At the top of the line sat the $445 Firebird VII resplendent with Les Paul/SG Custom-style gold-plated hardware, three humbucking pickups and a single-bound ebony fretboard with pearl block inlays. The Gibson Firebird rocks a reverse body and headstock design as originally introduced in 1963 and was Gibson's first neck-through-body design. This was the guitar he used through0ut the “McCartney” and … Thus, the original Firebirds were unofficially referred to as "reverse". Almost no checking and only a few minor scuffs. The "Non-Reverse" Firebird guitars were introduced in summer 1965 offering the I, III, V and VII models. Purchasing a Gibson Firebird: The Easiest Way to Access a Guitar Icon. Please deactivate your ad blocker in order to see our subscription offer, The rise, fall and rediscovery of the Fender Jaguar, How to set up a Les Paul: 7 essential tips, Mayer: why there's no sunburst Silver Sky. Under Dietrich, the Firebird took on the lines of mid-50s car tailfins. As if eight different Firebirds emerging within this short time isn’t convoluted enough, the waters muddy even further with some instruments having left the factory during the ’65 transition phase with both reverse and non-reverse specs. VINTAGE - This cool 1966 Gibson Firebird V "Non-Reverse" Model solid body electric guitar was the new version of the original Firebird "reverse" body models. The effect of the truss rod is good, and there is enough room to adjust both the forward warp correction direction and the reverse warp correction direction. Grab a bargain before its too late. 4 guitar tricks you can learn from Gary Clark Jr. Ariel Posen shares his compact, tone-rich rig in this pedalboard playthrough, 4 guitar tricks you can learn from Jimmy Page, Fender Vintera Road Worn ’70s Telecaster Deluxe review, How to play acoustic guitar like Eric Clapton. The neck itself is made up of five plies of mahogany interspersed with four narrow strips of walnut for added strength. Now you can own this unique shaped guitar inspired by the Gibson Firebird of the 60’s. Ted McCarty of Gibson needed a new approach to the futuristic-looking Flying-V and Explorer shapes and more than succeeded with the 'reverse jaguar', otherwise known as the Firebird. © 1965 Non-Reverse Firebird V w/ Vibrola. In the style of Les Paul and SG Standards, the reverse Firebird V sat one step below the top of the pecking order while sporting a single-bound rosewood fretboard with trapezoid inlays and dual pickups featuring separate volume and tone controls. 50+ videos Play all Mix - 1964 Gibson Reverse Firebird V Guitar Review By Scott Grove YouTube Joe Bonamassa (Muestrario de Guitarras) - Duration: 4:54. By Along with FrostBlue,Ember Red, Cardinal Red, Kerry Green and Polaris White, these included five metallic (“Poly”) shades called Golden Mist, Silver Mist, Pelham Blue, Heather and Inverness Green. Explore The Firebird Collections. There are no screw poles on Firebird pickups. Today, Gibson specializes in a wide range of Firebird reissues that … 1 Finish Options . Fender's colors, shapes and multiple pickups were endorsed by notable guitarists. Gibson Custom ’65 Non-Reverse Firebird V – 9/10 (Editor’s Choice) PRICE £4,499 (inc. hard case) DESCRIPTION Solidbody electric guitar, made in the USA. Some Firebirds from 1965 featured Gibson's single-coil P-90 pickup. The Firebird I and III models had two and three P-90 pickups respectively, but research suggests that all Non-Reverse Firebird bodies were routed to accommodate three pickups. Famously used by Johnny Winter, Eric Clapton and Brian Jones, reverse Firebirds have a unique tone that sits somewhere between a Fender single coil and a PAF humbucker guitar. The "non-reverse" body is a more standard double-cutaway design, with the bass horn being longer than the treble horn and the headstock having the tuners mounted on the bass side. Design The Firebird® was first conceptualized and design… Hello all! The Firebird I and III models had two and three P-90 pickups respectively, but research suggests that all Non-Reverse Firebird bodies were routed to accommodate three pickups. Firebird Custom w/ Ebony Fingerboard Gloss. The special original Gibson Firebird humbucking pickup(s) – single, dual or triple – were smaller footprint versions of standard Gibson humbucking pickups, but were unique in that inside each of their smaller bobbins contained an AlNiCo bar magnet (standard humbucking pickups AND mini-humbucking pickups have one bar magnet that activates the 6 iron slug poles of one bobbin, and 6 iron screw poles of the other bobbin). Weight: 8 pounds and 3 ounces. Overall, one of the finer specimens of the model. The logo on most other models is red. If rock is your scene, we don’t need to say any more. There have been numerous Firebird reincarnations since they were discontinued in 1970, but during their original run at Gibson’s Kalamazoo factory in the '60s, the Firebird I, III, V and VII models appeared in two different forms widely known as ‘reverse’ and ‘non-reverse’. In terms of body/neck construction, the reverse Firebirds utilized a unique neck-through-body design with wings glued on either side. Now you can own this unique shaped guitar inspired by the Gibson Firebird of the 60’s. The solo on "Maybe I'm Amazed" is this Firbird. The back of the neck and headstock have been refinished. Sign up below to get the latest from Guitarist, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox! the Jaguar® has remained in production since first being released in 1963. You will receive a verification email shortly. Clear as mud?! Reverb is a marketplace bringing together a wide-spanning community to buy, sell, and discuss all things music gear. Although various reverse Firebird reissues have been released over the years, unfaithful pickup reproductions mean they don’t sound quite the same as these originals. In the same vein as the Les Paul/SG Special, the $249.50 reverse Firebird III features dual pickups with individual tone and volume controls and a single-bound rosewood fretboard with dot inlays. Recognizing what a new or lightly used Firebird guitar looks and sounds like can help you to make a final decision. The rare 1965 Firebird III pictured here has features of both the original reverse Firebirds and the redesigned non-reverse versions of that year. All instruments in the reverse line-up feature bespoke Firebird pickups, whereas the later non-reverse Firebird I and III models came with two and three black ‘soapbar’ P-90 pickups respectively. It retains the reverse body style and neck-through construction of the original series, yet has a flat headstock, rather than the earlier two-level sculpted style. The reverse body and headstock design plus the covered pickups and white pickguard combine to produce a vintage look that you’ll be proud to have in your collection. However, Fender argued the Firebirds’ “new-style offset body” mirrored its own patented “off-set waist” body shape and, following talks, Gibson decided to change the design - albeit to a far more Fender-like one! A Sunburst finish was standard across the board, but in order to help Gibson shake off its staid, old-fashioned image and appeal to the more forward-thinking younger generation, all Firebirds were offered in a choice of 10 custom colors for an extra $15. Other cool aspects of the Firebird were its reverse headstock, mini-humbucking pickups and planetary geared "banjo style" tuning keys. The Gibson Firebird is a guitar thats known for its unique shape and original sound. What’s more, in 1965, the bottom of the cavity was routed into a series of steps, with an appearance not unlike that of a quadratic diffuser. We’ll be looking at those later non-reverse models next time, but for now here’s a rundown of Gibson’s original Firebird line-up... Much like Gibson’s Junior/TV, Special, Standard and Custom models represented different price points within the original Les Paul and SG solidbody lines, the Firebird range comprised four instruments at various levels of spec and ornamentation. BA1 1UA. Epiphone, owned by Gibson, also issued Firebirds. Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown Covered in his own Legendary Guitars feature on Gibson.com, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown favored a non-reverse Firebird V with mini-humbuckers throughout his career, which he modified both cosmetically and tonally to suit his tastes. As per the Firebird V, these flagship ’Birds boasted a 'leaf-and-lyre’-engraved Deluxe Vibrola and fully adjustable Tune-o-matic bridge.The other models in the line came with nickel-plated hardware and rosewood ’boards, but VIIs perched well above the rest with their blingier upmarket appointments and triple mini-humbucker configuration. This particular model was also the least expensive instrument in the range with a list price of $189.50. The original Firebird pickup is a unique device that evolved from theKalamazoo-era Epiphone mini-humbucker - itself derived from the Seth Lover-designed PAF humbucker. The fingerboard was replaced and now has a maple shim underneath it. More recently, Warren Haynes has used newer non-reverse Firebirds onstage with Gov’t Mule. FAIRPORT, NEW YORK, 144**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The non-reverse Firebird I was significantly better equipped than the reverse body model, with two P90 single coil pickups, each with volume and tone control, and a Gibson vibrato. The Explorer-like reverse Firebirds appeared first in 1963 and were superseded by their non-reverse counterparts in 1965. Guitar World is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Pots date to 25th week of 1967. They were, however, troublesome guitars to build and were notorious for suffering headstock fractures. Epiphone Firebird Studio Electric Guitar 2010 Rare . This no-frills edition came spec’d with a volume and tone knob and a combined bridge/tailpiece, although you could order it with a vibrato unit. After a few years of disappointing sales, the "non-reverse" line was dropped. Coupled with higher prices, this contributed to a decline in sales. Not many people know this, but the Gibson Firebird was designed by a famous car designer Ray Dietrich and is modeled around a mid-50's car tailfin. The traditional 9-ply mahogany/walnut neck-through-body provides rich, warm tonality and incredible sustain. Brian Jones also had one of these and played it on … Paul McCartney was given a prototype Non-Reverse Firebird in the late 60’s. ... $5,299.00. 1 Finish Options . Rare non-reverse firebird! Please refresh the page and try again. ... $5,299.00. Many types have been released. Explore Custom Shop. Bona Massa 52,586 views Epiphone's Inspired by Gibson Firebird™ rocks a reverse body and headstock design as originally introduced in 1963 and was Gibson's first neck-through-body design. Nevertheless, in this article – the first of our two-part focus on Firebirds - we aim to clear things up and make it simple to identify all four of the early reverse-style ’Birds at a glance. What’s more, in 1965, the bottom of the cavity was routed into a series of steps, with … The reverse body and headstock design plus the covered pickups and white pickguard combine to produce a vintage look that you’ll be proud to have in your collection. Gatemouth was an incomparably versatile musician, equally versed in country bends, fleet-fingered bebop excursions, … Epiphone Firebird Studio Electric Guitar 2010 i do not have the guitar with me and so i can not complete the sale until i return. 1965 Non-Reverse Firebird V w/ Vibrola. Many types have been released. I think both the current Reverse and Non-Reverse guitars use the same mini-HB pickups. Other features were reverse headstock (with the tuners on the treble side) and "banjo"-style planetary geared tuning keys. An inherent weak spot behind the nut coupled with heavy banjo-style tuners (located along the treble side of the headstock) meant that breaks even occurred inside the case. "Reverse" body Firebirds were first reissued in 1972, with a commemorative "Bicentennial" model released in 1976 which was made available in a variety of finishes including black, vintage white, natural, and the traditional sunburst. [5], 2008 Gibson Reissue Firebird V in 'Vintage Sunburst', "Dirty tricks for a modern Firebird pickup (pics..)", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjCKtUdBhEE, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gibson_Firebird&oldid=994399468, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Classic White, Ebony, Pelham Blue, Heritage Cherry, Vintage Sunburst, Antique Natural, This page was last edited on 15 December 2020, at 14:52. The traditional 9-ply mahogany/walnut neck-through-body provides rich, warm tonality and incredible sustain. Original Firebird pickups were also built without any specific bobbin fasteners – their bobbins (and possible "reflector" plate under the bobbins) were held onto the frame during both the wax potting process (to reduce/eliminate feedback and unwanted noise) and the solid metal cover that was soldered to the frame base. Gibson's guitars, most of which were hollow or semi-hollow designs, seemed old-fashioned. Dealer Locator Online Dealers Dealer Resource Center. After success with the Les Paul in the 1950s, Gibson's popularity began to wane in the 1960s. Visit our corporate site. Rod Brakes The June 1965 list price was just $189.50, $15 extra for Duco custom colors - the same price as the single pickup reverse body Firebird I two years earlier. Although identical to the reverse Firebird III in terms of pickups and electronics, an extra $75.50 would buy you an altogether fancier guitar with a ‘leaf-and-lyre’-engraved Deluxe Vibrola and a fully adjustable Tune-o-matic bridge. And as per the style of Junior and TV models, the reverse Firebird I features an unbound dot inlay rosewood fingerboard and a single pickup with volume and tone controls. There was a problem. The most unusual aspect is that the guitar is "backward" in that the right-hand (treble) horn of the body is longer than the other. [1], Gibson reissues of the Firebird do not use the same pickup build that was originally introduced in 1963. 1 Finish Options . Announced in the spring of ’63, they were intended to compete directly with Fender and boost Gibson’s flagging solidbody sales. The "reissue" Firebirds are usually based on the original reverse body design, though Gibson reintroduced the non-reverse Firebird in 2002 as a Custom Shop guitar. 50+ videos Play all Mix - 1964 Gibson Reverse Firebird V Guitar Review By Scott Grove YouTube Joe Bonamassa (Muestrario de Guitarras) - Duration: 4:54. See more ideas about Guitar, Electric guitar, Firebird. Bath The non-reverse Firebird I was significantly better equipped than the reverse body model, with two P90 single coil pickups, each with volume and tone control, and a Gibson vibrato. Consequently, guitars with broken headstocks became so common they are often referred to as having ‘Firebird disease’. $4,199.00. There is a version of the 2 grand Custom Shop Firebird I linked that instead has 3 P90s. Maybe you should also consider that. All rights reserved. Model: Firebird I Non-Reverse. All laser cut on I’m curious if anyone knows the history of the Custom Shop Non Reverse Reissues. If rock is your scene, we don’t need to say any more. [4] The video was met with incredulity and speculation about the true reason for the destruction. The Firebird V model is the ideal blend of fancy appointments and functional electronics, made famous on stage by Johnny Winter.With just a few hundred made, the reverse Firebird V is a rare guitar. And, while never achieving the sales volume of the Les Paul® or SG® the Firebird®remains popular, due to its unique design and versatility with regard to the musical genres it calls home. From the Les Paul to the SG, there are certain electric guitars that stand in a class of their own. Gibson had made forays into radical body shapes – the Flying V and Explorer in the 1950s – which met limited initial success. It can be hard to get your hands on some of the top-notch guitars of yesteryear, but with platforms like eBay, you can find models like the Gibson Firebird used and new. Sep 17, 2020 - Explore Peter Maxwell's board "Firebird Inspired Guitars" on Pinterest. 1963 ‘Reverse’ Firebird V intage guitar commentators often view the original 1963 Firebird as Gibson’s answer to Fender offset models, such as the Jaguar and Jazzmaster, introduced in 1958 and 1962 respectively. 1964 Gibson Firebird VII, Beautiful example of a rare and limited production model with orig. The Firebird line went on sale in mid-1963 with four models distinguished by pickup and tailpiece configurations (see below). The 9-track album features former Blind Faith bandmate, Eric Clapton, who plays guitar on the track "Dirty City."