Gibson Custom Shop Limited Joe Bonamassa “Amos” 1958 Flying V – One of 50 Collector’s Edition Pieces Worldwide, Aged

Legendary Guitarist. Legendary Guitar.

At what point did Joe Bonamassa become a blues legend? Some say his fate was preordained from the moment legendary picker Danny Gatton brought eleven year-old Joe under his wing, while others might say that point came when he opened twenty shows for B.B. King at age twelve. Still others might point to his nineteen number one albums on the Billboard Blues chart, or his many fantastic signature guitars. It's hard to quantify what makes a guitar player an icon, but having an iconoclastic signature model certainly helps! Whatever the case, Smokin' Joe is one of the greatest to ever lay finger to fretboard, and we are honored to showcase his latest collaboration with the fine folks at the Gibson Custom Shop: highly-limited run of fifty meticulous recreations of Bonamassa's famed 1958 Flying V named "Amos."

Enough About Joe--Who's This Amos Fella?

Joe's Flying V got its unusual moniker because it began its life at Arthur's Music Store, a small shop run by a rock and roll visionary named Amos Arthur in Indianapolis, Indiana. Ever the forward thinker, Amos was one of the only dealers to take a chance and order a few of these strange new V-shaped Gibson guitars made out of a newer tonewood called korina, and he liked them so much, he customized them by putting his name on the truss rod cover. That first run of this oddball axe--dubbed the "Flying V"--was a flop, and only 98 were ever made. Eventually, guitar players everywhere came to their collective senses and realized how awesome Flying Vs are, but by then they were impossible to find, making "Amos" incredibly valuable.

Mr. Arthur managed to sell "Amos" in 1959 to Pete Mitchell of Ernest Tubb's band, and legendary korina killer's history remains murky from then until 1975, when it resurfaced in the possession of Norman Harris, owner of Norman's Rare Guitars. Norman held on to "Amos" for about forty years, and during that time it made a brief cameo in the movie "Spinal Tap." According to Norm, director Christopher Guest picked "Amos" out personally, because he thought it fit Nigel Tufnel's vibe. After leaving the care of the illustrious Mr. Tufnel, "Amos" found its way to Joe Bonamassa in 2015 when Joe needed a V for his "Three Kings" tour, and it's been one of his favorite guitars ever since.

Making Amos Famous

Is cloning ethical? Maybe that question is beyond the purview of this overview text, but it's a moot point anyway because the wizards and warlocks of the Gibson Custom Shop have basically cloned the original Amos! Using cutting-edge 3D scanning technology, they mapped every detail of Joe Bonamassa's '58 V and took great pains to make it as close as humanly possible, right down to the vintage-perfect neck profile. It even has angled-grain korina and a Brazilian rosewood fingerboard like the original! After applying a beautiful nitrocellulose lacquer finish, they aged it to perfection in the Gibson Murphy Lab. It also sounds like the genuine article, as the Custom Shop captured the original's voice in the Amos Custombuckers that sit within its relentlessly resonant korina body.

To V Or Not to V

When faced with the decision to V or not to V, one must always choose to V with regard to the Collector's Edition Joe Bonamassa 1958 "Amos" Flying V. It's one of the most stunning recreations we've ever seen, and the artists of the Custom Shop and Murphy Lab have imbued it with a real sense of history using old-world manufacturing techniques. Take it for a spin and we're sure you'll agree that this Amos deserves to be famous!