MEGADETH leader DAVE MUSTAINE discusses his new flying V EXP guitar
23-02-2022
A longer promotional video for the Dave Mustaine Flying V EXP, which is available in Antique Natural and Silver Metallic finishes is now released by Gibson.
Watch the video below.
Gibson is truly honored to be working with Mustaine, a guitarist, songwriter, and bandleader who formed MEGADETH at the dawn of the American thrash metal movement. Mustaine has sold 38 million records worldwide, earned six platinum albums, and is a Grammy Award winner, cancer survivor, and a certified first degree black belt in Ukidokan Karate, and Songahm Taekwondo, an honorary fourth degree black belt and Goodwill Ambassador in the World Taekwondo Federation, and is currently on the way to a first degree black belt in Gracie Barra Jiu-Jitsu.
The Dave Mustaine Flying V EXP guitars are the first in the new Dave Mustaine Collection. These guitars deliver the powerful, heavy sounds and exceptional playing performance on the stage and in the studio that Dave demands. The 25.5″ scale mahogany neck has an ebony fretboard with a compound fretboard radius, 24 medium jumbo frets, mother of pearl “teeth” inlays, an Explorer-style headstock with Grover Mini Rotomatic tuners with Kidney buttons, and a Graph Tech nut. The mahogany Flying V-style body is equipped with a Tune-O-Matic bridge, a Stop Bar tailpiece, and a pair of Dave Mustaine‘s signature Seymour Duncan Thrash Factor pickups. The Flying Vs are available in both an Antique Natural and a Silver Metallic nitrocellulose lacquer finish which are complemented by black chrome hardware. A hardshell case is also included.
For more information about the Dave Mustaine Flying V EXP guitars, go to this location.
In February 2021, Gibson officially announced a new partnership with Mustaine, who joined the company as a Brand Ambassador. The new Dave Mustaine Collection will span acoustic and electric guitars across Gibson, Epiphone and Kramer.
Ranked No. 1 by Joel McIver in “The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists” book, Mustaine godfathered fast-heavy-metal guitar generations, first as the original lead guitarist for METALLICA, and then as the founder of legendary MEGADETH.
In 1983, Mustaine founded MEGADETH, and the band released its first album two years later, established Dave and his bandmates as pioneers in the thrash metal movement. The band has since sold 38 million albums worldwide, including five consecutive platinum or multi-platinum albums in the U.S., while garnering 12 Grammy nominations. MEGADETH also landed a 2017 Grammy for “Best Metal Performance” for “Dystopia”, the title track of the band’s 2016 album.
Prior to MEGADETH, Mustaine was an early member of METALLICA. Before leaving the band in 1983, he had co-written a half dozen songs that would appear on METALLICA‘s first two albums.
In the video game arena, Mustaine composed the Grammy-nominated MEGADETH track “Sudden Death” for the 2010 release “Guitar Hero: Warriors Of Rock”. The game also featured two other Mustaine-composed MEGADETH songs: 1990’s “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due” and 2009’s “This Day We Fight!”
MEGADETH recently completed work on its 16th studio album for a tentative summer 2022 release.
“One of first albums I ever bought was ‘KISS Alive’. On the back of that LP was the Gibson logo, followed by ‘KISS uses Gibson guitars because they want the best.’ Period,” says Dave Mustaine. “Years later, I’m still that same fan, but now I’ve been playing, touring, writing, and performing around the world myself, and I can say that I could not agree more with that statement. As I was looking for a change in my guitars, I met with Cesar and got his perspective on the vision and direction Gibson is taking. I saw passion, respect for the instruments, a focus on quality and a company that is led by guitar players. I feel I am finally at home with Gibson and I am proud of what we’re building together. I can’t wait for the world to get their hands on the new Gibson, Epiphone and Kramer Dave Mustaine Collection guitars. This is a dream come true for me, don’t #@!# wake me up.”
“It’s an honor to welcome icon, pioneer and visionary musician Dave Mustaine to the Gibson family as our brand ambassador“, said Cesar Gueikian of Gibson Brands. “Dave is one of the most influential metal icons and riff lords of all time, having paved the way for multiple generations of players to carry the flag for hard rock and heavy metal, from riff writers to shredders and everyone in between. Working with Dave is especially gratifying because he is a guitar nerd like me, who gets involved in every aspect of the development of the concepts and ideas we have been designing with him at the Gibson Lab. When I was as kid learning how to play guitar, I aspired to play Dave‘s riffs and I was one of the fortunate fans who attended their ‘Youthanasia’ tour concert at Estadio Obras Sanitarias in 1994, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where the ‘Aguante Megadeth’ chant was born over the song ‘Symphony Of Destruction’. That was an epic night that I will never forget. I look forward to bringing this partnership to life and unveiling the first stages of the Dave Mustaine Collection to the world.”
In November 2019, Mustaine sold off much of his gear, including several Dean prototype signature models that he had used over the years. Two months ago, he confirmed that he was going separate ways with Dean after spending 13 years with the company.
Mustaine‘s Gibson announcement comes two months after a employee for the American guitar maker accidentally leaked an image of a guitar that some devoted guitar aficionados speculated could be Mustaine‘s new signature model. The same prototype model was also spotted in an Instagram post by Gueikian.
When Mustaine‘s deal with Dean was first announced back in January 2007, he said he chose Dean over other guitar companies “because they understand the value of Dave Mustaine and MEGADETH. And it’s mutual,” he explained. “I know that this is the right place for me to finish out my career, endorsing their products, and having my guitars made by Dean.”
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