Where's All The Firebird Love?

['59]

I've been playing my friend's Firebird recently, and even discounting the active 3-band EQ and 5 way switch, it's a very cool guitar. It balances almost perfectly sitting on my leg, it doesn't have any issue with neck dive, the banjo tuners are in a more ergonomic position for your wrist (especially if you get the round ones as opposed to the tulip shaped tuners), they look cool, they sound great, and they will sustain for as long as you need then to. The pickups sound great too, they are almost a louder, fuller bodied Tele sound without the dullness of the neck pickup.

Plus you can go from a simple 2 pickup TOM layout:



To an extravagant 3 pickup, tremola bridged model:



How come you don't hear more about these truly versatile instruments? The only thing I can think of is that they were too exotic at too high a price point for the masses to buy one, and none of the big names really ever picked one up so the sheep didn't follow.

 

[SlyFoxx]

Re: Where's All The Firebird Love?

Mostly 'cause they're fugly?

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Where's All The Firebird Love?

Gibson changed the formula for Firebirds in recent decades to tame them a bit from what I understand, as their vintage pickups were very brittle and bright which was cool for sticking out in a mix OR filling space in places the other guitars don't sit in a mix -so the old Firbirds were a nice filler in the way a hammond organ or a 12 string is too.

I always dug them for their stranger tonal qualities.

 

[BTMN]

Re: Where's All The Firebird and it's Clones Love?

Re: Where's All The Firebird and it's Clones Love?

I wanted a Hamer FBVI for the longest. Finally got one and although I really love Explorer style guitars and the Firebird and Hamer's FBVI share that style it didn't stick around I moved it on and never looked back. Love the look, dislike the bump on the top.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Where's All The Firebird Love?

Gibson changed the formula for Firebirds in recent decades to tame them a bit from what I understand, as their vintage pickups were very brittle and bright...

In my opinion the modern equivalent is not only harsher, but less focused then the vintage equivalent. The newer ones have two ceramic magnets instead of A5s and are wound almost twice as hot. Firebird pickups wound to vintage specs are much more musical, almost like a ballsier single coil; the newer ones lack any sort of touch sensitivity or transparency. Gibson "heated them up" from being a beefier Tele sound to a wimpier generic humbucker sound, with the only thing they tried to retain being the brightness, which came out as harshness.

In my opinion, everyone should play a vintage Firebird at least once in their life, or at least one with vintage styled pickups.

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Where's All The Firebird Love?

I want a Kauer:

 

[AlexR]

Re: Where's All The Firebird Love?

The vintage Firebird is certainly an underappreciated guitar.

The pickups sound like a fat strat, or an open tele sound. I would expect the typical hard rock crowd not to like the vintage oriented pickups.....they take a bit more finesse to make work than an overwound humbucker.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Where's All The Firebird Love?

A 3-band active EQ and 5-way switch? What model has that? All the firebirds I've picked up, including the 2 in the OP, have passive electronics with the typical V/T V/T for each pickup and a 3-way toggle (except for the FB1, of course).

I love the body shape and how it hangs off my shoulder. Very comfortable to play. I don't mind the FB pickups, even the vintage ones. But, being a rock and roll guy, I do lean towards the models with the full-size humbuckers (Studio). They've got their own thing for sure.

I almost snagged one at a guitar show until my wallet started screaming at me...LOL.

BTW, George Lynch has been using one live here and there the last year or two. Still sounds like George.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Where's All The Firebird Love?

I knew a guy with a Firebird, he ran it thru a tube amp and got wonderful rich tones from it.

 

[blakejcan]

Re: Where's All The Firebird Love?

I have one and I love it. It's a freakin beautiful guitar, has the steinbergers which help w/ the neck dive and are prob my favorite tuners. Sustain lasts forever if you get it dialed in right. Ceramic pickups are not what they had 70 years ago but eh that's ok cuz you can still get some great sounds. I'm pretty sure a lot of things weren't that great 70 years ago no matter how much people pine for them.

Honestly the hardest part about owning a firebird and playing it in your house is that if you accidentally turn around to adjust a pedal or something you might snap the neck off cuz it's always just a bit longer than you think.

 

[ICTGoober]

Re: Where's All The Firebird Love?

I have a jazzer client who owns a newer one.... He loves the sound through his Ampeg or Hiwatt, and yes - he says it is a bit long, and you have to be careful when turning.

 

[Wattage]

Re: Where's All The Firebird Love?

I love them but they never seem to stick around

Speaking of those Hamers....

My buddy got his in '88 I think (pic from then too lol), still has it, still his #1

 

['59]

Re: Where's All The Firebird Love?

A 3-band active EQ and 5-way switch? What model has that? All the firebirds I've picked up, including the 2 in the OP, have passive electronics with the typical V/T V/T for each pickup and a 3-way toggle (except for the FB1, of course).

It's modded. He's a recovering bass player so he's grown used to active electronics. The 5-way switch was originally going to be a 6-way freeway switch, but he thought it would be too complicated to use on the fly. Again, recovering bass player.

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Where's All The Firebird Love?

In my opinion the modern equivalent is not only harsher, but less focused then the vintage equivalent. The newer ones have two ceramic magnets instead of A5s and are wound almost twice as hot. Firebird pickups wound to vintage specs are much more musical, almost like a ballsier single coil; the newer ones lack any sort of touch sensitivity or transparency. Gibson "heated them up" from being a beefier Tele sound to a wimpier generic humbucker sound, with the only thing they tried to retain being the brightness, which came out as harshness.

In my opinion, everyone should play a vintage Firebird at least once in their life, or at least one with vintage styled pickups.

That's pretty interesting. I'm pretty sure Gibson even has official statements about their Firebird tonal tweaks. I like Firebirds a lot, but they have to be controlled as they throw off tonal flames if not using the right eq/amp setup IMO

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Where's All The Firebird Love?

That's pretty interesting. I'm pretty sure Gibson even has official statements about their Firebird tonal tweaks. I like Firebirds a lot, but they have to be controlled as they throw off tonal flames if not using the right eq/amp setup IMO

They are pretty picky with amps, aren't they. You almost need to have a parametric mid control to reign in the upper mids without having to scoop the whole signal to the point where it falls back in the mix.

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Where's All The Firebird Love?

They are pretty picky with amps, aren't they. You almost need to have a parametric mid control to reign in the upper mids without having to scoop the whole signal to the point where it falls back in the mix.

Yep, I would say they are the most picky of the normal Gibson and Fender offerings.

I think some amp and speaker combos are voiced in a way that accentuates the brightness too much.. off hand, ig I had to guess, a VOX AC15 or 30 would not be a good mix with a firebird without lots of attention to EQ -just a guess though.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Where's All The Firebird Love?

I think they're great. They're among the most ergonomic guitars ever made, at least for me. At the top of that list is the Explorer, and the Firebird is basically in the same family of shapes, just a bit more conservative. I have Explorers, but unfortunately, the right Firebird has never come my way.

What I want is classic style construction with three Firebird pickups and a Maestro Vibrola, but with a Tele switch wired for B, M, N – and a master volume and three tone knobs. I'm thinking candy apple green or a three-stage forest green with a black guard and an ebony fretboard. I'll probably have to make it myself.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Re: Where's All The Firebird Love?

I like the Firebird Studio, with standard humbuckers. Just a lot more amp-friendly, especially if you're switching guitars.

 

[Sirion]

Re: Where's All The Firebird Love?

Do these count?

 

[Francois]

Re: Where's All The Firebird Love?

I love Firebirds (especially the red VII) but I do not owe any (But my bass an Epi Thunderbird).
Thanks for bringing the matter.