“I played my first Flying V ironically as a joke… It was considered a very ‘metal’ guitar, and I could not shred”: L7’s Donita Sparks on why she opted to play a Flying V – despite it being a “shredder guitar”

L7’s Donita Sparks has become inextricably linked to the Flying V – a guitar that, admittedly, might not be the first guitar music fans associate with grunge-tinged art punk. However, Sparks claims her choice was deliberate, albeit one that began as a bit of a joke with a not-so-subtle hint of defying expectations.

“I do remember my first Flying V,” she tells Guitar World. “I played it ironically as a joke because nobody had a Flying V at that time who was doing art punk, or at least punk, right? It was considered a very ‘metal’ guitar, and it was kind of ironic, like I could not shred. I’ve never been a shredder, and yes, it’s kind of a shredder guitar.”

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