+1

I like the non-reverse Firebirds as well. I still drool over those shown in my copy of Gibson's '66 catalog.

Steve Winwood was also a fan -- when I saw Traffic in 1970, he was playing a non-reverse Pelham Blue Firebird V. Great show!

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

I love Firebirds--both reverse and non-reverse (loved Gatemouth Brown's killer non-reverse with the leather pickguard) bodies. I like the looks, sound, feel, everything...

A Firebird V is very high on the "one of these days" wish list (and has been for years)...but if Gibson keeps up what they're doing, I'll never be able to get a new one, and the old ones are out of my reach right now, too...of course, right now I'm too broke to pay attention.

I have a friend who had a '76 Firebird (with the red white & blue bird on the pickguard); he played both that and a G&L SC3 (Strat-style guitar). He called the Firebird his "musket" and the G&L his "carbine" due to the length of the two different guitars.

His son ended up with both of them; at first that worried me, until I heard his son play (he's a killer guitarist and bassist, could play circles around most people I know--and he's only 19!) and I saw the respect and care with which he treated the instruments.

...as far as the Fireturd X, somebody needs to be taken out in a field and shot. That distorted piece of toilet fodder should not have been allowed to take up the name.

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Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

+1!

Another in a seemingly long line of Gibson's recent "WHAT WERE THEY THINKING!" moments.



Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

super short vid of Bunker Hill live at Double Door, Joe Painter and his Firebird with Rick Drugan ( nephew of Dennis Drugan an early bandmate of Johnny Winter)on his Les Paul.
live with bunker hill
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHE_IwMM ... re=related

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

Looked it up, and that's got to be the nuttiest idea to come out of Gibson. Surprised Fender didn't smack 'em with a lawsuit.

Fender made the original Strats Hendrix used. Like the Strat Buddy Holly used, there's no need for "signature" Hendrix or Holly models. Fender can simply copy their own historical guitars these performers used and there's nothing anyone can do about that.
Fans will know darned good and well who used what guitar and recognize them.

Incidentally, in an interview, B.B. King pointed out that Jimi note only played a right hander's strat backwards and upside down, but that Jimi ALSO played with the strings upside down. meaning the bass strings were on the floor side of the neck.
Jimi simply played a gutar that was made for people who are right handed.
Its been said that Jimi's white Strat isn't the most desireable guitar but his "Black Beauty" as it was the last guitar he played and said to be his favorite, even over the white Woodstock Strat.

I think both company's have some great products and both have a long history.
All it takes to sink a business is a series of booboo products in rapid succession.
They both should focus on what works and proceed with caution with the unknown.

JSJH, I owned a '63 Firebird 1 back in '71. Out of the 40 guitars I've owned in my life time, ( I'm 60 )I'd rank it in the top 3. It never got out of tune and it sounded great.

Hi Twinhit,there is one bit of the info that you were given that was off.Although Jimi could and would regularly borrow right handed guitars and just flip them over for a jam or whatever he more often than not flipped the strings so that the bass strings were on top. A lot of people are under the misconception that Jimi played with the bass strings on bottom as Albert King,Dick Dale and England Dan Seals did but that isn't his usual and prefered method as hundreds of Photos can attest to.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

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The blues ain't nothin but a good man feelin bad.

Great photo Mike!

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

Great photo.

And seeing the Firebird in Tobacco Burst, makes it look more than usual like a flipped over Jazzmaster / Jaguar / Fender VI.

I have a Gibson Firebird Studio, I think it's from around '06. This is from what I consider my collection of 'Flamethrowers', this is one fiery bird.

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Cool photo Rhumba! Love that guitar Bro!

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

Okay, now this is my Gibson RD Standard ( Research & Development ) it's from 1977 and the lines are taken from the Firebird. This is the Walnut, they did a black and some other colour.
The RD series was main fronted by the Artist and Custom which had active electronics designed by Mr. Moog himself and there was mixed reports on these, some people were blown away, others did not like at all. Mine is the Standard which is passive but none the less, a very aggresive animal. I thought I would display this as well. Some will think this is the ugliest guitar they've ever seen, some will like it.
Personally, I like it and it is one hell of a player.

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I'll put this up as well. This is possibly the most vicious, snarling, aggresive guitar I have, this thing bites your thighs. It's my Explorer and it's a powerful puppy.

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Thanks Solid, I thought you might be a Firebird man, or is it a Thunderbird?

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