The long-awaited Gibson Custom Shop Richie Faulkner Flying V Custom in Pelham Blue is finally out and Sweetwater currently has the only models on sale (though, they have already sold out). The Judas Priest guitarist knows a thing or two about cool guitars!
Custom Shop Richie Faulkner Flying V Custom
Yes, the Gibson Custom Shop Richie Faulkner Flying V Custom in Pelham Blue is now out of the bag. Both Faulkner and Gibson CEO Cesar Gueikian have shared the model on Instagram over the last year.
And Faulkner has been seen playing the guitar live with Judas Priest multiple times in recent months.
Specifications
The Flying V has a solid one-piece mahogany body, a set mahogany neck with a custom Faulkner-neck profile, and a 24.75” scale length. The neck has a 12” radius ebony fretboard with mother of pearl block inlays and a Falcon logo at the 12th fret.
The nitro Pelham Blue finish is in stark contrast to the original black Epiphone model released in 2017.
Signature EMGs
Other key features are the all-over single-piece double pickguard, the Judas Priest etched truss rod cover and that double-locking Floyd Rose vibrato, a set of Grover tuners and a pair of Faulkner’s new signature active EMG humbuckers.
PAF-like?
The new pickups are described as offering “a PAF-like character augmented by active electronics for extra headroom, maximum punch, and unparalleled definition and presence” on the bridge pickup, while the neck pickup offers “tons of articulate clarity with expansive lows, with a warm-sounding active preamp specially tailored for super-smooth mids.”
The bridge pickup combines Alnico V magnets and steel pole pieces, yielding that PAF-like character augmented by active electronics for extra headroom, maximum punch, and unparalleled definition and presence. The neck pickup employs ceramic pole pieces, serving up tons of articulate clarity with expansive lows, with a warm-sounding active preamp specially tailored for super-smooth mids.
The controls consist of a single volume control and a three-way toggle pickup selector switch.
As the Epiphone version came with Faulkner’s preferred EMG 66 neck and 57 bridge active pickups, it will be interesting to know how his new signature set will compare.
GearFest
It should be available soon on the main Gibson site, but for now, it is exclusive to Sweetwater’s Gearfest event.
Allegedly they retailed for $7k each!
The guitar comes in a Gibson hard case and includes all the usual paperwork for a Custom Shop guitar.
Though, these Sweetwater exclusive models also come with a hand-signed COA and they are donating some of the money from the sale of each guitar to various charities as well.
I’m guessing these new models will be available very soon on Gibson’s main site.
UPDATE 27/06/23
It is now up on the main Gibson site.
More Information
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