Lonnie Mack’s guitar rig fetched over half a million dollars at a guitar auction that took place on October 15. The esteemed collection included Mack’s workhorse Flying V, dubbed “Number 7” because it was the seventh off the assembly line when Gibson first introduced the model.
The 1958 Flying V opened at $300,000 at Heritage Auctions’ Vintage Guitars and Musical Instruments Signature Auction. It ended up selling for $550,000, alongside his Magnatone Custom 440 combo amplifier and custom leather stage strap.
Just two days ago, Derek Trucks wielded the Flying V at a Tedeschi Trucks Band show at the Chicago Theatre. The new owner was revealed to be Bobby Tseitlin, the man behind Family Guitars – the “living, breathing guitar collection based in Chicago” with guitars that “continue to be played, heard, and experienced the way they were meant to be.”
Trucks laid down a blistering, improvisational solo that paid homage to Lonnie Mack’s unique style.
While Mack never quite became a household name, his ability to combine country- and blues-style fingerpicking influenced generations of players. This guitar is as influential as his playing, having featured on concert stages, television broadcasts, recording sessions, and album covers throughout his career.
The modifications to “Number 7” continue to add to its lore. Mack commissioned a guitar shop owner to add a Bigsby tremolo arm, which required a steel bar fitted between the Flying V’s two “wings” to brace the device.
He made such extensive use of it that guitarists began calling it a “whammy bar,” in reference to his debut single and album. As we all know, the nickname well and truly stuck.
And if that wasn’t enough, the guitar was also played through Stevie Ray Vaughan’s rig. The two guitarists ended up working together on 1985's Strike Like Lightning, Mack’s comeback record.
In addition to this historic Flying V, Trucks played another Tseitlin purchase earlier this year – Jerry Garcia’s iconic “Tiger” – just one day after it went under the hammer for an astounding $11.56 million.
“It’s super-unique. It weighs about 14lbs, which is about twice what my guitar weighs, but it’s super-articulate,” Trucks said in an interview with Howard Stern when talking about “Tiger”.
“There’s a unique sound. It was very Jerry Garcia-sounding – like, you play it, and you know it was his. It was a very 1980s instrument.”
