What happenned to the Gibson Firebird?

NelsonP

Was just browsing for firebirds and there aren't any new ones available below custom shop level. Did gibson stop making them?

Danielsguitars

Probably because they're stupidly complex for what they are, I've made one and never doing another one, so many things that add nothing to the overall build imo apart from extra work.

timmypix

Yes, they were quietly discontinued during the pandemic and finally disappeared from the range officially within the last few months. We actually had a similar discussion just last week!

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/260829/where-are-all-the-firebirds#latest

guitars4you

Danielsguitars said:

Probably because they're stupidly complex for what they are, I've made one and never doing another one, so many things that add nothing to the overall build imo apart from extra work.

Was that the one I saw at the Brum Show last year when he collected it from you

NelsonP

I'd be happy with a set neck Studio T. I knew I should have bought one a few years ago. They were going for <£700 used. Damn.

Roundwound

The headstocks including side mounted tuners have been wrong for years. Mabye they’ll make a comeback with that corrected. They are cool guitars.

Offset

Roundwound said:

The headstocks including side mounted tuners have been wrong for years. Mabye they’ll make a comeback with that corrected. They are cool guitars.

Nah - all part of their appeal.  Steinberger tuners are a decent approximation of the traditional banjo jobbies which apparently don't hold tune.  And standard tuners look all sorts of wrong on a 'Bird.

They need neck-thru construction and proper Firebird pickups to be genuinely considered a Firebird (in my slighty sniffy opinion!).

* EDIT - apols, I mis-read your post.  Totally agree on the side-mounted tuners, absolutely out of place on a FB.

chris78

They’re so cool looking I was desperate to try one. Got a used CS and sent it back. Everything is in the wrong place, it’s heavy, monster neck dive. The pickups are great, but get an Ivision Dakota which does the bird thing without all the horridness 

Greatape

I've got an itch to scratch when it comes to Firebirds,  because of Stephen Stills. 

Wanty https://www.kauerguitars.com/instruments/banshee-standard

Moe_Zambeek

chris78 said:

They’re so cool looking I was desperate to try one. Got a used CS and sent it back. Everything is in the wrong place, it’s heavy, monster neck dive. The pickups are great, but get an Ivision Dakota which does the bird thing without all the horridness 

I’ve tried a few CS birds and they weren’t great, especially the one with a maestro and wrap around that had almost zero degrees of break angle on the bridge. Hopeless. Definitely would not pay the asking for CS these days.

I love the look of the Ivisons and we know they’ll be built amazingly well, but  the only birdy-y thing about them is the pickups - they’re not neck through and the raised section is aesthetic rather than being built with wings like the bird. That’s not a criticism of them - I think it’s amazing what Neil is achieving and I’m all for more British made guitars getting the attention and respect they deserve. 

 I suppose it does raise the question of whether the Firebird sound is down to the construction, or mainly the pickups...but I’d also have to acknowledge that the only reason I’d want one is the look of it. 

Emiel

Out of interest, can anyone explain why suddenly they are so much in demand? Until a few years ago almost nobody took an interest in them and now everybody seems to be using one (a lot of pro players). I am surprised how much people are asking for them, both vintage and new.

Danielsguitars

guitars4you said:

Danielsguitars said:

Probably because they're stupidly complex for what they are, I've made one and never doing another one, so many things that add nothing to the overall build imo apart from extra work.

Was that the one I saw at the Brum Show last year when he collected it from you

Yes, now I'm doing an offset version built like a firebird, loved the sound just not the size.

Danielsguitars

Moe_Zambeek said:

chris78 said:

They’re so cool looking I was desperate to try one. Got a used CS and sent it back. Everything is in the wrong place, it’s heavy, monster neck dive. The pickups are great, but get an Ivision Dakota which does the bird thing without all the horridness 

I’ve tried a few CS birds and they weren’t great, especially the one with a maestro and wrap around that had almost zero degrees of break angle on the bridge. Hopeless. Definitely would not pay the asking for CS these days.

I love the look of the Ivisons and we know they’ll be built amazingly well, but  the only birdy-y thing about them is the pickups - they’re not neck through and the raised section is aesthetic rather than being built with wings like the bird. That’s not a criticism of them - I think it’s amazing what Neil is achieving and I’m all for more British made guitars getting the attention and respect they deserve. 

 I suppose it does raise the question of whether the Firebird sound is down to the construction, or mainly the pickups...but I’d also have to acknowledge that the only reason I’d want one is the look of it. 

I'm building an offset through neck with the whole 9 piece laminate, can't beat that look, my firebird beat the crap out of the CS I used as a template.

Corvus

I love the FB shape and how they feel to play, but the original neck-through is expensive and adds nothing to function. The neck dive potential is made worse by the headstock length and the banjo tuners weigh a ton. They can be notchy like you feel the gear teeth as detents or stops, makes you tune to either one when you want to be in between.

Money no object I'd be all over a vintage one just because, but for making and playing, I've no interest in copying the original in all details.

Back to topic it could be down to cost & demand, or there's a cunning plan where taking them out a while makes demand ramp up and they'll bring them back with ramped price. Or there's a load of new ramped-price Epi's on the horizon.

willo

Emiel said:

Out of interest, can anyone explain why suddenly they are so much in demand? Until a few years ago almost nobody took an interest in them and now everybody seems to be using one (a lot of pro players). I am surprised how much people are asking for them, both vintage and new.

My interest was I've had a Korean Epi one since the 90s and the Gibsons at £1700 seemed a much better deal than an LP at £2300.

I haven't really noticed more people using them, but they definitely do make a visual statement and we're in a very visual age, so that might be part of it.

stickyfiddle

I had the Dipped in Tome podcast on with Tom Murphy this week - actually well worth a listen and much more interesting than the Andersons video. He confirmed they’re a pain to make and if he was running the company then perhaps they wouldn’t still be making them at all… 

CavemanGrogg

Greatape said:

I've got an itch to scratch when it comes to Firebirds,  because of Stephen Stills. 

Wanty https://www.kauerguitars.com/instruments/banshee-standard

Somebody I'm at music college with has a Banshee, I don't know which model it is, it's the one with two humbuckers, three slide switches, and a Bigsby.  As nice as the guitar is, and it is a very very nice, extremely well put together guitar, I would strongly advise anybody interested in them to try before you buy, these are extremely marmite, and have quite a number of ''quirks'' to them, personally I hate the machineheads on them, sure they're the ''right'' banjo tuners, but to be blunt, they're fucking awful machineheads, that have a ''notched'' feel to them that makes tuning extremely temperamental - you're trying to balance the machinehead between ''notches'' so to speak to tune the instrument which is a huge pain in the arse.

skunkwerx

Emiel said:

Out of interest, can anyone explain why suddenly they are so much in demand? Until a few years ago almost nobody took an interest in them and now everybody seems to be using one (a lot of pro players). I am surprised how much people are asking for them, both vintage and new.

Probably because theyre not as readily available. 

Litterick

skunkwerx said:

Emiel said:

Out of interest, can anyone explain why suddenly they are so much in demand? Until a few years ago almost nobody took an interest in them and now everybody seems to be using one (a lot of pro players). I am surprised how much people are asking for them, both vintage and new.

Probably because theyre not as readily available. 

Look what happened to the Les Paul in the 1960s.

equalsql

Here's one for a good price.
https://prelovedguitars.co.uk/shop/2021-gibson-firebird/

elstoof

Set neck firebirds appear to be coming, from the andertons USA factory video