So I bought a Firebird.....

lustycourtier

I have a love hate relationship with Gibsons. Ive had loads of Les Pauls and SGs but always hated HB neck pickups so they always stay in cases.

 A few years ago I had a Epi Firebird but no case so whilst it was fun, spending the same money as guitar for the case didnt make sense.

 This week I stumbled upon a mint 2013 Firebird V, so I went for it. The case just fits in my car (there must be mm to spare), and is almost too heavy to lift. But the guitar is lighter than any Jnr Ive had before and the tone is better than any Gibson Ive ever had. Its like an SG but clearer with more sustain. Standing with it, it hangs better than any other guitar, in a perfect playing position. OK, its huge, and I have to pick which venues I can use it at but I think Ive finally found the guitar to complement my No1, the Jagumarr.

 If youve never played one, try one. You maybe surprised.

 

lustycourtier

ESchap

Very nice, really fancy a wrap round single pup version of one of these.

equalsql

Nice GAS!  She's a beauty. I love the burst finish on these models and they sound great when plugged into an old Fender amp. Congrats. 

Lexie1

Get a good one and you are set for life...... unless your daughter gets into serious financial pooh and you end up selling everything to get her out of it, for her then to declare herself bankrupt 2 months later having run up yet more debt!! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

lustycourtier

The through 9 piece neck is a thing of marvel too. Them 2 look (ed) lovely Lexie. Bad tiimes.  

Skipped

Wow! (Especially about the weight).

lustycourtier

Skipped said:

Wow! (Especially about the weight).

 The 'wings' are very thin, and the body is SG thick, so whilst it looks huge and heavy, theres less wood than an SG.

TheOtherDennis

Very nice gassage indeed, sir

not_the_dj

Very cool guitars.

Lexie1

Mr Courtier Sir, if you ever want some quiet fun, do what I did to a couple of hapless players who joined us for a jam. Give one the Bird and set off on a number in E. They will go straight to G everytime as the neck appears to be so long!! Happy days.

Dave_Mc

Excellent

ICBM

You must be taller than me .

I love the sound and the look of them, but I can't get on with the balance and the neck position. It's annoying, and I still try every one I come across just to see if the laws of physics have changed since the last time, but so far they haven't...

lustycourtier

Maybe its these steinberger tuners? Theres no neck dive at all. I aint a giant nor a littleun. GSs Ive had have had worse neck dive

Neil

I love the look of them, just need a long white wig. 

Lexie1

Aha... I did wonder when you said it balances. The old Banjo Style Tuners weigh a ton when the machinehead is as far away as it is on a Bird. You can always tell Bird Players, they have very well developed left arms LOL

mudslide73

The Firebird 1 is a thing of my dreams... and all of the other Firebirds if I'm honest.

ICBM

lustycourtier said:

Maybe its these steinberger tuners? Theres no neck dive at all. I aint a giant nor a littleun. GSs Ive had have had worse neck dive

I've always wondered whether better tuners would improve them enough to be usable - although I think the sheer length will always be a problem for me even if the balance problem is fixed - I'm only 5'6".

I have to admit you have put a Bad Thought in my head though … there's a Firebird with a pre-broken headstock in the shop just now, which is one of the better-balancing examples I've played even with the ridiculous banjo tuners.

Lexie1

If I ever get another.... I'd convert it to the steinburger tuners. But by now I have sorted how to cure this problem with some clever strap positioning copped from watching early Lynyrd Skynyrd videos.

frankieMART

Always been tempted by a Firebird, I should really get down to a shop and have a play of one.

OilCityPickups

Funnily enough I've just been winding a pair of my Firebird pickups:)  ... the whole instrument is seriously under rated,
Many people think a Firebird pickup a 'mini' Gibbo humbucker without pole screw holes ... but that's way off the beam, it's actually a totally different design. There are two magnets, one in  in the centre of each coil, and they are linked with a 'reflector' or inductance plate. That's a big chunk of steel that links the magnetic fields and boosts bottom end response and output. Not at all like a mini humbucker  ... which is just a shrunken down version of  a normal bucker.
Later in production they lost the plot a little by fitting 'sidewinder' pickups that sounded nothing like the originals ... luckily they are most of the way back to the old formula ... though I don't believe Gibson use alnico these days as ceramic allows hotter outputs.