Epiphone teases stunning new Prophecy Flying V and Explorer models with Fishman Fluence humbuckers

After an absolutely storming NAMM - including the launch of the high-performance, low-price Muse Les Paul and SG line-up - it’s fair to say Epiphone is having a good year. And now the Gibson brand is taking aim at metal players with the reveal of new models - and new specs - for the Prophecy range.

In a recent Instagram post, Gibson CMO Cesar Gueikian shared photos of prototype Explorer and Flying V electric guitar designs, both of which feature Fishman’s state-of-the-art active Fluence humbuckers - a first for Gibson and Epiphone.

That addition alone could shake up the mid-priced metal guitar market, but in the finishes pictured below - Tobacco Sunburst and black, both with white binding and satin chrome hardware - Epiphone may be readying some of its greatest-ever guitars for metal players, on paper at least.

Gueikian even puts the prototype models to the test in a separate video, playing fan-suggested riffs from Black Sabbath, Megadeth, Metallica and more. The results sound pretty damn good to our ears.

The Prophecy series first launched back in 2008, and hot-rodded Gibson designs with features aimed at metal and hard-rock players, namely high-output and active humbuckers.

These models may have been getting signed off for release at this year’s now-cancelled Summer NAMM, or perhaps we’ll be waiting until January 2021’s Winter showing. Either way, we’ll keep you posted on any further developments.

Gueikian recently spoke to Guitarist magazine to reveal the inside story behind Gibson's exhaustive Tony Iommi 'Monkey' SG replica.