These fancy new Epi Firebirds...

rlw

..are really quite tempting.  At £600 they're not cheap but not outrageous either.  The nearest Gibson, excluding the Studios, is around £1200 which is more than I will pay for a new guitar.

Does the team think that these will be tarred with the usual Epi criticism - it's not a Gibson, it's too expensive for an Epi, all Epis are shit, can't stand the headstock etc etc etc - or do you think that there's a chance it will hold a little more value than most.

Voxman

Nope, why go Epi for £600 with one p/up that makes JB even richer than he already is when you get a lovely proper Gibson Firebird Studio T with the right badge & two proper p/ups for only £799. Now. I'm not a Firebird fan, but even I think this looks a nice guitar!:


https://www.andertons.co.uk/p/DSFS17VSCH1/solid-body-electric-guitars/gibson-usa-firebird-studio-t-2017-vintage-sunburst

mikeyrob73

or why not just buy mine :-) 

stickyfiddle

The JoBo ones? They look great - the headstock's the same, the pickup is meant to be good and it's even a thru-neck, so it's very good on paper.

The only misgiving I have is the plasticky finishes that I assume they have. And maybe a dull, slightly-too-skinny neck profile.

slacker

https://www.coda-music.com/secondhand/gibson-firebird-studio-2012-secondhand.html?

rlw

Voxman said:

Nope, why go Epi for £600 with one p/up that makes JB even richer than he already is when you get a lovely proper Gibson Firebird Studio T with the right badge & two proper p/ups for only £799. Now. I'm not a Firebird fan, but even I think this looks a nice guitar!:


https://www.andertons.co.uk/p/DSFS17VSCH1/solid-body-electric-guitars/gibson-usa-firebird-studio-t-2017-vintage-sunburst

Not a JoBo fan then.....

I don't want humbuckers and I do want a thru-body neck is the answer.  Next....  Oh, and the headstock is wrong, as are the tuners.

Otherwise I would buy mikeyrob's one.

mikeyrob73

the Tuners are all wrong ;-) 

rlw

slacker said:

https://www.coda-music.com/secondhand/gibson-firebird-studio-2012-secondhand.html?

Tempted but not thu-body neck and the wrong tuners.

stickyfiddle

All the Gibson studio ones are Firebird-shaped-SGs. I've never quite seen the point.

Voxman

rlw said:

Not a JoBo fan then..... I don't want humbuckers and I do want a thru-body neck is the answer.  Next....  Oh, and the headstock is wrong, as are the tuners.

Oh no, I love JB!  I understand re the through neck design.  -  ?? But it does have a humbucker - a Probucker FB720 (or did you mean you didn't want 2 humbuckers?)

rlw

Voxman said:

rlw said:

Not a JoBo fan then..... I don't want humbuckers and I do want a thru-body neck is the answer.  Next....  Oh, and the headstock is wrong, as are the tuners.

Oh no, I love JB!  I understand re the through neck design.  -  ?? But it does have a humbucker - a Probucker FB720 (or did you mean you didn't want 2 humbuckers?)

The new one has a proper Firebird mini humbucker which appeals, rather than standard size (of which a fourth guitar would be hard to justify......).

I'm still very tempted by the SG special on here, just for the mini HBs.

Bucket

Voxman said:

Nope, why go Epi for £600 with one p/up that makes JB even richer than he already is

I don't like the tone of this.

I don't see what's wrong with supporting an artist by buying their signature gear, especially when it's nice like that Firebird is. I don't really understand the misgivings about Bonamassa anyway, but even considering that, it hardly screams his name, does it? 

And one pickup is entirely correct for this style of guitar.

mikeyrob73

Did someone say Firebird :-) 

http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/99811/sale-part-ex-firebird-pelham-blue-price-drop#latest

WezV

Ignore the JB connection.  It's a decent reissue of a well loved model at a fairly reasonable price.  

if Gibson did one as accurate in spec we would be talking historic reissue prices

rlw

WezV said:

Ignore the JB connection.  It's a decent reissue of a well loved model at a fairly reasonable price.  

if Gibson did one as accurate in spec we would be talking historic reissue prices

My thoughts exactly,

ESchap

I ordered one of the JB Firebird 1's in Sunburst back in August last year from Guitar Guitar.  They were originally due in November 2016.   Heard nothing.  In January started seeing that people in the USA had them, nothing from GG.  So I called them .... "they are coming, can't give you a date yet" ... OK .... then noticed that Thomann had them ... but with the Euro they were best part of £700 ... phone GG .... they are coming can't give you a date yet ... then mid April, Andertons have 3 as B stock (£500) ... Phone GG ... they are coming can't give you a date yet ..... 

A week ago, email from GG  sorry, we can't fulfil your order .... don't know when we'll be getting any, it's all Epiphone's fault ...yada, yada .... really ....

Morale of story  ..... good luck!  

I've now got a builder making me one to my spec.

WezV

Seems like we have more gold one available in the uk than sunburst.   I reckon the sunbursts are going to sell very quickly. 



I will admit, i am disappointed gibson keep doing these little black bursts on the back of guitar heels  (ala 2015 junior).  It seems a real shame when they have gone to the effort to do a real through neck.  they should have done a light burst on the front and all over mid brown on the back and neck

WezV

i did build an FB1 once, and i get asked about this more than any other guitar

Voxman

Bucket said:

Voxman said:

Nope, why go Epi for £600 with one p/up that makes JB even richer than he already is

I don't like the tone of this.

I don't see what's wrong with supporting an artist by buying their signature gear, especially when it's nice like that Firebird is. I don't really understand the misgivings about Bonamassa anyway, but even considering that, it hardly screams his name, does it? 

And one pickup is entirely correct for this style of guitar.

LOL! I should have put a smilie on - as I mentioned that I'm a JB fan I kind of thought you'd have realised this was meant very tongue in cheek!   

stickyfiddle

WezV said:

i did build an FB1 once, and i get asked about this more than any other guitar

And I'll still buy one if you make another! Though I'd smidgenly prefer a III please

John_P

WezV said:

i did build an FB1 once, and i get asked about this more than any other guitar

That looks ace - you could sell as many as you can make of those.     


I like the look of the new JB models but I can't imagine buying an epi version at that price - I remember Gibson models briefly selling for a similar price so I'd orbdbly buy a used Gibson instead if had the cash for another guitar right now.     (Or wait till they start appearing used and take the badge off - yes I'm a bit shallow)