Gibson Flying V model details
1980s Rudolf Schenker Custom Shop Flying V
This early Rudolf Schenker Flying V is associated with the black-and-cream split finish that became his signature look. The archive’s photographs show a cream-colored side that now appears gold, along with a “Custom Shop Original” decal. References place Gibson’s Rudolf Schenker Signature Flying V introduction in 1984, while surviving guitars and sale records include examples dated 1985. That points to an early-to-mid-1980s model, but the available evidence does not establish a continuous production span or an exact run size.
Photographs courtesy of Bob.
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Model / period | Early Rudolf Schenker-associated Gibson Flying V. A 1984 introduction is reported in secondary references; surviving examples and listings include 1985-dated guitars. |
| Finish | Split dark and cream finish. In the supplied photographs, the lighter side has a strong gold/yellow appearance. Listings describe cream finishes aging toward gold, but the photos alone do not establish the exact original shade or cause of the color change. |
| Custom Shop marking | The photographed guitar carries a “Custom Shop Original” decal. Gibson used Custom Shop wording on some instruments in this period; the decal by itself does not establish that this was a numbered, factory-wide limited edition. |
| Production years | References identify a 1984 Rudolf Schenker Signature release, and examples are documented as 1985. The evidence found so far supports those years but does not determine whether production ran continuously between them or continued beyond them. |
| Reported quantity | No reliable production total has been located. These guitars may be scarce, but their rarity cannot currently be expressed as a confirmed number or limited-run claim. |
| Related later models | This early guitar is separate from the 1993 Rudolf Schenker model and the later 2013 Gibson USA signature model. The reported 400-piece quantity applies to the 2013 model only. |
Production totals and dates for the early Custom Shop-marked examples remain undocumented in the sources cited here. Dealer descriptions are useful leads, but should not be treated as Gibson factory production records.
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