I Tried the New $1700 Epiphone Firebird V and...

📚Description: I Tried the New $1700 Epiphone Firebird V and... have mixed feelings. I don't think this one is for everyone to go out and buy. It serves a very niche buyer pool that LOVES Custom Shop Reissue / Original Firebirds and HAS to have the traditional specs like the Banjo Tuners and Gibson USA electronics. You have to REALLY want everything this guitar offers to pay the premium for one. If you take the current day $650 Epiphone model and upgrade it to all the same parts, the math surprisingly checks out. Ultimately, if you're curious about firebirds, I'd suggest the "base" level one without all the vintage correct parts/quirks. If you love custom shop firebirds but need it in a "cheaper" format - this is your guitar!

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[synonyx]

That much and STILL Indian Laurel fretboard? Even $500 PRS SE's are coming with rosewood these days.

[nellayema]

The $650 Epi Firebird has CTS pots, too.

[gabewilliams]

No fucking way am I ever paying that much for an Epiphone. You can get literal American Gibsons for that price. Not that I'd necessarily want to do that either. They need to wake up and slash their prices. Epiphone is supposed to be their budget brand. Their pricing lately is out of control.

[boogerz]

those firebirds look so cool! but i just cant get over the pricing.

[SK-qdsr]

The tuners are actually from Kluson. You can adjust the stiffness of them by loosen/thighen the screw on the tuner tip (similar to Grover Rotomatics). The three strap button are actually vintage correct. The historic Firebirds came all with three strap buttons.

[Badmannered]

I love your videos man, but trying to sell these firebirds for $1700, is insane. It is a Chinese made guitar with some decent parts. Nothing against Chinese made guitars but, you can get a lot of guitar for way less. The back to back with the DG sig and all the problems guys are having with headstocks snapping off and then this for the cost it's just comical at this point.

[airfarina]

Why is it the $700 Epiphone Les Paul Moderns and Customs come with an Ebony fingerboard but these supposedly higher end Epiphones come with an Indian Laurel Fingerboard? 🙄

[markbaum]

April fools day a bit
$1700 for an Eastern Fireturd

[Somenite]

The price does seem high. They are manufacturing overseas to save money. The guitar has a poly finish and the binding on the neck is missing the nibs over the fret ends so work saved finishing it. It also has the Indian Laurel versus Rosewood or Ebony which is viewed as less desirable. I would just expect a bigger save over the lower end of the Gibson range such as with the Epiphone LP customs and artist models like the Cantrell wino. With the price on this firebird where it is, I Personally would go with something like the Gibson LP Classic. Not only supporting American manufacturing but also has the nitro and preferred fingerboard material and I'm sure long term the resale will be better.

[Hobinator]

Maybe I'll get a used one when they devalue. Laurel looks fine when you oil it, and poly vs nitro is a dumb debate. Im sure the guitar kicks ass, just not for 1700 big ones

[TylerJohnstonGuitar]

2:10 Thats gotta be the worst 3-400 dollar “upgrade” you can do to a guitar.

[georgeradulescu]

The more I look at these $1K + Epiphones, the happier I am I got my last two a few years ago when they were $600 all day long.

[JohnnyBGoode]

"You've got the correct headstock, worth a $350-$400 upcharge." What in the world do you mean by that? The tuners are a bit more expensive, but the shape is a one-time programming fee from a CNC engineer. Maybe a few extra seconds of sanding because of the contour. In what world is a headstock shape "worth" hundreds of dollars?

[djencode]

I was SUPER excited for this guitar...until I saw the price. I'm just going to save up for a vintage or custom shop Firebird V. I just know I won't be happy with a poly finish and laurel fingerboard. And then not to mention Epiphones are BAD investments because they don't retain their value at all. If this was the same price as the art series Adam Jones Les Paul Custom's, (1899CAD) then I would get one for sure and sand the neck, but 2500CAD is just crazy. My gold top 50's les paul standard with p90's cost me 3300CAD.

[fleshbhones]

It'll be a cold day in hell when I pay that much for an Epiphone. I honestly don't even think Gibsons are worth that these days...

[rockinrob]

I say KEEP the MOP & give me Rosewood! JMO

[djencode]

lol so in the end i bought it and I'm super happy with it! A couple of things that abated my concerns... the laurel on my example got a lot darker once I hydrated it, the grain is very wide though and I do feel it while playing but I've felt that with rosewood as well. The poly finish is actually very nice. This isn't your usually sticky poly finish you see on a squier or lower end epi, it's high quality and the polish is very fast. No problem with speedy playing. I use a lot of fuzz and it's giving me exactly the sound I'm looking for. Frets were already very polished on mine, meaning it likely got a level crown before shipping. Setup was great also, although the usual epiphone strings were trash so a string change is needed. Case is luxurious. I got the frost blue colour and it's glorious. Has that 50's Cadillac vibe. Fit and finish is great, no chatter marks on the binding, no sharp fret ends, no paint imperfections. Graph tech nut and dual action truss rod are very nice. Pretty much a perfect guitar. On par with high end korean guitars from other brands but better because of all of the high end electronics.

[MuscleCarLover]

Another note for keeping the vibrola in tune, keep the nut and bridge lubed up and pull up slightly after diving. Definitely better than a sideways

[TroyCastellano]

$1700 no thanks. Maybe $700. I think this pricing BS is going to bite them in the ass over time.

[digthisbigcrux]

You can get a 90’s Gibson Firebird for not much more.