victory with its rocket-like design. Rather than a "transformed" guitar, the FLYING V felt more like a "future," "space" guitar—that's the concept behind it. It's no coincidence that Fender's Stratocaster, a contemporary of the FLYING V, also got its name from "stratospheric broadcasting," meaning satellite broadcasting today. This serves as a reminder that electric guitars at that time were filled with the romance of the future.

1958 was the year of the Flying V. In Japan, Tetsuji Kawakami of the Yomiuri Giants retired, and the streets were filled with the singing voice of Hideo Murata. It was also the year that Nissin's Chicken Ramen was launched. When you think about it that way, Chicken Ramen also starts to look like a legend, which is interesting. 1958 made me want to savor a bowl of Chicken Ramen while contemplating the romance of the Flying V and space.

In Japan, during this era when Giants pitcher Tetsuji Kawakami retired and the streets were filled with the singing voice of Hideo Murata, Nissin's Chicken Ramen was also launched.

When you think about it that way, Chicken Ramen starts to look like a legend, which is quite interesting. 1958 made me want to savor a bowl of Chicken Ramen while contemplating the romance of space and the FLYING V.

In fact, it's a common saying among dealers that they don't buy V-series guitars without their original cases. This is because, as those with a keen eye may have already realized, there are many replicas circulating in the vintage guitar market today.

Occasionally, counterfeits appear that are so skillfully made using old parts that they are indistinguishable from the real thing. However, the original cases that have weathered the test of time cannot be replicated by just anyone.

Naturally, the number of existing original cases does not exceed the number produced at the time, so a '58 Flying V only truly becomes valuable if it comes with its original case.