Epi Firebird - Mini Humbuckers Replacement?

gtr player

gtr player

New member
Hey all-
I recently got a limited edition Epiphone Firebird.
It has humbuckers, but I want to get mini humbuckers in there to get the Firebird sound. (I was going to replace the pups anyway).
Is this a big deal? Looks like I need custom mounting rings to put the minis in the humbuckers' place? Anything else I should be aware of? Would P-90's fit in the humbucker mounts and give me a similar sound?
Love the look of this guitar, but am looking to get this mod done
http://s148.photobucket.com/albums/s16/jdpkeeper/?action=view&current=100_1396.jpg

Thanks!
 
Last edited:
Re: Epi Firebird - Mini Humbuckers Replacement?

love firebirds!! coolest looking guitars ever made.

p90's wont sound anything like mini humbuckers and you'd have to rout a little to get a p90 to fit. you could put something like a phat cat in there to get the p90 sound but again it still wont sound like a mini humbucker.

there is a way to do it but youd need to make some custom mounting rings that fit that size hole but hold the mini, the stock mini rings are gonna be way to small
 
Re: Epi Firebird - Mini Humbuckers Replacement?

Put a set of the Duncan minihums in. They are awesome. The Firebird Duncans are the best!
 
Re: Epi Firebird - Mini Humbuckers Replacement?

Nice lookin guitar; I'd go Johnny Winter on that thing all day long

as for the pups, you gotta get some Mini-hums. I think you're gonna have to kind customize some material into your own mounting rings though.

Another route is Phat Cats.... mix between A2 PAF and P90 that fits straight into a humbucker rout. But for a real Firebird, it's gotta be Minis
 
Re: Epi Firebird - Mini Humbuckers Replacement?

Yeah, the minis have got to go in. Love Winter's tone on his first and second records!!!! But I also found out that Allen Collins, Skynyrd's old gtr plyr, had a Firebird with a P90 in bridge and a Mini in neck.
Here's the link to info and vid. Very cool, unique tone.
Freebird solo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9C91dQFxjM

Collins' gear:
http://lynyrdskynyrddixie.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=10808

So some other options, too. OK, ok, Freebird has unfortunately become a cliche:disappoin...but Collins' tone here is cool.
 
Re: Epi Firebird - Mini Humbuckers Replacement?

i think a phat cat in the bridge would be cool, really like that pup but you need a mini in the neck
 
Re: Epi Firebird - Mini Humbuckers Replacement?

You could make an adapter plate out of pickguard plastic and glue it into a humbucker mounting ring--no routing or other mods needed.
 
Re: Epi Firebird - Mini Humbuckers Replacement?

Epiphone needs to issue a *real* Firebird with mini hums
 
Re: Epi Firebird - Mini Humbuckers Replacement?

gripweed said:
Epiphone needs to issue a *real* Firebird with mini hums
Click to expand...

Saw an epi firebird VII at my local music store the other day. Had 3 mini buckers in it, and went for around 700$ I think.
 
Re: Epi Firebird - Mini Humbuckers Replacement?

phil_104 said:
Saw an epi firebird VII at my local music store the other day. Had 3 mini buckers in it, and went for around 700$ I think.
Click to expand...

Been checking out the VII Epiphones on Ebay the past couple a weeks-they were selling quick!!:11:
Kicked myself for not buying the Epi FB VII for $600 w/case.....but then again, I am a vintage type guy, and the sunburst really appealed to me more, and my experience with gold hardware from Epi is that it tarnishes:disappoin
These VII's only had gold hardware.
Been struggling to replace hardware on my Epi Sheraton this year....don't want to go through that with a Firebird.
But yeah, the VII's appear to have some collector's value on the market....
After putting in SD 59's in my Epi Les Paul Custom, I am convinced (for me, being on a limited budget) that a great way to get a good guitar is get a good body and neck and then do the mods.
At least that is my plan also with the Firebird....great results with the Epi Les Paul.
Cheers, thanks for all the advice:banana:
 
Re: Epi Firebird - Mini Humbuckers Replacement?

gtr player said:
Looks like I need custom mounting rings to put the minis in the humbuckers' place?
Click to expand...
TV Jones makes humbucker sized mounting rings for filtertrons. If mini humbuckers are close in size to filtertrons maybe that could be made to work.
Anybody know how firebird pickups compare in size to filtertrons?
 
Re: Epi Firebird - Mini Humbuckers Replacement?

jeremy said:
i think a phat cat in the bridge would be cool, really like that pup but you need a mini in the neck
Click to expand...
I apologize for the hijack, but Jeremy, I have a set of Phat Cats in my Love Rock.. I have been in love with the PC bridge since day one but the neck I am not so sure about. I certainly can't get the same sweet glass slide sound as with the neck bucker (Ibanez Super 70) in my other guitar.

Do you think a Firebird type pickup or a mini humbucker of some sort would be a cool choice for the neck? I want a brighter, tighter, punchier more single coil-ish sound than a full size humbucker, but with bucker-ish sustain, like I said for that sweet glass slide tone.

If not what would you recommends?
 
Re: Epi Firebird - Mini Humbuckers Replacement?

a mini could work for ya. its kinda like a cross between a strat pup and a paf. more attack, chime, and high end than a paf but more body than a strat. typiclly i like the sm1 or sm3 in the neck but in to match up with a pc the sm2 might be the ticket. oddly enough i have a small ceramic mag 7.6k bucker in the neck with my phat cat bridge. tried lots of pups before i settled on that and it just works with the cat really well.

mini's are odd little beasts, some people love em, some dont.
 
Re: Epi Firebird - Mini Humbuckers Replacement?

great now i have firebird gas again... i played a gibson a few times at gc and i loved that thing so much... ****
 
Re: Epi Firebird - Mini Humbuckers Replacement?

I've found a vid on Yoututbe of someone playing a Gibson Firebird with P90 in bridge and mini hum in neck. He plays both clean and overdriven in these vids.
You can clearly see when he switches pickups.
Anyone have an opinion on his tone? I think the P90 sound kinda brittle and thin compared to the mini (maybe just his amp settings? bad audio?). The middle position (both pups) sounds rich, I think, and the mini hum sounds sweet.
I'm leaning toward minis in neck and bridge, although the P90's in this thread have gotten a lot of praise.
(yeah, I know, can't really judge pickups via youtube, but it gives you a rough idea of what they sound like)

Here's his overdrive tones:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W79r2ozp7Z4

Here's his clean tones:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz2ntqfHJB4
 
Re: Epi Firebird - Mini Humbuckers Replacement?

I could have sworn someone made conversion mounting rings for mini's in fullsize HB cavities, but I can't find them now.
 
Re: Epi Firebird - Mini Humbuckers Replacement?

Truant said:
I could have sworn someone made conversion mounting rings for mini's in fullsize HB cavities, but I can't find them now.
Click to expand...

If ya find anything out, let me know!
I've been just using google searches to see if I can find anything, but it hasn't been easy.
 
Re: Epi Firebird - Mini Humbuckers Replacement?

i like to run the tone rolled back a little on my bridge p90s as a basic setting. i like having the extra high end available when i want it, but dont always need it
 
Re: Epi Firebird - Mini Humbuckers Replacement?

gtr player said:
I've found a vid on Yoututbe of someone playing a Gibson Firebird with P90 in bridge and mini hum in neck. He plays both clean and overdriven in these vids.
You can clearly see when he switches pickups.
Anyone have an opinion on his tone? I think the P90 sound kinda brittle and thin compared to the mini (maybe just his amp settings? bad audio?). The middle position (both pups) sounds rich, I think, and the mini hum sounds sweet.
I'm leaning toward minis in neck and bridge, although the P90's in this thread have gotten a lot of praise.
(yeah, I know, can't really judge pickups via youtube, but it gives you a rough idea of what they sound like)

Here's his overdrive tones:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W79r2ozp7Z4

Here's his clean tones:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz2ntqfHJB4
Click to expand...
I guess maybe the P90 sounds a little brittle, but it could just be not that great a P90, or just bad audio.

The mini in the neck sounds pretty sweet - I'm definitely throwing one in the neck of my LP with the P90 in the bridge.

Middle position was thinner - like middle positions usually are - and I probably wouldn't use it that often but it was a neat sound.


If you're the kind of guy that stays on the bridge pickup a lot (like me) and wants that Pete Townshend I-hit-an-open-A-and-holy-****-I-think-my-amp's-going-to-explode sound, I recommend the P90 in the bridge. If you use the middle and neck positions just as much as the bridge I think a pair of Firebird pickups would be great.

But hey, just my way of thinking. Neil Young got great results with the Firebird pickup in the bridge of his old Les Paul - no doubt after hearing Stephen Stills' Firebird.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top