Gibson launches limited-edition Tom Petty Flying V guitars to mark the Heartbreakers’ 50th anniversary
Gibson has released a limited run of 250 Flying V guitars honouring the 50th anniversary of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, alongside a lifestyle collection of apparel, accessories and collectibles developed with the Tom Petty Estate.
The guitars, dubbed the “Flying Five,” come in five gloss nitrocellulose finishes: Gainesville Gold, Graphite Metallic, Heartbreaker Red, Pearl White Metallic and Pelham Blue with only 50 made in each colour.
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The design is inspired by the Heartbreakers logo from the band’s self-titled 1976 debut album. Adria Petty, the late musician’s daughter, said the logo has been a part of the brand’s identity since that first record and that the V was an essential part of the stage imagery for her father as the band rose to fame in the 1970s.
“The collection honours Tom and the Heartbreakers’ history while giving musicians and fans a new way to carry that spirit forward,” she said.
Specs
Each instrument has a mahogany body and neck, a SlimTaper neck profile and a rosewood fretboard with a 12-inch radius and 22 medium jumbo frets. Two 70s Tribute humbucker pickups are wired by hand with individual volume controls, a master tone control and a three-way selector. Hardwire is gold-plated and includes Grover Rotomatic tuners and a Nashville Tune-O-Matic bridge.
Commemorative touches include a Heartbreaker 50th truss rod cover and a reproduction of Petty’s signature on the back of the headstock. Every guitar ships in a Gibson hardshell case.
Apparel and collectibles
Credit: Gibson
Made with Nashville-based apparel brand imogene + willie at the request of the Petty Estate, the line includes four American-made, screen-printed T-shirts, a patch-covered green military shirt jacket and a black “Backstage” work jacket. The most exclusive item is a black steerhide leather jacket, made with Schott N.Y.C., that reimagines the jacket Petty wore on the cover of the 1976 debut album. Only 75 will be made worldwide. Its striped satin lining nods to the black-and-white blazer Petty wore on the cover of the 1978 UK single Listen to Her Heart.
Other items include a Zippo lighter, a bandana, a snapback cap, a guitar strap, a pick tin, a sticker set and a Flying V mini guitar.
To develop the collection, Gibson sent a team to the Tom Petty Clubhouse in Van Nuys, California, to go through archived artifacts from the band’s history.
Learn more at Gibson.
Credit: Gibson
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
