Gibson Custom Shop announced its new partnership with Richie Faulkner, the co-lead guitarist Judas Priest. The Richie Faulkner Flying V Custom from Gibson Custom Shop is now available worldwide through Authorized Premium Gibson dealers, and via Gibson.com.
Says Faulkner: “This guitar has become a good friend of mine over the past couple of years and is the latest evolution of my main guitar with Priest for the past 12 years. It’s something that has evolved as I have both on stage and in the studio, in looks and in sound. Whenever I see that double pick guard and Pelham blue, I know that that is my guitar. With the Floyd Rose, signature EMG pickups and striking appearance I know that armed with my faithful Flying V, I will be able to deliver every night. Beautiful yet deadly, elegant yet sonically powerful it is the number one guitar in my Arsenal.”
Faulkner suffered a rare aortic aneurysm and complete aortic dissection while performing onstage with Judas Priest at the Louder than Life festival on September 26, 2021, despite having no history of heart issues. Faulkner was rushed into open-heart surgery at a nearby hospital, and has fully recovered. Now, he has decided to pay it forward and will be donating the proceeds from his Flying V Custom to the John Ritter Foundation and the American Heart Association.
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