Flying V

Stainless cut complements the mahogany V for classic British metal voice.

Heavy gauge matches V-shape metal aggression — Hetfield and K.K. Downing territory.

NYXL durability for long-sustain V aggressive bending during lead work.

Hybrid gauge lets V players slip between leads and drop-tuned rhythm in one guitar.

Ernie Ball Regular Slinky 10-46 on the Gibson Flying V is Lenny Kravitz's funk-rock revival anchor — Kravitz is the most iconic modern Flying V player (his 2002 limited-edition Gibson Custom Shop Lenny Kravitz Signature '67 Flying V production was capped at 125 units), running V's across his entire 'Are You Gonna Go My Way' / 'Fly Away' / 'American Woman' catalog. The Flying V's 24.75-inch Gibson scale and the V-shape balance favor 10-46 — heavier than 9-42 (no need for shred-tap speed) but lighter than 11-49 (preserves bend articulation for his soul-funk leads). As Equipboard documents Kravitz also rotates Les Pauls + ES-335s in studio, but the Flying V is his stage-rock identity.

Conventional wisdom: every Flying V thread agrees 10-46 nickel rounds is the universal default — and that's the point: Kravitz embraces the universal V spec rather than pursuing exotic gauges. Editorial logic: Slinky 10-46 captures the Hendrix-meets-funk tone that defines Kravitz's stage-rock revival aesthetic — bend-friendly enough for solo phrasing, thump-heavy enough for funk-rock rhythm chugging.

Best for Flying V owners playing classic-rock-meets-soul in the Kravitz vein; skip if you want the heavier 11-49 'Albert King blues V' direction or 9-42 shred-light territory.