Help Identifying my Firebird V

[ddsdmm40]

Hi,

 

I've recently acquired a Gibson Custom Shop 1991 Firebird. This is an interesting model, it appears to be a Firebird V but after closer inspection there are differences that I'm hoping you can help me identify the origins of this very cool Firebird. This guitar plays and sounds wonderful! Info found on the Internet Your guitar was made at the Nashville Plant, TN, USA December 6th, 1991

 

There is no pickup selector switch. Pickup selection is accomplished via a 3 way selector rotary switch. There is one tone control which is the upper rear control (normally a tone control for the neck pickup). The other difference is the Volume control for the bridge pickup is in the upper volume control space normally used for the neck pickup volume control, and the neck pickup volume control is the lower front volume control.

 

I thought I had an after market modified firebird but when I pulled the pickguard there is no route for a pickup selector leading me to start thinking this might be a custom shop feature. I opened up the pickups and it appear that they have never been lifted, due to the appearance of the residue in the pickup cavity of each pickup. When pulling the control cavity cover, it also appears that the wiring is stock from the factory, it appears that the solder connections have never been touched.

 

Can you tell me more about this guitar?

- Is the guitar stock from the Gibson factory?

- Is it a one of a kind special order, maybe even know who had ordered it?

- If not a special order for a customer, was this configuration a normal Custom Shop wiring option?

 

Thank You so much for your assistance

Drew

 

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[ddsdmm40]

Update: The good folks at Gibson replied back stating the guitar left the factory in 1992 as a Firebird 1 with one pickup and wraparound bridge. The guitar was then modified at some point in time by adding a neck pickup and tune-o-matic bridge and stop tailpiece. They did a nice job as it looked like a factory job even the writing in the neck pickup cavity.