That's the honest to God truth! Always been a fan of Firebirds for over 55+ years ❤ Someone commented saying Firebirds a basically "pissed off Telecasters" that is 100% accurate! But if you know what you're doing with Firebirds there's no tone you can't achieve!
What are you talking about? I’ve never heard anyone, at literally anytime say they hate a Firebird. I love them. I want one. Always have. One of the coolest Gibsons ever.
Upside down headstock, an amoebic body shape, too much plastic, and a toggle switch so far to the right that it's almost falling off the body..... What's not to love?
@@inherentmirth5180 I’m at trade shows all the time. Best friends with a vintage guitar dealer. I have never hear literally anyone say that. The Les Paul sold poorly in the 50s. The problem is they make too many models. Not because they hate the Firebird. That’s just silly.
I wouldn't say I hated mine, but I didn't care for it much, it looked cool but the neck dive bothered me to the point that it stayed in the closet for years until I finally sold it.
Enjoyed the whole discussion about “what makes a Firebird different?” - I’ve played one, but didn’t know exactly what was going on with the pickups (never took one apart). I’d say the Firebird is “mission accomplished” - lots more “bite” than a Les Paul, cuts right through 😎👍. As you said, almost Fender-like. If I were to have a Gibson-type guitar, it would be either a Firebird or an RD Artist (which has a body shape that’s similar to a Firebird). The RD has lots of bite, also, but it kind of “cheats” because it has active electronics. Firebird is the pure thing 👍, which is why Allen Collins and Johnny Winter both played them!
I do NOT think it’s incorrect to say that Firebird pickups are similar to Mini-humbuckers. FB pickups WERE derived from the Mini-HB design, which originally came from Epiphone, and they ARE the same size and use mostly the same components. The main difference between them, as I understand it, is that Mini-HBs use a metal bar piece in one coil and individual screw pole pieces on the other (magnetized by a bar magnet underneath), while FB pickups basically just substitute bar magnets inside of BOTH coils. Gibson basically got the Mini Humbucker design from Epiphone when they bought Epiphone, and ended up using them in certain Gibson products, perhaps most famously the 1970’s Les Paul Deluxe, because Gibson’s LP at the time was routed for P-90’s, and they didn’t want to have to change their tooling to route for regular hunbuckers, and Mini-HB’s were the PERFECT solution, since they are a drop-in replacement into existing P-90 routes (with the mini-HB pickup rings). Some people today would say the LP Deluxe is a unique sounding hidden gem as a result!
It's funny the red one really looks like a car from the early 60s, but when you look at the Epiphone that's up for the drawing, the different color is much more reminiscent of a TV set from the same time period. It's a very cool looking guitar, and as a casual woodworker I really appreciate the way the wood is joined together. Love it!
I've picked up the new one in the same red. The car vibes are huge and the vibrola plate reminds me of an exposed airscoop on a hot rod. Yes furniture also came in this red in the 60's.
I love Firebirds. That said, I've sold everyone of them. The main reason is they take up a lot of space. The same with the Explorer. Trying to get through the door or a room just gets tiring. They sound like a million bucks and they are great to play! If I just had someone to carry them for me.
@@monmixerYUP. My 2022 Epiphone SG Standard is only like 6.6 pounds and I love that. I can play it without it fatiguing me. However... I kinda don't like tho the 12" fret board radius. I wish it was a 14" radius. ESP LTD EC-256 & EC-1000’s tho are nice light guitars as well. I wanna get one of those next. And they have a 13.77" fret board radius. I just don't like their volume knobs being so close to the bridge pick-up. I like being able to get away with being lose with my wrist and my fingers not hitting any dam knobs. That's what I like about the Epiphone/Gibson guitars. The knobs are far out of the way. I absolutely don't need them to be that close.
Finally toward the end you said the two words that jumped into my mind when I saw the guitar, "Johnny Winter". It is a beautiful instrument and makes some beautiful sounds (a little less reverb would have been nice when you were playing).
One of the other unique features of the Firebird, that I think, make it a joy to play, is the tuning peg alignment. All the strings run straight thru the nut. Tunes better and bends are easier. The body shape and neck thru design does make it feel like you're playing a bass.
The Firebird played Freebird! Watch the great Allen Collins show us how it's done in TWO PERFORMANCES 1st and 2nd trip to London. *Lynryd Skynyrd 1975 Free Bird BBC Old Grey Whistle Test* [ 1975, unsure what exact date...early in the year probably] and *Lynyrd Skynyrd - Free Bird (Live Old Grey Whistle Test - 1975)* [November 11, 1975] [of course I just can't see both of these being in 1975, but they were. What a busy year! First performance is with founding drummer Bob Burns and 3rd guitarist Ed King. The second performance is with new drummer Artimus Pyle and Ed King had quit. This is the 'limbo' period when founding guitarists Gary Rossington and Allen Collins would hold down the fort with Skynyrd's release of the *Gimme Back my Bullets* album. Steve Gaines joined the band about 6-7 months after the November '75 performance.
I saw Lynryd Skynyrd at Knebworth, 1976, supporting the rolling stones. Man, they were great and Freebird with Allan Collins lighting up the whole crowd with his guitar playing is something I'll never forget. Made the stones sound tame after that.
I love the Firebird, I have two, and I also have a Thunderbird Bass. One aspect that I like is the reverse headstock makes the bass strings the longest, which helps lower the tension, even when drop tuning. I have a few explorers too, I have the Epiphone Korina Explorer and it has some amazing tones too, equipped with Gibson Burstbucker™ 2 and Burstbucker 3 pickups. I almost got the Ruby Red Firebird when it first came out, but I already have the vintage burst and Olive Drab Green versions, so a third is hard to justify, the cases are massive. You could easily build a fort for your kids with 4 of them.
Love firebirds. Especially the pick up.. one of my future projects is to build a partscaster with a firebird neck pickup and an upside down strat neck.
The Firebird is a great guitar. WHY did the headline say that guitarists hate it? Like many Gibsons I love them but can't afford them. It's even worse because I am left handed.
Phill only the kids of today hate, but those of us from 60's and 70's love it just like you. Evan if we don't own one like myself over the years there was always a neighbor or at a guitar teacher's house you saw one and got to play one. I was just thinking of getting one a few days ago. You saved me a google search.
Love seeing you play riffs. I watch most of your videos and it seems you don't play a ton on your videos, which is fine but I do like hearing the riffs you play. You really dug in on this one. Must be a really fun guitar to play ✌🏻
Never heard anyone say they hate a Firebird. Never heard anyone say they like them either. When talking about Gibson electric guitars people think about the Les Paul, ES series, Explorer or Flying V. Maybe an SG? Most don't think about the Firebird.
Love Firebirds....I had a mid 70's Ibanez copy for a while and struggled...neck dive was profound and the neck was a bit of a reach....the more I reached, the more dive. It was great sitting down.....love the look of them, love the sound, maybe now I've got more paunch, I should try again....maybe it'll sit better now.
I love my firebird! its thin and light which i appreciate alot these days, i changed the nut and got rid of the stock ceramics. very happy with my firechicken
I’m a tall guy. The Firebird fits me nicely. The neck is kind of pushed out further making it comfortable to play with my long arms. When I play an LP or Strat style everything feels cramped. Sounds killer too.
They look awesome. They sound good. They feel like trying to embrace someone who has extra elbows to navigate. The Explorer is a similar body shape but MUCH more ergonomic.
Prescott Cronin, guitar player for Chain Link Fence, a band led by the older brother of MMB's Dickie Barrett picked up a Firebird when they were playing some gigs in LA in the early 80s. He brought it back to Boston where it became his main instrument, and he really did it justice. One night after a gig at The Rat, Elliot Easton of the Cars came back stage to say hello, but had an ulterior motive: He really, really wanted Prescott's Firebird. (Despite this being a RH instrument, and Easton being a LH player) He made a ridiculously generous offer to the young starving musician, but Prescott wouldn't part with it. Despite Elliot hounding him about it for the next 3 years; the Firebird still hangs in Prescott's home studio.
I love my Firebird. It's an Epiphone, Drab Olive colored. Only real difference that I'm aware of is the volume and tone configuration. Normally Gibson Firebirds have the Volume set positionally to align with the pickup placement, unlike an LP where both volume knobs are all set toward the neck and the tone knobs are set to the bridge. This is how they are set on my Epi Firebird, like an LP. I love the tone and fell of that guitar. Only real dislike has more to do with the strap buttons. The button on the back of the neck heel cause the guitar to lean forward away from my body and can make playing it more challenging as it's harder to see the fret board.
I've always loved how Firebirds look, and PJ Harvey looks like a badass when she plays hers :) But I had a Firebird bass at one point and it was the most poorly balanced instrument of any kind I've ever had. The neck dive on that thing was crazy. The Firebird is essentially an upside down Fender Jazzmaster (and the Firebird bass is essentially an upside down Fender Jazz Bass), but there's a good design reason for why the Jazzmaster is the way it is and that's to make it more balanced than the Strat was. If you take that design and turn it upside down or backwards, you're going to screw that balance all up and I feel like that's what Gibson did with the Firebird. Great looking and sounding guitars, but they're just not fun to play. I replaced my Firebird bass with a Jazz Bass and have been much happier.
I always felt like the shape was a refinement on the Explorer. It has the same back “wing” and front “horn” just smaller and rounded, with a less sharp waist.
The sharp angle of the Explorer makes it wonderfully stable for seated play. I would love to see a shrunken variant (like a Dinky to Strat), with the wing truncated and the bridge positioned further to the rear of the body. I would also need a low, Fender-style hardtail and a 42mm nut to play it, but that is just me.
At my peak as a young man I had 13 guitars. My favorite by far was a early 70s J-200. Next favorite was an ES-1275 (dark walnut 12/6) that I picked up in Kalamazoo as soon as it was finished. I also had '62 white SG that I loved very much and a '73 EB-3 bass. But I had two Gibsons I never loved. One was a '70s flying V (worst guitar to play seated) and the other was a collector-cool 1976 bicentennial tribute where the firebird logo was morphed to a red/white/blue American Eagle kinda firebird. For reasons difficult to explain I just didn't enjoy playing it compared to others. I didn't hate it but I didn't love it.
They are my favorite! So much that I bought one. Yes it's a epiphone. I'm not a professional so I'm not gonna pay 3 times the money for the same guitar to sit in my room and play for nobody. I love my guitar!
We were talking about that with Uncle Larry, how different guitars can make you feel and play different. They can draw things out of you LOL. I've always loved Firebirds, just never found the right one. Last fall I bought a $650 Eppie version, and I was very pleasantly surprised! It needed setup, I expected that, but it sounds and plays great!! It has the multi-piece neck through like a Gibson, but I think a little thicker. I was also expecting to change pups, but ones it came with are really good! Very happy with the whole guitar!! And I'm usually hard on Eppies. LOL Peace --gary
I have the Epi Firebird and a 2013 Gibson Firebird. The Epi really nails the Firebird vibe and sound. The Gibson has hotter pups than the '60's originals. They're not bad, but I like a more classic sound, so I bought a set of Johnny Winter pups from MojoTone that I plan on installing in it. Both of mine are sunburst, but man, that Cardinal Red is the bomb.
i got those same johnny winter pups. installed them in a goldtop less+. winter voiced them with an emphasis on the neck pickup. they’re clear, balanced to each other (the neck is a bit hotter), and sound great through breakup/overdriven tubes.
Hendrix played a Firebird now and then. And V's. I also saw a Motown doc and one of the guitarists used a Firebird to demo how he played some of those Motown wah-wah licks. Whether he used it back when, I don't know, but the sound was unmistakable.
I've got one in the dark walnut colour, but it is a couple years older and the tuners are not banjo tuners, but have a knurled barrels to tune the strings, by Steinberger. I find the guitar very inspiring and fun to play onstage and really seems to fit when it's time to rock out. I think the pickups are so hot because that's what players seem to expect of these guitars but according to my sources the first Firebird pickups were not that high output. I have a non-reverse of this same vintage and in this red colour and they came with these same hot pickups, but I installed a set of vintage correct pickups from Q Pickups from Croatia and what a different sound. Lighter and airier and the Telecasters comparisons now make sense. So I have two pickups flavours in a Firebird. The next thing to try is putting the newer Gibson Firebird pickups that I removed into my Epiphone Crestwood instead of their unimpressive mini humbuckers. And about the big bulky cases. Why would Gibson not have installed metal glides on the bottom surface that is on the table or floor when you take out the guitar? I have some that I could have installed but I didn't have the heart to start pulling up the inside lining to install them properly.
The guitar player in our band has one and he thinks the neck is too fat compared to his SG... He talked to a local luthier and asked if he could shave the neck a bit. What he told him was the fact the body is so big and the neck is kind of "out there" compared to an SG or Les Paul. The scale is the same but your hand is further out and it changes the stretch of the arm and the grip on your hand thus, the neck feels bigger in the hand. Also, his is a 2015 or 16 I believe which has the Steinberger tuners and they're really fast for string changes! He loves them!!
I loved the sound and playability of my mid-60s tobacco sunburst Firebird V when I owned it in the early 80s. BUT I despise heavy guitars (I played a Les Paul Custom for too many years - a literal back breaker) and truly hate heavy guitars with "neck dive." So, even though my Firebird was incredibly well crafted with stunning attention to detail, it was heavy and had extreme neck dive. Thus, it went to a new owner whom I hoped loved it more than I did. The beauty, sound and playability just couldn't overcome the lack of comfort when playing standing!
I had never had any interest in Firebird guitars then, this past March, I visited Rumble Seat Guitars in Nashville. They had a vintage non-Reverse Firebird hanging on the wall. I did not plug it in BUT the neck was amazing and the guitar just fit me perfectly. I have to confess that this was the only Gibson guitar that I really, really liked.
I had a black one, like Paul Stanley’s, way back in the day. Lightweight and played good, and the mini’s cut through better than regular HBpickups. The only problem, not really that much of one I guess, were the banjo tuners! It took a bit to remember which way to turn, lol! Cool guitars!
I have had four Firebirds. I wanted to love them, but ended up hating them. Neck heavy, odd body, weird tuners, etc. Liked the sound, but fought to play them. I'm done with Firebirds forever.
Too late for the contest, Shucks. I want one. You answered a question I had without even bringing it up. How does it sit on your knee? The answer seems to be perfectly. That beautiful balance is strangely rare in a guitar. The Strat has it. Sitting on the edge of the bed and then going to a standing position is a perfect transition. If you like to play it hi or low it doesn't care. The Les Paul. They make me weak in the knees, but they do not sit on your knee. It is at best awkward. It's not fun. It won't inspire you to practice alone. I have even considered making a removable brace for the knee side to get that balance I want. I have never spent more than 700 bucks on a guitar. Damn, I might have this time.
Very nice of you Phil to refer to Johnny Winter (Edgar's older brother!) when detailing this axe. Hopefully some kid watching you gets a cardinal red and and upstages JW in the future - - - because you took the time to bring out the nuances !!!
I love my Epiphone Firebird. (I put the Duesenberg Les trem II on it- it works great.). I don’t play it as much any more for my church gig, since the guitar (and the hard case) are massive. I find myself grabbing the Tele more, simply due to convenience. (I just stick it in the gig bag and go.) They both have the bite I need for some praise songs, but there is a little more warmth in the Firebird.
Good video. Two things : (maybe someday), I'd like to hear a vintage SG with the Firebird pickup kit swap and, even though they are long gone, would love your take on an old Hagstrom.
that neck position sounds more like a strat than a tele! gave me Jimi vibes. I love the look and that color is amazing. too bad the price is so far out of my budget working at a coffee shop!
I'm still trying to understand the resistance levels of the stock pickups. Mine read 19 and 24, which would lead one to think this is going to be dark and quick to distort. Not the case necessarily. Are blade pickups just totally different animals? The custom shop FB models have more traditional 50"s wiring and 7-8 ohm resistance. Opted for some Seymour Duncan FB replacements. It did lose a little of that Johnny Winter woodsy tone but it overdrives more predictably.
Love Firebirds. The neck feels like it's in the next room, like you have to reach for it when it's hanging off your shoulder. Takes some getting used to.
I love my 2016 Gibson Firebird V. Bought it brand new for $1100. Boy were those the days! I wish I would have bought a few more Gibsons back when they were affordable.
I have an Epiphone version that I picked up used for not much. It is a true neck through 11 piece body (9 piece laminated neck through section with two wings). Put steinberg locking tuners on it, Fralin Firebird pickups. Fantastic.
Hey Phil did you do a breakdown video of the epi? I’m watching an old podcast vid and it said you might have made a video with upgrades for the winner, but it might have been a different situation, cheers!
I'd love for you to do a dive on the BC-Rich Mockingbird st. I've always played Les Pauls but I recently been stuck on this Mockingbird. It has these Dunkin designed pickups that sound great to me.😉
I don't 🙂🙂...The ( reverse ) Firebird is actually my favorite guitar, between my Gibsons, Epiphones and other brands I own 12... Great video as always... Very well-done...
I saw Johnny Winter a few times and also Edgar Winter, when they would use guitarists like Ronny Montrose, and Rick Derringer! Blues, Slide, and hard edged Rock and Roll, these guitarists never held back! Thanks Phil!
Firebird pickups vary with era. When they reissued in the 90s, FB pickups were hotter and wider than vintage in the e to e axis. Banjo tuners suck and are neckbreakers.
I never liked the “look” of them myself , but I understand others will love them. A guitar has to catch my eye first before I wanna actually see if I can bond with it. Only gibson I ever want is a 59 burst, but some fella called Joe has hoarded them all😂
Wouldn't say I hate it. Love the look and vibe, but the headstock just wants to kiss the floor. Always found it pretty awkward im regards to balance, having to hold the neck up, and everything being sort of pushed away from me. Im 6'2" and it feels like a days journey to the first fret. Love watching other people play them lol
I’ve done some research, but not sure if the original 60s pickups were A2, or A5. Most of the companies building replica pickups seems to be using A5, but I’m not sure how they arrived at that. I have a guy winding me some with A2 to take a bit of the edge off. Aren’t the modern FBs like yours hot ceramic pickups, or did they change them by 2019?
I had one. I could never get used to the feeling that it was way out in front of me, like I was reaching out from my body to play it. Anybody know what I mean?
I've always loved the sounds and tones Johnny Winter got out of all the rigs he recorded with and am glad to have seen him live...and the Firebird was his weapon of choice. Thanks for sharing!
