Gibson's Big Flop Of A Guitar!

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[FMorgigno]

Johnny Winter was certainly a major advocate of this guitar and in my opinion, did more to promote it than any other musician I can think of. Whenever I see Gibson Firebird I think of Johnny Winter.

[j_laf]

Definitely one of the cooler looking guitars ever made. Extra cool points for the pelham blue!!

[jima]

I’ve never owned one, but I have always thought these were the coolest looking guitars.

About it being a “big mama”… When I was a teenager I read an interview with Johnny Winter where he said someone tried to mug him once and he hit the guy in the head with his Firebird and ran off. The first time I played one I remember thinking, “Damn, Johnny Winter probably killed that guy…”

[andrewpappas]

I've always loved Firebirds, man, they're such killer-sounding guitars and my mind always goes to Johnny Winter, and Allen Collins from Lynyrd Skynyrd and Brian Jones whenever I see one

[grassblade]

A friend, who doesn't even play, brought me an original '64 Firebird. It had been sitting forever and didn't even play. All the pots and input jack needed love before it would run. I cleaned the guitar, but not much because of the neat patina on it. Restrung it and took it to a gig. That damned thing just rocked! It certainly had a unique sound, but it kicked ass. My friend was in the audience and was very happy that his old guitar was running again. He's probably just going to lock it away in the closet again, though. What a shame. That 'Bird got to get out and fly one night anyhow!

[MrDoobie]

Been a strat player for a long time, but when I got a Firebird a few years ago, it quickly became my go-to guitar. I prefer the banjo tuners though

[alesklajzar]

I’ve never played a firebird, but the sound reminds me of a vintage Tokai sg P90. This is something of the best for crunch riffs and more. But it looks like a good old-fashioned Cadillac. What a beauty 🤟

[OutontheRanchwithDrLee-xblo]

Just finished with Tim Pierce, and now here's a new vid from my other fave player! Lucky us! LOVE the FB.... always wanted one, never owned one; and I'm guessing that's Pelham Blue, too??? Beautiful! I bet yer gonna dig it, Robert! It really sounds good in your hands; but then again, what doesn't ?!?! Fun video, thanks man!

[p.oinonen]

It was my joy some years back to touch Johnny Winter's Firebird case while the guitar was in it ... since then I've had a desire to obtain one.

[blindsquirrel]

I had a single pick up model when I was in college. Had to sell it. Always regret doing that. So my 1st SS check bought a 2016 dual pick up and I'm happy again.

[standupart]

Hey man cool vid I have this exact one. Just a correction: vintage specs 60s pickups are not raised :) the metal ring is right on the body. (You can simply unscrew them if you want to go vintage). Keep up the good stuff

[xxsecondsxx]

By the title of the video I thought he was calling it RUBBISH!
He starts jammin and the fact u can volume both pickup separately so u can do the kill switch so SIIICCCKK!!
I had a Thunderbird I loved! It was abnormally top heavy (headstock wanted to tip down) but it was rad.
Smashed it at a show I played! (1st time we were playing a new song live and the string broke on the last 4 notes) threw a fit!
Got banned from the club!!!🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️
It was on my amp, I didn't hit the stage to damage it!
We had a tour starting in 3 months, that was the 1st stop!!
Part of a tour package so my manager was mad but at the same time knew it w as LAME!!
its illegal to Rawk n Roll? Wtf?

The kids loved it! I signed all the piece of it and gave it out! Even showed one kid how to take the electronics out so he could use them.in his bass.

[timwhite]

I could never really get into these. I love their sound, I just find them so awkward. Beyond the neck heavy weight, the raised center and sheet size just killed it for me. I've serviced and repaired a few and really liked their tone, but just can't do the guitar.

However, there is a guitar maker that essentially are building a Firebird on a singlecut body, and it is awesome. I played one a few months ago, but only have a few minutes to try it and could only was able to run it through the Twin Reverb we had at the shop as the amp we run everything we're working on through, so I couldn't try it through any overdrive.
Chris Buck has a few videos where he used the singlecut one, and it sounds killer. It's the same neck through with mahogany sides, 25.5" scale and Firebird pickups, just on a more manageable form.

[fangio]

At 2:00 "that’s why it’s all raised up”. are you referring to the angle here? This is incorrect. This is not specific to neck-thru construction, the angle between the neck and the body is necessary to accommodate a tune-o-matic bridge and wraparound tailpiece

[j.w.]

I got a Firebird Studio in 2017 in the Pelham blue as well. I love it. It has regular humbuckers, and just a regular set neck. I love the way it sounds and plays. Has that more forward playing position like a SG that makes it more comfortable to me.

[lucasshelton]

Everyone always talks about Johnny Winter pioneering the Firebird, but for me it will always be Allen Collins from Lynyrd Skynyrd. I remember seeing videos of him when I was a kid absolutely killing it on this guitar. It was unlike any guitar I was used to seeing. I’m sure many of those classic Skynyrd songs he recorded on a Firebird. Of course in later years the Explorer became his main guitar of choice, but it can’t go unrecognized that Allen was one of the true front runners of colonizing these marvelous instruments

[wayneblanchard]

The first Firebirds most of us saw were the matching Firebird Vs (fives) with gold-plated hardware played by Brian Jones and Keith Richards with the Stones. (Jones also played a Vox Teardrop while had Richards an Epiphone Casino and a sunburst Les Paul with a Bigsby that many years later ended up with Mick Taylor after his Bluesbreakers LP was stolen.) During his latter day Cream period, Eric Clapton played a Firebird I (and red 335) after the neck on his painted SG got sticky because the paint was not sealed. (That guitar went to George Harrison who gave it to Beatles pal Jackie Lomax, who sold it to Todd Rundgren, who had it rebuilt and restored, played it for many years until selling it to pay a tax bill. By that time he had been gifted an exact copy by someone in Japan, which he still plays when appropriate today.)
The irony with the Firebird versus the Les Paul is that the Firebird has the thru-neck with glued on wing design the Les Paul originally introduced to Gibson with his 'Log' concept...but the Les Paul does not have that feature; it's a glue-on neck.
Also, you made no mention of the non-reverse Firebird, which is surely one of the ugliest guitars ever.
It's great that you enjoy your new guitar. If a player seeks to have some originality it certainly helps to start with an instrument nobody else in the neighbourhood is playing.

[fivewattworld]

OH MAN! And it's even the RIGHT color. Why did you do this to me Robert!!!?

[scoobers]

I played one of the 2019s when they came out and it was fantastic! Such a cool, unique vibe! Congrats, Robert!

[Datimdavis]

I first played an early 70s firebird that belonged to a friends dad. I finally pulled the trigger and got one last year - a 2015 non-reverse in faded pelham blue - and I love it!