Gibson has unveiled a limited edition Flying V to celebrate 50 years of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
There are five finishes on offer, each with the Heartbreakers logo engraved on the truss rod cover – and the price tag is much more approachable than you might expect from a Gibson limited run drop.
They are only making 50 of these Flying Vs in each finish –Pearl White, Gainesville Gold, Pelham Blue, Heartbreaker Red and Graphite Metallic – and yet the £2,499/$2,799 is par for the course for Gibson USA production line electric guitars. The launch coincides with an anniversary merch bundle, and celebrates a true American rock ’n’ roll institution. Not before time, says the late Tom Petty’s daughter, the filmmaker Adria Petty.
“The Heartbreakers logo has been part of the band’s identity since the first album, so seeing Gibson reinterpret it through the Flying V 50th anniversary edition feels overdue as they have been part of the story since the beginning. The V was an essential part of the imagery onstage for my dad as well as the band rose to fame in the 1970’s,” says Petty. “The collection honours Tom and the Heartbreakers’ history while giving musicians and fans a new way to carry that spirit forward.”
You will find Tom Petty’s signature on the back of the headstock, a pair of hand-wired ‘70s Tribute humbuckers doing the heavy lifting at the bridge and neck positions.
These have an all-mahogany construction, with a SlimTaper neck glued to the body in the time-honoured fashion.
There’s a 12” radius rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays. You’ve got gold hardware across the board, with Top Hat knobs, Grover Rotomatics with metal buttons, a Nashville Tune-O-Matic and a white multi-ply pickguard.
That price also includes a brown hard-shell guitar case with red plush lining. Those finish options speak Heartbreakers lore. Gainesville Gold is named for their hometown. Heartbreaker Red might be irresistible to some fans and yet a Pelham Blue Flying V with gold hardware and the otherwise ‘70s era appointments is absolutely going to be in demand.
We often talk about Gibson’s Murphy Lab releases as being collector instruments, and it’s the same deal here. Only 50 of each, best be quick.
“Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers have meant so much to so many, with timeless songs that continue to inspire us today,” says Beth Heidt, CMO at Gibson. “It is a profound honoUr to celebrate 50 years of that music through these instruments and this collection.
“Every Flying V and every piece of the apparel collection carries that incredible spirit forward, connecting with the fans who have loved them all along and the next generation ready to make these songs their own.”
If you want to make one of these Flying Vs your own then do not delay. Skedaddle over to Gibson now. They will be gone before you know it.
