Price Friendly Semi-Hollow Guitar

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Phillip McKnight

Phillip McKnight

Күн бұрын

Пікірлер: 354
@roberts3993
@roberts3993 3 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for playing it through an actual entry level amplifier...I'm not a fan of reviews that play a $100 guitar through $3000 worth of amplifiers and effects.
@KungFuCooter
@KungFuCooter 3 жыл бұрын
He told you that it was a Kitana 50 Amp. That's $500. $2500 in pedals?
@stepvanjoe3469
@stepvanjoe3469 3 жыл бұрын
The amp $239
@The_Furless
@The_Furless 3 жыл бұрын
A KZbinr I watched for a review on a guitar said that *”If you truly wanna hear the guitar you gotta play it on a good amp!”*
@SingPsalms
@SingPsalms 3 жыл бұрын
@@KungFuCooter Valeton headphone amp like 20 something bucks, sounds great. plenty of good budget options for good sounds. but I'd consider the Katana 50 budget, higher-end budget lol but very worth it... also like the Mustang 25LT, not as nice sounding as the Katana but has more modeling presets.
@kaoe145
@kaoe145 3 жыл бұрын
I have no problem with plugging in a low price guitar in a high dollar model amp for a review it lets you know what it could do you need a control so having a good amp for guitar reviews let you have that control
@fritsvanzanten3573
@fritsvanzanten3573 3 жыл бұрын
I experience some collisions in my brain when we notice blemishes in the finish of a 200 quid guitar, but eagerly pay hundreds of dollars extra for a relic-d guitar. 😁
@charlesreohr6236
@charlesreohr6236 3 жыл бұрын
You meant wreaked finished guitar I found the correct spelling in google.
@Aeon135
@Aeon135 3 жыл бұрын
Phil, you and Trogly are honestly the only reviewers i pay attention. You seem to be the only people who actually CRITIQUE stuff they get sent, even if it was free. So many youtubers are WAY too nice and don’t want to risk not getting more free junk. Really respect your commitment to giving yoir true thoughts.
@courtney5796
@courtney5796 3 жыл бұрын
I ended up with the Grote version of this (because it came with a VERY nice gig-bag @ $200 shipped) It's got a red flame top and is gorgeous. I cleaned up the frets myself and took it to my local guitar store to check out intonation. They were very unhappy to hear I only spent $200 on it. :)
@justinrayguitars6024
@justinrayguitars6024 3 жыл бұрын
Picked up one several yrs ago off Amazon. Bridge rattled like crazy so all that I had laying around was a roller bridge. Ended up putting a Bigsby on it that cost twice as much as the guitar. Still have it and still love it.
@luca7x689
@luca7x689 3 жыл бұрын
Synyster Gates Custom in the background is 💥.. will always be one of my favorite guitar designs..
@valuedhumanoid6574
@valuedhumanoid6574 3 жыл бұрын
I spend a lot of time outdoors at our lakeside cabin. Sitting around the fire at night with a guitar is common. I would never subject my expensive guitars or amps to the perils of rugged outdoor use, but I would this. Plugged into my battery powered Roland Cube if beer gets spilled on it, bug spray, drunks tripping over it…I could care less.
@teslaedison6236
@teslaedison6236 3 жыл бұрын
You mean you couldn't care less
@gunkanjima3408
@gunkanjima3408 3 жыл бұрын
@@teslaedison6236 Get a life, mate
@kenhull2386
@kenhull2386 3 жыл бұрын
Phil....Love your approach on this type of review. You are our King of Honest Information. I love the fact that you'll give a $200 guitar the same checklist as a $2000 Gibson or Fender....and you're keeping it all very REAL! I now check in every day!! Keep it up.
@hughbarton5743
@hughbarton5743 3 жыл бұрын
Arghh!!! Although I don't play that much(old, hands shot by arthritis, don't care about gigging anymore...), I thought I was all set with a Tele Thinline, Epi Les Paul, Ibanez Acoustic, Fender Mustang Bass, Kala Uke, various keyboards.... But I so miss my Penco 335 copy...so, I fear its time to buy another 335ish guitarthing... So beautiful! What a great color!!! I'm in love.... Thanks Phil! ( I guess )...sigh....
@charlesreohr6236
@charlesreohr6236 3 жыл бұрын
A friend of mine has arthritis he's older than me. I am 68. He says as long as he can still play he will it keep his fingers from welding up he plays bass in a jazz band. He also plays other things like keyboard, guitar and trumpet. I don't know his real age I think he's in his mid to upper eighties. He is always looking to learn new things and loves to play music. His bass is a Fender P Bass with strange looking EMI pickups.
@daviddemar8749
@daviddemar8749 2 жыл бұрын
I started playing at 32 yrs old with a 170 USD cost Aria acoustic. At that time I swore that I wouldn't succumb to Guitar Acquisition Syndrome in my life.. It's almost 30 years later now. I have 7 guitars and over the years i have become a headstock snob. I can't play as often as I used to because I have RR-MS. But i have been having daydreams lately about playing a semi - hollow body guitar; something i thought I would NEVER consider. So dont apologize my friends The cherry red Epi 335 imho looks and sounds gorgeous and has been getting great reviews all over the place. Remember You Only Live Once.....😎🎼🎵🎶🎶🎵🎶🎸❤
@petestaint8312
@petestaint8312 2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for not shredding! Got to hear the actual sound. 👍
@ratwynd
@ratwynd 3 жыл бұрын
The only electrics I have ever bought that didn't need much more setup than new strings were used higher end guitars played by someone for a while. That includes some pro level instruments from Gretsch, Fender and Gibson. The only new acoustics that did not need a setup were Martins. I look at a setup as part of the necessary work to make a newly acquired guitar 'yours'.
@richardkeller8658
@richardkeller8658 3 жыл бұрын
I've owned two Fireflys. I purchased a 338 that arrived with a twisted neck. You could look down the neck and see it twisted between the 6th and 8th fret. I then purchased their FFLPS and it arrived with a broken pickup and terrible frets. I guess that I'm one of the few that have had bad experiences with Fireflys. In my opinion, I would save a few dollars more and get a Tagima or an EART. Phil, I really do enjoy your videos!! Keep it up. thanks!
@chancemiller9340
@chancemiller9340 3 жыл бұрын
Nice review. The nylon rattle dampeners are a new development. It's nice to see that as the price approaches/approached $200 and has spilled over, upgrades have continued to be added.
@FastSloW-qt8xf
@FastSloW-qt8xf 3 жыл бұрын
I bought a monopricr boardwalk. Which is their "335" version. Out of the box it was the nicest new guitar I've ever gotten. Most of my stuff comes from sweetwater. Love my semihollows. Especially with some quality p90s
@charlescorley5393
@charlescorley5393 3 жыл бұрын
I bought one and had some custom wound PAF style hum buckers installed. I also have an Epiphany ES335 Pro. The Firefly now is my preferred. Insane value.
@SaxyCalzone
@SaxyCalzone 3 жыл бұрын
Phil you should check out the 335 that’s made by Wolf, or they also go by AIO guitars(all in one guitars). I love mine.
@MiguelGuitars
@MiguelGuitars 3 жыл бұрын
I have 2 Les Pauls from them, an AIO GoldTop and a Wolf Tobacco burst. They are some of the best playing and beautiful guitars I own. Well worth the price! 🤘🏻
@guitarflyer172
@guitarflyer172 3 жыл бұрын
I got the AIO 335 in blue and it was good. I still did a level and recrown and put good electronics in it and Fralin pickups. She’s a beast now lol Way better, but also about $500 in new parts. Just feels and plays amazingly now.
@nateg7973
@nateg7973 3 жыл бұрын
@@MiguelGuitars how are the pickups?
@MiguelGuitars
@MiguelGuitars 3 жыл бұрын
@@nateg7973 They're pretty good, a little hotter than an Epiphone I have with the Probuckers but with more mids. They're both about the same on the AIO and Wolf.
@nateg7973
@nateg7973 3 жыл бұрын
@@MiguelGuitars Thank You
@MattZildjian
@MattZildjian 3 жыл бұрын
not sure if due to the guitar or the amp, but this guitar had a really pleasing snap to the sound which gave it so much life
@blakeanderson7906
@blakeanderson7906 3 жыл бұрын
My first guitar was a Firefly lp and I changed everything on it and it was a fun learning experience. Currently I don't play my Firefly as I purchased some other guitars that I just enjoy playing much more than the Firefly... Having said that though, for the right person, I bet you will enjoy this guitar... especially for the price.
@SnarlyCharly
@SnarlyCharly 3 ай бұрын
I played a used Epiphone 335 at my local Guitar Center last week, whoever owned it definitely knew how to setup their guitar, it's unquestionably the best playing guitar I've ever had the privilege of playing around with. It's also over double the price of one of these new Firefly 338's, though... Basically I want to know if a Firefly 338 will give me the same fantastic experience as that Epiphone 335 that I enjoyed playing so much.
@jessiejames2155
@jessiejames2155 Жыл бұрын
I just bought this guitar for $250.00. It's blue on black . Its gorgeous ! I still have to make the adjustment on the distortion magnet.
@23skidoo46
@23skidoo46 3 жыл бұрын
The Harley Benton 335 version is the best I've played. great guitar for the price and it rocks.
@kramusic
@kramusic 2 жыл бұрын
I have one of the very early Firefly FF338 guitars and, it had several issues when I got it. It had neck, fret buzz, bridge and, intonation & tuning issues that, took me a very long time to correct. The neck issue was the biggest issue to deal with but, after I dealt with all the issues, it seemed like I found myself playing the guitar constantly. After watching your review here, I may buy another FF338 to see how much better the quality on them has become. I still play the original cherry red one I bought years ago.👍🎸
@mburtondavis
@mburtondavis 3 жыл бұрын
Bought one and have wicked fret buzz on the 1st and 2nd fret of the low E and A strings and I’ve tried everything but change the strings to a smaller gauge or replace the nut to one not cut so low.
@BudgetRC_Channel
@BudgetRC_Channel 3 жыл бұрын
Your comment about the guitar being bright was spot on. Compared to my Ibanez AS93, my spalted Firefly is substantially brighter acoustically than my Ibanez. The Firefly is also a full pound lighter than the AS93. I've had 4 of the Firefly 338s and one thing I noticed is that every one of them had a different bridge. I think they get whatever hardware is cheapest at the time of each build batch. My first had an e-clip style bridge that was so poorly cast that the saddles didn't fit into the slots and the saddle screws wouldn't fully seat. My next two had the wire-retainer style bridge and they worked ok. My 4th (the spalted) had a wire-retained style bridge too, but it appeared to be a higher quality casting than the others. All 4 of them came with various degrees of cosmetic paint issues, usually because of inadequate or incorrect wetsanding & buffing that left a lot of sanding scratches that needed to be buffed out. None of these guitars was perfect, but every one of them was a great guitar after I set them up and polished out the cosmetic issues.
@jhumbrac
@jhumbrac 3 жыл бұрын
These 335 types of guitars are really difficult to mod. Anyone thinking of using this as modding platform has a lot of work in store for them. Make sure you get some strong string or fishing line before you get started
@NeoRichardBlake
@NeoRichardBlake 3 жыл бұрын
Yeah, other than aesthetics, I've never really understood why semi-hollows don't have access ports for the electronics.
@RaptorV1USA
@RaptorV1USA 3 жыл бұрын
it IS a PITA but its not that bad.. use good quality Bournes mini pots and yer pretty much good to go. You def. have to plan it out and have some solid patience but if you are careful about it you'll only have to ever do it once... many folks enjoy modding even when its a bit of a challenge or PITA...ultimately its all doable as long as you tape off the f holes etc nicely before you get to it you'll be good to go. i'm about to replace everything in one I just got & i'm considering using solderless connections under the pups at least so if I do want to swap pups in or out later its quick and easy...
@charlesreohr6236
@charlesreohr6236 3 жыл бұрын
I found that measuring and soldering every thing out side first then using air line for aquariums tie wrapped to the tops of the pots and switch makes it an east quick instalment. Just feed the air line ends thru the pot or switch hole and into the f holes connect the switches and then pull them through. Its a lot easier than trying to do it any other way. After you put the nut on just cut the tie off and install the knob. It saves a lot of time but you need to make sure the wiring is correct. I also install quick connect for the pickup in the pickup slots down to the switch and pots it makes for changing out pickups a lot easier. I also give the wires a little extra length so there will be a less of a battle getting the set in the right direction.
@miket.220
@miket.220 3 жыл бұрын
Use aquarium air line, that hollow plastic tubing they use to feed air from the compressor into the fish tank. You can fit that over the stem of a pot and guide it through MUCH easier than twine or string.
@donniehba795
@donniehba795 3 жыл бұрын
Cool. As it turns out I bought the identical guitar back in May and took delivery on the same day as with a new Epiphone ES-335. I immediately changed out the pickups on the Firefly to Filterton -- not because anything was wrong but I wanted it to be different than the Epiphone. Both sound and play great but the Epiphone is better -- of course it cost close to 3 times as much. Keep up the great work, Phil!
@briansimpson8116
@briansimpson8116 3 жыл бұрын
My favorite style of guitar. I love the figuring in the wood.
@donaldscheer5206
@donaldscheer5206 3 жыл бұрын
I recently purchased a Fire Fly FFLPS STYLE ELECTRIC GUITAR And I Love it!!
@PierceThirlen2
@PierceThirlen2 3 жыл бұрын
I bought a green sunburst Crown (Teisco) semi-hollow guitar for $89 in '68, adjusting for inflation $701 today. It had bound F holes, bolt on neck, skinny frets, mediocre tuners, cheap single coil pickups, cheap but intonatable bridge, and was not at all setup, and at 3.5 X the price of a Firefly. You are getting much more guitar for the money today.
@mrroye
@mrroye 3 жыл бұрын
I am listening to this video on my full ear headphones. And it sounds fantastic to me. As far as driving the speakers, I have a 9 band MX are EQ between my guitar an my amp at all times. So giving it a slight boost on the way out would cover that with no problem. An in fact every person I've ever taught to play guitar when they switch to electric I told them to get a 7 band or more EQ.
@RelicOnMaui
@RelicOnMaui 2 жыл бұрын
I bought one of the quilted maple models and noticed upgrades I haven't heard in any of the KZbins. For $20-30 more, I wonder if you get much better detailing. Mine had none of the problems people mentioned years ago. But considering 50 years ago, an Aria thin hollow knock-off without the thinline center plank, sold for the same $159-200, these are unbelievable bargains. CNC strikes again!
@stuahlers1528
@stuahlers1528 3 жыл бұрын
Just bought a cherry red one a couple of months back, right out of the box not a flaw. No setup needed, tune up, intonate, and ready to go! Put heavier gauge strings and sounds awesome. Spot on review, thanks!
@ericvoss2636
@ericvoss2636 3 жыл бұрын
After 35 years of playing and having a mild interest in a hollow body guitars the blue one showed up in stock on Amazon I pulled the trigger 'wife told me to'. It showed up well boxed, the strings were resting on the the first fret a simple truss rode adjustment fixed that. This one does have a wiring problem the bridge pick up only has a tone and a “less tone” controls so at some point I have to pull the wires and if I'm going to do that I'm just going to change pick ups and get a new wiring harness. The B string saddle has a little up and down movement and a click so I'm changing the the bridge at he next string change. When set up right the guitar plays great and sounds just fine.
@markpjf85
@markpjf85 3 жыл бұрын
Stunning Emerald green guitar
@fongy200
@fongy200 3 жыл бұрын
I live in the UK and we don't tend to see these much here, however I did replace some pick up's in one because the owner said they were squealing. Hollow bodies can tend to do that if situation permits but on this occasion the pups were microphonic, really bad. He chose some Entwistle HV58's and although their not the most expensive pick up out there they are definitely an improvement. The Firefly left sounding superb and the owner very happy. Their worth the money, even as a piece of furniture, a wall hanger or something for less than 200 bucks it's a no brainer. I wonder how many get sold to interior designers and decorators? Just a thought. Thanks Phil, superb content as always.
@amandahuginkiss6868
@amandahuginkiss6868 3 жыл бұрын
I would expect to do a setup on anything shipped to me that I hadn't played before, and actually anything I buy hands on. I tend to buy used, so that is probably why :-)
@bumpyroad3251
@bumpyroad3251 3 жыл бұрын
Yeah, it's much of a luck to buy a guitar {used or new} without having to do some set up on it. Everything I've ever bought needed some touches to shine on me. Nevertheless it's not the same an action lowering to fret leveling, crowning and polishing.
@NeoRichardBlake
@NeoRichardBlake 3 жыл бұрын
Yeah, I've never understood people to get pissy about a new guitar needing a setup... I thought that was just a thing. New guitar = do a setup. If every guitar came set up, there'd be almost no need for the service from guitar shops.Seems petty to complain about, and I think some people just need something to gripe about sometimes.
@NeoRichardBlake
@NeoRichardBlake 3 жыл бұрын
@@bumpyroad3251 Yeah, needing a fret level, I can see complaining about. But, honestly, I even give fret sprout a bit of a pass. I live in a desert, so I kind of assume that I'm going to have to touch up some scratchy frets. I've only had like two guitars that didn't need a little fret end whack with a nail file.
@thommackris920
@thommackris920 3 жыл бұрын
Yup, minor fret sprout, doing a setup (and possibly working on the nut) goes with buying any guitar, at any price. Phil should emphasize this, considering the presentation style of his videos is geared toward those with minimal to no technical knowledge. What I want to know (and got very little from this) is the things that will cost more money for the average buyer: a neck with a hump (very bad), inadequate range of adjustment in the truss rod, the need for fret leveling, parts that need replacement (bridge, tuning keys, etc.)
@undrway003
@undrway003 3 жыл бұрын
Again, thank you for an excellent overview. The Firefly guitar seems to be making progress and is definitely become more main stream because of demonstrations like these. Have an amazing day! CHEERS
@christophermarsden9386
@christophermarsden9386 3 жыл бұрын
Got the same color in February changed out the tuners for Graph Tech Ratio Locking and love it.
@Mr.56Goldtop
@Mr.56Goldtop 3 жыл бұрын
I have the cherry spalted maple. I also have an inspired by Gibson Epiphone ES335 that I bought at the same time, but had to wait a couple of months to receive it. Yes the Epiphone is a superior instrument in every aspect, but only by a hair. The FF is slightly lighter in weight and a bit brighter sounding than the Epiphone, and of course 1/3 of the price.
@BuckFlicks
@BuckFlicks 3 жыл бұрын
I had the first yellow spalted maple Firefly put out and I loved it... and I thought, "If I like this one so much, I bet I'd REALLY like an Epiphone ES-335." So I traded in my Firefly on the 335 and I just didn't like it. I recently sold my Epi at my cost and I just ordered another Firefly ff-338. Gonna hang on to this one, though I might go for some more vintage-sounding PAF pickups. The first FF I had was quite microphonic. Maybe they've made some improvements since I had the first one.
@ArthurMorgan_5327
@ArthurMorgan_5327 3 жыл бұрын
Check out the tonerider AC 2 classic PAF , best vintage tone humbuckers for the money
@chadyoak1633
@chadyoak1633 3 жыл бұрын
I just got a firefly SG type of guitar about a month ago. It come very close to being setup perfect.... as good as any guitar I’ve had shipped to me anyways. I think the pickups sounded very good for a $189 guitar. The nut wasn’t cut the best and the tuners weren’t all that great but other than that I can’t really complain about anything! I did put a new nut on it and a set of used Gibson burstbuckers in it. I absolutely love the guitar now. It definitely satisfies my need for the Gibson sound. I play it more than any of my $2000 guitars. I took a chance on firefly and I’m soooo glad I did!
@dbmabe
@dbmabe 3 жыл бұрын
Shout out for the 50W Katana!! I bought a MKII a few months ago. I bought an original back in 2017 and then made the mistake of selling it. When I needed another bedroom amp, I tried several, Vox VT20X, was a close 2nd. In fact, I ended buying it but took it back and traded back up to the Katana 50. My only gripe with the MKII is they got rid of the kickback stand.
@trent69marc
@trent69marc 3 жыл бұрын
just wanted to say that the bone nut is about 42 mm´s ( 41,91 mm exactly ), another great video, thx for that!
@adamdelarozza1985
@adamdelarozza1985 Жыл бұрын
Thanks for making this video! I have the exact same Guitar. Purchase from amazon last May $159. they call this color (Matte Green) or Transparent green, they use Both to describe it. I luv mine and the color is hypnotizing as you know. I decide to get the model this guitar copies so well. i opted for the Heritage 535 in Emerald Green and one thing the FireFly has on it is the 'f' holes are binded but they aren't on the H-535🙂
@Sankeyite
@Sankeyite 3 жыл бұрын
Love my Blue 338 and a red/blk Lp. Once set up they both play great, 2 yrs down the road they still get played everyday! Had to come back and add that on the LP set up, installed probucker vintage pu's with coil split, a Wilkinson roller bridge and has been a gig worthy guitar ever since. Now playing it weekly at the lodge and it's keeper for sure, plays right next to a Gibson LP and a fender strat, they haven't kicked me out yet cause my FF, and everyone loves the sound so .....
@kennethm.3296
@kennethm.3296 3 жыл бұрын
We live in a fun time! I'm 49 and remember my first squire and these g
@danpaolillo2636
@danpaolillo2636 3 жыл бұрын
I’ve bought five of them. The newest ones have wax potted pickups. Really helps with the microphonic feedback.
@jstnxprsn
@jstnxprsn 3 жыл бұрын
I recently did an upgrade project on my guitar collection, mostly with low cost models I bought intending to upgrade. Squiers, a Glarry, etc. But my Firefly 338 is the only one, where the only thing I added was a case and strap. Everybody "Ooooh"s when I open the case. Action was good. Intonation good. Hell, I didn't even bother to change the strings, although they wore out quickly and I'm about to. I may do some fine tuning here and there as I play it more, but mist likely the only change I'll make eventually will be for better quality tuners, those these are adequate for non-pro playing situations. What I'm saying is for the money, you really coildn't want more out of a guitar. I love mine. One slight thing though. I chose the blue one, yet compared to all the blue ones I'd seen, mine came with a greenish tint to the blue. Still stunning to look at, jst not quite what I'd expected. I'm wondering if they have a quality control issue in their paint dept. Thanks for the great review.
@what1864
@what1864 3 жыл бұрын
left reply earlier that i was receiving my firefly 338 today , got it and spent the evening playing it , only problems i had with it were the D string needed intonated and some what i thought was bridge rattle/buzz and i wasn't fond of the pickups [ i thought ] so after playing it for an hour i decided i was gonna swap out the pickups and put new strings on it , then i thought i would just change the strings and see what it would do , fixed all my problems , the strings that came on it [and most guitars ] from the factory suck , sounds great , plays great , first guitar i've bought and not needed to lower action , if anything it is to low , phillip mentioned his was bright , thought that to until i changed the strings i will say it again change the strings before you make judgment about it ....
@vancochran7344
@vancochran7344 3 жыл бұрын
You won't find any of the Firefly guitars for sale off Amazon. They have been out of stock for many months.There are lots on E-bay for 100.00 to 150.00 more than they were listed originally.They are nice and most used to sell for way under 200.00. Some sold for 159.00 to 189.00.
@activese
@activese 3 жыл бұрын
Hi, almost every set of known brand pickups are a little or way more than $200. Fralin, Dylan, Monthys, Duncan, Marzio, but to keep it on budget maybe ghs, or wilkinson if you want to change them, but it looks amazing, and that green it's so nice.
@johnfritz15
@johnfritz15 3 жыл бұрын
I had one when they were $135.00. Loved it but traded it for an Epi LP.
@russellmcbride1242
@russellmcbride1242 3 жыл бұрын
Loving my quilt top 338 and my LLP lizard burst. 🎵FIREFLY🎶💯
@tomtracy2803
@tomtracy2803 3 жыл бұрын
I got a green one a couple years ago and love it. But that spalted maple is....WOW!. I replaced the bridge and solved the noise. They didn't have those washers. The tuners are good enough, but I'm replacing them at the next string change.
@rabbithowls71
@rabbithowls71 3 жыл бұрын
My favorite mod to cheap guitar humbuckers is a magnet swap. Throw some A2’s, or and A2 bridge and A3 in the neck and it will really change things for the better, and for only a few dollars.
@65dougk
@65dougk 3 жыл бұрын
I'm guessing Phil's wife found his panty hose stash and he had to say "oh! ah, ah, I don't wear those, those are for guitar reviews, yeah, that's the ticket".
@MDonovan
@MDonovan 3 жыл бұрын
He has boxes of them!
@braddietzmusic2429
@braddietzmusic2429 3 жыл бұрын
It’s a GREAT time to be a guitarist.
@gillamb8669
@gillamb8669 3 жыл бұрын
Nice shade of green. Even the back looks hot. 👍🤘
@ronr2445
@ronr2445 3 жыл бұрын
My fly 335 is so heavily modded it's barely a fire fly any more.... but it crazy good now. Locking tuners , SD pearly gates pickups, roller bridge, custom wiring with push/push pots, silent 3 way switch and hidden wireless output. I relieved the last five frets for amazing low action and polished the frets. The frets tarnish very fast so I have new stainless steels waiting to pop in. I replace the frets on all my sub 1000 dollar guitars for that reason. I own guitars that cost thousands more and play no better. Phil aways says "How many guitars do you need?" ...The answer in my case is 37....but don't tell my wife!
@neilsnow7644
@neilsnow7644 3 жыл бұрын
How do you hidden in wireless?
@MiikeyLawless
@MiikeyLawless 3 жыл бұрын
So you dumped 5 to times the value into it lol. At that point, just save up and get a gibby or commission a good luthier. Lol
@ronr2445
@ronr2445 3 жыл бұрын
@@realtruenorth LOL
@ronr2445
@ronr2445 3 жыл бұрын
@@realtruenorth Don't you have a Capital to storm or some other stupid thing to do.
@ronr2445
@ronr2445 3 жыл бұрын
@@MiikeyLawless I mod these as a hobby. And I don't care how much it costs...it gets way worse then this one... Its fun ...and you would probably string me up if I did this to my 68 LP gold top. So you see price is not a factor. I don't have to save up for anything...I have worked hard my hole life now its party time...cuz you can't take it with ya.
@Manuel-gh9wm
@Manuel-gh9wm 11 ай бұрын
I'll buy it it's a nice guitar sounds great
@robertdamron898
@robertdamron898 3 жыл бұрын
I own 5 Firefly Guitars. Including this one. LOVE Them ALL. Gonna Buy More. 😁
@BeatsAndGuitars
@BeatsAndGuitars 3 жыл бұрын
Got damn it Phillip…I was trying not to but a Firefly but they do have some amazing colors.
@larrykendall317
@larrykendall317 3 жыл бұрын
I got the 72 Thinline replica. The tone pot was loose not nut on the top. Its a wall hanger. Glad to send it to you.
@garymcaleer6112
@garymcaleer6112 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks, Phillip. Nice instrument, especially for the price. My tobacco flame top Grote detuned for added richness flavor would sound just as nice as the Firefly. Happy holidays, bro! Love you.
@TheGhostGuitars
@TheGhostGuitars 3 жыл бұрын
Honestly, I ALWAYS expect to do a setup on any new acquisition whether it be new or used guitar. This includes fret dressing, intonation, nut adjustment and saddle and pup height adjustments. I have a very specific setting requirements. I have one of the Firefly FF338-BB Blueburst with that odd JSN Torch headstock logo. Anyone knows what it's supposed to mean? The previous owner had installed a set of 2009 Gibson Les Paul Traditional Professional Burstbucker 3 and 57 Classic cream/black zebra humbuckers installed. Also included in the deal are the original humbuckers which are proven to be pretty ...microphonic as hell. With the Gibby pups the 338 rocks even under a fair bit of gain (tho not with as much volume as I'd normally do). I like it enough to not require any new semi-hollow for a long time (aside from a bass tho).
@lvrxplt397
@lvrxplt397 3 жыл бұрын
I have an Ice tea Firefly which is actually the size of a 338 Gibson. I found the pickups to be quite QUITE microphonic, and need to either be potted or replaced. Since the price point of the guitar is so low, Im probably going to just pot them and see what I get. I also have to replace the nut as it was cut too low and no amount of fret dressing will remove the buzz and washout below the third fret. For the price, I bought it as a project guitar and am mostly quite happy with it. Seems the more they make, the better they get. Thanks for showing these, now we know they'll sell out in a heartbeat again... lol
@allanmakela3011
@allanmakela3011 7 ай бұрын
Got a Haze 335 from Australia$350 with a Bigsby type vibrato,no flaws,nice stuff
@acidbran
@acidbran 3 жыл бұрын
Red one for 3 years now ? Plays great and sound nice. Got mine with Discover points for around $80 shipped. I'll keep it.
@karlheinzkupper9666
@karlheinzkupper9666 3 жыл бұрын
since i tried out a gretsch streamliner, for me gretsch is the go-to-brand when it comes to semi-hollowbody-guitars, if i was in the market for such a guitar
@maurizioferegalli6850
@maurizioferegalli6850 2 жыл бұрын
Hello, I have a nice ES-345 with Bigsby and Varitone at 5 positions to which the pick ups have been moved over time and I would like to bring them back to a more correct condition... It is established that the Gibson as minimum distance from the strings for Les Paul and SG recommends 2.4 mm for the neck pick up and 1.6 mm for the bridge pick up, pressing the strings at the 22nd fret as far as the pick ups of my ES-345 should (also indicatively) from the strings themselves (in millimeters) ??? Thanks for the reply.
@fawkesandhound
@fawkesandhound 3 жыл бұрын
Great quick look at this guitar. That price is crazy too.
@Edward-MTBKR
@Edward-MTBKR 3 жыл бұрын
I bought the wine red Firefly in 2018. It would have shredded your nylon (and your hand underneath :). After spending 2 days smoothing out fret ends, not a bad little ES copy. It's a great little guitar for the money, because who wants to spend thousands on an ES style guitar?
@jodycopeland1
@jodycopeland1 3 жыл бұрын
Love the tone and some very tasty licks
@VictorKMayfield
@VictorKMayfield Жыл бұрын
My Firefly SG style is a great guitar.. I had to do a slight setup, but WELL worth 200 bucks. I also got a Firefly Les Paul style and its great too but HEAVY.
@clarkmillis1929
@clarkmillis1929 3 жыл бұрын
Got a black one. The bridge was too high, tailpiece too low, neck bowed. But I fixed them. Now plays better than Epiphones and Gretch's I've tried.
@ptrisonic
@ptrisonic 3 жыл бұрын
I actually like the pick ups on my "338" . They are slightly microphonic (as were most of Gibson's HB's from the fifties) which I like. They are plenty powerful for Bluesbreaker style blues (from the mid to late sixties) which is "my " era. Thru a NMV Marshall style amp (like a Maven Peal Ganesha) it really sounds incredible... Yes you have to make some small adjustments to the guitar but I've done that with a Les Paul from the Gibson Custom Shop too. I expect to personalize guitars (action, neck etc.). With a guitar this reasonable it is good to try set ups on (it is easy but you need confidence to perform it on a guitar worth thousands of $'s). I got mine for Christmas last year from my Sister in Law (I love that woman)! Best, Pete.
@tankdarla637
@tankdarla637 3 жыл бұрын
I love green guitars!
@relentless_fps
@relentless_fps 3 жыл бұрын
Looks & sounds great for the money! I’ve had one of the Firefly Spalted Maple Top 335s in a transparent Ruby Red for awhile. It’s gorgeous & plays well, there’s plenty of upgrades you could do to really bring out the full potential & make it to your liking. I had one of the originals in the Blue Burst & I liked it a lot so I figured I’d pick up one of these. They have a lot of cool new colors popping up here & there on the website. I’d like to eventually get one of the Les Pauls as well!
@CheddarKungPao
@CheddarKungPao 3 жыл бұрын
6:10 even when you're playing guitar you're still a great bass player, Phil. Dug that line. Solid, fair review, as always.
@stevenkelkey3412
@stevenkelkey3412 2 ай бұрын
It is a legitimate guitar! The name on the headstock means nothing it's only a name! As long as the guitar sounds good and plays good and fit and finish is good that's all that matters! The G and the F on the head stock is only a status symbol! 🎸
@shaneworden1325
@shaneworden1325 3 жыл бұрын
Thank you for another great review. Because of you sir I will be ordering one of these.
@24FretsGuitar
@24FretsGuitar 3 жыл бұрын
Nice green finish. Cheaper guitars are getting better quality.
@minervameza2686
@minervameza2686 3 жыл бұрын
Love that groovy, McKnight playing! Keep it up, baby! 👍🏻
@DavidLHolzer
@DavidLHolzer 3 жыл бұрын
Great review. Thanks Phil. I have an Oscar Schmidt 335 copy and l love it. Just like the FireFly, I get rave reviews when someone lays eyes on it.
@othermyke
@othermyke 3 жыл бұрын
I have an Oscar Schmidt goldtop they made great affordable guitars too bad they stopped.
@robertyork2537
@robertyork2537 3 жыл бұрын
My first guitar was a black Delta King. I sold it and regretted it. Found one of the early 2000 models like the one I had at a local shop for 170 bucks. Those older ones are great!
@douglasgoodall3612
@douglasgoodall3612 3 жыл бұрын
Mine arrived yesterday. Happy to say it is quite playable right out of the box. I have my PRS Hollowbody II Piezo to compare it against. It has different harmonics, and I don't regret investing a modest sum for some variation in tone and playing experience :-)
@glenkepic3208
@glenkepic3208 3 жыл бұрын
Great vid. Guitar is a tremendous value (tho i'd skip the green;) 10 year old SB Ibz AS 73 so i'm set but had to laugh at the "You're not gonna drive the amp that hard..." bit. Tell that to Alvin Lee (TYA), Rick Derringer (RoadWork) or BB King (Lab Series on 10, controlled from Lucille). Semi's love being turned up. ok, the example, but hit it !!
@googleboy7
@googleboy7 3 жыл бұрын
Hi phillip, I have several brand name guitars. After your previous review of the Firefly 335 I bought one. I love it. Thanks! Shalom/gw
@dlong7146
@dlong7146 3 жыл бұрын
This would be a great guitar to buy to work on and learn how to set up yourself and change pickups and nut by yourself without having to worry about messing it up because its so cheap.
@Russell_Optics
@Russell_Optics 3 жыл бұрын
Mine actually came with a bone nut. Not sure if they still do.
@anthonystark5412
@anthonystark5412 3 жыл бұрын
After seeing a number of positive reviews, I made the mistake of buying one of their thinline tele knockoffs. The only decent part of that guitar was the neck pickup.
@jloiben12
@jloiben12 3 жыл бұрын
I would love to see you review the new Harley Benton Aeolus (if you haven’t already done so). It is a fairly low-cost semi-hollow that has a lot of bells and whistles
@jloiben12
@jloiben12 3 жыл бұрын
@@Mark-OutWest Oh damn. That’s unfortunate. Is that a common complaint online or do you have personal experience in this area?
@PaulCooksStuff
@PaulCooksStuff 3 жыл бұрын
@@jloiben12 plenty of HB unboxing vids on KZbin. The packing isn't their strong suit. The outer boxes are often holed and torn, sometimes through to the inner box. It's a common raised eyebrow point even when the guitar itself arrives in one piece. Though technically it's double boxed, the inner box is rattling around in the outer (not enough padding), and the guitar rattles around in the inner box (a couple of pieces of polystyrene). Within the EU it's easy enough to return transit-damaged deliveries - Thomann do free returns, but it's not packed in a way that inspires high confidence for non-EU orders where the customer pays return shipping.
@ozboomer_au
@ozboomer_au 3 жыл бұрын
The thing I note is the sound... I do like the brighter sound, so p'raps not so much a 335... but I wonder if we'll ever see these guitars down in Oz (end of the universe at the mo for any shipping, really)
@captaintony1227
@captaintony1227 3 жыл бұрын
I own 2. I ordered the original spalted maple in natural. And before I even got it the got a flamed maple in that was purple. I figured id sell one. But I cant part with either . maybe one day I'll pick my favorite. But till then I'll enjoy them both.
@Russell_Optics
@Russell_Optics 3 жыл бұрын
I have the original spalted finish also that I got about 8 months ago and like it, but I think the purple one looks awesome. Cool thing is at only $200 you can easily afford to keep both.
@srtamplification
@srtamplification 3 жыл бұрын
I don't like where the output jack is located, for sure.
@sneifert1968
@sneifert1968 3 жыл бұрын
I drive my semi hollow Crafter guitar a lot. Have you not heard of the Foo Fighters. I takes overdrive very well BTW.
@TheDrunkenScoundrel
@TheDrunkenScoundrel 3 жыл бұрын
Damn, it even SOUNDS good.
@procrowd8846
@procrowd8846 3 жыл бұрын
What I don’t know about this price range is mid/long term reliability, I had a cort about that price, it was very well review but I had numerous electronic and entonation problems in the long run, I loved as a starter guitar but didn’t last a lot, my opinion
@johnl.donofrio2441
@johnl.donofrio2441 3 жыл бұрын
I wish entry guitars were this good when I got my first guitar in 1964 at 13.
@cmet8280
@cmet8280 3 жыл бұрын
So true, too bad we did not have the insight to buy up a bunch of tiesco, airline or silvertone guitars and amps, we would be sittin pretty right now
@NeoRichardBlake
@NeoRichardBlake 3 жыл бұрын
@@cmet8280 I have a feeling that this though process is probably why Firefly guitars are kind of hard to get your hands on. I wonder if folks are buying a bunch to hang on to for 20 years to sell as new vintage or something...to say nothing of the obvious scalpers that are so prevalent on Reverb already. I don't know why someone would pay over $300 for one of these. I think jacking up the price reduces their value, since it takes them to a bracket with more competitors... just my opinion though. If these end up going for $500 or $600 in 20 years, I'm totally selling mine. 😋 Then I'll get two or three of the new nice cheapies of that time.
@courier11sec
@courier11sec 3 жыл бұрын
Phil please get a hold of an IYV. They are in this same price range and really good. Some ways better, some ways the same.
@PhillipMcKnight
@PhillipMcKnight 3 жыл бұрын
I've heard cool things about those guitars
@robertyork2537
@robertyork2537 3 жыл бұрын
They really do make some great stuff. The best are the neck through models.
@gary.vondran
@gary.vondran 3 жыл бұрын
Picked up the spalted natural a few months back. Surprisingly all was really nice on the one I got. The pickups are a bit hot, that made the neck pup a bit muddy. But lowering the pups fixed that right up. The one funny thing I found was when I went to adjust the poll piece height, they just spun. Discovered they’re just slugs with no thread and don’t even go thru the baseplate. Anyone else found this on their Firefly 338 pickups? Will likely swap with a JB + Jazz pickups at some point, but haven’t found anything else needing changed on my guitar.
@frededberg6893
@frededberg6893 3 жыл бұрын
Same experience with the pole pieces here too! I swapped the neck PU as that is most critical for me. But, probably the bridge PU will get swapped later also.
@gary.vondran
@gary.vondran 3 жыл бұрын
I''ll add that mine came with a Metallor branded bridge and tailpiece. Early reviews of Fireflys had recommendations to swap out the stock bridge with a Metallor to fix the rattle, so it was nice mine came with it stock.
@philipatoz
@philipatoz 3 жыл бұрын
Man, it looks, sounds and plays so good, and it's so cheap, that you almost CAN'T not buy one!
@jeramym9506
@jeramym9506 3 жыл бұрын
@@Ottophil unfortunately, there are real people on the other side of your sarcasm.
@MiikeyLawless
@MiikeyLawless 3 жыл бұрын
It's called self control.
@PaulCooksStuff
@PaulCooksStuff 3 жыл бұрын
@@realtruenorth now equalise the pollution by dividing by population to give you a meaningful comparable measure. USA at 15.52 tons per capita. China half that at 7.38. If you're going to use pollution in your buying decisions, boycott American products too. They're twice as bad on like for like figures.
@philipatoz
@philipatoz 3 жыл бұрын
@@realtruenorth, are you not able to distinguish between Chinese companies and their workers and China's government. And that factory's jobs would otherwise disappear to those people desperate to have them (and no, they aren't paid like they are here, but their cost of living is FAR less).
@elsienova4269
@elsienova4269 3 жыл бұрын
@@realtruenorth let's shame people for buying the only instruments they can afford.
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