NASHVILLE, TN – For 50 years, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers have stood among America’s most influential rock ’n’ roll bands, earning acclaim for unforgettable live performances, timeless recordings, and a catalog of songs that continues to resonate with audiences worldwide. Today, Gibson honors that extraordinary legacy with a limited-edition 50th Anniversary Tom Petty Flying V™ guitar inspired by the iconic Heartbreakers logo featured on the band’s self-titled 1976 debut album. Known collectively as the “Flying Five,” the collection comprises five distinctive gloss nitrocellulose lacquer finishes, with only 50 guitars produced in each color worldwide. The Tom Petty Flying V 50th Anniversary guitars and apparel are available worldwide now at Gibson Garage locations and at www.gibson.com.
Offered in Gainesville Gold, Graphite Metallic, Heartbreaker Red, Pearl White Metallic, and Pelham Blue, the Tom Petty Flying V is limited to 250 guitars worldwide. A new assortment of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers-inspired apparel, accessories, and collectibles launches alongside the guitars, giving musicians and fans new ways to celebrate the band’s music, style, and enduring independent spirit. The Gibson launch joins a landmark season of albums, special events, and anniversary celebrations from the band and the Tom Petty estate.
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002, Tom Petty’s legacy as a songwriter, performer, and storyteller remains as powerful as ever. Across five decades, the music of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers has embodied freedom, resilience, independence, and uncompromising American rock ’n’ roll, proving that authentic artistry, unforgettable songwriting, and masterful musicianship never go out of style.
The anniversary celebration also includes the Nov. 6 release of Origins 1971–1978, a box set from the Tom Petty Estate tracing Petty’s early recording career through the formation and early years of the Heartbreakers. The collection pairs rare, live, and previously unreleased recordings with the band’s first two albums.
“The Heartbreakers logo has been part of the band’s identity since the first album, so seeing Gibson reinterpret it through the Flying V 50th anniversary edition feels overdue as they have been part of the story since the beginning. The V was an essential part of the imagery onstage for my dad as well as the band rose to fame in the 1970’s,” says Adria Petty. “The collection honors Tom and the Heartbreakers’ history while giving musicians and fans a new way to carry that spirit forward.”
“Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers have meant so much to so many, with timeless songs that continue to inspire us today,” adds Beth Heidt, Chief Marketing Officer at Gibson. “It is a profound honor to celebrate 50 years of that music through these instruments and this collection. Every Flying V and every piece of the apparel collection carries that incredible spirit forward, connecting with the fans who have loved them all along and the next generation ready to make these songs their own.”
Built with a resonant mahogany Flying V body and matching mahogany neck, the Tom Petty Flying V 50th Anniversary pairs the unmistakable silhouette of Gibson’s radical classic with details rooted in Heartbreakers history. Its fast-playing SlimTaper™ neck and rosewood fretboard—with a 12-inch radius, 22 medium jumbo frets, and acrylic dot inlays—support effortless chording, expressive bends, and long nights onstage. A mother-of-pearl Gibson logo crowns the headstock, while Grover® Rotomatic® tuners and a Graph Tech® nut provide dependable tuning stability. A Heartbreaker 50th truss rod cover and a reproduction of Tom Petty’s signature on the back of the headstock make every instrument an unmistakable commemorative piece. Each guitar ships in a Gibson hardshell case.
The five gloss nitrocellulose lacquer finishes give the “Flying Five” distinct personalities: Gainesville Gold brings celebratory warmth; Graphite Metallic adds a sleek, stage-ready edge; Heartbreaker Red delivers bold rock ’n’ roll impact; Pearl White Metallic offers luminous contrast; and Pelham Blue channels vintage Gibson cool. Beneath the finish, a pair of 70s Tribute humbucker™ pickups moves from clear, articulate cleans to muscular, arena-ready drive. Hand-wired electronics include individual volume controls, a master tone control with an Orange Drop® capacitor, and a three-way pickup selector. Gold-plated hardware—including an aluminum Nashville Tune-O-Matic™ bridge and Stop Bar tailpiece—joins Gold Top Hat knobs, a three-ply white pickguard, and a cream toggle switch cap for a look that is both celebratory and unmistakably Gibson. With only 50 guitars produced in each color, every finish is equally rare.
Read more about the Gibson Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers 50th Anniversary Collection on the Gibson Gazette HERE.
