Guitar thread: I am finally done

Shuie · 07:21 PM

During the '60s Gibson hired a hotrod car guy from Detroit named Ray Dietrich to design a guitar that would effectively compete with Fender and save the company. The result of the project was possibly the coolest guitar ever made, the Firebird.

Like most of the Gibson solid body electric guitars, it was a miserable failure. From '63 through mid '65, a few thousand Firebirds were made before the company was sold to Norlin industries in 1965. These are the last true Gibson solid body electric guitars. The last symbol of golden age of Gibson guitars. The end of an era.

Anyway, the original Firebirds were sold in 4 configurations:

Firebird I: base model with a single pickup and a wrap tail piece, nickel hardware. 1377 total guitars
Firebird III: 2 pickups, vibrola, bound rosewood fretboard with dot inlays, nickel hardware. 2546 total guitars.
Firebird V: 2 pickups, vibrola, bound rosewood board with trapezoid inlays, nickel hardware. 925 total guitars
Firebird VII: 3 pickups, vibrola, ebony fretboard, gold hardware. 303 total guitars.

The center section of the entire guitars is a laminate made of anywhere from 2-9 pieces of wood that run from the rear strap button through the top of the headstock. The wings that make up the rest of the body are attached via a V shaped reverse dovetail. The neck is at a 4-5 degree angle from the body, and the peghead is at a 14 degree angle from the neck. To this day, no other solid body guitar has ever been constructed like a Firebird AFAIK. They are an entirely different animal from anything else with 6 strings.

The resulting sound you get from one of these guitars is like nothing you've ever heard from any other guitar. It's the most blistering and pissed off sound you could ever imagine. Its unbelievable. Its almost like a really fat and angry and Tele, but it's even fatter, you just can't do it with anything less.

Due to the neck through construction, the banjo tuners, and the poor design of the hardcases these guitars were shipped in, a lot of them have been decapitated. The few remaining unbroken original examples are rarely for sale and are bought up quickly whenever they are.

Although he is better known for playing a 335 and an SG during his time with Cream and Blind Faith, Eric Clapton played a Firebird I for most of his tenure with both bands. Look at the back of the Live Cream album, you will see the guitar.

Gibson reissued the Firebird I's sometime in '02 and cancelled them in short order. According to Gibson they are never to be produced again. The reissues are rare and can prove to be as difficult to find as the originals. The pickups in the newer guitars are awful, and new wood is never as good as old wood, but this is as close as I'll ever get to a real 'bird.

I am done. This is the last guitar I have longed for and I feel a long overdue since of relief now that I have one. I just got it from the FedEx delivery people today. Its a Gibson reissue from 2002 of a '63 Firebird I in Cardinal Red. I'm not sure if the custom colors were ever even offered on the Firebird I originally since it was the base model, so I don't know how authentic it is, but like I said, its as close as I'll ever get to owning a real one.

Gratuitous pics.

Don Plumley · Don Plumley's Garage

Very cool. Do you have one picture with your whole collection?

Porsche-O-Phile · Porsche-O-Phile's Garage

Awesome - I'd love to hear some .wavs or .mp3s of that thing!

scottmandue · 05-23-2007, 07:19 AM

Very nice.

A firebird bass is on my list of lust objects (me being a bass palyer)

Shuie · 05-23-2007, 07:31 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Don Plumley
Very cool. Do you have one picture with your whole collection?

Im going to get them all out for a group photo. Its really not that many, just one of each of my favorite models.

Shuie · 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Porsche-O-Phile
Awesome - I'd love to hear some .wavs or .mp3s of that thing!

You probably don't want to hear me play this one. You probably don't want to hear me play an old one either, but thats okay.

The real '63-'64 guitars really sound a lot better. I'll get to A-B this reissue with a friends real '64 Firebird I and a '63 Firebird V later this week, but Im not expecting it to hold a candle to either. The pickups in the reissues are just garbage and the rest of the electronics are worse.

If you want to hear the signature Firebird tone, listen to some of Johnny Winter's work. The original Rick Derringer/Johnny Winter version of "Rock 'n Roll, Hoochie Koo" is a great example.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ior-fggNc7U
http://youtube.com/watch?v=-8siLZ4zNbY

Clapton demonstrates what made these guitars so special in the youtube clip below. The video is absolutely awful and will probably give you motion sickness, but listen to his lead tone starting at around 01:17

http://youtube.com/watch?v=-BDbx8PYLZA

Shuie · 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Don Plumley
Very cool. Do you have one picture with your whole collection?

Here you go. These are the ones that are worth keeping. Not too many, but they are all great instruments.

L to R: '59 'Burst replica, 1959 Gibson Les Paul TV Model, 1966 Gibson ES-345, 1960 Gibson Melody Maker, 1963 GVCG Tele replica
1976 Gibson Explorer LE, 1958 Flying V replica
Gibson Historic '64 Firebird I reissue

azasadny · azasadny's Garage

Beautiful collection! You're the "Nigel Tufnel" around here!!

IROC · IROC's Garage

I have to admit, I played a Firebird that belonged to a friend of mine back in college (circa 1982) and it had the best action of any guitar I have ever played. I do not think they are attractive, though.

Don Plumley · Don Plumley's Garage

Nice stable. Thanks.

stuartj · 05-24-2007, 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Shuie

I am done.

Sure. Sure you are.

Victor · 05-25-2007, 05:19 AM

Nigel Tufnell of PP huh? Hang on - gimme a minute to take a picture.....

Shuie · 05:32 AM

No, Im not that guy. You need a wall of Marshalls to be that guy and I don't own a single Marshall anymore.

Victor · 05-25-2007, 05:35 AM

Ta daa. If my wifey is watching this, half of them are for sale - I swear it.

Victor · 05-25-2007, 05:36 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Shuie
No, Im not that guy. You need a wall of Marshalls to be that guy and I don't own a single Marshall anymore.

You can buy "Marshall Stack Wallpaper" these days. I'm considering it.

Shuie · 05:47 AM

Wallpaper just doesn't move air the same way.

Victor · 05-25-2007, 05:41 AM

AYE CARAMBA!

Victor · 05-25-2007, 05:46 AM

Shuie - something tells me you won't be able to rest untill you have one of these babies:

Shuie · 05-25-2007, 05:49 AM

Im really not a big fan of the Modernes. They are very cool guitars, but I've seen several of them in person and they never really winked at me like Vs and Explorers do. I wouldn't mind another '57 Futura replica, but Im pretty satisfied with my V and Explorer for '50s Gibson pointy shaped guitars.

Victor · 05-25-2007, 06:04 AM

OK - so maybe it 'aint the Moderne. I give you a maximum of 48 hours before you start hankering for something else . . . . . .