Epiphone Jimi Hendrix “Love Drops” Flying V Electric Guitar – Ebony

An Axe As Bold As Love

The Epiphone Jimi Hendrix “Love Drops” Flying V is an eye-grabbing re-creation of the iconic instrument Hendrix wielded onstage and — allegedly — in the studio from mid-1967 until early 1969, when he gave the guitar away to Eire Apparent’s Mick Cox. This mind-bending solidbody electric guitar features a mahogany “V”-shaped body, which is adorned with a stunning replica of the original’s hand-painted psychedelic artwork. The Hendrix Flying V includes a one-piece, rounded “C”-shape mahogany neck with a historic long heel and an easy-playing 22-fret Indian laurel fingerboard. A set of unpotted, Alnico III-loaded Gibson USA Custombuckers equips this Epiphone with a period-accurate tone inspired by early PAF pickups. You also get a LockTone Tune-o-matic bridge with a short Maestro Vibrola tailpiece for added expression, along with deluxe tuning machines with double-ring keystone buttons. Witch hat knobs, mother-of-pearl fingerboard inlays, and a durable gloss finish contribute to a head-turning look that’s guaranteed to inspire creativity every time you pick this guitar up. A true stunner, the Epiphone Jimi Hendrix “Love Drops” Flying V offers you an accessible opportunity to get your hands on one of the psychedelic era’s boldest symbols.

The story of Hendrix’s ’67 Flying V

Nobody is entirely sure when or where Jimi Hendrix obtained his 1967 Flying V. However, the consensus is that he bought it sometime during the summer of 1967, possibly when he was staying in New York City. Regardless of the specifics, Hendrix began appearing onstage with the Flying V, which he had hand-painted with distinctive psychedelic artwork, in July 1967. This Flying V quickly became one of Hendrix’s go-to guitars during live performances, second only to his famous Olympic White axe. The guitar is also alleged to have been used on studio recordings, notably “All Along the Watchtower,” “Little Miss Strange,” and select BBC radio sessions, but these claims are largely speculative. Despite his obvious affection for the instrument, in January 1969, Hendrix gave his ’67 Flying V to Mick Cox of the Irish band Eire Apparent, who stripped its finish and resold it in 1973. The guitar floated around for decades, eventually landing in the hands of David Brewis, the co-founder of the rock’ n’ roll memorabilia brokerage Rock Stars Guitars, who painstakingly re-created Hendrix’s artwork using old photographs. An acetate transfer of Brewis’ re-created artwork was later supplied to Gibson to help ensure that their replicas, such as this Epiphone Jimi Hendrix “Love Drops” Flying V, are as faithful to the original as possible.