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Uncontrollable attraction to Firebirds...


deva_da_man

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I have this almost uncontrollable urge to buy a firebird... i WOULD really like to spring for the gibson firebird V (not a 3 pickup fan, and i want hardtail, not tremolo)

 

So my ideal firebird is a gibbo firebird V in white - hopefully with an ebony board.

 

firebird owners, post up pictures and increase my GAS!!

 

Now, i'm happy to settle for a non gibson model, however i want it to be neck-thru and have inline banjo type tuners and mini buckers and preferably an ebony board...

 

i think i'm asking a bit much aye? :p

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Originally posted by shaun79

not surprising at all since you have dave grohl as your avatar. those firebirds are a sexy breed though.



yeah i am a massive dave grohl fan, not sure if this is where my firebird love stemmed from or not...? but i totally agree, they are "a sexy breed" indeed ;)

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I had a hard on for one up until I held one in my lap and played it at a guitar store.

I mean, they are long ass bulky bastards and on the "heavy neck" side.

I'm also afraid I'd always be thinking I wasn't worthy to be playing Johnny Winter's guitar. And I'd want to slap myself if I didn't become a competent slide player with that machine.

But they are great looking and sounding guitars. But make sure you "feel -em out" first.

Happy hunt!

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Originally posted by rydogg_sc2

I thought Firebirds were sweet until I actually held one. Wow are they neck heavy beyond any other guitar I have played. Just not for me. I knew instantly that it was not a guitar I could live with



Same here. I love to drool over them, but every one I've picked up in a store left me disappointed. :cry:

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Originally posted by GAS Man

I had a hard on for one up until I held one in my lap and played it at a guitar store.


I mean, they are long ass bulky bastards and on the "heavy neck" side.


I'm also afraid I'd always be thinking I wasn't worthy to be playing Johnny Winter's guitar. And I'd want to slap myself if I didn't become a competent slide player with that machine.


But they are great looking guitars. But make sure you "feel -em out" first.


Happy hunt!

 

 

 

I just bought a new Firebird and there's a few things you have to understand about them...

 

1: The Firebird isn't really a "sit down" guitar. You should play a Firebird standing up, where you'll then find your upper forearm resting perfectly comfortable across that elongated lower bout. Once you feel that nice comfy fit, the Firebird seems to be a natural extension of your body. Perfect.

 

2: Proper strap adjustment and the previously mentioned forearm resting across the lower extended (elongated) bout completely eliminates the perception of a Firebird being neck-heavy. I say "perception" because the neck on a Firebird weighs no more than that of any other electric guitar. It's just positioned a bit different than other electrics... more "forward" if you will.

 

3: If you do sit while playing a Firebird, you lean over the short upper bout of the body, not in the waist between the upper and lower bout like most other guitars. This makes it feel more balanced. The top-upper bout of a Firebird isn't very wide, so you won't sacrifice any comfort like you would leaning over the wider upper bout of other electrics.

 

 

Also consider this... a Les Paul is a crappy guitar to sit down with and play, because it's also a "standing" type of electric guitar. The waist on a Les Paul is narrow and it's pretty uncomfortable to set over your thigh and play. The waist on a Les Paul is also too narrow for your chest to lean over, too. But would you dismiss a Les Paul like you would a Firebird for this? Probably not, because it's a highly regarded and extremely popular guitar.

 

I'm not saying that a Firebird is for everyone, because it's not. I'm just saying that you have to take it's shape into consideration and approach a Firebird a bit differently than the typical electric guitars that so many of us are used to playing. Once you understand this, it's a phenomenal guitar with killer tone that you can easily fall in love with.

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I love the look of Firebirds. When i have the cash, I'm going to buy me one of the Tokai (MIK) copies. They're maple necked and alder bodied, which might bother some folks, but not me - long as the particular one I buy sounds good, it's really more the look I'm after than anything (how could you not have looks as a major factor when buying a guitar like the Firebird!!). IIRC, though, they're set neck, like the Gibson Studio Firebird.... if you're looking into buying a copy at a more affordable price, that's likely what you're going to find anyhow.

Someday I want to build a Squier-Supersonic / Gibson Firebird cross sort of a guitar, with three p90s..... :love:

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Try the epiphone firebirds. Main thing I notice about Firebirds, Thunderbirds & BC Rich Mockingbirds, is the rear of body curve makes me want to push the whole gutar forward for some reason. Makes for awkward playaility to me. So check fit to body to seeif you have thissame natural for some tendancy. I prefer shapes that encourage close in not pushed away playability.

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