The Electra Forums

According to Wikipedia, James Hetfield owned an Electra Flying V, of which ESP built a replica of.
I'm hoping it's true, being a huge Metallica fan.
My guess is that it was a 2236 Flying Wedge.

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Addicted to Matsumoku.

Interesting! I suppose the thing to do is look for the ESP replica and see what it looks like.

It could be a 2246, but it could also be a Dynasty, early or late series. If the ESP replica has pointed feet, I'd guess it was inspired by an early Dynasty.

The 2246 was a copy of the standard Gibson red and white Vee (the sixties version) so it seems unlikely if someone was idolizing that guitar that they'd see it as anything other than a Gibson copy.

It was white, by the way.
Unfotunately, pics of James with any Flying V are hard to ocme by, it's all Explorers or ESP LP type stuff.
If it is true though, he must've had some good memory of the Electra to have a rpelica made...

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Addicted to Matsumoku.

Looks like the 2236 Flying Wedge to me.

Doesn't appear to be Gibson logo on the truss cover either....

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Addicted to Matsumoku.

In 2004 I won backstage passes to Metallica. I brought my white flying V with me hoping to get it signed. When James came by he walked up to me and said "my guitar!, alright! close man." He looked it up and down and just for a momment I thought he was gonna keep it. His bodyguard would have made easy work of me.

You sir are my new best friend.

If you ever want to squeeze me into your will.......I'll take everything in the picture.

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Addicted to Matsumoku.

http://www.guitarworld.com/article/james_hetfield_the_guitar_world_interview

I remember reading in the Fanzine "So What" that James originally bought the "gibson" V thinking it was a real gibson. But he stated "deep down" he knew it was a copy. He thought it was an "electra". It had a bolt on neck and he knew Gibsons didn't. Nonetheless he and the rest of rest of the band treated that guitar as if it were a Gibson. Now that guitar is quite beat. The finish looks like someone spilled acid on it.

That's what I like ot hear.
Imagine if James became an actual endorser, maybe they would've held on longer.

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Addicted to Matsumoku.

Nice Spandex James... hehe Those Pictures Look heck of Old, like back in the Day when me and a few of my friends used to go see em Play Every other weekend in S.F/ Bay Area.. I saw the 'Kill em All' - 'ALL for One' Tour w/ Raven back then and for the Next four Yrs... I got to Meet and Hang around w/ All of them in '83-'88.. Met Cliff First though and once Even had James buying Me Beer's for the whole night while hanging with some Friends of theirs.. Great Memories.. Thx for the Info.. I used to see James Playing that V back then and I always thought it was a Gibson.. Even Cooler that it was a ELECTRA ..though. o_-)

I miss Cliff Burton.

And still think that bus driver should be prosecuted to the very edge of legality.

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Addicted to Matsumoku.

Somebody set this straight;

In one of the pics of this topic - "Hetfield returns to his roots"

the Flying Vee appears to have no logo on the truss rod cover;

Is this the actual guitar?

The later pics appear to have "Gibson" on the truss rod cover;

Although it looks to be the same axe,

maybe a different (Gibson) guitar was used after his original purchase?

Are my eyes playing tricks on me,

or was the photo altered not to show a manufacturer brand name?

This site refers to

“ESP Flying V - New ESP Custom Flying V (replica of his old Electra). It has a White finish with Rosewood fretboard. It was Used rarely on 2008 European Vacation Tour, but is used a lot on the World Magnetic Tour. [9]”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hetfield

More research from:

http://www.guitarplayer.com/article/wel ... b-09/93065

"That V—some guy ripped me off as a kid. He put a Gibson trussrod cover on it, and he sold it to me as a Gibson—even though it has a bolt-on neck [laughs]. I didn’t pay much for it, and I didn’t care if it wasn’t a Gibson. It was white, it was a V, and I was Michael Schenker. Anyway, I started playing that guitar again after the photo shoot, and it felt so good—so fast. I plugged it in, and, man—it has this midrange quality that’s undeniable. We ended up using it on the record. "

RCSBlues

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RCSBlues