Guitars with legendary histories often come with fascinating tales—but few are as surreal as the story behind Brent Hinds’ 1979 Gibson Silverburst Flying V. Once lost, broken, and stolen, the instrument’s incredible journey eventually brought it back to its rightful owner, making it feel more like a boomerang than a guitar.
Before Brent Hinds rose to fame with Mastodon, he acquired the Silverburst Flying V under unexpected circumstances. As he recounted in a 2009 interview with Premier Guitar, the instrument wasn’t initially his:
“Back in the mid-nineties, I stumbled upon my first Gibson Silverburst Flying V at Clark’s Music in Atlanta, GA. It was a ’79 with a nice white pickguard, and I thought it was the coolest guitar in the world. But I didn’t have money then—so my friend Jerry bought it. Years later, when I was opening for Neurosis and Today Is The Day with my old band Four Hour Fogger, Jerry let me borrow it for a big show.”
To secure the loan, Hinds left his Gold Top guitar as collateral. But things quickly spiraled. After using it in the performance, he let Today Is The Day guitarist Steve Austin borrow it—who promptly damaged it.
“He took a fucking chunk of wood out of it,” Hinds said. Later, another friend transported the guitar home—only to discover the neck had broken. “Needless to say, I didn’t get my Gold Top back until a few years ago,” he added.
Despite the damage, Hinds fixed up the Silverburst Flying V and began using it as his primary touring guitar. For over five years, the instrument became synonymous with his sound.
“Not many people tour with a Silverburst Flying V, and I think that’s why it got stolen in Denmark—alongside Bill Kelliher’s Tobacco Burst Les Paul,” he said.
Heartbroken by the theft, Hinds attempted to replace the irreplaceable. While shopping for a substitute, he found a Silverburst Les Paul Custom. It wasn’t a Flying V, but it came close. However, before he could buy it, he saw his bandmate Bill handing over his credit card to claim the exact same guitar.
Eventually, Hinds stuck with white Flying Vs—until he reached out directly to Gibson.
“I finally just called Gibson and had them custom-build me a Silverburst Flying V.”
Then, in an almost cinematic twist, fate reunited Hinds with his original Silverburst. During a European tour with Slayer, after a gig in Denmark, a stranger returned it.
“Some random dude came up to me and handed it back. He said he’d heard about it being stolen and saw it at a vintage guitar convention in Denmark. He bought it and held onto it for me until last year.”
Laughing about the experience, Hinds reflected:
“That guitar shouldn’t be shaped like a ‘V,’ but a boomerang, man!”
Indeed, the Silverburst Flying V’s journey is as distinctive as the music Brent Hinds has created with it—a tale of fate, fandom, and the unbreakable bond between a guitarist and his axe.
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