The Coolest 1981 Gibson Flying V You've Never Seen | A Custom Order or a FAKE?!?

[@Trog]

This is a pretty cool V - but in my opinion, didn't leave the factory this way! I suppose it could also be a custom body with a Gibson neck, but who knows! 16:09 - clearly shows the 12th fret inlay is much longer than the rest, further proving it started as a dot neck so it is the original fretboard! ❓Private Help Sessions: troglysguitarshow.com/help-appraisals/ 🟢My Website: www.troglysguitarshow.com 🔴Reverb: reverb.com/shop/troglys?_aid=growsumo&gs_partner=Trogly

[@clarkbabin9799]

My Ibanez Iron Label Exotic has the same kind of inlays . The same kind of purfling. And 7 exotic woods including Babinga Was amazed that there was no trem system.

[@johns6095]

Trogly I would enjoy a show going into detail about different guitars that famous musicians played. Like Albert kings v’s or slim Harpos 335 or jimmy reeds guitars or srvs strats

[@stevem.1853]

I saw the headstock inlay on that Snakepit and my mind immediately went to a new model idea: the Les Paul Burninator 👍👍👍

[@andrewfrancis3591]

Inlay on fret 1 does not look square

[@yoganovalappy4515]

Yup, came here to say the same, that 12th fret inlay is definitely wider than the rest. Also way too many red flags across the rest of the build

[@TheR00BIN]

It looks to me like the 12th fret inlay is actually larger than the others. Pause at 16:11 and compare the space between the inlays and the A string. There is a clear gap at all of them except the 12th fret.

[@NeptunesLagoon]

Good eye

[@thenameless3271]

Good eye

[@gustavv466]

Good eye

[@manugaraizabal5650]

It is!!

[@cullenjames7542]

I noticed that as well

[@Russell_Optics]

I have a Gibson Les Paul double cut that was modified by a private luthier to give it a comfort belly cut and a tapered arm carve that makes it more comfortable to play & lighter weight. It was painted a cool metallic purple and looks great. I feel it is a better guitar than Gibson ever offered even if it has technically lost value. Just because Gibson didn't do the work doesn't mean it isn't better.

[@dejja7376]

ibanez makes some cool double cuts

[@martymaker]

Totally agree. For me, it matters how i feels and plays and how good are the used materials. It might even be better built from scratch than from the factory if the luthier knew what he was doing.

[@Daddy53751]

@@martymaker 100% agreed. Seen too many high dollar guitars (especially Gibsons) that show up needing work done, so years ago I started making my own and never regretted it.

[@recipoldinasty]

@@martymaker yeah ofc but as a collector of 100% originals thats irrelevant, thats like modifying a collectable ferrari and saying it feels better now…(ofc this is an hyperbole)…

[@martymaker]

@@recipoldinasty yes. I understand. That's why I said "personally" 🙂

[@LesPeterGuitarJam]

2:26 Is the 1st fret inlay crooked?

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Always fun to see one of our guitars pop up on your channel Austin! Your detective-work never ceases to amaze us, any chance we can hire you as a freelancer when we can't find the info ourselves? ;)

[@cullenjames7542]

I'm not sure who did this mod work, but I know that Ed Roman's guitars out of Vegas did a ton of high-end guitar mods in the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s that was pretty much indistinguishable to an untrained eye. They almost always signed their work somewhere on the finished instrument, though.

[@Scalarissa]

That's a very credible idea.

[@dervpool]

Gentle reminder that somewhere out there is a 58 Korina V that they have chopped in half and "rebuild"

[@rjoseph133]

This is an Ed Roman re-build of an early 80's V

[@bigfil1981]

How do you know?

[@ChrisHopkinsBass]

@@bigfil1981 the abalone binding for a start - he used to have a section one his website called "Fabulous Fakes". He used to take the necks off customer's Gibsons and put them onto very fancy bodies - often with Abalone binding. That way you would have the serial number so it would be a "legit" Gibson. KDH did a video about him recently.

[@rjoseph133]

@@bigfil1981 All the hallmarks of a Roman mod, but what really gives it away is the (overdone) poly finish. I'm not like most who knock Roman...he actually brought lots of "dead" guitars back to life, such as this V. Technically a "Gibson," but this seller knows better.

[@kevinr.3542]

You could hear the excitement in Trogly's voice during the first 30 seconds of this video. He was shot out of a cannon. Like a kid on Christmas, he can't hide his excitement over such an awesome guitar! I had to make sure I didn't set the speed to 1.5x.

[@jefffixesit60]

The pic with the guitar angled in front of the case shows the 12th fret is quite a bit wider than the other frets. I'd guess finessed, not fake, but not as it left factory. Still, a sweet piece. I wonder if the glop in the pickup cavities is epoxy or puddles of the refinish paint? Thanks for showing us this beast!

[@musicsucks6969]

Man that is amazing work. It’s almost like the Gibson custom shop did do this to a standard V at a customer request. This just doesn’t look like a fake at all. The logo sharpness, the binding, the full thickness top, the burst, the wood grain. This is some serious master builder, custom shop level stuff.

[@Ari_Calamari]

And then fill in and paint over tuner holes and repaint the neck, muddying the 80’s serial number? Sounds sus to me.

[@thomaskafafian2871]

I have that same feeling. The guitar player in my old band sent a guitar to Gibson for a headstock repair, and they replaced the neck and were willing to do whatever to the guitar. Just a guess, but maybe an artist endorsement? Billy Gibbons would have played something like that.

[@JokersWild70]

No

[@musicsucks6969]

@@Ari_Calamari True, but anybody capable of doing this work clearly could have renecked the guitar, but the customer just chose not too. The serial number too looks actually well preserved despite being refinished. A lot of times you lose it entirely.

[@ChrisHopkinsBass]

I think it's an Ed Roman body on a genuine Gibson V neck. He used to do a lot of this

[@mikefusco9248]

I have The V CMT and it’s so stunning. This episode was especially fascinating for me. (And I must say, my only “disappointments” with mine are 1. I wish it had a pearl Gibson logo and 2. Wish it had more than dot inlays). I can totally see why they’d get this work done to it

[@1969stanpoulan]

I'm very interested in that particular guitar. I found a couple on reverb. What's your opinion on it?

[@markhalff842]

i know the guitar. I work as a guitar builder in a guitar shop in the Netherland and we sold the guitar 10 years ago. it is customizet not by gibson. The builder that cumtomizet it also al done a couple of les paul form thet era some with crazy inlays. when we sold the guitar it had the orininal pickups in it.

[@jubei7259]

Still, whichever luthier worked on it, that's one beautiful guitar! Whoever the guy was, he did an amazing job as far as I'm concerned.

[@ChrisHopkinsBass]

It wasn't Ed Roman was it by any chance?

[@1969stanpoulan]

Were they the Dirty fingers pick-ups? That would confirm it was a "The V"

[@markhalff842]

@@ChrisHopkinsBass I dont think so, I will ask my coworker how sold the guitar if remembers.

[@markhalff842]

@@1969stanpoulan no the shaw pickups with other aftermarket covers

[@markcampbell7554]

This really is a beautiful guitar. I just wish Gibson would offer more Flying v's in a wider variety of finishes and maybe even some that are affordable to guitarists that can't swing six grand for one guitar.

[@jondough76]

15:04 The 12th fret inlay looks wider than the rest of the inlays. You can see a gap between the edge of the other inlays and the low E string. The gap is not there on the 12th fret inlay.

[@_alexieprihm_]

2:26 for some reason the first inlay is glued with a slight angle and not aligned with the but

[@PeterBerberich]

In relation to the other fingerboard inlays and using the strings as a guide, the inlay at the 12 fret seems to be wider. Not sure if that is a perspective issue given the angle of a few of those photos, but it does look off.

[@metalmig]

a red flag for me was the shape of the backplate

[@Scalarissa]

Very impressed that the shop pulled it. Gives me a lot of confidence to buy from them in the future

[@KlonCentaur8]

Can we all appreciate Trogly’s amazing attention to detail for a moment?

[@Trog]

Thank you very much!

[@kurtisslystne5250]

Pause and zoom in at 5:38, 12:27, and 16:11, shows the 12th fret block inlay is larger. Most likely done to completely cover the two dots so they don't play peekaboo. Thanks for the insightful lesson. You found a lot of suspicious things. I learned a lot. It's a beautiful fiddle but it's now in a similar league like a chipson. Deception

[@gwvest]

This is the real reason I love your channel- you share your knowledge on Gibsons and fakes!!!!

[@ecdubytecdubyt]

Great video. Really appreciate how you lay out your reasoning step by step. You're like the Sherlock Holmes of Gibson guitars. Very interesting video. Thanks!

[@bigmike9527]

What a bad ass looking V.i have a Dean Z select that looks somewhat similar and as much as I have a dislike for abalone I think it looks awesome on this flying V 🤘🤘

[@minnesotatomcat]

That is an amazing top, I can’t believe that figuring!!! It looks like a satin sheet set in resin, just beautiful 👍

[@helcat3567]

Hi Trogly. after watching your video and listening to you speak. To my eye in your second last shot fo the guitar I can see the 12th frett marker edge lines up with both E strings all the others go somewhere in between. I think the 12 frett maker is wider than it should be to mach the others. Any one out there notice the same thing or is it just my eye is out? take care from Helcat in Australia.

[@minnesotatomcat]

Kudos to that shop for actually listening to your critiques and taking a second look. Most people these days would tell you to piss off and mark the price up even more.

[@Benbenbenbenbenbenbenbenben]

To me, the finish is what sets apart one guitar from another. It's the whole reason some guitars feel better than others. Thick layers just don't feel right. The only reason why I would think there is wax in the pickup cavities is when the guitar had wax potted pickups in there and faced high temperatures, causing the wax to escape from its shell. Looking at the traces of the wax I would say this guitar was laying down at that time. It COULD be a housefire rescue, or simply a display piece in front of a window on a hot summer day. But, a displaypiece would normally show more discoloration in the finish and plastics. Nonetheless, what triggered me was the inlay on the first fret. It's slanted. I wouldn't be able to unsee it ever. Also, you've shown a picture of the silverburst 80's flying V. The twelth fret's dots were not horizontally alighned properly. I know it's difficult to nail that by hand, but it's one of the reasons why I would leave the guitar alone. I should drive over to The Fellowship of Acoustics to actually see the guitar in person to determine its origin actually. Because repair itself doesn't look too bad, maybe it's done by Gibson?

[@johnnie3Chords]

The inlay on the first fret isn't perfectly parallel with the nut , I saw that with your first closeup , still a beautiful guitar!

[@iamalfaman]

At 2:25 inlay is off at first fret. Not square to fret or nut.

[@DavidFell]

I noticed the typeface is different on the back of the D string tuning machine compared with the others, where they say GIBSON DELUXE… much squarer letters on that one tuner.

[@joejones9520]

wow, I was riveted from beginning to end! great vid, thanks!

[@joetheman74]

You can easily tell that the 12 fret inlay is wider than all the rest. Just look at how much empty space is left between the inlay and the edge compared to the rest of the inlays. That is obvious that it originally had dot inlays and they put a wider inlay at the 12th to cover it up.

[@VidMashUp]

You can also see that the inlays get quite a bit wider at the 12th fret.

[@aziznsp]

13:22 "Cibson" written on the case?? 🤔

[@musicauthority5635]

Brilliant detective work Trogly, there are so many red flags that might have gotten past even some of the most seasoned guitar enthusiasts. because like you said the quality of workmanship was definitely pretty good. I have to admit I'm not sure I would have caught it as quickly as you did. but I definitely would have questioned it at some point. because the fact is if something is too good to be true then you can figure it is. and a person shouldn't ever just jump into any deal. and if it was a killer deal and a person missed it. because they did their research then it was just meant to be. after all its better than getting screwed.

[@alijankhan3330]

I have the b2 Satin Ebony that came out in 2019 with dirty fingers plus pickups. I love flying Vs.

[@HouseOfCouplePuffs]

I hope you bought that middle pick up guitar from yesterdays video. Yay, Guitars!!

[@mikelovesguitars402]

Props to the shop for doing the right thing. I recently found a VERY fake Les Paul in a pawn shop in San Antonio. When I went to let them know it was fake, they accused me of just trying to buy it cheap. When I told them I wasn't interested in a fake at ANY price, they told me that they would let whoever bought it know that it MIGHT be fake, so that person should have it appraised themselves. Needless to say, I have NO confidence that the pawn shop will do the right thing. 🤬

[@ericfuhrer2013]

At 16:12 you can easily see the inlay for the 12th is wider than all the rest.

[@arlobrubaker]

I wish there was one video that sorts out the differences of every iteration. Not a shootout persay, but a spec reference. For example, the neck heel on an 80s heritage 50s reissue looks like a later model neck heel, not a 50s model. There are several Epiphone 50s reissues with different neck profiles, but the product names are so similar (ie. Inspired by Gibson vs Inspired by Gibson Custom shop) and i notice people are selling the $700 models for $2000 on reverb as if it's the higher end reissue. You'll hear people talk about "the flying V" with overlapping details and assumptions on spec details... ie. Saying "a flying V is a two piece body construction" is only true for certain years and iterations. Saying "the Flying V body starts at the second fret, and it has a Maestro vibrola bar" describes two completely different V models as one. Articles where famous V players talk about "what makes a V special" and the overlap as they are describing different guitars as one can confuse potential buyers. I knew what version i wanted and made absolutely certain i was getting 'the right one" but if I didn’t know better I'd have tried the cheap one with a slim taper neck and said to myself "I was expecting a beefier neck" and bought a strat. People think "The Flying V" is a specific thing, but if you want one you can actually get "the right V for you" if you have knowledge of what the differences are. People wonder about the shape being comfortable and sometimes forget that options vary. There are also videos where someone "explains the V" using a modern budget version while prefacing the video with "this is my first V and im really excited" meaning they have no frame of reference when describing the guitar they are reviewing. I know if you did a comprehensive video about the various V iterations, it would be done properly. Each decade of Flying V has its own lore and reasons why someone might prefer it.

[@markbrown7103]

That is beautiful that is a beautiful flying V looks better than those double cutaway last pause by a long shot 💖👍🏼 One cool looking guitar and I don’t normally like flying fees🎸🎼🎶😁👍🏼

[@tomschrein417]

I noticed the dowel rods in the headstock in the first shot. Thought nope it’s a refinish. Still a beautiful guitar.

[@dt90891]

Looks like one of Ed Roman’s re- build re-finished jobs. He has a lot of that type material at World Class Guitars. Could be his shop’s work!

[@PacificNatureTV]

yeah, good theory!

[@Joe___R]

Even though it is not a custom Gibson it is still a great looking guitar.

[@Non_Certified]

Why did the case have tape that said chibson Flying V?

[@johnbolton3542]

Does it say cibson on the sticker on the case

[@edwinstovall3334]

That puppy looks like a cross between an actual Flying V and my 2003 Schecter C-1 Elite, what with the quilt top and the abalone purfling! I wish I could get it; it would be in good company.

[@vladimirpoutine7522]

I thought it was refinished the moment I saw the electronics cavity. The clear coat looks thick like poly.

[@Wargasm54]

Exactly what I thought. Looks like poly.

[@virgilgiordano4582]

Well I think your right it's a hotroded v and I also think it's a real Gibson and it looks sweet however if it wasn't done by someone famous it's worth like 2-3 grand.

[@rylanjantz8481]

could be one of those Ed Roman Guitars

[@alfrescodimieary6580]

Good detective work for you! I have a 1981 the V tobacco sunburst that I bought brand new. It’s a very nice guitar definitely a keeper obviously

[@budge14]

hey Trogly, would love to see you review the new Rick Beato les paul special!

[@Xpyburnt_ndz]

Have to agree Austin, that 12th fret inlay IS wider you can tell it in the more distant pics...VERY cool V tho! If I had $6K floating around with nothing to do, I'd of bought her! :)

[@lancecpldave]

Still cool. I plan to buy an 8s v and have a custom black and white ebony top put on it. There's a point where if gibson won't make it there is a boutique shop out there that can make what you want

[@celticfury7328]

Ya know, it doesn't matter all that much to me that this axe isn't factory spec... it's drop dead sexy! Wouldn't pay top dollar for it, but whoever did the work on this beauty did it right!

[@mrivantchernegovski3869]

Hey from New Zealand ,great channel and content,we have abalone but called paua here ,we have so much of it we use the 6 inch plus shells as ash trays lol

[@bluesrockguitaristmikesall2708]

Albert King,is up in "Blues Heaven" playin' "The Sky Is Cryin'".

[@ournewlifeonmadeira]

my the v in tobacco sunburst is modded like crazy... 😁

[@allezjohn]

Thanks for showing us things to look for when deciphering the history/authenticity of a guitar! Great show! Thanks!

[@wlb-85]

Another item that seemed off was the first fret inlay is crooked.

[@ChrisHopkinsBass]

This absolutely smacks of Ed Roman to me.....(btw I'm 3:10 in)

[@AMGL1989]

The abalone inlay at the first fret was a dead giveaway for me. It’s crooked and a lot of the cavity is filled with dyed epoxy or super glue

[@Djarra]

Might be something from the old UK custom shop. Which would take guitars damaged in transit and make them saleable (bit like the mod shop now). They would have put Grovers on and probably dirty fingers. Then someone refinished the head when retroing in the 90s.

[@Wargasm54]

Cool guitar regardless. But looks like the finish is poly. That’s got way too much shine to be nitro from 81. Or it could’ve been a recent refin. Still looks badass.

[@jayartz8562]

Finish looks too thick.

[@sgt.grinch3299]

Z is for late. Chloe is napping

[@scottbogfoot]

Cheers Sgt! 😃 this was a great episode, I like the process of investigation.

[@timcole421]

Ed Roman? He pulled a lot of stuff like this

[@ZitherBeast]

Well, one thing is for sure, that is a stunner of a guitar in the looks category.

[@terribannister2249]

Right off when I saw the tall bridge pickup ring that was my first red flag. In '81 the pickup rings were both short, bridge and neck, USA style. Next was the abalone on the top; no way! Last, like you said there were no tops like that one in '81. Yeah there was quilt, but not quilt perfection.

[@georgeprice4212]

That case looks like it could have been a touring case….I don’t think it could have belonged to Rudolph Schenkner, even though he’s known for using Flying V’s. (And he supposedly owns the V that Pete Townshend used in the “Slit Skirt” video and happens to be pictured with on the inner cover of “All The Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes” as well.)

[@1969stanpoulan]

Great episode! I was really intrigued by "The V" flying V. Never seen one in person. Do you have an opinion on those guitars? Sounds like they had a short run. Thanks!

[@holstorrsceadus1990]

I knew you were going to wait til there was football on. See you at halftime guys.

[@duanewelsh5611]

Nice work by whomever did the mods. A beautiful v for sure.

[@Matt-fl6ys]

Keep an eye on this Trogly, It would be interesting to see where this rabbit hole goes.

That 12th fret block does look wider than all the others.

[@jonathanorenstein4400]

Such a great episode. I always learn so much from you. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with the world.

[@dukegfsl]

Yeah you can see that the inlay on the 12th is slightly larger than the others... Especially obvious at the end of the video as you scan down the neck.

[@OfficialKevinFox]

You never know, it could be a guitar that Gibson was working on and then reworked it before one of the Namm show or some thing and that’s why it has filled in tuner holes and the other anomalies along with it , like the handwritten serial number that’s blurry due to a refinish. I’d say you should as well do some more digging. That could be special.

[@JokersWild70]

Maybe you should buy it and document its history for us yourself

[@jeromestevenfaigin6059]

That's weird and fascinating at the same time? It's a nice looking guitar. If it had tones different from other type of guitars made by Gibson or Fender's and the art. Man if it was a Indonesian. Man that was a nice looking piece for Flying Vs.

[@rainyfields]

The 12th fret block is noticeably wider than the others

[@KOSTAS84]

If someone added a maple cap on an already routed for pickguard V then the controls after the mod woud be directly fitted on the maple cap. Which kind of looks to be the case here.

[@hugolobo4740]

Do the Rick Beato signature, please!

[@carverphil1]

I appreciate your knowledge and have been following you for a while...With your help I avoided a expensive buy recently, as you showed me what to look for....thanks

[@robroymenzies8641]

That abalone binding too! Gibson went all Dean on this one! LOL!

[@l8tapex]

My 83 ( I bought it then ) no pick guard , straight up flame maple. It is uncredible , beautiful and still close to mint... the case.OHC not so much.

[@matthewhirt6092]

Man this is freaking gorgeous. Whatever it is, I want it!

[@nolarocks]

Starting a "new word counter"on the Trogly Show! Today's new word - Fancily!!! I even gave it some snooty / uppity spelling for extra measure! :)

[@Hbomb731]

Yes, still a bad ass piece of work. I’d play it!

[@elamon51]

Woot woot Trogly's 🙌

[@FrehleyBurst9-1878]

This is why it pays to do your due diligence when considering paying Big $$$ for a "Special" Guitar. Originality with NO Modifications is a huge deal when collecting Vintage Gibson Guitars. Unfortunately many luthiers over the years have modified rare Gibson guitars to make them look "Special" or "Rare" in order to make extra money knowing many buyers won't take the time to research before buying. That's why I would recomend you pay someone like Trogly to dig deeper into researching the origins of any Vintage/Rare guitar you might spend Big $$$ on to make sure you're not getting ripped off. If a guitar especially a Gibson has been modified by anyone other than the manufacturer then it will significantly drop the value even if it's something as minor as a swapped out pickup or some type of hardware, Vintage 1958/59/63 Gibson Korina Flying Vs and Explorers are way less valuable just without their Original Hard Cases. When buying Gibson guitars keep it original as when you sell it down the road you will make the most money. Great video Austin!

[@joejones9520]

why would a luthier want to risk his reputation for a few extra bucks? I would think the type person who would become a luthier wouldnt be the con-artist type.

[@cvfunnsixspeed9213]

I like the guitar regardless of what it started life as. At least from the video here, whoever put this together did a fantastic job. With that said, not sure what I would pay for it....

[@tinksthemetalg1945]

Not 6 grand that's for sure!!

[@RuthlessMojo]

That serial number you thought was a 0 looks like a 6.

[@grantcindrich]

Yo

[@rondobondo6600]

You win the wallmart aword wooohooo you are absolutely amazing 🍪 🍪 🍪

[@grantcindrich]

@@rondobondo6600 you are too rondo🤘🤘

[@bikerjon8934]

👍

[@sgt.grinch3299]

Congratulations on climbing to the summit of the Mole Hill and earning a Gold Medal

[@scottbogfoot]

Cheers Grant! 😃

[@VidMashUp]

Actually all the inlays starting from the first fret are different sizes and many of them are not even centered.

[@jimmyjames2022]

I love Trogly's Detective Agency! I have to wonder who would pay for such extensive mods as this 81 Liberace V. Labor of love?

[@geezberry8889]

it's an Ed Roman re-bodied V

[@avivpinto4013]

Only the heritage 80models, the es and the korinas had the the e Tim Shaws

[@hughwilliams870]

Its a "THE V", the tail piece has been relocated because on the original ones the tail piece was further back, when they put the top on it they relocated it to the normal position. The truss rod was a normal 2 screw cover that said 'THE V". Looks like this has a original body and neck and not much else.

[@1969stanpoulan]

I agree. Someone took out the dirty fingers pick-ups and replaced them as well as the wiring.

[@JokersWild70]

That 12th fret block definitely looks wide compared to the others. It's a beautiful guitar, but is it all stock? No way. Not even close.

[@sunn_bass]

Looks like some of the mods that Ed Roman Guitars would do years back.

[@blodpudding]

IMO too many red flags to even sell it as a Gibson. If it was a Gibson Flying-V/"The V", like you said yourself, it would not have two separate holes for each pickup. So not only would they have to put on a maple cap but route out the mahogany core and replace it to drill new holes but I don't see any evidence of that in the control cavity so I would not risk it at all.