Celebrating One of Heavy Metal’s Most Iconic Guitars
Metallica fans around the world are well-acquainted with Kirk Hammett’s 1979 Flying V. This guitar marked Kirk’s first Gibson and ignited his lifelong passion for the brand. The decision to buy it was influenced by legendary Flying V™ players he admired and his desire for a richer, more powerful sound. And what a sound it turned out to be! Kirk still plays the original guitar today, having used it on all of Metallica’s early albums, including Kill ‘Em All, Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets, …And Justice for All, and The Black Album, cementing its place as one of heavy metal’s most significant instruments.
Now, Epiphone has teamed up with the Gibson Custom Shop to release the Epiphone Kirk Hammett 1979 Flying V, a faithful recreation of Kirk’s cherished original. It features a mahogany body, a one-piece mahogany neck with volute, Grover® Rotomatic® machine heads with “spade” buttons, and a custom bridge. The high-quality electronics include a pair of Gibson USA Calibrated T-Type humbucker™ pickups, CTS® potentiometers, an Orange Drop® capacitor, a Switchcraft® 3-way pickup selector toggle switch, and a 1/4” output jack. A Kirk Hammett logo is featured on the back of the headstock, and a black hardshell case with a plush red interior is included for safekeeping.
