1958 Gibson Explorer and Flying V
Originally purchased by a pair of Cincinnati brothers in 1958, this matched set of “Holy Grail” Gibsons is called upon during the Albert King portion of the set. The story goes that one of the brothers, named Big Ed, agreed to sell the Explorer to former Fleetwood Mac guitarist Rick Vito on one condition: Vito would need to buy his brother’s ’58 V as well. Ed’s brother was a lefty, so they kept both pickguards on and simply retooled the bridge and added fret markers.
GALLERY: Joe Bonamassa’s Three Kings Gear
The historic axes from the Three Kings tour.
By Jason Shadrick,
Jason Shadrick
Since attending a Dave Matthews Band concert as a teenager, Jason has been into all things guitar. An Iowa native, Jason has degrees in Music Business from Minnesota State-Mankato and Jazz Pedagogy from the University of Northern Iowa. Since then, he has spent time doing everything from promotion at an indie music label to organizing guitar workshops all over the country. Currently, Jason lives with his wife, son, and daughter in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Photos by Lindsey Best