geetar playr Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Just got back the Firebird Studio LE from the local tech/luthier. I purchased this guitar earlier this year off of Ebay, hoping that I would be able to get mini hums in it at some point. Some knowledgeable forum members said, "hey, you need custom mounting rings!". So off to the local tech to see what he could do. As you can see from the photos, he did an amazing job. The rings looks great, and are perfect fit/size. I put in GFS Fat Mini's, the Alnico magnet min hums. So far, I would agree with the website's description....that they have a warm, thick PAF tone with some p90 dialed in. I just got it back last night, so haven't had time to run all the tone tests I want (compare it to the Epi LP and my Agile AD2300 P90 equipped guitar) in order to hear all the details of tone between pickups, etc. But...so far, so good. The pickups sound great (my second pair of GFS pups -they do not disappoint!), the work done on the FBird is excellent, and I love this instrument even more. Great neck! If you are around the Cleveland area and want details on who did the work, email me. I still can't believe Epiphone did not release these instruments with mini hums! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricochet Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Very nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
layboomo Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Now it's a firebird! I have the same pup;s in this SG and I love the tones! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geetar playr Posted September 9, 2008 Author Share Posted September 9, 2008 Now it's a firebird! I have the same pup;s in this SG and I love the tones! Did you make that pickguard yourself? I've seen your photos before of that SG, and the color is SWEET. I love these pups, too. But still thinking that at some point I may swap them out for the GFS ceramic minis just to compare tones. Now that I have the custom mounting rings, I can experiment with different minis. Nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
layboomo Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Did you make that pickguard yourself? I've seen your photos before of that SG' date=' and the color is SWEET. I love these pups, too. But still thinking that at some point I may swap them out for the GFS ceramic minis just to compare tones. Now that I have the custom mounting rings, I can experiment with different minis. Nice.[/quote'] Thanks...no I had WD make it for me for a $10 upcharge they cut the mini's in instead of full sized hums. The Duncan mini's are really nice too...but more than twice the $$ of GFS. I think Epi missed the boat on the studio too by not using mini's. Truth be told though the mini's on the other Epi firebird are nowhere near as nice as the GFS alinco's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geetar playr Posted September 9, 2008 Author Share Posted September 9, 2008 I think Epi missed the boat on the studio too by not using mini's. Truth be told though the mini's on the other Epi firebird are nowhere near as nice as the GFS alinco's. I agree. A couple of months I got a thread going asking why are mini humbucker and P90 guitars in such short supply on the retail market. Doesn't make any sense. Both of these pickup styles are great for some snarling rock n roll tones, but it seems like no one talks much about 'em much these days (well, except on this forum!). I heard the same thing about the Epi Fbird re-issue - that the pups just didn't cut it. I also didn't care for the red color, or the "faded" studio look, so fortunately, I found this one on Ebay and managed to get some minis in there. Yeah, it doesn't have a raised center piece, but it works just fine! OK Epiphone - we need some guitars with mini hums and P90's!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
layboomo Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 I agree. A couple of months I got a thread going asking why are mini humbucker and P90 guitars in such short supply on the retail market. Doesn't make any sense. Both of these pickup styles are great for some snarling rock n roll tones' date=' but it seems like no one talks much about 'em much these days (well, except on this forum!). I heard the same thing about the Epi Fbird re-issue - that the pups just didn't cut it. I also didn't care for the red color, or the "faded" studio look, so fortunately, I found this one on Ebay and managed to get some minis in there. Yeah, it doesn't have a raised center piece, but it works just fine! OK Epiphone - we need some guitars with mini hums and P90's!!!!!! [/quote'] Your guitar looks great and got me Gasing at a bad time.....no $$ to spend unless I sell something! I've been a big fan of mini hums since my high school days when I played a 70' LP Goldtop Deluxe.......why did I sell that one??? But yeah I absolutely agree there is just something about the tone of a good mini and P-90 that I love......somewhere inbetween a strat and a big humbucker sound. I love that growl they have too! We need more mini equiped guitars......if they did an LP jr with 2 mini's in the gibson style deluxe rings, I'd buy one in a NY minute! The thing is it's really easy to retrofit some guitars with mini's......just adapter rings or a pickguard and you are there...so why not do it?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geetar playr Posted September 9, 2008 Author Share Posted September 9, 2008 The only thing I can think of, as to why Epiphone doesn't make models with minis or P90's is that, well....rock is a young man's game. For example, if you look at all the guitar ads from the 80's, its a lot of Kramers, Floyd Roses, and big hair! So today, I think, Epiphone does make its models to appeal to an, ahem, older market, such as ourselves, but it also needs the young-uns to purchase those Prophecy guitars, so the high gain models, slick, metal looking guitars are in production now, and the focus is on high output humbuckers. A shame, really. As you've said, and as we know, P90's and Mini-Humbuckers can give you TONE to play lots of high powered rock n roll. I mean, Epiphone makes an SG with EMG 81/85's, but doesn't make one with P90's? Come on! Well, that's my theory. I guess the P90 and Mini-Hum tone is just for us guitar geeks. Not that's there's anything wrong with a good ol' PAF humbucker, but sometimes you need a little variation! So, Epiphone, if you're listening, why dontcha make a guitar with these old-school rock n roll pickups!?!?!?!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
layboomo Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 The only thing I can think of' date=' as to why Epiphone doesn't make models with minis or P90's is that, well....rock is a young man's game. For example, if you look at all the guitar ads from the 80's, its a lot of Kramers, Floyd Roses, and big hair!So today, I think, Epiphone does make its models to appeal to an, ahem, older market, such as ourselves, but it also needs the young-uns to purchase those Prophecy guitars, so the high gain models, slick, metal looking guitars are in production now, and the focus is on high output humbuckers. A shame, really. As you've said, and as we know, P90's and Mini-Humbuckers can give you TONE to play lots of high powered rock n roll. I mean, Epiphone makes an SG with EMG 81/85's, but doesn't make one with P90's? Come on! Well, that's my theory. I guess the P90 and Mini-Hum tone is just for us guitar geeks. Not that's there's anything wrong with a good ol' PAF humbucker, but sometimes you need a little variation! So, Epiphone, if you're listening, why dontcha make a guitar with these old-school rock n roll pickups!?!?!?!?! [/quote'] You hit it right on the head....it is a young man's game and when they can sell a bunch of that goth crap with finishwork that requires very little attention to detail for a healthy profit...well guess what? The truth is both Gibson and Epiphone love that faded,goth,industrial thing.....they are rough finishes and don't require the skill it takes to do a fine finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheX Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Firebird's are meant to have mini's, end of story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssgfowler Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 How do mini H/B's compare to P90's sound wise? I really like the way the Firebird looks and feels, but with 2 humbuckers, the Epi model is basically an SG with a different body. I've had a bad case of GAS for a P90 equipped SG for awhile now (specifically, an SG Jr., but it doesn't look like Gibson/Epi will make that again anytime in the near future), but for the price of an SG Classic I could get the Epi Firebird, put the GFS mini H/B pickups in it, and still have money left over. I fell in love with Firebirds after seeing this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8siLZ4zNbY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geetar playr Posted September 9, 2008 Author Share Posted September 9, 2008 How do mini H/B's compare to P90's sound wise? Well.....I haven't entirely had a chance to do the tone test with my P90 guitar and the Epi FBird. But...I think' date=' actually, that they are similar in tone. Both have been described as the best elements of a PAF and a Single Coil. Given that, my guitar with P90's , when selected in the middle selection has a real single coil out of phase flavor. The mini hums, I think have a slightly less single coil tone than the P90's. Both sound beautiful overdriven - really snarling rock tones (as your JWinter video shows). So hard to say. I really wanted the minis in the FBrid because of JWinter, too. (found out after the fact that his first record, which I love, was recorded with a Fender Mustang! ). Right now, he's the only recorded reference I have for a mini hum sound. I also found out today that the solo in McCartney's "Baby I'm Amazed" was done with a FBird. See also Stephen Stills' "Live" - on the cover he has a FBird, and I assume that is the guitar on the record. And....finally......Allen Collins from Skynyrd He's got a P90 in the bridge, though! So that may be the route you need to take!! This work on the Epi FBird only cost me $70 at the local tech's shop, and you can see the quality of the custom rings in the pix. The GFS pups cost $70 for both. So either way, you're financially in good shape. Also, keep in mind that GFS also makes humbucker sized P90's that you can drop in to humbucker guitars. You could get an Epi SG and swap the stocks out for those GFS retrofit P90's. That was going to be my initial project until I got that Agile guitar with P90's. I don't know. Haven't had time yet to plug it into my Fender Reverb Deluxe, which will be the Real test of the tone. Only have had a chance to hear it briefly in the shop before I brought it home. If you don't mind the faded finishes on the FBird Studios, you could just do what I did with some custom mounting rings and get a mini hum sound in a mahogany body. Yeah, Epiphone....do we have to say it again? We need the FBirds with mini hums, or a Les Paul Deluxe!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbirchett Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 I've had a soft spot for Firebirds ever since the Stones made their first trip to town and Keith and Brian were both playing Firebird VIIs. Sweet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricochet Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 I heard the same thing about the Epi Fbird re-issue - that the pups just didn't cut it. I also didn't care for the red color' date=' or the "faded" studio look, so fortunately, I found this one on Ebay and managed to get some minis in there. Yeah, it doesn't have a raised center piece, but it works just fine! OK Epiphone - we need some guitars with mini hums and P90's!!!!!! [/quote'] For what it's worth. It's very hard to make a vintage spec correct Firebird. Apart from the raised neck-through, it has unique pickups which are not constructed like the mini-version of PAF-type humbuckers found on the Epiphones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-52 Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I really want to get a firebird studio worn cherry and a microstack but I want to find out if its the best deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesman345 Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 A few years back, I had a beautiful MIK Epi Firebird with 2 mini's (solid cover, not adjustable). Unfortunately, it had a bolt-on neck which had a slick, faux black lacquer finish that reminded me of cheap black chairs I've sat on in a Chinese buffet restaurant. The sound was unique and really rocky, like a "Tele on steriods", similar to my Goldtop's P90's. I had a Gibson Les Paul Deluxe with mini's in the mid 70's. All that I remember was that it was beautiful, very heavy and a real rocker. Then, it was stolen and I bought a Gibson ES335TD :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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