One Off 2003-2005 Custom Shops
These two Gibson Custom Shop Flying Vs are shown together because they invite comparison. CS31673 has owner-reported construction details that differ from Gibson's written model description; the purple quilt-top guitar's build details are not known.
CS31673 — Host's 2003 Custom Shop Flying V (original owner)
Gibson’s written specifications for this model list a rosewood fingerboard and pearloid trapezoid inlays. The nearby serial-number guitars are documented with ebony fingerboards and pearloid block inlays; CS31673 appears to have those features too. Gibson’s specifications call for a one-piece mahogany neck, but this neck looks like flamed maple to me. They also call for two volume and two tone controls—a layout that differs from the guitars built around it. Gibson confirmed that the serial number and photos are consistent with a 2003 Gibson Custom Flying V Custom in Sunrise Teaburst, shipped November 24, 2003. Gibson also said the model had no publicly announced production limit. Despite that, CS31673 appears to differ from the nearby guitars in several aspects of its build.
Compare this guitar with the nearby serials, from CS31664/CS31668 through CS31676, in the serial-neighbor comparison.
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Additional details
- Figured maple top in Sunrise Teaburst.
- Early ’50s rounded neck profile, per Gibson's specifications.
- Large Gibson headstock logo.
- Burstbucker 1 (R) and Burstbucker 2 (T) pickups, as listed in Gibson's email.
Purple Translucent Quilt-Top Flying V
The photographs show a purple translucent quilt-top Flying V. The guitar is included as a neighboring Custom Shop example, but its build sheet and specific neck, fingerboard, electronics, and routing details have not been established here. No unverified specifications are assigned to it.
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Photos courtesy of Brian Goff's Bizarre Guitars.