I wasn’t able to attend Summer NAMM this year, but I’ve been keeping an eye out for interesting new gear. Gibson introduced its Grace Potter signature Flying V at the show:

In the image of the classic second wave of ’60s Flying Vs, the Grace Potter Signature Flying V from Gibson USA is crafted in solid Grade-A mahogany, a rich, resonant tonewood that has been responsible for many of the finest Gibson electric guitars ever to come off the line. Its glued-in Grade-A mahogany neck is carved to a “Slim V” profile that measures .800″ at the 1st fret and .850″ at the 12th, and topped with a luxurious dark-brown chechen fingerboard with 22 medium-jumbo frets. A PLEK-slotted Corian™ nut ensures a maximum amount of that crucial neck resonance arrives in the guitar’s final sonic brew, while vintage-style TonePros™ tuners with pearloid keystone buttons maintain a traditional look at the back-angled headstock. All this along with Gibson’s renowned craftsmanship and the classic specs of the 24-3/4″ scale length, a 1-11/16″ nut width, and a 12″ fingerboard radius ensure legendary playability, too.

I’ve always thought Flying V-style guitars looked cool, if a little odd. I’m a fan of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, but, as cool as this guitar looks, I must admit it seems odd to give Grace a signature guitar when she’s not the primary guitar player in her band.

Premier Guitar’s Jason Shadrick recently visited with Grace Potter and the Nocturnals at the House of Blues in Chicago to talk guitars, pedals, and amps. Grace and guitarists Scott Tournet and Benny Yurco give Jason a tour of each of their rigs:

As a side note, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing the band live a number of times now, and each time has been better than the last. I highly recommend seeing them live if you get a chance.