Back in February, Gibson announced that its first Dave Mustaine signature guitar, the Flying V EXP, would be receiving a wider release.
Having previously only been available as an ultra-limited edition model – which had to be ordered directly over the phone from the Gibson Garage – the electric guitar marked the first collaboration between the guitar giant and thrash titan, after they officially joined forces in February 2021.
Now, Gibson has announced the release of another luxurious, limited-edition Mustaine Flying V EXP, which features a few interesting twists and comes in two sweet finishes – Red Amber Burst and Ebony VOS.
This Mustaine V sports a mahogany body, like its more affordable predecessor, but features a top (figured maple on the Red Amber Burst model, maple on the Ebony VOS model) with five-ply binding, and three-ply binding on the headstock.
There's also a mahogany neck with a Graph Tech TUSQ nut and 25.5", 12" radius bound ebony fretboard sporting 24 Medium Jumbo frets with Mother of Pearl "teeth" inlays.
Also familiar is the pair of Seymour Duncan Dave Mustaine Thrash Factor pickups, which are again at the mercy of a pair of volume knobs, a master tone knob, and a three-way pickup switch. This time though, the pickups feature covers of either gold, on the Red Amber Burst V, or nickel, on the Ebony VOS V.
All hardware on the new Vs is finished in either gold (on the Red Amber Burst model), or nickel (Ebony VOS), a step up from the black chrome finish bestowed upon the hardware of the more widely available Mustaine V EXP models.
Mustaine’s signature, meanwhile, is reproduced on the truss rod cover, while his silhouette makes an appearance on the back of the guitar's headstock.
Perhaps the most notable feature of the entire guitar though, is – of all things – its tailpiece. Rather than the stop bar example found on Mustaine's previous Gibson Vs, this new model sports a string-through-body, Chevron-style tailpiece.
Why does that matter? Well, if you look at the V-style models the Megadeth frontman made with previous corporate partners (particularly one company that very recently lost a trademark battle in court with Gibson over V-shaped models, and was forced to stop producing them), you'll see that same style of tailpiece. Interesting timing, or just a coincidence? Either way, it's a very metal addition.
The new Gibson Dave Mustaine Flying V EXP model is available now – in a limited run of 75 examples of each finish – for $6,999. Each guitar comes with a certificate of authenticity and Mustaine signature hardshell guitar case.
For more info on the guitar, visit Gibson.
