The Love History Between Mustaine and the Flying V

By Dara Christine, Setptember 2025

For most guitarists, the Flying V is love at first sight. Its razor-sharp lines scream rebellion, its presence commands attention, and its history bleeds rock ’n’ roll. But not for Dave Mustaine. When the V first crossed his path back in the early Metallica days, he shrugged it off. Too weird. Too awkward. Too unplayable. Hardly the weapon of choice for a hungry shredder on the rise.

And yet, fate had other plans.

Before the V, Mustaine’s journey ran through humble territory: an $80 Gibson SG copy, then a Les Paul copy, and soon after an Ibanez Destroyer—a knockoff Explorer that already hinted at his taste for radical shapes. But when he picked up that first Flying V, the connection wasn’t instant. Its alien geometry threw him off. “I didn’t think much of it because of the weird shape,” he admitted. “I didn’t think it was very playable.”

But the more he pushed, the more the V revealed its secrets. In the studio, Mustaine discovered he could lock the guitar between his legs, freeing his hands to truly float—no longer fighting the neck, but commanding it. That single revelation flipped the script. Suddenly, the Flying V wasn’t a gimmick—it was a game changer. Onstage, its balance, its stance, its sheer attitude made perfect sense. And soon, that “weird shape” became an extension of Mustaine himself.

From there, the obsession only grew. What started as resistance turned into devotion, until the Flying V became his lifelong partner in crime. Its jagged silhouette wasn’t just iconic—it became synonymous with Megadeth’s ferocious sound and image. Mustaine and the V weren’t just player and guitar. They were a statement, a weapon, a symbol.

That love story eventually culminated in 2021, when the long-whispered Gibson partnership finally materialized. The Dave Mustaine Collection launched with a fleet of metal machines: the Flying V EXP in Metallic Silver, the Kramer Flying V Vanguard in Natural, and the jaw-dropping Flying V 30th Anniversary Rust in Peace Edition. Epiphone soon followed with the Flying V Prophecy and the Flying V Custom, cementing Mustaine as one of the true poster boys of the V.

Decades on, Dave Mustaine and the Flying V are inseparable—a pairing as inevitable as distortion and volume. What began as skepticism has become obsession. The Flying V isn’t just part of Mustaine’s history.

It is his history.

Gear Box: Mustaine’s Flying V Arsenal

Flying V EXP (Gibson, Metallic Silver)

Notes: Designed for precision and brutal clarity on stage.

Body: Mahogany

Neck: 24.75” scale, slim taper

Pickups: Active humbuckers (Dave’s signature preference)

Hardware: Locking tuners, fixed bridge

Flying V Vanguard (Kramer, Natural)

Notes: Stripped-down, no-nonsense attitude—classic thrash aesthetics.

Body: Mahogany

Neck: Slim maple neck with ebony fingerboard

Pickups: High-output humbuckers

Flying V 30th Anniversary Rust in Peace Edition (Gibson Custom Shop)

Notes: Collectors’ dream, tied to Megadeth’s most celebrated album.

Body: Mahogany with flamed maple top

Neck: 24 frets, custom profile

Pickups: Burstbucker set

Finish: Custom “Rust in Peace” graphics

Flying V Prophecy (Epiphone)

Notes: Affordable but pro-level, designed for modern shredders.

Body: Mahogany with flame maple veneer

Neck: 24-fret ebony fingerboard, 25.5” scale

Pickups: Fishman Fluence Modern humbuckers

Flying V Custom (Epiphone)

Notes: Classic look with Mustaine’s modern punch.

Body: Mahogany

Neck: Bound ebony fretboard with block inlays

Pickups: Custom humbuckers tuned to Mustaine’s specs

By Dara Christine @darachriss

Photo Credit : Gibson