Gibson is honoring Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ five-decade legacy with a limited-edition 50th Anniversary Flying V, inspired by the iconic Heartbreakers logo featured on the band’s self-titled 1976 debut album.
Dubbed the “Flying Five,” the collection features a quintet of distinctive finishes. Only 50 guitars will be produced in each color worldwide.
“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,” comments Adria Petty, Tom Petty’s daughter.
“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.
“The collection honors Tom and the Heartbreakers’ history while giving musicians and fans a new way to carry that spirit forward.”
Built with a mahogany body and matching neck, the 50th anniversary model pairs the classic V silhouette with the Heartbreakers’ legacy.
It features a SlimTaper neck and rosewood fretboard with a 12" radius, 22 medium jumbo frets, and acrylic dot inlays. The guitar also boasts a mother-of-pearl Gibson headstock logo, Grover Rotomatic tuners, and a Graph Tech nut.
Tribute touches come by way of the Heartbreaker 50th truss rod cover, a reproduction of Tom Petty’s signature on the back of the headstock, and, of course, those five gloss nitrocellulose lacquer finishes: Gainesville Gold, Graphite Metallic, Heartbreaker Red, Pearl White Metallic and Pelham Blue.
Other specs include a pair of ’70s Tribute humbucker pickups, individual volume controls, a master tone control with an Orange Drop capacitor, and a three-way pickup selector.
Finishing touches include the gold-plated hardware, which includes an aluminum Nashville Tune-O-Matic bridge and Stop Bar tailpiece.
The Tom Petty Flying V 50th Anniversary guitars and accompanying apparel are now available at Gibson Garage locations and online.
For more information, head to Gibson.
