Custom Shop Non Reverse Firebird /w Burstbuckers

[Ewheel]

Hello All,

 

New to the forum here.

 

I once owned an original non reverse Firebird V with mini hums and tremelo. Over the years of playing it, I had the pickups changed to humbuckers and changed the tremolo out for a Leo Quan Badass bridge. I know, I know - I destroyed the collectability of the guitar. (Me being a stupid kid - I would never do that now!) With the humbuckers, the Firebird became a screaming demon - a Firebeast. I fell on hard times and parted with it twenty years ago. I missed it the day I sold it.

 

I recently found out, in the early 2000's, that the Gibson Custom shop came out with a non-reverse Firebird with Burstbuckers and a stop tail bridge.

 

How did this model come to be? Especially considering that a Firebird with this configuration never existed in the past? I think it's very cool that they did this and I'm trying to find one. (Not much luck yet.)

 

I've tried searching the Gibson website and doing a Google search to try to find out more about this model but haven't had much luck. I only found a few reviews in Harmony Central.

 

Any info anyone could provide would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks!

[Custom Admin]

it's just one of those things someone came up with and we decided to run...not much more rhyme or reason to it than that. you should still be able to get one of these via your local dealer, as we still run them occasionally.

[Ewheel]

it's just one of those things someone came up with and we decided to run...not much more rhyme or reason to it than that. you should still be able to get one of these via your local dealer' date=' as we still run them occasionally.[/quote']

 

 

Thanks for the info. I was able to locate one! It had been nabbed by a collector and was virtually mint and in unplayed condition. The neck is a bit beefier than my old one and the headstock is slightly different. It's got a refined quality to it that you would expect from a custom shop instrument. As great as it plays, it almost feels like it's been plekked. I lowered the Burstbuckers quite a bit so they wouldn't hit the amp so hard. They really smooth out well. The volume and tone controls seem unusually responsive for a stock instrument. Kudos to you custom shop guys on the obvious attention to detail and focus taken to produce this guitar.

 

I've always felt that the non reverse Firebirds should have been named something other than Firebird - they really are quite different from their reverse bodied brethren.