January 2002 Issue - World's Largest Playable Flying V Guitar Sets Guinness World Record
By Larry Meiners
Scott Rippetoe and his team from The Academy of Science and Technology (Texas) built the world's largest playable guitar over an eight-month period that ended in June 2000. They constructed a super-sized Flying V because Scott remembered seeing Jimi Hendrix play one and he was impressed. The team submitted an application to the Guinness Book of World Records for official recognition of their accomplishment.
Gibson sent the team Flying V drawings and a '67 Reissue Flying V guitar to use as a model. Gibson's website reports that Rippetoe's team received confirmation that their Flying V is officially "the largest playable guitar in the world" according to an email sent by Guinness. The mammoth Flying V measures over 43 feet besting the old mark of a little over 38 feet.
You can read more about this giant Flying V and all the other Flying V models built from 1958-2001 in the book titled, Flying V - The Illustrated History, $19.95 retail price, available at JK Lutherie, 1-800-344-8880, or check their website JKLUTHERIE.COM.
2002 © Larry Meiners All Rights Reserved