I've just picked up a Firebird and I've read these can be a bit finicky to setup, so wondered if I might delve into FB knowledge on the subject?
Currently setup with no measurable relief (less that 0.002") and a relatively sensible action of 1.6mm at the 12th fret (apologies for mixing imperial and metric - I'm a child of the 70s!)
It plays surprisingly well like that (not huge buzzing etc) but the string feel rather slammed to the fretboard and if it were an LP, I'd be putting 0.008-0.010" into it and setting the action about where it is
But before I get out the tools, I know Firebirds can be 'rattly' so I wondered if the straight neck was possibly a trick to try and increase the neck angle to mitigate that, as this one's not too prone to it as it is (it has a 50s neck, which I'm sure will help too)
Oh and it seems like it's on 9.5-46 strings and I'm tempted to go to 11s on this given the general rattle issues with 'Birds
The answer was never 42 - it's 1/137 (..ish)
Comments
I've also got an Epi (reverse) Firebird which is similarly straight and low. So I reckon they just like it like that
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I would fit your preferred gauge and make of strings, check that the relief, action and intonation are still within normal limits and try it. If the frets are well levelled, there's nothing wrong with very small relief, as long as neither the 1st or 6th strings are hard against the middle fret.
With new strings, and your own familiar type of strings, you will be able to assess much better the way it's playing.