Gibson Firebird
The story of the Gibson Firebird.
They say strong wind makes for strong trees, and competition has driven a lot of innovation for Gibson. In the mid-1950s Gibson was looking for a way stop the bleeding caused by Fender, which had many inexpensive models that were gaining popularity with famous players.
Enter the Gibson Firebird, which was partially inspired by car makers. With it’s reverse headstock, “banjo” tuning keys, and unorthodox body shape, the Firebird was indeed a strange beast.
This bird went on sale halfway through 1963 with four models, titled in roman numerals “I, III, V, VII”
Each had it’s own features (see bottom of page), and was the first Gibson guitar to have neck through bodyconstruction, meaning that the neck wood ran all the way through the length of the body, and it wasn’t just a bolt on or set neck.
While the Firebird started out with a reversebody style, but in 1965 switched to the non-reverse body style, which was a bit more traditional.
Prime Player’s of the Gibson Firebird:
1. Johny Winter
2. Eric Clapton
3. Steve Van Vandt (plays a Mobster, the Superbowl, and Firebirds)
Gibson Firebird Video
Get the Flash Player to see this content.
My Gibson Firebird Review
For this review I played the Gibson Firebird V
Like a lot of Gibson guitars, the Bird is heavy. The solid 9-ply mahogany/walnut body with mahogany wings makes for one solid axe, and tons of sustain.The neck is long and flat, making it easier to play high frets prefect for slide work. The downside is that it’s a bit unbalanced, and left unchecked the neck will droop.
Remember that the tuners work in reverse, and on the Firebird V they’re the “banjo” style, meaning that the tuning peg is straight in line with the post, not at a 45° angle like most tuning pegs.The Bird’s “mini humbuckers” sound halfway between a single coil and a full humbucker: it’s more warm and powerful than a Strat but not quite as dark and muddy as a Les Paul… a nice compromise!
In the middle pickup position, this axe can sound like a Fender Jaguar, Stratocaster, or Telecaster.The tone on the bridge pickup can be piercing, so watch out! Switch to the neck pickup and you get some gorgeous warm tones… this thing is versatile! I usually don’t use the volume knob on a guitar, but I make an exception with the Firebird: you can get a really wide range of tones by tweaking the tone knobs.
The neck-through-body construction gives this axe a lot more “punch” than a regular glued-in neck, I was actually surprised how much of a difference it makes. Think about it: it’s like this whole guitar is made from one solid piece of wood.
One thing I really love about the Firebird is the “unique” factor. You reallydon’t see anybody playing these, so if you do decide to pick one up you can bet you’ll be a standout with this beast.
Did You Know? Because competitor Fender was making a killing on guitar sales in the mid-1950s, Gibson hired car designer Ray Dietrich to design guitars that would be more popular! Mr. Dietrich was responsible for giving the lines of the Firebird the look of mid-1950s car tail fins, and for rounding the edges on the Explorer.
The Firebird Collection:
Firebird I - One pickup. Combination stud bridge/tailpiece. Chrome hardware.Firebird II Artist CMT - A limited production instrument from the early 1980s; features a maple top, mahogany body, set mahogany neck, two standard-sized humbuckers, and toggle switches to control active Moog electronic tone controls.
Firebird III - Two pickups, Tune-o-matic bridge and Gibson Vibrola. Chrome hardware.
Firebird V - Two pickups, Tune-o-matic bridge with Maestro “Lyre” Vibrola; reissues feature a stop-bar tailpiece. Chrome hardware.
Firebird VII - Three pickups, Tune-o-matic bridge and Maestro “Lyre” Vibrola tailpiece. Gold hardware.
Firebird Studio - Two standard-sized Alnico humbuckers, Tune-o-matic bridge with stop-bar tailpiece. Chrome or gold hardware. Set neck.
Firebird XII - Two pickups, twelve string non-reversed version on the Firebird.
Non-Reverse Firebird - Collectors’ term for a Firebird I, III, V or VII featuring a headstock with the tuners on the bass side, and a body having the bass side horn slightly longer than the treble side horn.
* * * * * *
Return from Gibson Firebird to Gibson Electric Guitars