Eddie and the Mythical 1958 Gibson Flying V Prototype

June 27, 2014 4:06 PM

How Eddie Van Halen Got His Hands on an Ultra-Rare Flying V Prototype. In 1982, a guitar dealer hired by Eddie made a bogus deal for a legendary guitar and the original owner's son tells the tale.
posted by Benway (16 comments total)

Hm. Looks like that jackass dealer's store is now closed, in any case. I wonder what he's doing now. On the upside, I guess without this shady transaction, "Hot for Teacher" might never have sounded the way it did.
posted by limeonaire at 4:23 PM on June 27, 2014

I love Van Halen, but this guy will be the original master of the Killer V (he got the 7th of the line back in the day).
posted by jonmc at 4:49 PM on June 27, 2014 [1 favorite]

Dan Martin, the guitar dealer mentioned in the story, died back in 2007.
posted by Nat "King" Cole Porter Wagoner at 5:45 PM on June 27, 2014

I regret the fact that Dan essentially stole a priceless guitar from my family to make a quick buck and impress a rock star.

Getting something for a steal is not the same as actually -- or even essentially -- stealing something.

Dude made a trade, fair and square. There's a picture of the receipt right there.
posted by Sys Rq at 5:47 PM on June 27, 2014 [3 favorites]

Any other crimes involving Van Halen pale beside the crime against humanity that was bringing in Sammy Hagar.
posted by delfin at 5:54 PM on June 27, 2014 [3 favorites]

I don't really think that's fair and square unless you're an asshole though. A trade, sale, whatever where the person doesn't know all the details and/or you lie to them is somewhere between a scam and fraud.

I agree it's not theft, but it's definitely not fair and square. This isn't what actual honest adults do, this is some middle school pokemon card scam garbage.
posted by emptythought at 5:59 PM on June 27, 2014 [3 favorites]

This isn't what actual honest adults do, this is some middle school pokemon card scam garbage.

Perhaps, but what do you call agreeing to terms of a transaction, doing the transaction, signing off on it, and then, later, unsatisfied with the transaction, whining for "Backsies"?
posted by Sys Rq at 6:16 PM on June 27, 2014 [1 favorite]

I don't see anything that suggests the grandson is asking for it back. He's just telling the story of how his grandfather was conned.
posted by Joey Michaels at 6:21 PM on June 27, 2014 [3 favorites]

I don't see anything that suggests the grandson is asking for it back. He's just telling the story of how his grandfather was conned.

I agree. He would have a hard time getting it back, but everything is as legit as it can be. He just wanted to crow about the legendary V.

And Eddie has a huge guitar collection.. here are the Kramers and a few more.
posted by Benway at 6:30 PM on June 27, 2014

C'mon Dave, give him a break.
posted by dr_dank at 6:42 PM on June 27, 2014 [8 favorites]

I suppose guitar lovers can take comfort that at least Eddie didn't clumsily carve "5150" into the Flying V's body like he did with his pre-CBS Strat.
posted by wabbittwax at 6:42 PM on June 27, 2014 [2 favorites]

That V is like the Ring:

Seen a pic of Eddie lately?
posted by CrowGoat at 6:55 PM on June 27, 2014 [3 favorites]

...once Dan promised he was just collecting it and it would stay under his mom’s bed at her house, and that grandpa could play it anytime he wanted to.

From the sound of that tale, Dan probably also mentioned his mom lived on a lovely farm where the Flying V could romp and play with all the other guitars.
posted by Spatch at 8:17 PM on June 27, 2014 [8 favorites]

Ironically, Eddie lost Valerie Bertinelli in the same type of trade.
posted by fairmettle at 3:34 AM on June 28, 2014 [5 favorites]

In my windy city by the lake, this transaction would be described as, "He stole it
fair and square".

I just feel bad for the grandfather denied the pleasure of playing an
instrument he enjoyed, forget all the rock star stupid-money figures
thrown around and all the suck-ups living for browny points.
posted by Chitownfats at 4:01 AM on June 28, 2014

There used to be a lot of guys trying to take advantage of original vintage guitar owners, who often had no idea that the market for them had become a collectible/fetish object/antiquities one, with soaring prices.
posted by thelonius at 7:43 PM on June 28, 2014