Gibson introduces the Rudolf Schenker Flying V, with artist approved specs and a striking black and white finish.
The Flying V has been Schenker’s main axe throughout his career, so it would only make sense that it was picked for his signature guitar.
For those not in the know, Rudolf Schenker is the German guitar wizard who founded the iconic band Scorpions in 1965 when he was still in his teens.
The band’s mixture of melodic ballads and hard rock sound helped it gain worldwide commercial success, of which Schenker’s licks, tones and style where on the front lines. Now Gibson honors his musical achievements by having his name and approval stamped on his Gibson Signature Flying V.
The body of the guitar follows the typical Gibson Flying V configuration, having a solid mahogany body carved into a V shape. This shape gives the guitar a rock friendly look and makes it lighter.
Rudolf specifically requested that the solid-mahogany neck be carved into his preferred profile, measuring 0.775″ at the 1st fret and 0.900″ at the 12th. The fretboard is crafted from Granadillo hardwood and runs up to 22 frets. The headstock is made smaller than the original, as per Schenker’s suggestion.
The guitar has a 57′ Classic PAF humbucker on the neck and a ’57 Plus Classic PAF humbucker on the bridge. These pickups are designed to match the voicing of old PAF humbuckers, which Gibson describes as being both warm and deep. Being designed for a rocker like Schenker, the pickups are tweaked for compatibility with high-gain amps and pedals, they can be used to produce crunchy rhythms and wailing leads. Controls are kept to traditional configuration, with a three-way selector switch controlling the pickups, along with two independent volume knobs and one master tone control.
The Rudolf Schenker Flying V does not stray too far from the classic design, featuring a Tune-o-matic bridge with stop bar tailpiece, Grover tuners and a double wide pickguard that matches the black and white finish of the guitar.
Rudolf Schenker shares the story behind his first Flying V:
The Gibson Rudolf Schenker Flying V has an MSRP of $2,498. For more information, you can visit Gibson.
Related Articles:
Epiphone Bret Hinds Flying-V Custom
Build your own Signature Guitar with one of these electric guitar kits.