Gibson Custom Richie Faulkner Flying V Custom, Pelham Blue

A New Elegant Weapon for an Incendiary Metal Guitarist

Gibson Custom Shop is the pinnacle of craftsmanship, quality, and sound excellence. Each instrument celebrates Gibson's legacy through accuracy, authenticity, and attention to detail.

Richie Faulkner is the co-lead guitarist for the legendary metal band Judas Priest and the guitarist for the new metal supergroup Elegant Weapons, which he formed with alums from Rainbow, Pantera, and Judas Priest. A longtime fan of the Gibson Flying V™, the Richie Faulkner Flying V Custom brings Richie’s personal touches to the model, including a one-piece mahogany body with a full-face pickguard, multi-ply binding, a mahogany neck with a custom Richie Faulkner profile, and an ebony fretboard with a mother-of-pearl falcon inlay at the 12th fret. It also has a Floyd Rose® vibrato and Richie’s signature EMG™ pickup set. The electronics are stripped-down, with just a pickup selector switch and a single volume control, giving you everything you need with nothing to get in your way. Only 100 of these ultra-premium Flying V models will be crafted by the luthiers of the Gibson Custom Shop as part of this very special limited run. A hardshell case is also included.

While performing onstage with Judas Priest at the Louder than Life festival (September 26, 2021), Richie suffered a rare aortic aneurysm and complete aortic dissection. Despite having zero history of heart issues, Richie was rushed into open-heart surgery at a nearby hospital, and luckily, he fully recovered and has decided to pay it forward. Richie will be spreading the proceeds from his Flying V Custom to the John Ritter Foundation and the American Heart Association.