Vinnie1971 Posted January 1, 2020 Share Posted January 1, 2020 Hi i have an opportunity to trade one or both of my Epiphone standard Les Paul and Epiphone Firebird for one of the above. I was mostly thinking I’ll trade my LP for the SG and keep the epi Firebird but I’m a Firebird nut and while the tribute is more of a slab body and not a neck through its pickups have all the tone of a proper Firebird unlike its more expensive brethren. I’ll probably have to trade both against the Firebird tribute as it’s a good bit more more expensive. so I’m torn. My Epiphone Firebird has the right tone but it’s a bolt on neck. This has no effect on sustain or tone but it just looks wrong. im thinking keep my Epiphone Firebird and go for the SG but then I may regret not getting the Firebird help me decide please regards vinnie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted January 1, 2020 Share Posted January 1, 2020 I've had 2 SG specials. They were muy bueno. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01GT eibach Posted January 1, 2020 Share Posted January 1, 2020 Firebird 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveFord Posted January 1, 2020 Share Posted January 1, 2020 Trade the Epi for the SG Special, sell the other Epi and add some cash for a Firebird V. The neck-through design is what makes the Firebird what it is. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vinnie1971 Posted January 1, 2020 Author Share Posted January 1, 2020 22 minutes ago, SteveFord said: Trade the Epi for the SG Special, sell the other Epi and add some cash for a Firebird V. The neck-through design is what makes the Firebird what it is. A good plan in pro coy but.... It’s gonna take a while to save up for one as they are expensive in the UK. Plus While the body neck are right the pickups are not on the new ones so I’d have to search for an older one or budget for pickups too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vinnie1971 Posted January 1, 2020 Author Share Posted January 1, 2020 2 hours ago, 01GT eibach said: Firebird Yes, I’m leaning that way but I think I’d wish it was an older V with banjo tuners and through neck. But those pickups sound great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FemmeParallell Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 19 hours ago, Vinnie1971 said: Yes, I’m leaning that way but I think I’d wish it was an older V with banjo tuners and through neck. But those pickups sound great. Older V with banjo tuners will be more expensive seems you like the Firebirds better so maybe go that way 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wmachine Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 On 1/1/2020 at 5:20 PM, SteveFord said: Trade the Epi for the SG Special, sell the other Epi and add some cash for a Firebird V. The neck-through design is what makes the Firebird what it is. Agree. I know you have problems with this, but I think you are dead wrong when you say " through its pickups have all the tone of a proper Firebird unlike its more expensive brethren. " But if it your ears that are telling you that, then by all means follow your ears. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 (edited) I bought a used SG Special for $600 a while back. That is a rock machine. I preferred it to the Std. I had. Steve loves his Firebird V. If your gonna get a bird make it a neck through. Upper fret access on an SG is killer. Edited January 3, 2020 by Sgt. Pepper 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vinnie1971 Posted January 3, 2020 Author Share Posted January 3, 2020 10 hours ago, Wmachine said: Agree. I know you have problems with this, but I think you are dead wrong when you say " through its pickups have all the tone of a proper Firebird unlike its more expensive brethren. " But if it your ears that are telling you that, then by all means follow your ears. I would love a Firebird V but they’re not easy to come by in the UK. By expensive brethren I am not talking about the Firebird V, I’m am specifically referring to the 2019 ones with Grover tuners and 18k neck / 23k bridge ceramic pickups which I do t think sound much like a Firebird. I can trade both my guitars for one of those and I’m tempted. I could get used to Grover tuners and I could source lower DCR alnico Firebird pickups .... The tribute pickups, ok they’re more like mini humbuckers under the cover with a bar magnet sat under a pair of steel rails, being circa 6 k and using alnico 2 magnets are tonally more in the correct ballpark in my opinion. i can always pull the covers off and remove the rails and magnets, drop in alnico Firebird magnets into each bobbin and put a steel plate across the the bottom of the magnets to make them proper Firebird pickups. At least the DC resistance is correct to start with. And it’s the most affordable option... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vinnie1971 Posted January 3, 2020 Author Share Posted January 3, 2020 10 hours ago, Sgt. Pepper said: I bought a used SG Special for $600 a while back. That is a rock machine. I preferred it to the Std. I had. Steve loves his Firebird V. If your gonna get a bird make it a neck through. Upper fret access on an SG is killer. I will get a chance to A/B the SG and Firebird together. Both are offered for sale by the same guy and he’s a trader and will do a deal. It would be interesting to hear how my Epiphone Firebird compares with its OBL Firebird pickups. I guess what I really want is a proper Firebird like an older Firebird V but at the moment I don’t see many around in the UK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vinnie1971 Posted January 8, 2020 Author Share Posted January 8, 2020 On 1/3/2020 at 12:38 PM, Wmachine said: Agree. I know you have problems with this, but I think you are dead wrong when you say " through its pickups have all the tone of a proper Firebird unlike its more expensive brethren. " But if it your ears that are telling you that, then by all means follow your ears. good advice- I’ve tracked down a 2009 Firebird V and trading my Epi Firebird and s Fenix strat - I’ve decided I’ll keep the LP - I got the “Randy Rhodes” combo in that - DiMarzio Super D and PAF pro I’ll wait til I have really played and adjusted the dialled the Firebird into my amps to see how I like the pickups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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