Gibson Factory Memorabilia: Gibson The "V" Flying V Truss Rod Cover-Kalamazoo Factory Sample (1981)

Living near Nashville has its perks. We’re not far from the Gibson factory and Custom Shop, which means I frequently see boxes of authentic Gibson parts walk through the door. A recent haul included several samples, templates, and new old stock parts from the 1950s through the 1990s.

BEHOLD GIBSON COLLECTORS -- You have found a holy grail!

Here we have a truss rod cover for the "The V" - a short-lived Flying V model manufactured between 1981 and 1984 to compete with Dean and Hamer's late '70s models. 

This one is more than just another piece of plastic, though. If you'll take a look at the back, you'll see some very old masking tape with handwritten notes from James "Hutch" Hutchins - one of Gibson's most accomplished luthiers. This particular truss rod cover was a sample of the truss rod cover used on "The V," which means it never went into public circulation. This would have been used as an in-factory reference in some of the last years of the Kalamazoo plant's operation!

This is being sold not only as a useable vintage part, but also as a collector's piece for Gibson nuts -- you can have a chance to own THE master truss rod cover for this model! A must-have for your vintage restoration or vintage Gibson memorabilia collection -- if ya need it, ya need it.