'Scales Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 Hi all. Here's the next in a series of threads like this each week on a random Gibson electric model (outside of LPs and SGs that are already covered very well) and simply invite comments, photos, videos, information, memories of past ownership, or whatever you like quite frankly... The main intent is simply to put a spotlight on some great guitars that many of us might not know much about or have had a lot to do with. This week - the kinda unusual Firebird - large but shallow seeming reverse and smaller looking non-reverse bodies, banjo tuners on some, neck through, mini-HBs etc - lots of ideas in one guitar. I'd love an early sunburst with the single pickup! Lets not exclude the big ol' T-bird basses. over to you... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 I have always had a bit of a love hate relationship with the Thinderbird bass. I love the sound of it. It looks cool. I love the neck shape on most but I find it awkward to play and neck heavy as hell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveFord Posted August 30, 2014 Share Posted August 30, 2014 I've had three of them - a big red 2005 VII, a 2007 Flame Maple GOTW and now a 2013 tobacco sunburst V. They're not easy guitars to play compared to an SG or Les Paul but I think that they're Gibson's coolest solid body design. I will get another VII again but unless Gibson comes out with an ebony fret board, it would be an older model. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimi Mac Posted August 30, 2014 Share Posted August 30, 2014 I prefer the Reverse Firebird, for whatever reason it appeals to me. I especially like them in white for some reason... I really would love a Firebird V with mini humbuckers in white... The Firebird with the most bling ever has to go to Adrian Gurvitz when he was with the Gurvitz Baker Army with his brother Paul (both of Gun fame with a small hit; " " that has been covered a number of times) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHeTFoQ7nQY I recall both Johnny Winter and Eric Clapton playing them with some acclaim... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sfVIlczLsU Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sellen Posted August 30, 2014 Share Posted August 30, 2014 Firebird make me think of the great Johnny Winter, i know he uesd a lot of different guitars. But that's the guy that pops up in my mind when i think of firebird http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIpmUroL2D4&index=24&list=RD9srJIjp55Bs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveFord Posted August 30, 2014 Share Posted August 30, 2014 Who was better than Johnny Winter on a Firebird? I know that he sure influenced a Firebird sale or three at the Ford household... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pin Posted August 30, 2014 Share Posted August 30, 2014 The Firebird (reverse or otherwise) is one Gibson design that does nothing at all for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted August 30, 2014 Share Posted August 30, 2014 No question Johnny Winter is the king of the FireBird. The second player that comes to my mind when you say FireBird is Stephen Stills. Then, and this is just because I'm such a UFO geek, I think of Paul Raymond's reverse FireBird. And the indisputable kind of the ThunderBird bass is Pete Way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Scales Posted August 30, 2014 Author Share Posted August 30, 2014 I was watching the recent Rolling Stones in Hyde Park concert today (talk about guitar porn....) and Ronnie Wood also looked very comfortable with his Reverse Firebird. In case there's any confusion - the 'Johnny Winter' style Firebird is actually the reverse body whereas the later design was the 'non-reverse' body. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimi Mac Posted August 30, 2014 Share Posted August 30, 2014 Let's not forget Jimmy McCulloch with Stone The Crows... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csPbT-oQZXE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveFord Posted August 31, 2014 Share Posted August 31, 2014 Phil Manzanera of Roxy Music is pretty good on his VII and PJ Harvey has been known to play one or two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted August 31, 2014 Share Posted August 31, 2014 I had one for a while... I liked it, it had cool wiring options (each pup was tappable and it had a phase switch too)... BUT I never really got on with the neck or the general shape of it.. Cool guitar though if you like those parts of it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveFord Posted August 31, 2014 Share Posted August 31, 2014 On that non reverse, did you have a chance to compare the P90s to the normal Firebird mini humbuckers? I always thought P90s would sound great in a Firebird. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted August 31, 2014 Share Posted August 31, 2014 They do And a pic that my daughter took that I happened to like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted August 31, 2014 Share Posted August 31, 2014 On that non reverse, did you have a chance to compare the P90s to the normal Firebird mini humbuckers? I always thought P90s would sound great in a Firebird. Nah, never played with Minis although id like to.. But yes the P90s on that bird sounded great and even had some more than usable tapped tones... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Scales Posted September 2, 2014 Author Share Posted September 2, 2014 http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uTdUyG95rNM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tman Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Riffster awesome looking firebird! Never seen one with P-90s. I had a bicentennial edition in 1978 and sold it in 79 because I needed the money to my sister's boyfriend. I loved it. I did stupid things like that back then. Come to think of it, I still do stupid things frequently. Firebird=Johnny Winter to me. That's why I begged my parents for one in the 70's. That's why I just got another one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PingPongBob Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 I had a bicentennial edition in 1978... I had a bicentennial at about the same time. This clipping is around '80ish. Like you I was a dumbass and it was gone shortly after that gig. Of all the guitars I got rid of, I miss that one the most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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