Gibson Flying V 1981 silverburst

[loverocker]

Just a quick ad before Ebaying later this week: a silverburst 1981 Gibson Flying V. All mahogany, with original case. Minor mods: pickup covers removed and pickup surrounds added (a la Michael Schenker). It's very light - about 6 pounds (will get an exact weight ASAP).

It's in very good condition for a 26yo guitar. There are the usual dings on body edges and a small crack in the scratchplate (see photos):
http://www.ampmaker.com/stuff/v/vhires1.jpg
http://www.ampmaker.com/stuff/v/vhires2.jpg
http://www.ampmaker.com/stuff/v/vhires3.jpg
http://www.ampmaker.com/stuff/v/vbody1.jpg
http://www.ampmaker.com/stuff/v/vbody2.jpg
http://www.ampmaker.com/stuff/v/vhead.jpg
http://www.ampmaker.com/stuff/v/vheadback.jpg
http://www.ampmaker.com/stuff/v/vincase.jpg
http://www.ampmaker.com/stuff/v/vcase.jpg
http://www.ampmaker.com/stuff/v/vding1.jpg
http://www.ampmaker.com/stuff/v/vding2.jpg
http://www.ampmaker.com/stuff/v/vcrack.jpg

Price: $3000 +/- I've tried searching through www.gbase.com and can't find any directly comparable, So I'm open to realistic offers. I'd really prefer collection, but will consider sending it by insured courier (which is doubtless what I'd have to do for Ebay anyway).

Contact: loverockerN02SPAM@firstmail.com (take out the NO2SPAM thing or it'll bounce)

I tried to sell this about a year ago, but just couldn't bring myself to do it and changed my mind (Schenker nostalgia). But I haven't played it since, so it's definitely got to go to release GAS funds.

 

[jerryjg]

Re: Gibson Flying V 1981 silverburst

Veeery nice. Lucky yours didnt turn green like with the Chemo reaction some of those old Silverbursts had.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Gibson Flying V 1981 silverburst

FWIW, you might want to look around a little bit before you sell that...I have heard that those Silverburst V's are very rare and bring a prety penny. I'll see if I can find out a solid number for you but you should for sure look aorund, maybe find somebody with a Vintage Guitar price Guide and look it up...

Either way, good luck with the sale, that is a great example of Silverburts and the guitar itself looks very clean!

BTW...the pickup rings are a MUST on those V's...they look much better!

 

[Lucid_Lunatic]

Re: Gibson Flying V 1981 silverburst

I have been looking at this guitar for the last 30 minutes or longer. I would trade my first born for that axe!!!! There is no way I could possible afford it, but do you think you could send me some more pics to my e-mail so I can save them and have something to drool over? I am totally in love with this axe bro! moon909230@bellsouth.net is the addy. That thing would be the holy grail to my Silver Edition Marshall. ( my epi lp custom silverburst is cool in front of it, but this thing so blows it away!!!!!)

 

[loverocker]

Re: Gibson Flying V 1981 silverburst

Thanks for the replies guys.

I might as well go into the backstory: when I was 18-19 yoof I used to jam along with a buddy. Hour after hour - he was the talented one and he taught me a lot of riffs, licks and tricks. We were huge Schenker/Priest fans, and he bought a new silverburst V at about the time I got a Washburn Stage A20. So this would have been 1981ish.

We jammed along regularly for about a year, but we lost touch when I went away to Uni and he moved house. Always the Schenker fan, I've always wanted a V and when this one came up a few years ago I jumped on it - for old times' sake. I still wonder if it's my buddy's old guitar - because there weren't that many silverburst Vs made, and even fewer made it to England. It's light as a feather and every bit as awkward to play sitting down as I remembered

Anyhoo, times have changed and my tastes have mellowed (more bluesy these days and I can't play fast!), so I just hardly ever get this guitar out of the case.

Colour-wise, the back picture is probably the truest - so it's got a subtle greenish cast, but not as bad as the silverbursts that have spent a lot of time out of the case (I guess sunlight accelerates the process).

Value/collector-wise, it's so hard to tell these days. I know that everything changed a few years later when Gibson switched over to alder bodies. The heritage Vs seem to be $4000+, and other colour Vs from this period seem to be about $2000-2500.

Mr Lunatic - just right-click on those links and select Save Target As and you can save each photo to your computer. They're all I've got!

 

[Rich_T]

Re: Gibson Flying V 1981 silverburst

so, wait, this is in England?

 

[loverocker]

Re: Gibson Flying V 1981 silverburst

so, wait, this is in England?

D'oh! Yes - I forgot to mention it and I obviously didn't fill in the 'Location' bit on this forum when I registered. And I priced it in US$ because I'd been on gbase. I can see how anyone of those might have been confusing, but with all three red herrings...

So, yes, it's in Woodbridge (near Ipswich, A12).

Spookily, your nickname is *exactly* the same as the guitarist I was talking about above. Only he can't be 21yo unless he invented a time machine! These days, he'd be a geezer, like me

 

[Rich_T]

Re: Gibson Flying V 1981 silverburst

Jeez man, if this ad had been posted two weeks ago I would have driven down and got that right this second.

 

[Snottyboy]

Re: Gibson Flying V 1981 silverburst

Nice, nice, nice! I've got the exact same guitar and case ('81) in cherry.

 

[cream123]

Re: Gibson Flying V 1981 silverburst

holy god.