I have no idea what kind of magic Epiphone is using these days – this Flying V is amazing! It’s just as resonant as my Gibson guitars. The neck has a fabulously fat '58 profile, and the finish is exquisite (...but unfortunately not nitrocellulose). No flaws in the wood, the grain of the korina looks stunning.
Many people complain about the ergonomics of the Flying V, but my experience is the complete opposite. Sitting down to play works like a charm – just use a strap, as it’s a lightweight guitar. I rest my arm on the upper V, and I experience no strain whatsoever. The upper frets are easily accessible, and the chunky neck fits my hands perfectly.
The pickups are surprisingly good. I do wish the neck pickup had a bit more treble and clarity, as it leans toward the bassier side. I’ve tried the guitar in a band setting, and it performs flawlessly – no need to upgrade anything. Maybe i will change the pickups anyway sometime in the future, even though it sounds good as is, to get that extra 10% tone... Unplugged, it has a surprisingly strong acoustic tone! (Maybe i was lucky with this particular guitar!)
The fretwork is solid, with no sharp fret ends on the guitar I received. Tones ring out beautifully on all frets. When I picked it up for the first time, the setup was good in terms of string height and neck relief, but the intonation was way off. Luckily, that’s an easy fix with a screwdriver – I sorted it out in 10 minutes.
I used to be a Strat-only kind of guy, but now I’m a Flying V convert! I’m picky about instruments and mainly play fusion, jazz, and blues (on every fret of the neck!) – and this guitar ticks all the boxes, at least for me.
Thank you, Thomann!
){kind=logo}
