$140 Amazon Firefly 338 Guitar - Sleeper/Keeper or Smash Trash?

In this episode Keith takes a look at a $140 Firefly Guitar purchased on Amazon.
This Part1 of a 2 part series. Here's a link to Part 2: • $140 Firefly 338 Guita...
Keith Leedham is an independent recording artists/studio owner/tinkerer.
He owns "The Tape Farm" a recording studio that specializes in transferring "pro-sumer" analog tape formats from manufactures like Tascam and Fostex.
Website: www.thetapefarm.com
Facebook: / thetapefarm
Twitter: / thetapefarm
As an independent recording artists Keith has released singles, EPs and full length albums. With styles ranging from Progressive Rock to Country to Singer/Songwriter to Hard Rock to what ever the song dictates.
Website: www.keithleedham.com
Facebook: / keithleedham
Twitter: / keithleedham
KZbin: / mackeefus
He also tinkers with various audio equipment such as tape machines, guitars and guitar amps. When he comes across something interesting he posts the progress/results on KZbin.
KZbin: / mackeefus

[@TheTapeFarm]

First let me say that you guys are right... This was one of the first KZbin videos that I made and a learned a lot in the process. Way too much gabbing and not enough playing. I did play the guitar a lot in Part 2 of the video, but I have learned that 2 part videos are fine for building projects but not for reviews. And even then I've tried to shy away from multipart videos. Learning to be concise has been one of the things I've focused on, thanks to your input. As always, thanks for the feedback! Please take a peek at some more current videos if you would and let me know A) if they improved and B) how they could be better.

[@frankstetka7206]

To be fair and perfectly honest the video could be trimmed up a cool 5 minutes or more and within that time a little playing but I am in disbelief at how many give crap comments to this man. I appreciated the attention to details in the review as a DIY enthusiast. If you are just a cheap ass rocker who wants to hear how aweful it sounds, move on to the next video. This man is doing this guitar proper.

[@TheWesDrake]

30 freaking minutes talking about this guitar and NOT so much as one note hit, played, or strummed. C,mon man it aint a freakin end table. LOL :)

[@mvp019]

You'd need more than $20, even at manufacturer scale, to bring it up to not having to replace parts. I put Alnico 5s in mine (from Guitar Fetish), locking tuners, new roller bridge (also from GF IIRC), and new wiring harness with pots- so another maybe $170 (yeah I know, more than the guitar), and now it is fun and stays in tune, and sounds good.

[@jeremyrock9305]

mvp019 👍🏻that’s still a good price for a guitar like that! Still would need a hell of alot more cash to touch an epiphone model.

[@Keyboardman88]

Interesting, but as with any guitar, how does it sound...and how does it play?????

[@gqftoast]

Bought one, replaced the tuners, buzzer bridge replaced, replaced magnets to alnico5 and waxpotted them. Adjusted the truss rod which worked well and string height. The nut IS bone and in my case was cut well but you mileage my vary. I consider this a nice guitar for the money but out of the box just as you said it will need some work unless you are very lucky. I know quite a few people that have bought these and all have replaced the tuners and bridge and most changed the pickups rather than mod them as I did although I am very happy with the result I got. Its a good buy for the money but if you don't know how to work on a guitar then spend a little more for a better guitar.

[@DanAmrich]

Gibson ES-335-style guitars are semi-hollow and feature a center block of wood, which is how the tailpiece is secured. Its Epiphone cousin the Casino is fully hollow and has a completely different tailpiece to anchor the strings. This is a 335 style, so there should be a center block. I'd be more surprised if you didn't find one! :)

[@TheTapeFarm]

Dan Amrich yeah... I was more responding to some other reviews that said there wasn’t a center block, which I found odd. Thanks for the input! Technically even that Aria that I showed has a small block of wood where the floating bridge sits, but where the pickups are is hollow on the Aria. Thanks again!

[@djburland]

A good review, look forward to part 2

[@dean754]

Great review , really enjoyed it , fair, honest , informative. Cheers 🍻

[@larrybarge6085]

Thank you for your review of the Firefly 338. I am considering purchasing one, when they become available. I look forward to your followup on improvements to make this a great sounding guitar.

[@dustywalter1947]

I just got mine on Monday and love it! Swapped out the pickups with some zebra wilkinson humbuckers slapped some Ernie ball 10's regular slink on it and replaced the knobs with some aged white witch hat style knobs. Few tweaks to the action and this things playing freaking better than my Gibson and Schecter... I ordered a second one today :)

[@chrisstolle5664]

I buy these guitars for the base. Rewind the pickups, new pots and caps, pot the pickups, minor fret work, new locking tuners, bone nut, roller bridge. Its one of my favorite guitars and plays great and less than $300 all in all. Cant even buy a decent kit for less than $140.

[@MFPick]

Yeah, that color is really nice

[@TracerXS]

I just purchased my 1st Firefly as well, got the wine colored one. The nut slots were pretty high on mine and required quite a bit of filing (my 1st time doing it). I replaced the pu's with Dragonfire H90's, which sound pretty good. slapped on a TonePros roller bridge and a Les Trem II and finally grover auto locking tuners. Pretty happy with the upgrades. Will be looking forward to see what you do with yours!

[@altonT]

It is a rosewood neck. Grown in Southeastern Asia. Rosewoods grown in Brazil and a couple other countries are illegal to harvest due to over harvesting. The rosewoods from Southeastern Asia ranges in color from deep red to brown. Guitar manufactures can use it legally without worry of shipping it across borders. The type used on these guitars is low grade from the outer part of the tree. I made custom furniture for a living.

[@TheTapeFarm]

Alton ForPresident more great info from Alton! Thanks man!

[@rodsmolter5046]

The bridge buzzing sounds like it could be a loose fitting intonation screw which is a very common problem on the cheap tun-o-matic style bridges. The cheap fix is coating the threads with clear fingernail polish.

[@iznot2]

I have a firefly and have found the you and I agree on the pickups. I have no problem with my tuners, probably the luck of the draw, the nut has not been a problem either. We can agree on the neck pretty nice. I have heard several people comment on the bridge but I don't have any buzzing, again perhaps I'm lucky. I think I'll change the pickups and then reevaluate the tuners, bridge and nut. Good video though thanks for your comments.

[@TheTapeFarm]

Dadai K the nut on mine just needed a slightly deeper cut on the low E string. But other than that it worked out fine. At this price point any hardware will be hit or miss. Thanks for checking out the video.

[@alabamahebrew]

Lol, when I first clicked on this video you had 446 subscribers, I came back to this video after I subscribed and checked out your home page and you now have 450 subscribers, things are looking up! lol

[@MosriteCharlie]

Use Seymour Duncan P-rails in white with CTS pots and Orange caps. You will need 2 three way toggles to take advantage of the 3 positions on the P-rail pickups but they sound fantastic and offer a vast aray of tones from single coil to P-90 to humbucking.

[@Rickholly74]

I have two Firefly guitars that I bought almost two years ago. They are both semi-hollow. I have true hollow bodies (gibson and Ibanez) the Firefly's are definately semi-hollow unless someone got an odd run that I haven't heard of. (I want that Teac 3340 (or maybe it is a 2340?). I had a Teac 3340, a Revox A77 and a Peavey 12 channel mixer. Great machines. Had them in the 70's-80's. Great memories as I learned just about everything I know about recording with them Thanks)

[@mjallenuk]

The peel off scene was bloody brilliant ....

[@ruserious7319]

new subscriber from nashville. thanks for the review

[@alabamahebrew]

Great review, definitely one of the best I have seen on You Tube! I see several people disagree with your review or how you said a few things - I guess they want everything sugar coated and yes they want a lollipop lol. These guitars are ones guitarists SHOULD EXPECT to get bad reviews, but your review was not an overall "bad" review. You simply pointed out what we should have known was going to be an issue, cheap tuners and pups are probably going to be "crap" . I refinish guitars and work on them as many other guitarists do, so for me changing those "crap" items is not an issue, but with a beginner guitarist (That's who these guitars are geared for) they might have an issue especially with it being the ES style and no rear access hole, and so you informing them before they buy of the great chances that they will have to know how to change these components out is you doing those people a great service! I just found your channel tonight and will be hitting the sub button and bell for sure! I just can't shake the feeling that hose who are complaining about your review are people who don't know what a true quality instrument is really like or they think a $140 guitar is such a great buy you shouldn't dare say a bad word about it. Lol maybe they work for Firefly? I watch a lot of guitar review videos and as I said before, yours is one of the best I have seen and I cannot find fault with anything you said or did or spoke about. With the way the body seems to be, for a guy like me who has a lot of spare guitar parts lying around, I could buy this guitar, now selling for $ 149 btw lol, and with a few changes have a very decent guitar with very little money invested into it. Now there are other guitar makers selling cheaper guitars, Glarry being one that I own several of their models, but to find an ES style at this price point is very cool.

[@TheTapeFarm]

Ron Just Ron thanks man. A lot of people want to live in an echo chamber and only hear what they want hear. It’s okay. Some folks have valid points and honest critiques about the way I present things, I appreciate those. But thanks again for the kind words, it very encouraging. More to come.

[@aevoguitars2576]

it looks stunning

[@Synsizer]

This will not be everyones experience as it is a bit of luck of the draw. Got mine really quick. It actually came in set up very well, no cosmetic flaws and very surprisingly intonation was fine. No sharp frets. Even tuners were decent. I will be changing out PU's and electronics in the near future, but I must say this thing has a surprisingly good sound. I used it for sometime stock out of the box (except strings of course) and ppl listening to my recordings have been fooled into thinking it was a MUCH more expensive guitar. Again, I got lucky. The neck does feel a "bit" near the price, but still pretty enjoyable to play compared to the $200.00 cheapies out there. I have owned a Fender American Strat, Fender Tele and a few other really nice guitars and yes, they are obviously much nicer. But if on a budget, this thing can sound REALLY good and be enjoyable to play. I still use it for recording as it just seems to put out the exact sound I am looking for in certain instances. A really GREAT buy for 139 IF you get lucky and get a good one. Quality control varies with these obviously as you did not get as lucky. As far as looks, some of my friends think this is a beautiful guitar (Black). One of them calls it the beast. He was blown away by the playablitliy, sound and looks of it. I could not be happier with it. Glad I got one of the good ones.

[@cruisenguitars7554]

I love my Firefly's. ..have 2...great mod platform

[@Keyboardman88]

Semi-hollow body like Gibson 335, Epiphone 335 dot and others like it.

[@williamglover6548]

So loved your reviews awaiting your replacement parts and gonna give it a go when your happy with the results ( United Kingdom)

[@geezerbliz]

Fresh batch in today...ordered a red one

[@noiricha]

The playability is your first choice when buying - tuning keys ? normal to have to change them at this price point and that also goes for the pickups too. The bridge is a super easy and inexpensive upgrade. 50% of the guitars out there need work on the nut or nut replacement so that's normal for guitars. There are guitars out there that cost 10 times this one that have playability issues that require $300 of work by a luthier to correct so $140 for a good playable neck is pretty good.

[@shannalaine8738]

Guitar Fetish has a KILLER, Wilkinson roller bridge that has a tone of adjustment. Not that you need a roller, but its so nice for $25 bucks, mine as well.

[@lrstaf6]

The internal block may be required because of the tail stop requiring solid mounting holes. However; a tail piece over the end of the body can be mounted in a tail block, thus no center block required. Guitar Fetish sells a decent roller bridge for a reasonable price. You might want to try it.

[@robm9460]

These are good to do a Pete Townsend act and smash it to bits!

[@bugsyjonesband]

can't find this guitar on amazon - I just want it bc it's blue. LOL - any updates would be appreciated...

[@steventanner1428]

Firefly was listening. Last batch had better tuners and a much better nut. You are the only one I have heard complain about the pickups. The other major complaint I have heard is inconsistency. Buy two and one might be hot and the other might be a hot mess. My new red 335 is killer. A couple of small paint imperfections. The last two frets had sharp edges. The only thing that needs updated right away is the bridge. Seriously thinking about one of the thin line teles now. I would like to play with the 335 for a while and see how it stands up before I order a tele but I am afraid if I wait I won't be able to get one.

[@kevinmiller3941]

What are the differences between the FIrefly 335 and 338?

[@TheSkillkeeper]

.... stay on topic!!

[@phrankus2009]

QUESTION: - Since you have assessed the factory stock strings as "just fine", is there any way that you can salvage them and re-use them, after you do upgrades ??? TIP: - Why not splurge and get a premium, graphite nut ???

[@rodsmolter5046]

Agree on the nut, a tusq xl nut is only $12 and no need to ever lubricate or worry about tuning stability.

[@timothytobin1481]

19:18 ... take it off, baby! Take it all off! LOL!

[@WellStudied]

WHY DIDNT YA SEND THE EPIPHONE BACK?

[@robrudock3452]

Ordered.

[@glenchoitz9497]

I bought 2 of them, red & blueburst (with the darker edge offered in the earlier run)... The red one now has a trem, roller bridge and Ernie Ball 10's on it. New pickups soon (have them already just to lazy to do it right now). Unlike yours this red one has stable tuning with moderate use of the whammy bar and it is a cheap trem off of ebay. One thing I didn't want to do is 'overspend' the guitar, so chose this cheap trem. Mistake? I recently replaced the trem on my vintage Gretsch Country Club and used a real Gretsch Bigsby on it...night and day difference between the feel and action of the 2 trems, smooth and silky for the bigsby, stiff and harsh with the no name on the Firefly. Is the $110 difference worth it? For me, with over 30 guitars, no...if this was my only player, then yes I would go with the Bigsby. I will say the roller bridge, also from ebay, at less than $10 shipped works great...well enough I bought 5 of them for other guitars I own. String height at the nut is to high on both and varies from string to string, but it is a bone nut so I will recut/rework the existing nut. Tuners are to fast for my liking, easy to slip past to sharp when tuning. I also adjusted the lash of the gears in the tuners so they held better via the screw in the tuner knob, tightened until snug feeling and then back off a half turn...made a world of difference in them staying in tune. Both guitars have a centerblock, I used my endoscope to look around each guitar to see how well the construction is. The red guitar has a nice slab of what looks like maple wood for the centerblock...The blueburst looks like they grabbed a chunk off an old pallet they had laying around and used it, still functions as it should, but kind of disappointing. The guitars have no kerfing around the tops/bottom inside, another cost cutting measure. So that means the only glue surface is the edge of the laminate itself and you can see a few (very few) glue drips which looks like they are epoxied together. While that would give the limited glue joint more strength, it will also make the guitar almost impossible to ever take apart if some type of repair were needed. What that means for a $140 guitar is undetermined...but if it becomes your favorite guitar could mean a lot. The Blueburst will be getting dogear P90's, roller bridge, and nut work...that is about it... PS...pretty funny when the guitar cases cost more than what you are putting in them...lol

[@CJZM7777]

Geez, if you have to replace the tuners, pickups and the bridge, why not just buy an EPI dot or Ibenez semi-hollow?

[@believernumber9]

NFL draft picks?

[@mikenaykki2173]

Sounds like a pretty decent guitar!👍👍😎

[@UmVtCg]

Peeking into the body is not nessecary. No Hollow body guitar has a stopbar tailpiece bridge like that. The top would collapse under the string tension. Also true hollowbody electric guitars are almost never that thin. Unless it's a Gretsch player model. For me, I don't like cheap guitars, a good instrument will last a lifetime and its worth a whole lot more. I do like the bright color though. I wish Fender and Gretsch did those bright colors instead of those lame old car paint colors. I wanna see bright purple, green and blue.

[@JeffKeel]

I put some GFS Alnico II's in my Ice Tea. Fantastic. Great video

[@TheTapeFarm]

JT Keel thanks man. Yeah those GFS pickup are pretty good. When I doubt that’s what I go with. Can’t beat them for the money.

[@tommyt-qu7bn]

Center blocks in hollow guitars were developed more to cut down on feedback than for a more stable mount for the bridge. They add sustain as well. The only person I've ever known to play rock on a hollow body is Ted Nugent, who incorporated the feedback (howling, really) into his music.

[@Anne6621]

the list is long on rockers who have played hollow body guitars

[@tommyt-qu7bn]

@@Anne6621 Yeah kinda stuck my foot in it! Eddie Cochran, Brian Setzer, Chuck Berry when he wasn't playing his 335, Steve Howe...

[@bwyou812]

God !!! 140.00 check playability first. Like buying a used car ,see how it runs first before checking out the scratch on the fender!!!

[@Icantdrive55]

Just a heads up these are back in stock on Amazon for now. No blue but matte black, brown, and sunburst. Model FF338

[@mackthnife3]

I just bought the matte black version. Had put the gold top in my cart, answered a phone call, and no gold ones were left, 5 min later. If I'm right, I predict the FFTH version will b available shortly. I have a YT channel and did a 3 part series re Amazon marketing strategys. I think I know how they roll..I'll bet by Monday the FFTH, will be available. Beware of Amazon...they are very "cyber manipulative"...check out the series. I've even confronted them about these " slight of mind" techniques, and they never deny it...that's why the 338 became available 1st. But they still have the trimline stated as available Sept 13th. I called the 13th till today, and still not available, but they flooded the site with 338s, which are going like hotcakes. They want to sell that one first, to impulsive buyers, like me...lol...but I think they already have the trimline, just haven't posted it yet. They wanna blow out the new 338s first. They are super manipulative, and I'm a retired psychologist for 30 years. Catch the series...Regards, "Mack's Headroom"

[@Icantdrive55]

Thanks for the great insight and information. In fact it was the 338 that I was interested in. Now that you told me I’m going to keep my eye out for the FFTH. I’m 56 and on disability. I haven’t worked in 19 months due to a car accident then a heart attack 6 months later. Anyways I bought the guitar as a project to upgrade over the winter. Also to start playing again. I’ve stoped and started playing guitar 4 times in my life. Now that I’m not working and bored I need something to focus on until I can return to work.

[@lvgeorge]

Do you recommend GFS Pickups for Above average pickup Upgrades or can you recommend a few other Quality Pickups at reasonable prices. Thanks for your Subjective opinion on this Budget Guitar, Thumbs UP!

[@TheTapeFarm]

LASVEGAS GEORGE I like them but I’m not sure I could recommend them over anything else. I found GFS pickups a few years ago and have never been disappointed in what I’ve got. That being said I’m in the process of modding a Matte Black FFTH Firefly with some Dragonfire pick ups. I’ll be doing a video on that when I’ve wrapped it up.

[@tyrssen1]

Got a GFS set for a Tele build ... still in the works, so I can't tell ya! Customer service has always been terrific thus far.

[@mackthnife3]

I just bought one, after a long search. Thanks. I did however, want to address something you said, although I'm no luthier....That is, the "block of wood" ,you identify as defining it as not a "true", hollow body, in comparison to your green 70s Aria, may be a false hood. I ran into the same question, trying to cut a pick up slot in a prefabricated blues box. If you compare the green guitar to the Firefly, I believe the block of wood you are referring to is the extention of the "set neck" on the Firefly. If you notice the Aria is a bolt on neck, hence not entering much of the guitar body. However, as I discovered, set necks, I think run through the body of the guitar, so the "wood block", is an extention of the neck, underneath to top part of the body. I think that's why it's considered generally better than a bolt on neck...the strings vibrate inside better the body, than in a bolt on..I didn't realize that, when I cut into my blues box, and found the neck ran through the body...thats cool, I made it into a mouth with teeth and a mustache above it. Improved the accoustics I'd recommend doing a review on the "Blues Box" 3 string, slide guitar, on Musicians Friend. For 30 bucks, it's a blast . Thanks. Hope I'm right. Good video presence...Regards, Mack

[@TheTapeFarm]

Mack Winn Mack Winn thanks. When talking about the center block I was attempting to respond to some other reviews that I had seen that said it was a “true hollow body” and didn’t have a center block. At that point I myself was just learning about the Firefly brand. There wasn’t as many videos about them as there are now and I didn’t know if something had changed between the first runs of these guitars and the one I got. The Aria some would argue isn’t a fully hollow body either since there is a wood block used at a brace under the floating bridge. In my opinion if it’s hollow at the pickups, it’s a hollow body, if there’s a block at the pick ups it’s a semi. Thanks for the critique without the vitriol. I really do appreciate it.

[@mackthnife3]

@@TheTapeFarm that's very interesting. I have a full hollow body, by "SX" ( great Chinese guitar that moved to Spain) ...Single humbucker, ( slapped a lace sensor Blue /Gold in it). Fixed neck.. .BUT, your right, the pickup is just in a slot, the neck stops inside just before the single neck humbucker..... However the box is like 4.5 inches deep...super amount of feedback when too close to amp.....nice chatting. Good show. Regards, "Mack's Headroom"

[@mackthnife3]

@@TheTapeFarm , I love language...VITRIOL...good one, like vitriolic....thanks for the compliment. Come see my channel some day. I did do a "vitriol", on Amazon's psychologically manipulative sales, "slight of mind", games. 3 parts, with some comedy. I'm a retired psychologist...check it out...nice rappin

[@ironeddie9917]

It’s a pretty blue color ☝️

[@malcolmhardwick4258]

Guitar is a total bargain for 150 dollars.

[@Ayyem93]

Spend and extra $10 to get a Squier Mustang bullet, all you gotta do is intonate it. I've played 5 different ones and they're all excellent, especially for only 150.

[@tom-dr1ym]

Play it let's hear what she sounds like 1st

[@challeis1]

Fret ends need tidying up, should demo it.

[@dannylopez6260]

Better get your's soon the price is creepin up a little at a time there now 149.00 and they don't give u the free guitar strap anymore

[@datasciencewithr1039]

pls review orangewood

[@anthonyjames3074]

Sorry if I ruffled a few feathers with my comment below. However, if you want an "honest" review of this guitar, go here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKPLqaRterl1n7s

[@msgn8i11s2]

I would like a link to the guitar in this colour. I would change pickups to Gibson mhs pickups.

[@TheTapeFarm]

Unfortunately the guitar wasn't available on Amazon at the time I made the video, so I wasn't able to post the link. If it becomes available I will post the link.

[@TheTapeFarm]

www.amazon.com/Firefly-FF338-Semi-Hollow-Guitar-Transparent/dp/B07PZ3JDBF/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=firefly+guitar&qid=1563726292&refinements=p_n_availability%3A1248828011%2Cp_89%3AFirefly&rnid=2528832011&s=musical-instruments&sr=1-1&pldnSite=1

[@jonnybeck6723]

Appreciate the 'burlesque' plastic removal...

[@sonnet9100]

Do you ever plug in and play?

[@TheTapeFarm]

sonnet9100 yes in part 2. This was unboxing and fit and finish.

[@geryhatrix]

A couple of observations about the video. 1- Seeing the Tuneamatic style bridge and stopbar tailpiece should have indicated immediately that there was a block of wood inside for these pieces to anchor to. They would not simply be "bolted" to the thin wooden top. To spend as much time on that aspect was not productive. 2- the video could have easily have been half the time but there was far too much verbalizing and repeating/reiterating going on. It became a bit unmotivating to hear the long banter and repeated references to aspects of the guitar. 3- However, it does sound like you know what you are talking.

[@TheTapeFarm]

Gery Hatrix thanks for the critique. And I agree with all of it. Learning as I go. Thanks again.

[@geryhatrix]

@@TheTapeFarm Hey! Thanks so much for your very gracious reply. You're a good guy and look forward to more of your vids!!

[@alabamahebrew]

While I agree somewhat with you that certain parts could have been shortened, overall I think he did a great job at giving this guitar not only a good verbal review but by showing us closeups as he went along we were able to SEE what he was talking about. I watch a lot of guitar review videos and most of the time the guy did all his checking off camera and then he just holds it up and spins it around as he is talking, not giving the viewers the chance to SEE the guitar. I like being able to see it for myself, pause it if I notice something and then make my own determination as to the quality, or lack of quality, in the instrument. This channel is rather young and will change as it gains more viewers and the host learns a few short cuts here and there. I just hope he has a thick skin, musicians can be a fickle group and there are a lot of haters online.

[@geryhatrix]

@@alabamahebrew He did respond very nicely to my critique. A good guy!!

[@alabamahebrew]

@@geryhatrix - Yes he is and as I am sure we both know as his channel grows, hopefully it will have 50k subscribers this time next year! The more it grows the more negative comments he will get. I'm not saying your comment was negative, it's just there seems to be this ever increasing desire from people to only be negative.

[@RocktCityTim]

It comes WITH a cloth covered cable!!! Whoa ....

[@MrDalegray]

Where can i buy a Good Bridge,Pickups and tuners for $20

[@TheTapeFarm]

Nowhere... But if you were buying tens of thousands of them, you could. Taking into account the money that was already spent on the hardware in the guitar, the cost difference to get better hardware wouldn't be all that much, likely around $20 per unit. Again, economies of scale.

[@mb13972]

"For a 12 string to stay in tune, that's saying something". But to get a 12 string in tune is another matter. :)

[@deormanrobey892]

In my experience tuning stability problems on hardtails are more often the nut than the tuners. Crap tuners do exacerbate the problem.

[@mb13972]

Just checked Amazon, the Firefly 338 is now listed as a "semi-hollow body".

[@paulj0557tonehead]

At age 14 in 1980 I had a black Aria Les Paul from the mid 1970's. It weighed a ton! The binding on the guitar was sloppy and the hardware was crappy. I had at the same time my very first guitar- a used mid 1960's blood red Continental electric. The Continental had insanely low action... almost too easy to fret. But great as a first guitar. 20 years later a band mate supersized me with the exact same blood red Continental in near mint condition! He scored it for $100! But a week after I got the guitar I sat it beside an open jalousie window and went to the market. In the 20 minutes I was gone, a couple neighborhood boys managed to pop out the window screen and fish the guitar through the slats of glass. I found out a week later they traded my guitar for video games at the nearby flea market. God was I pissed. It was a _perfect_ example of the used, more beat up Continental I had received from my parents for Christmas 1979 when I was 14.

[@markdalton293]

All of the import Epiphones have rosewood fret board's and it's not illegal to import a guitar that has a rosewood fret board

[@TheTapeFarm]

mark dalton yup luckily that ban has been lifted. And I have since learned only some species of rosewood were part of the ban, but luckily, that’s no longer a thing.

[@ericpetrossian1582]

It’s a semi hollow body

[@davids9804]

The wood down the center inside is necessary to have the bridge floating up the body. Otherwise the strings would rip the bridge off the face of the guitar. The other guitars you compared it to had the stings pulling from the butt of the guitar.

[@coolrayfruge]

You made a good point. But if you build a good quality guitar for $140.00 to $160.00 Which is probably what it cost the big name guitar manufactures . Why would anyone buy a over priced name brand guitar for $1000.00 to$2000.00. They sell these guitars with cheap parts in the hopes you'll spend a little more money to upgrade it. That's what you get if you buy a BYO Guitar too. which if you like building guitars and are just learning luthier. they are good affordable starter kits for beginners.

[@CJZM7777]

yea, if you want a guitar to tweak it makes sense but unless you're into tweaking and have the knowledge and patience to rebuild it, I would look at EPI dot or Ibenez semi hollows. Washburn and Yamaha also make good inexpensive semis. You can get a PRS SE semi-hollow which tend to get great reviews in the $600-$900 range.

[@angryheb1]

Wow, I think I'm gonna bite yup yup 🤘😎🎸

[@sergiobellomo1062]

bla bla bla no play?

[@fladification]

"Coily" comes from the Univox line of guitars.

[@TheTapeFarm]

yup... you're right. misspoke. good catch.

[@joeguitar8066]

Try some WARMAN CLASSIC Pickups . You will not be disappointed .....

[@CliffjumperCars]

32 minutes and you never plug it in to let us hear it???

[@johnsparkman4532]

My thoughts exactly. We don't get to hear the damned thing plugged in? Worthless review, and all because of that one thing. :(

[@moeb434]

Whatever he played, while unplugged, sounded bad with the buzz he identified. I'm guessing no need to plug it in. I'm going to view part two. He said he was going to do a before and after sound check.

[@kitkatjoe5582]

The block of wood is not original with Firefly. Others like Eastman, put a block of wood in theirs to help with sustain and to combat any feedback issues. The Gibson ES 335, was the inspiration for this guitar. It also sports the block of wood in the center of the guitar.

[@konjunto2477]

Kieth I think I was hacked . Some one posted a comment "about you didn't play it". Sorry that wasn't me. Thanks for posting. I have learned a lot.

[@paranormalrushhour]

Judging from this video, I can tell you do not polish turds!

[@davefsmith6040]

Both of my Fireflys stay in tune.... I can't answer why yours doesn't....In my opinion, you get lot more guitar for your $140 ...

[@TheTapeFarm]

dave f smith I’ve heard about some that stay in tune and others that don’t. For $140 there are bound to be hits and misses from run to run. My FFDCS stays in tune just fine with stock tuners.

[@deek6942]

Mine wouldn't stay in tune either. Purchased some Wilkinson tuners, a TUSQ nut, and a roller bridge (from Philadelphia Luthiers on Ebay) (the wire retainer stock bridge is really crap) and all is good now... strung up with GHS boomers and it's playing great. Personally, I like the pups, but I may go for some GFS or Dragonfire alnico PAF's at some point..........It's a pretty incredible "base" of a guitar for $140, under $200 with some basic upgrades.

[@waltberger7885]

I finally got my spalted top version, Nice guitar but the clearcoat was chipping off the binding between the 1st and 7th fret just having my hand play a chord clear coat came off. I messaged them and got nothing back. Had to give them a bad review when if they had just responded and helped rectify the situation this would of been completely different. I cannot recommend these guitars and mine was delivered yesterday (so its new stock). I hope you guys have better luck.

[@cruisenguitars7554]

Dragonfire PU'S. ..alnico 2 vintage buckers, ,,,50 bucks

[@lesmatthews459]

BUT did like the video.

[@jeffreyprice773]

A true hollow body has a trapeze tailpiece.

[@adriyanmusic]

What do you expect from a140$ Guitar a space machine ??? I believe the guitar is really good it looks great to me so you need to change the bridge ,tuners , pickups , maybe the nut and that will be more 140 euro then a nice setup and of course very good Guitar player can make this guitar sound amazing because most of people like 99% doing their unboxing guitar then talking what the guitar should be that's fine but when it comes to play the guitar they are like a school 10 years old boy , worst players ever ...I would make the video from the beginning of after setup and play and then will start talking how shit was before to prove that I'm good and what I did to the instrument , thank you for the video my friend...god bless you

[@TheTapeFarm]

Adriyan Slavchev that’s what I did in part 2. A set up, upgraded parts, etc. And frankly I already know I’m not the best player in the world. But I enjoy playing and for most folks that’s what matters.

[@jadedsoul1]

That stupid wire that comes on all dog crap tunomatics is your problem along with ill fitting saddles to boot. replace the bridge for a hipshot or wilko and i bet yer buzzing stops Pot yer pups and bone nut and if the potting dont work i bet they used fat wire . you know what to do then buddy dont ya..for 140 dollars you sound like you got a good base to work from though. i cant find one on amazon . shame... always wanted a 335 style and for 130 pounds hm..

[@timothytobin1481]

I agree that the retaining-bar clip design is crap and prone to buzzing/rattling and that there's very little that you can do about it with destroying the functionality of the bridge, HOWEVER, many TOM bridges nowadays have individual retaining clips for each saddle instead of that single retaining bar clip, and they're not prone to buzzing and rattling. You just have to make sure that that is what you're getting (also, of course, what the post size is). All my TOM bridges have the individual saddle clips and they are stable, work great, and none of them buzz or rattle.

[@howardcunniffe8738]

If the cost of the repairs are more then what the guitar is worth,ship it back and get 100% of your money back.

[@TheTapeFarm]

Howard Cunniffe no “repairs” were needed. Just some inexpensive upgrades, which I did in part 2 and now the guitar is great. Like I said, all the wood parts of the guitar are really good. It just needed some hardware upgrades.

[@rccarsandmusic2641]

It's 140.00 dollars and back ordered! Yeah spend 2000.00 and review a PRS or a Gibson ES335. MAx out that credit card for us youtubers.

[@TheTapeFarm]

robert carra not sure what you’re talking about. I said the wood portions of the guitar are really good. That alone makes it worth the $140 and worth putting some upgrades into to make it a really good guitar.

[@benlogan430]

The problem with super cheap instruments is many. First usually beginners buy these and can’t make em playable. Second it’s just a waste of money because the beginners will upgrade soon and should have saved the $140 towards a playable instrument. Third it’s a waste of materials. Fourth all guitars look good now but that means nothing. Just get a used mid level guitar at the pawn for $200 and rock on! $300 and you’ve got a gigable axe, $600 and you’ve got an LP or the like on the used market. Or buy a Squire bullet which is both playable and sounds good. Buy with your hands and ears not the eyes!

[@markdalton293]

These Firefly guitars sound good most of the time so don't knock em till you have tried them

[@daveduffy2823]

Totally agree

[@IamGroot-GW2]

Bottom line... it IS worth $ 140 bucks..the hardware on ANY Cheap guitar is trash.. and believe it or not, I have had to tweak my expensive guitars ... I bought one of these, it's worth the price... one year later...it still is... it's ONLY $140 BUCKS ( NOT $ 2000 BUCKS.) it's worth every penny.. if you don't think it is buy the $2000 dollar guitar so you don't have to complain how cheap the Hardware is. Why do you think Amazon can't keep them in stock?

[@TheTapeFarm]

Exactly. That’s pretty much what I said. For the money they’re great. With a couple of inexpensive upgrades they are outstanding. Part 2 shows the upgrades. The wood portions of the guitar are really good. Worth way more than $140. Not sure what the capitalization is for.

[@jeremydunn7444]

ppl are impatient and cant wait a bit longer and save a bit more. that why these sell

[@Purplexi]

Its Are-ia not Area.

[@anthonyjames3074]

Based on your resume above, you're pretty serious about what you do. So, why rag on a $140 guitar as if it's supposed to cost $500+? Use a pedal or an amp with the guitar and move on. It's not that bad for the money.

[@alabamahebrew]

I am not sure if you and I watched the same video? He says it's worth the $140 price point,several times in fact! Do you want an honest review or a dishonest one? Did you really expect that the pups would be great? The man did an awesome job and was very very thorough in the process and his conclusion is that a bridge that has a buzz to it is "crap" - yup I agree with that. The bridge pickup sounds horrible and has no clarity so it too is crap, yup I would agree with that as well. He says if both pups sounded as good as the neck he would leave them both in, that's pretty honest. He never says he is thinking this guitar should be equal to a $500 + model so why did you say that? Overall he gave this guitar a good review., The biggest issue with this guitar that I see is the fact of it being a hollow body and if you want to change the electronics it will be much more difficult than on a model with a rear access hole. If a beginner is buying this and they want to change the electronics, they might not be able to, so he is letting those types of people know before they buy this guitar that they most likely will have to change out those things.

[@TheTapeFarm]

What Ron said 😂

[@georgejohnson1124]

So surprise, surprise................You don't get too much "perfect" for $140...................

[@lesmatthews459]

It's only $140!!!! NOT $1400!!!

[@TheTapeFarm]

Les Matthews the idea of the video was to give people an in depth look at the guitar. There are tons of videos saying “it’s great guitar for $140”. Okay, but why? What do you get for $140? And as I said in the video, with some easy to do upgrades it can be a great guitar. Which is what I did in Part 2. Thanks for watching!

[@daveduffy2823]

You get what you pay for.

[@thewalrus1968]

"Her" ?? .. how can you tell if this guitar is female ?

[@WibblyWobblyBob]

F holes?

[@cheesequake38]

omg get over the fact that they use plastic nuts. U need to understand since they started using plastic they stopped digging up graveyards.

[@dwood4835]

I call these guitars early collectables...