The Most Jaw-Dropping Flying V Guitar Players

Article by Randy DeeMak









When I was young learning to play the guitar in hair music bands during the 1980′s, no doubt, my favorite guitar player was in fact Michael Schenker. From his beginnings with the Scorpions, UFO, as well as, The Michael Schenker Group, in my respectful notion, Michael was the most polished & melodic player and possessed an incredible Gibson Flying V tone! It was actually attributed to Michael Schenker that I wanted to get a hold of a Flying V guitar of my very own – which I still have to this day.

Followed below is a quick synopsis pertaining to my favorite guitar players which I spent my youth listening to. They’re in sequence from the top to bottom with my favorite being on the very top. Each guitar player listed either played a Gibson Flying V or a Gibson Flying V imitation guitar. I think you will enjoy it!Michael Schenker – Born in ’55 in Germany, this excellent guitar player was previously a founding group member in The Scorpions in the early 70′s. Schenker elevated to fame and fortune right after he got into the music band called UFO during the mid-seventies by which he had become labeled as amongst the top most rock n roll guitar players in that period of time (check-out UFO’s Strangers in the Night Live CD – great material!). Michael abandoned UFO in 1978 and as a consequence put together his own band, The Michael Schenker Group (a.k.a. MSG) & for the greater degree, has kept this amazing rock band intact even today. MSG included several different musicians throughout the years. Michael’s trademark guitar tones were unquestionably crafted from his custom Gibson Flying V electric guitars.Randy Rhoads – Randy was brought into this world back in ’56. He helped create the music band Quiet Riot when he was 16 years of age. Randy combined forces with Ozzy Osbourne in 1979 & consequently recorded debatably the best and most extreme rock guitar work of that time period. Rhoads’ neo-classical musical guitar technique was in fact extraordinary and energizing & ended up an instantaneous blockbuster among rock admirers. One of Randy’s classic guitars that he played was his distinctive Karl Sandoval polka dot Flying V. Rhoads was in fact recorded live for a phenomenal lp titled Tribute where the Karl Sandoval Flying V guitar is shown on the cover. Regretfully, he was killed in an aeroplane tragedy in nineteen eighty-two. Just think about what kind of electric guitar work we would cherish if he was still with us.Eddie Van Halen – Born in nineteen fifty five, Eddie is amongst the most important 80′s heavy rock guitar players together with his amazing playing & recording methods in blues-based hard rock and roll. Van Halen is without question very well-celebrated to musicians as the inventor associated with the tapping technique (using your picking fingers to tap on the strings). Search the track “Eruption” available on Van Halen’s earliest lp for a good sample of tapping. Even though Van Halen is ordinarily most famous using strat-style instruments, he is acknowledged to have used an original 1958 Gibson Flying V in the recordings for “Hot for Teacher” & “Top of the World.” Investigate the dense deep Gibson Flying V tone found on those audio tracks.Jimi Hendrix – Hendrix was in fact born in ’42 and by a great many would be looked at as the top guitarist in music history. He was essentially the most important guitarist in his particular day and age across a vast-range of popular music genres. Hendrix achieved fame and fortune in 1967 with his group The Jimi Hendrix Experience and is particularly very well known for headlining the renowned Woodstock Celebration in ’69. Regretably, much like Randy Rhoads, he passed extremely young in 70′, before the age of 30. Hendrix played a minimum of three different Gibson Flying V axes on his recordings as well as on tour.Billy Gibbons – Born during 1949, Gibbons, is best referred to as one of the hottest guitar performers with the Texan blues rock n’ roll trio, ZZ Top. Gibbons additionally sings lead in a variety of ZZ Tops’ tracks. Billy was a companion of Jimi Hendrix. Jimi one time declared on the well-known Tonight Show that Billy might possibly be the best new guitar player of the time. Billy utilised a classic ’58 Korina Gibson Flying V found on a few of ZZ Tops initial recordings during the nineteen-seventies. Billy is holding his Flying V guitar on the package of the live record titled Fandango!In summary, those are my top-five fave guitar players who have all played Flying Vs. Each ended up being awesome influences in helping create my own electric guitar playing style. Who are your favorite guitar players who have shaped your guitar style?



About the Author

Randy DeeMak is a 20+ year Gibson Flying V guitar owner who grew-up playing guitar in the 80′s hair band days. If you are interested in learning more about the Flying V guitar, please check out Flying V Headquarters at http://www.flyingvhq.com