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J Geils 1958 Flying V

Skindakota

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Joined
Dec 21, 2018
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12
Does anyone have any information on J Geils 1958 Flying V, pickups, builder, etc? I know it has been overseas in a japan for a long time. I'm looking on having a replica built in the future and I'm trying to get as much info as possible.
 

seafood

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Jun 11, 2003
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379
from guitar player magazine....february...1974....interview with j.....it's an original 1958 model..customized by ed murray of ...e.u. wurlitzer music in boston......it has 4 knobs instead of 3 ,,,,,mother of pearl binding and all gold plated hardware....guitarist ronnie montrose,,,gave him a preamp,,,built inside the guitar ,,,that increases the pickups gain without,,,altering the sound.it's wired to the treble pickup..and has a bypass switch,,,to change back for rhythm....also he says he uses 9-42 guage strings!!!!.......the great collector Mac Yasuda...has j's v ,,,,in newport beach california......i saw the Geils band many times back in the day!!!!
 

Skindakota

New member
Joined
Dec 21, 2018
Messages
12
from guitar player magazine....february...1974....interview with j.....it's an original 1958 model..customized by ed murray of ...e.u. wurlitzer music in boston......it has 4 knobs instead of 3 ,,,,,mother of pearl binding and all gold plated hardware....guitarist ronnie montrose,,,gave him a preamp,,,built inside the guitar ,,,that increases the pickups gain without,,,altering the sound.it's wired to the treble pickup..and has a bypass switch,,,to change back for rhythm....also he says he uses 9-42 guage strings!!!!.......the great collector Mac Yasuda...has j's v ,,,,in newport beach california......i saw the Geils band many times back in the day!!!!
Do you know anyone who can get some detailed photos of the guitar? I spoke with a builder and he would need some detailed photos of the guitar to perform the work as well as quote it.
 

seafood

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Jun 11, 2003
Messages
379
i'll look around for you and see what i can do,,,,photo-wise. sounds like a cool project........i have a million old guitar magazines!!!!!!!:)
 

seafood

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Jun 11, 2003
Messages
379
hey! i don't know how to put in a link....checkout....www.j-guitar.com........very detailed photos of the''v''
 

corpse

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Jun 9, 2007
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4,876
He used it on SNL back in the day. He played Love Stinks on it. I am sure it is on YouTube.
 

IMMUSICRULZ

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May 25, 2021
Messages
616
And I am pretty sure the video for Concealed Weapons shows J Geils playing that Gibson Flying V. I wish I owned it.

I miss J. Geils, Not sure about anyone else, but he was an underrated guitarist. Monkey Island and Bloodshot are fantastic records. Was listening to them as I was writing this post. But my copy of Bloodshot is pressed on black vinyl instead of red. Maybe it was a repress?
He also played a blue Fender Telecaster that was featured in the video for Angel In Blue.
J Geils owned a few Gibson Les Paul guitars. A 1959 sunburst Gibson Les Paul was sold in 2012, a black Gibson Les Paul, a 1977 Gibson Les Paul sunburst with strings missing and a broken neck was auctioned off when he died, and he also owned a 1954 Sunburst Fender Stratocaster that was auctioned off when he died in 2017. He also owned an orange 1936 Gibson ES-150 electric guitar, a Gibson L5 owned by Howard Alden, a Gibson ES 345, a Martin D28 acoustic guitar, a Gibson ES350, a Gibson ES5 and a lot of Fender Telecaster electric guitars, most notably in the video for Angel In Blue.
He also played Music Man amps.
J Geils were a great jazz-rock and blues-rock styled band, and even though I love Centerfold and Freeze Frame, they didn't hold a candle to Looking For A Love or Give It To Me.

Most if not all of his guitars were auctioned off after he died in 2017.
 

IMMUSICRULZ

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May 25, 2021
Messages
616
Geils also played that Gibson Flying V in this performance of House Party from 1977:


I wish I had been born back then. J Geils was a good concert band.
 

Phil 52

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Sep 7, 2005
Messages
823
In his later days J was more into Ferrari sportscars than music.
I very much understand that 'cause it's the same with me.
Though with me it's Aston Martin.
 

MattD1960

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Mar 17, 2009
Messages
749
Last I heard someone collector in Japan had Jays V........ I Wonder if that has changed. ANYONE KNOW ANYTHING
 

Amp360

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Feb 16, 2012
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852
I remember Mr. Music was selling some of his guitars a while back.
 

MattD1960

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Mar 17, 2009
Messages
749
Well we got one hell of an answer to this question this weekend. Fried Okra strikes again and has got Jays V back in the USA and in a fine fine collection where it should be. and lucky for us he tends to post about all the great guitars he has so we will see it on IG and FB. SO GLAD its back and gonna be seen. Jays a huge influence growing up in southeastern MA and RI you heard alot of J geils band on classic rock radio and I LOVED his playing
 
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