Bugsy! – 2012 Vintage V60 Flying V – Gloss Black

There are guitars which quietly suggest that their owner might enjoy rock music.

Bugsy looks like he owns a casino.

Dressed head to toe in gloss black, cream and gold, Bugsy is a 2012 Vintage V60 Flying V from the Trev Wilkinson/JHS era, and he may be one of the most unnecessarily glamorous things we’ve had through the workshop.

Which, given our recent inventory, is quite an achievement.

The classic V-shaped body is paired with a set neck and bound rosewood fingerboard carrying 22 frets, with a familiar 24.75-inch scale that makes Bugsy considerably more traditional under the hands than his silhouette might suggest.

Most people who’ve played a V also know the sitting struggle, but Bugsy has another trick up his immaculately tailored sleeve: a beautifully carved knee-swell that makes playing seated considerably more comfortable.

Then somebody discovered gold plating.

The Wilkinson Deluxe machine heads are gold. The Tune-O-Matic bridge is gold. Both Wilkinson humbuckers are gold-covered.

Even the six strings disappear through the body beneath an enormous gold V-shaped anchor plate, apparently because simply putting them through the back would have lacked sufficient theatre.

We respect the commitment.

Those twin Wilkinson humbuckers are controlled by a three-way selector, with individual volume controls for each pickup and a master tone.

At the neck there’s plenty of warmth and fullness, while the bridge provides considerably more bite when required. Between them, Bugsy covers everything from warmer, fuller sounds through classic rock and into heavier territory.

Not that he looks particularly interested in behaving himself.

More remarkably, he’s basically immaculate.

Flying Vs are extraordinarily talented at locating walls, doorframes, amplifier corners and every other hard object within a three-mile radius, so finding one of this age without the usual battered points is something of a minor miracle.

Bugsy’s points are clean. His deep black finish is beautifully preserved, the back is still reflective enough to tell you whether you’ve brushed your hair, and the gold hardware and cream plastics make the whole thing look considerably more expensive than good manners permit.

Apparently he spent his previous life in witness protection.

As always, looking pretty wasn’t enough to get him through our door.

Bugsy has been through The Stray Chord workshop, where he’s been thoroughly cleaned and inspected, his electronics checked and everything adjusted as required.

His frets have been levelled, individually recrowned and polished, his fretboard cleaned and conditioned, and he’s been fully set up, intonated and play-tested before being allowed anywhere near the adoption sofa.

What emerged is a remarkably well-preserved, discontinued Vintage Flying V with proper Wilkinson hardware, excellent playability and enough black-and-gold ostentation to make a 1970s casino owner feel underdressed.

Subtle, he is not.

But if subtle was the objective, buying a black and gold Flying V was probably an unusual place to start.

For someone who wants their guitar to enter the room approximately five minutes before they do.

Bugsy is ready for adoption.

£350

Collection welcome. Insured UK postage available.

The Stray Chord
Rescue • Restore • Rehome