Gibson Firebird!!!

Stratavarious

OilCityPickups said:

Funkfingers said:

timmypix said:

I'd need to sell something … I like everything I've got at the moment … a Firebird might provide more variation to my LPs than the SG...

A pair of Oil City Winterizer II pickups in your SG wouldn't be very far off the Firebird mark.

After working on Polly's Firebird ... I really want one ... but one like hers a 65 :-)

I am on the lookout for one like that myself.

Considering trading my old Les Paul for it .. just too much bothersome stretches to reach the top end on a Lester.

PJ’s sunburst one…  

https://youtu.be/A29BMj3v86w?si=MxPCdOE15kSeg_BK

Philly_Q

I had a Firebird Studio, with the full size humbuckers, for a while.  I liked it, I found it quite comfortable despite the body size, but for whatever reason I didn't keep it very long.  I'm not particularly attracted to a "proper" Firebird, the banjo tuners look mad and (whisper it) I don't really like Firebird pickups.

PhilKing

I had a custom shop Firebird VII in frost blue, but didn't like the sound of the new Gibson mini-humbuckers that they were using (I think they had ceramic magnets), so I didn't keep it.  It looked great though and played well:

OilCityPickups

PhilKing said:

I had a custom shop Firebird VII in frost blue, but didn't like the sound of the new Gibson mini-humbuckers that they were using (I think they had ceramic magnets), so I didn't keep it.  It looked great though and played well:

To my knowledge Gibson has never done a proper re issue of the original Firebird pickup ... making it very much the poor cousin of the PAF ... which has had a ridiculous quantity of 'most authentic yet' reissues. 

I'm not grumbling, I was amongst the first UK winders to go for an authentic 60s formula with my Winterizers ... and even put it in a standard humbucker shell too for those who are either not lucky enough to own a Firebird, or have one of the Epiphone models that take standard humbuckers. 
Long may Gibson ignore these great pickups ... it leaves us independent winders to clean up :-) 

PhilKing

▲ I have an old 60's Firebird pickup that I need to use in something, but one of my favorites is the Silvertone Chris Isaak pickup, which has a Gibson PAF sticker on the bottom of it, and looks like it is a mini version of the Fender Wide range.  Here is mine on my 59 Esquire
 

GavRichList

I’m not doubting the credentials of @oilcitypickups but I’d also just take a minute to sing the praises of the Mojotone Johnny Winter set. Bought some for my Firebird and hotfuckingdog they’re wonderful. 

FastEddie

McToot said:

The good Doctor @DrCornelius ;  and @stickyfiddle ;- are spot on. They take a hell of a lot of getting used to. I always felt it was like trying to play an ironing board. 

The comparison to an ironing board has given me goose bumps.
I love ironing boards. What veteran doesn't!

The tone of the smaller humbucker is cracking. Got me thinking as well. 

OilCityPickups

GavRichList said:

I’m not doubting the credentials of @oilcitypickups but I’d also just take a minute to sing the praises of the Mojotone Johnny Winter set. Bought some for my Firebird and hotfuckingdog they’re wonderful. 

Indeed they are very good ... and I did say that it was down to independent makers not Gibson to make good Firebird repros ... and last tome I checked Mojotone in North Carolina were a small independent maker not Gibson. :-)

My first Winterizer was sold thirteen years ago ... I think that means I predate pretty much all bar Seymore Duncan in making accurate Firebird replicas  :-) 

JerkMoans

Loved the look of the one I had.  Just felt like I needed the arms of Mr Tickle to play the thing.  And I'm 6'3"...

GavRichList

JerkMoans said:

Loved the look of the one I had.  Just felt like I needed the arms of Mr Tickle to play the thing.  And I'm 6'3"...

I don’t get that at all, and I’m only 5’9” 

Offset

GavRichList said:

JerkMoans said:

Loved the look of the one I had.  Just felt like I needed the arms of Mr Tickle to play the thing.  And I'm 6'3"...

I don’t get that at all, and I’m only 5’9” 

I'm 6' and I'm with @JerkMoans on this.  I still love the look and sound however and that's enough to keep it with me.

JonHosker

5’9” and probably still with my Les Paul.
Eye candy and love the Firebird sound though 

HerrMetal

matt_sefton said:

The only guitar I really regret selling. Still can’t stomach the non-reverse variants though. Probably Paul Raymond of UFO’s fault…

Paul Chapman, not Raymond in this instance.

stickyfiddle

My assumption is that peoples preferences are quite aligned with whether they prefer LPs & Strats or Sis, ESes and Explorer. Basically if you're used to having a strap button on the heel and holding the body over your hip it's going to be a much easier transition than for a Les Paul guy who always hold the guitar body right in front of them

Offset

Hmmm.  Duesenberg Les Trem II on a Firebird... whaddaya reckon?  Anyone fitted one to a TOM/stopbar Gibson?

Teyeplayer

Offset said:

Hmmm.  Duesenberg Les Trem II on a Firebird... whaddaya reckon?  Anyone fitted one to a TOM/stopbar Gibson?

Used to have one on my non-reverse, worked a treat. Man I miss that guitar. 

Offset

Ta @Teyeplayer - now I have an itch... 

* EDIT - what was tuning stability like?

Teyeplayer

Offset said:

Ta @Teyeplayer - now I have an itch... 

* EDIT - what was tuning stability like?

It was good. I’m yet to have a bad experience with duesenberg trems. 

oh_pollo