OMG, a Flying V Bass!

[ac100X]

There a cheep ones out there....with good pickups

 

[Danny O Danny]

I used to play an Ibanez Flying V bass back in the late 70's/early 80's. I had it for a few years and then it was stolen. 35 years later I discovered it in a guitar shop and bought it back. But what felt cool when I was a teenager felt uncomfortable when I was in my 50's, so I eventually traded it for something I'd play on a more regular basis.

 

[msb]

After I picked up the Epi V I went looking for used ones on the internet . They must have been short runs because not many come up for sale .

 

[hificase]

Can any V bass owners here send me dimensions? I'm building my own v bass but I really need the full width figured out. Are they really 20 inches wide?

 

[Johnny Crab]

@hificase you may want to read this thread and possibly contact the builder.
Hybrid between Thunderbird & Flying V

 

[Don Summers]

Flying V Bass history. Gibson did not make one but thanks to Hendrix, Billy Gibbons acquired a 58 Korina guitar in The Moving Sidewalks in late 67 and played it regularly. I loved it so I copied design in a mahogany body for my 64 Fender Jazz bass. I played it on The Sidewalks "Hendrix" Texas tour in February. After the show in Dallas it was stolen from our trailer. I played a loaned bass for the rest of those dates but as soon as i got back to Houston I went to work trying to make a more accurate V bass from my short scale Gibson EB-0 with and extra humbucker pickup. It was this bass that I constructed a swivel that became the first spinning bass. There is whole lot more to the story. In Johns book he said he felt cheated when he bought what he thought was an original rare Explorer bass. He said he paid 3500 pounds for it but I only got $750 when I sold it on consignment to Arnold & Morgan Music in Garland Tx. I guess we both got played by somebody.

 

[CaseyVancouver]

Flying V Bass history. Gibson did not make one but thanks to Hendrix, Billy Gibbons acquired a 58 Korina guitar in The Moving Sidewalks in late 67 and played it regularly. I loved it so I copied design in a mahogany body for my 64 Fender Jazz bass. I played it on The Sidewalks "Hendrix" Texas tour in February. After the show in Dallas it was stolen from our trailer. I played a loaned bass for the rest of those dates but as soon as i got back to Houston I went to work trying to make a more accurate V bass from my short scale Gibson EB-0 with and extra humbucker pickup. It was this bass that I constructed a swivel that became the first spinning bass. There is whole lot more to the story. In Johns book he said he felt cheated when he bought what he thought was an original rare Explorer bass. He said he paid 3500 pounds for it but I only got $750 when I sold it on consignment to Arnold & Morgan Music in Garland Tx. I guess we both got played by somebody.

Awesome anecdote Don, thanks!

Not sure if the John Entwistle Alembic Flying V bass has been mentioned already ...but here it is: