Since its introduction, the Flying V electric guitar has gained many fans around the world. Its V-shaped body became ideal for the countless guitarists who like to stand out and who also like to pose when playing live.

This guitar has been around a lot longer than some people realize, though it has undergone a design tweak or two in the process. These instruments are still produced today and are just as popular now as they ever have been.

Here are 10 facts about this legendary guitar:

1. The Gibson guitar company began making prototypes of the Flying V in 1957.

2. The original guitars were made of a wood called Korina. This wood resembles mahogany although lighter in color.

3. The official Flying V product debuted in 1958 and only 81 instruments shipped that year. An additional 17 were shipped in 1959.

4. While these early models are truly valuable and collectible today, early versions were priced at $247.50 with an additional $75 required for the standard hard case.

5. To put into perspective just how collectible these unique models are today, a 1958 or 1959 model happens to be the fifth most collectible electric guitar and is worth around $200,000 – $250,000.

6. There have been many well-known users of this type of guitar over the years, including: Jimi Hendrix, Albert King, Marc Bolan, Tom Petty, and the Schenker brothers.

7. Gibson made a change in style and design in 1967 when they introduced mahogany as the wood of choice for the instrument. There were also subtle modifications to the shape and also the introduction of a new scratch plate, another type of bridge and tailpiece configuration and also a different control system. The 1967 product had become the standard Flying V guitar and remains so to this day.

8. Between 1979 and 1982 a V2 model was released. This instrument had completely different body sizes and even had two boomerang-shaped single-coil guitar pickups as standard. These pickups would not be a huge success and many guitarists over the years chose to replace them with humbuckers.

9. The Flying V became synonymous with heavy rock as a result of its ability to fit over the guitarist’s knee when playing live on stage.

10. The 1967 mahogany variation of the Flying V is built in much the same way as the Gibson SG model, apart from the notable variations in shape.

That’s the Flying V electric guitar. It’s not necessarily everyone’s cup of tea and certainly seems to be a rather genre-specific model, having said that back in 1957 this guitar was certainly a very innovative design.

You may want to check under your bed in case you have an authentic 1958 model in there.