From the moment he straps on his guitar, Richie Faulkner commands attention. As the co-lead guitarist for the legendary metal band Judas Priest, Richie ignites arenas with blazing solos and a fiery stage presence. He has earned respect as a talented steward of the iconic legacy of Judas Priest and is now forging a new musical frontier of his own as a driving force behind the metal supergroup Elegant Weapons. We are honored to partner with Richie and announce the release of the new limited-edition Richie Faulkner Flying V Custom.
The Richie Faulkner Flying V Custom brings Richie’s personal touches to the model, including a one-piece mahogany body with a full-face pickguard, multi-ply binding, a mahogany neck with a custom Richie Faulkner profile, and an ebony fretboard with a mother-of-pearl falcon inlay at the 12th fret. It also has a Floyd Rose vibrato and Richie’s signature EMG pickup set. The electronics are stripped-down, with just a pickup selector switch and a single volume control, giving you everything you need with nothing to get in your way. Only 100 of these ultra-premium Flying V models will be crafted by the luthiers of the Gibson Custom Shop as part of this very special limited run.
While performing onstage with Judas Priest at the Louder than Life festival (September 26, 2021), Richie suffered a rare aortic aneurysm and complete aortic dissection. Despite having zero history of heart issues, Richie was rushed into open-heart surgery at a nearby hospital, and luckily, he fully recovered and has decided to pay it forward. Richie will be spreading the proceeds from his Flying V Custom to the John Ritter Foundation and the American Heart Association.