I've had an Epiphone Firebird Studio in Pelham Blue for the last 6 years and to this day it's one of the best sounding and playing guitars I own. I've grown accustomed to its shape, it feels so natural right now.
I have this Epiphone Firebird too cause a Gibson Firebird is far too expensive for me which was very frustrating. The Firebird always was my absolute favorite guitar even as a beginner - since I held one I never could forget it again. With no other guitar I am that comfortable as with a "reverse" Firebird. The shape, the feeling, the seize, the weight, the sound. I loved everything about it and ever will. It gives me chills by just holding and feeling it. Especially if it is this type of firebird with the higher middle part on both sides (neck thru or fake neck thru). Playing it? Well it is like I'm in paradise. To me it is the most beautiful guitar ever was made. The only thing that makes it even better to me is its real neck thru. So I am really happy Epiphone made this beauty. I had a long break from learning the guitar cause I "missed" something... Sometimes the "right guitar" DOES matter. I'd never had that break if I could have this 13 years earlier and I really hope this won't be the last payable Firebird for smaller budgets.
The sad part is that you mentioned it was a loaner. So they consciously sent a guitar ment for review with improper qc. Which terrifies me as to how everyday customer qc is. Considering that model should have been gone through with a fine tooth comb considering the liability of sending a reviewer one with flaws.
While that’s true, my experience of working at a music store for a while now, is sometimes the lemons that come out of the factory happen in shipping. And unfortunately, there is no control on the safety needed through importing goods to our country. Now with epiphone, they’re goal is blow out and mass produce guitars at a good price that still feel great. I respect their motive, but maybe still they’ve got to get their consistent issues worked out.
@@eddysolis337 True we all know how "fragile" mail is handled. Its why i always take a mail ordered guitar straight to my local music store for a set up and inspection before even playing it. Its a good cover your ass step. Im just shocked they wouldnt spend more care on review models. You could argue its a sign of them not trying to sway oppinion by sending out a cherry picked model. But at the same time the odds of a decent sized channel getting one with issues, does not help the thought of the odds of everyone getting one with flaws.
I never ordered a guitar online before. Always been skeptical about buying a guitar i didn't play first. No one has these in the area, so I guess there's first time for everything. Sam Ash has a 45 day return policy, so I'm definitely ordering one of these asap!
Awesome review! They aren’t mini humbuckers though, they are firebird pickups which are copies of the mid 60’s original version with alnico ii magnets.
I'm in a committed relationship with my Epiphone Les Paul but I am going to cheat on her and get a Firebird. Love the neck through design functionally and the overall guitar aesthetically. It's absolutely gorgeous! And the tones you get from those pickups..yes, I'm going to get that next! Maybe I'll really bite the bullet and get the $2000 Gibson version.
Hey, Hunter! The demo track is as good as it gets! Literally, amazing work, fine medieval tunes and the setting is so sweet - you did a great job, man! Just added one more extra reason to watch and anticipate your videos :) It’s just fun to see you create music irrespective of the gear under investigation, you rock anyways 🤘🏻
At one time I owned a new 2017 Gibson FB. I just never bonded with it and sold it (pots were really scratchy and it had a weak ground from the factory). But then Epi came out with their version so I decided to give the model another try. And this one I DID bond with. I like it better than the Gibby and had none of the QC issue that Agufish did. My only complaint is that it needs a lock washer on the input jack. 10 cents! Tone machine for sure! It's kind of cool to look at the differences between Squire & Epiphone (the budget sister companies). Epiphone is blowing the doors off with awesome guitars moving into a solid mid-price company while squire just keeps using cheaper and cheaper components. My bet is on Epi' for the future.
I longed for a Firebird for many years, finally had the money for one, 1974 Gibson Firebird V, played it for 3 months and sold it. I loved the look of the Firebird but the mini humbuckers ended up not being for me. The neck was also a lot skinnier than I wanted it to be (like Ibanez super Strat skinny). Over all I ended up playing my fender Strat way more for blues and rock.
I could almost see why Michael Poulsen of Volbeat switched from SGs to Firebirds. The neck thru body construction gives a Firebird guitar more sustain, where as a Gibson SG’s set neck doesn’t have as much sustain.
The Firebird and Thunderbird lines are probably two Gibson designs that seem to get used very sparingly by larger bands. The first band that pops into my head as people who used them is UFO and their hayday was in the 1970's. I imagine that apart from the image that brings up to a lot of people the reason that they don't seem to get that much love is that they are generally quite heavy and tend to neck-dive when played with a strap which makes them kind of uncomfortable for use in a live band.
Hey Hunter, love the videos, especially the songs at the first of them. That Firebird is so cool, love that look. Quick question though. I noticed the bridge pickup looked super high, and when I saw that I realized the bridge was super high. Is that normal? I’ve seen that in the past and I had an Epiphone that had a high bridge, I really wasn’t a fan. Is that a normal thing for Epiphone? I saw a guy playing a Gibson Firebird the other day and the pickups were slammed to the pickup rings, but Epiphone, in the one I had and the one you just played, seemed super high. I guess is that normal for Epiphone, and does it have an effect on the sound?
Some say Harley Davidson offered him an endorsement, but he wound up at Thomann strumming his signature model. And astride a Kawasaki H2TT he'd wring out the throttle till Raleigh. All we know is, he's called Der Fish!
FYI, Hunter, EMG makes mini-hum pickups. In fact, a friend of mine has a modified Les Paul Deluxe with a first generation EMG preamp wired into it. Apparently his uncle lived down the street from EMG's founder back in the '70s, and what I've come to call "The Golden Sphinx" was one of a few projects to come out of that association. She's a Sphinx because she's a 1965 Gibson Deluxe goldtop (which was never made,) with very wide, flat, low frets (which were no available,) a thin shredders neck (which wasn't offered,) and this EMG preamp (which they refuse to duplicate.) The guitar is unplayable. Guitarists noodle about on it for a few minutes before wandering off to masturbate. NOTHING sounds like this. EMG claims the preamp is available in the 50/60 mini-hum set. I suggest finding a Firebird to your taste, and fitting the EMG mini-hum set(s) to it.
Just an FYI, Hunter: the banjo tuners *are* the traditional tuners for a Firebird (so you can have the super-massive headstock and still have the only Gibson with a straight string pull). Firebirds are okay IMO, but they just feel like a rounded-ff Explorer (I'm an Explorer fangirl). Also sad to head Epi sent you a bad model to review...especially if their QC isn't great on review models.
Hey Hunter, I'm really curious about your settings on the Katana. I bought one shortly after it came out for my first head, and I was really disappointed in the sound. I just can't get good metal tones out of it. The low end has almost no definition, and no matter what I do I can't seem to get it to "chug"
Hmmm, what cab are you using? What I have it set to is I'm on the Lead channel (Variation 2), gain at 5, bass 7, mid 3.5, treble 4. Using the boost, and cab resonance is set to modern. I'd also recommend trying a Tube Screamer in front if you've got one.
@@agufish I have a HB 1x12 cab with a Celestion V30. Granted, I haven't tried using the variation mode much because I think it makes the top end a little too hissy. It could just be my cab, but I'm not sure. In any case, thanks so much for the response! I've been following your channel for years now, back when you only had a few thousand subscribers. I've always loved your content, even back when your voice was super high pitched because you were nervous behind a camera. Good times!
I love your honest reviews man. I really wish you could try out the ESP Edwards Cygnus. It might be a bit hard to get a hold of one but I’d love your opinion on one.
I was gonna turn it off until a black dragon lit a fire and started roasting a Firebird and i thought my ancestors would not approve of me leaving a good tale.
I thought you played the SG modern better! It's a beautiful guitar. If I ordered one, I'd change the switch, output jack and drop in a pair of Mojo JW pickups!
Hunter, I hope you're doing well. I just wanted to drop a comment to let you know that, even though I am not a big fan of contemporary metal or actually ny type of metal ,I thoroughly enjoy your content, great presentation, great playing, great tones and even someone like me can take something out of your playing, and that would be your melody styling, the first jam had some really interesting sound and feel to it! Oh and not to mention Pringles, such a show stealer! Cheers and stay safe!
haha to be fair, the Katana makes it quite easy, but I'm on the Lead channel (Variation 2), bass 7, mid 3.5, treble 4. Using the boost, and cab resonance is set to modern!
side topic I have Bc rich mockingbird Nj series 2007 model neckthrough and it was less than 500bucks a year or two ago new (sitting in the shop since 2007) from the shop ;) and the fret work is awesome end the general quality is 8,5/10 so its not that uncommon at this price point :)
Dude I just re-watched your post namm vid from 6 months ago..pre coro...'that, that shall not be named' Hunter had so much hope in his eyes, such energy, so much..hair. His biggest worry was ' maybe I do actually like the new epi.headstock...shit..'
Firebird pups are sound like fat single coils. They aren’t mini humbuckers - they have Alnico 2 Bar Magnets inside the bobbins and on about 7k worth of winds
You know what guitar never disappoints (because there are no expectations)? That’s right! The Dean Cadillac. Did you see what Tom Maxwell of Hell Yeah was seen using on stage? That’s right! A Dean Cadillac!
Agufish I think you underestimate both the amount of boredom an Afghans deployment brings and the love / miss I have for my Dean Cadillacs at home (which I haven’t seen in almost a year, and yes I include my psychedelic one in that statement).
Probably the only epiphone I would ever consider buying. Epiphones arent bad and I've played some higher end epiphones that play and sound great. My main problem with epiphones are the headstock. They are the ugliest headstocks I've ever seen. This epiphone actually looks like a Gibson and sounds great.
They didn’t like how I pointed out the “not-so-good” stuff in the last video, and so stopped responding to my emails. I think they only wanted “omg this guitar is so good” content.
@@agufish that's too bad. I really like the look of their stuff, but Id rather hear your honest opinion on the product than blindly supporting a brand. Keep doing your thing bro!
