"FLYING Vs ARE AS METAL AS IT GETS!"

You’ve read the review! Now MEGADETH main man Dave Mustaine talks us through the design and specs for his latest signature Flying Vs

- Amit Sharma

Rumours of Dave Mustaine ending his partnership with Dean Guitars were confirmed in February 2021 when a video of Megadeth mascot Vic Rattlehead brandishing a sword carved with the words ‘Rust In Peace’ was uploaded onto Gibson’s social media channels. So far there have been a handful of Gibson Flying V EXP signature electrics, as well as a Songwriter acoustic, and this year sees the introduction of new models to the American  company’s other brands. Here, the Megadeth man explains all…

Tell us about your relationship with Epiphone and Kramer prior to this…

I can’t say I knew much about Kramer or Epiphone before this new relationship with Gibson. But I always felt Kramers had to be great if people like Eddie Van Halen were using them! And there were some other players I really respected and admired who were playing them too, like Warren DeMartini – who was a guitarist I always looked up to, regardless of what people say about hair metal bands! A lot of people in LA were playing Kramers. And of course Epiphone have been around for a bazillion years. So when I went over and started working with Gibson, I actually started getting a bunch of flack from people who were saying ‘Oh yeah, Gibson isn’t a metal company!’ And I said, ‘Well, it is now!’ As well as being world class instruments, these Flying Vs are as metal as it gets.

What is it that drew you to less conventional body shapes like Explorers and Flying Vs?