Firebird (Worn Cherry) & Maestro vibrola

[beeflin1281734173]

Hi, I got one of the latest Firebirds - the one with the Steinberger tuners - and tried to fit an Allparts Maestro Vibrola. Unfortunately however, the spring was just too soft and wouldn't stay in position - the strings pulled it down too far - so I had to take it off and refit the stop bar. No great loss, because it sounds and plays better and stays in tune better that way anyway. But I was wondering if anyone else has had similar problems - and want to warn anyone thinking of doing a similar mod that it may not work.

[vomer]

Hi beeflin and welcome. Sunny down the southwest today! I was thinking of a Vibrola for my Sheraton, interested to hear of your problem. If the spring is too soft that sounds like a return to dealer; I've no experience with the Vibrola though, is it possible you've not fitted it correctly? There's wiser folk than I here who should be able to help if that's the case.

[beeflin1281734173]

Hi beeflin and welcome. Sunny down the southwest today! I was thinking of a Vibrola for my Sheraton' date=' interested to hear of your problem. If the spring is too soft that sounds like a return to dealer; I've no experience with the Vibrola though, is it possible you've not fitted it correctly? There's wiser folk than I here who should be able to help if that's the case.

 

[/quote']

well, i sent photos to the dealer & he said maybe it is the neck angle of the Firebird WC that's the problem, and that he had not had the complaint before. So it remains a mystery. :-)

[midiman56]

I dunno, Beef ... the Maestro is essentially just a curved piece of metal that bends when you push down on the bar. No springs or anything ... actually very simple. If string tension is pulling down the trem, it just seems to me that Allparts is using too soft (or thin) a piece of metal for this device!

 

Any chance of scoring a genuine unit? Believe me, it does work with a Firebird!

 

 

Good luck!

 

Jim

[beeflin1281734173]

Yes, that's my conclusion too, but it's puzzling that Allparts have been selling this thing and people haven't been having a problem. I couldn't get the original part because Gibson don't sell it! The reason why I was trying to make the mod in the first place was that I wanted to make the guitar more like my 1963 Firebird III which I unfortunately sold way back when the price was low - it's my "one that got away". But the Epiphone is really much happier with the stop bar - combined with the full-sized Alnico humbuckers it gives me Cream and Zeppelin sounds which suit me fine. So I think I'll stick with it as is. Nice VIII by the way - you must be happy with it :-)

[L1Picker]

That '63 VS is absolutely gorgeous! I wish I had grabbed one when available...another of those that I thought would be around longer.

[jcwillow777]

MIDIman - that is gorgeous. I drool everytime I see it.

[Hungrycat]

I had the sunburst version of the studio for a while. I loved it except for those damn Steinberger tuners. GRRRRRR! They suck. I couldn't get them to hold any heavier gauge strings than 9s. Bad for me and my 13s. I traded it 'cause those things.

[midiman56]

Thanks, guys! That Firebird VII is just such a fun guitar to play. I would say that I keep it in open A tuning about 70% of the time and just channel Johnny Winter through it (not that the old boy is dead yet!) for hours at a time. You should hear me chuck out some "Mean Town Blues" on that thing!

 

I banged my head against the wall trying to figure out a way to install Steinbergers in that thing with out major surgery. Turns out there really isn't, plus all I hear is nightmares from folks that have 'em. We have a Gibson Firebired V at the store and it seems to hold tune pretty well, but DAMN are those things contraptions. It just seems like a lot of trouble ... it IS a great look though!

 

Thanks again for the compliments!

 

Jim

[beeflin1281734173]

I had the sunburst version of the studio for a while. I loved it except for those damn Steinberger tuners. GRRRRRR! They suck. I couldn't get them to hold any heavier gauge strings than 9s. Bad for me and my 13s. I traded it 'cause those things.

 

They're not quite as clever as they look, are they? Good at tuning up and down without having to take up the slack, which is a good feature, but if you have to take the strings off after you've clipped them you can't get a grip on them to pull them back in, and if they've been on a Firebird they're then the wrong length to put on another guitar, so you better intend to play them out when you put them on.

 

I dunno about "nightmare" though, MIDIman - overall they're as good as anything else. Actually the only guitar I own that stays in tune reliably has a Kahler trem and a locking nut (the Barracuda), so maybe all headstock tuners are a nightmare.

[Swoop]

Yep, the VII sure is a great guitar. I love that mini humbucker sound, so bluesy! And surprisingly comfortable to play for such an odd shped bit of wood! I'll use this thread as an excuse to post another pic of mine too!

 

 

Mine is unfortunately out of commission at the moment because I messed around with changing the tone caps and then couldn't figure out how to wire it back up properly again! No matter, it's a good excuse to upgrade the pots and tidy up the wiring. The stock wiring is a bit of a birds nest and not exactly logical. Might spend a little extra and go for some brass shaft CTS pots, real smooth and noiseless. I love the ones in my Strat, and if I didn't already have some Alpha ones lying around, I might've gone for some of them for my Les Paul too.