Brian's Gibson Firebird VII

In several threats there were discussions about the whereabouts of Brian’s Reverse Firebird VII that he used in 1965 and 1966.

The guitar -a 1963 model- is or was owned by British guitarist and collector Neil Flemming, he also owned Keith’s Flying V. The guitar was sold by Mick Taylor in the mid-1980’s to Neil Flemming through mutual friend Phil Harris, who was known to be one of the biggest collectors and seller of vintage guitars, much like Norm Harris and George Gruhn. It is unknown to me if Taylor had the guitar when he left the Stones or that he received it at some point later in time. He did have a vintage guitar collection in the early 1980’s that he sold some time later to relocate to the US.

The guitar was in bad shape with the headstock being repaired from a complete brake. Apparently after the repair the neck is pretty thin and fragile around the break and does not get much play anymore. All the hardware (gold has worn off) and finish is original and still has the original case.














Keith Richards Flying V

Keith’s 1958 Flying V (serial number 8 8698) was stolen from Nellcote in autumn 1971. In the early 1980’s it was purchased by British guitarist and collector Neil Flemming. The guitar was in bad shape, most visibly at the headstock where the front face laminate was completely removed. The guitar was restored back to original by Roger Giffin, luthier to the stars in the 1980’s who went on to head up Gibson's Custom Shop and now is of Giffin guitars. It is now owned by Armand Serra of ‘Guitar EXP’, a French collector and author of a most excellent book on many famous guitars.

Pricing of Flying V’s in the 1980’s was around $13,000 when in complete original shape, they now fetch anywhere between US$300K and US$500K.

The guitar was offered to Keith Richards after it had been offered to a number of other players in London, including Jimmy Page. Page recorded You Shook me with it, but couldn’t afford to purchase the guitar. Pictures show the guitar being used recording Exile, but it is unknown on which songs.













Mathijs

Noted damage notwithstanding, they've both survived in pretty good cosmetic nick

That Flying V ruined the Hyde Park Concert being out of tune for most part of the show...Can someone please set fire to it?

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danicarton
That Flying V ruined the Hyde Park Concert being out of tune for most part of the show...Can someone please set fire to it?

..." The bad workman..." and all that.

The issues on that day were substantially due to the ambient temperatures in the dressing/tune up area being very different from those on stage.

These days it would all be foreseen and taken care of.

Back in those days they never gave it any thought and just tuned to a handy gob-iron with the guitar headstock wedged in the ear hole .



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023-12-28 16:28 by Spud.

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danicarton
That Flying V ruined the Hyde Park Concert being out of tune for most part of the show...Can someone please set fire to it?

That really had a lot more to do with the tuning capabilities of Keith: he was out of tune for most of the 1969 tour.

Mathijs

Yes. I heard some out of tunes here and there, but Hyde Park must be in the top one. Nobody noticed him in between songs?

It?s a pitty that I can't stand 2 of the most iconic rock shows of history.
One being the Hyde Park due to the Keith's out of tune guitar and the other the magnificent "The Last Waltz" from The Band when I realized that all the Rick Danko's bass parts were overdubbed and that he is always playing different things to what you see...Annoying
Sorry if someone didn't notice and I have ruined for him the Last Waltz too...Hahahahah

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Mathijs
Keith Richards Flying V
Keith’s 1958 Flying V (serial number 8 8698) was stolen from Nellcote in autumn 1971. In the early 1980’s it was purchased by British guitarist and collector Neil Flemming.

Mathijs

Thank you for your great input - as always - on the Stones guitars! Did not know these details about the Flying V in the 80s. Somehow the images in your post have broken links here, so I dont see them. Hopefully they will reappear.
The Flying V was present both in the early and later sessions at Nellcote (thus up until late September), but you are right - impossible to know exactly on which tracks.

Pete Townshend once demolished John Entwistle's Gibson Thunderbird bass on stage. I don't know John's reaction after the concert.

Below an isolated bass track

Good stuff Mathijs. If you had to guess which Exile song or songs Keith played the Flying V on, do you have an idea?

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Mathijs

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danicarton
That Flying V ruined the Hyde Park Concert being out of tune for most part of the show...Can someone please set fire to it?

That really had a lot more to do with the tuning capabilities of Keith: he was out of tune for most of the 1969 tour.

Mathijs

Point taken...tuning was perhaps just one thing he was regularly out of

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keefgotsoul
Good stuff Mathijs. If you had to guess which Exile song or songs Keith played the Flying V on, do you have an idea?

I think that's quite impossible to hear, really. A Telecaster through an Ampeg amp is quite distinguishable (Casino Boogie, Happy, Turd on the Run, All Down The Line, Soul Survivor etc), Taylor's use of the vari-tone on the ES-355 can be heard quite well (slide in All Down The Line, solo's on Rocks Off, Casino Boogie etc), but all the other guitar parts...He still used the LP Custom a lot, and the Ampeg Dan Armstrong, and Taylor's SG, and the ES-355, and they basically are indistinguishable from the sound of a Flying V on record.

Mathijs