Today, Epiphone announced its fifth Joe Bonamassa custom signature model, the Joe Bonamassa 1958 “Amos” Korina Flying-V.
The guitar is a replica of the original ‘58 Gibson Korina Flying V—named “Amos” after Arthur’s Music Store founder Amos Arthur, where Bonamassa bought the guitar—that Bonamassa picked up in anticipation for his Three Kings tour honoring blues legends Freddie King, B.B. King, and Albert King. And according to Bonamassa, the guitar is exceedingly close to the original.
“You guys at Epiphone nailed it. From the moment I opened the case at my house, all I had to do was look at it and I said, ‘OK, we're good!’ It sounds great. They sound better than the originals! ...You did it, Epiphone. The new 'Amos' is killer!”
The Epiphone signature is outfitted with ProBucker pickups, CTS electronics, and a LockTone ABR-1 Tune-o-matic bridge. If you decide to pick one up, it’ll come in a ‘50s-style case, along with a signed certificate of authenticity.
Original Gibson Korina Flying Vs weren’t exactly hot ticket items. Production stopped after just 98 of the oddball-shaped axes were produced in the original factory, due to underwhelming sales and lack of demand. But in today’s vintage market, one of those original 98 instruments are close to priceless and can fetch between $200,000 to $300,000.
That price range, paired with its rarity, makes owning one of these models severely unrealistic for all but a select few. But if you’ve always dreamed of hanging one of these pointy beasts off of your shoulder, now could be your chance.