My father worked at the Kalamazoo Gibson factory and told me about working on the prototype of the firebird. He was a fret filer and was brought this prototype to set up. He said there was no finish on it. The higher ups just wanted to try the design out. It's pretty cool to see something my father had a small part in.
@RhettShull2 жыл бұрын
Amazing story Eric!!
@rooster49062 жыл бұрын
👍
@russblack4432 жыл бұрын
Ricky Medlock owns maybe that one now. He got it in the early 70's . When he sent it to Gibson a few years ago they called him back and asked if he was sure it was actually a Gibson. After they went through the records They saw that three prototypes were made that had dimensions that were just a little bit off from the production run. So they don't know which one it was but it was one of the three prototypes.
@dylanperkins14602 жыл бұрын
@@russblack443 saw that in a rig rundown interview with him. Very cool
@russblack4432 жыл бұрын
@@dylanperkins1460 yessir Rick Derringer also owned a '58 split headstock Korina explorer that was a prototype he saw in a case at the Gibson factory with a flying v in 58 when his dad took him and Randy Z to Kalamazoo for a factory tour when he was a little kid. They only made 19 explorers in 58-59. There were three known to exist with the v split headstock. Rick Derringer's, Eric Clapton had one and the one that is owned by Rick neilson from cheap trick. Rick bought his for 10,000 from George gruen and later sold it for 100,000 the last time it sold it went for like 2.5 million and is insured for 4 million
@delisub29103 жыл бұрын
Thought he was gonna play breathe in the start lol. Such an iconic chord
@ProphetNikoz3 жыл бұрын
Lol, me too. Saw it on the preview
@hpdown63983 жыл бұрын
Profile pic checks out
@mattcuccurese3 жыл бұрын
Was really hoping he would, pure ear candy lol
@royaraman18983 жыл бұрын
same my dude hahahh
@bluekestral83163 жыл бұрын
I thought robin trower
@terryolson91882 жыл бұрын
Just a FYI: They fit nicely into a Rickenbacker Bass case.
@Strongholle2 жыл бұрын
I've been almost exclusively a firebird player for years and I wish I'd seen this way before. I use a rockbag Flying V case (huge trapezoidal shaped one) and it swallows both my reverses and non reverse allright but there's too much space to move around and the cases don't fit my car. Will look for a nice rick bass case and see how it works out.
@matthewbehrle44282 жыл бұрын
@@Strongholle hey, have you found it yet? And if so how’s it working out?
@dasherf17 Жыл бұрын
The banjos have clearance?
@terryolson9188 Жыл бұрын
@@dasherf17 Yep!
@Gaslight.Guitar5 ай бұрын
Which exact case? The new 4000 case?
@Sergio_Math3 жыл бұрын
Rhett: "This is so big, it feels like playing a bass." Thunderbird players: *YOU KNOW NOTHING JON SNOW*
@RicCrouch3 жыл бұрын
I kinda felt like he oughta be playing a Thunderbird bass if he was gonna talk about the Firebird. Just seems right!
@bennyh49502 жыл бұрын
@@RicCrouch the late-great leon wilkerson from skynyrd knew how to use his. So did ufo/fastway bassist pete way!! RIP to both. To many music hero's leaving us.
@academyofshem9 ай бұрын
Had a T-bird bass back in the early 80s. Too neck-heavy for me.
@mightyquickin19845 ай бұрын
My bass player had a Thunderbird. I liked it a lot.
@mightyquickin19845 ай бұрын
In 1982, I bought a 1976 reissue Firebird. Aesthetically, I loved it. Fast neck, but I could never get the sound or tone I was seeking. I wish I'd kept it.
@kingbrutusxxvi3 жыл бұрын
I'm just going to say it... the Firebird controls are common sense! It makes so much more sense than the "standard" controls found on other Gibsons. As you're looking down at the guitar the neck pickup controls are on the left (like the neck pickup) and the bridge pickup controls are on the right (like, you guessed it). The guitar is just so cool. I've been hunting for a specific Firebird (in color, options, etc.) for years now to complete my dream collection and I'm sure I'll find it eventually.
@Cosmic-Spanner3 жыл бұрын
Agreed, as I'm a 80% fender man, I always found the standard Gibson scheme crap. And I always hated that Fender put the tele select-switch right up against the knob so you can't sweep it.
@ronaldoago-go59073 жыл бұрын
@@Cosmic-Spanner Some guys turn that plate around & swap the pots so the switch is on the back.
@Cosmic-Spanner3 жыл бұрын
@@ronaldoago-go5907 Hi, yes I know, thanks. But the switch and knob are still the same distance.
@mickthebandit3 жыл бұрын
I have a PRS Tremonti and the controls are the same as the Firebird. Makes more sense.
@57stratkat3 жыл бұрын
I agree! I had some special wiring work done on my Les Paul and I had them change the configuration to the Firebird approach. Makes more sense. Gibson has a long history of being sort of clueless....
@tone-glide24023 жыл бұрын
Don't forget Allen Collins of Lynyrd Skynyrd !!!! he played one (actually) three from about "70" to "76" then went to an Explorer.
@gregstafford37273 жыл бұрын
Thx for not leaving Allen out
@ronnie51293 жыл бұрын
@@gregstafford3727 YES SIR, ALLEN COLLINS FOR SURE, COUSIN FIGEL
@goodun29743 жыл бұрын
Billy Gibbons has been photographed back in the old days with a Firebird as well as playing an Explorer. Sonny Landreth's live playing with a Firebiird was mostly relegated to his earliest tours with John Hiatt.
@tone-glide24023 жыл бұрын
@@goodun2974 yes!! Yes!!! Great players!! I didn’t know Billy Gibbons played one too!!
@JK-uy8yi3 жыл бұрын
Is the opening rift to 'That Smell' on a Firebird? Because soon as I read your comment I could hear 'that sound' in my head.
@festcentral3 жыл бұрын
No props for Allen Collins of Lynyrd Skynyrd? That's a key ingredient of the Skynyrd sound.
@Abored_Angel_3 жыл бұрын
That’s exactly what I was thinking! Probably my favorite guitarist is the band (even though Gary and steve are close seconds)
@paulj0557tonehead3 жыл бұрын
Allen Collins sure does get the shaft sometimes. Allen's feel IS the Skynyrd sound. And he played the Firebird way longer than the Explorer with Skynyrd. You know the August 18th, 2018 Showtime documentary, 'If I Leave Here Tomorrow'? They didn't even have an audio clip of Collins speaking, let alone film footage of him being interviewed.
@jawneetest2 жыл бұрын
@@Abored_Angel_ Huge props to Allen, the sound of Skynryd... although NO ONE can hold a candle to Steve Gains
@gregmccurry56192 жыл бұрын
@@Abored_Angel_ Brian jones,eric Clapton and Johnny winter.
@rocknrollmonkey86682 жыл бұрын
Allen's Firebirds had a P-90 in the bridge position.
@lucasshelton31922 жыл бұрын
I have to agree with Johnny Winter being a pioneer of the Firebird, but the guitarist that wielded the Firebird that always stood out to me was always Allen Collins of Lynyrd Skynyrd. He shredded the Firebird from the early days of Skynyrd to about 76. 76 and 77 he mainly played the Explorer, but it’s undeniable that he helped pioneer the guitar
@RedArrow732 жыл бұрын
. . . and Allen Collins (God rest his soul) was obsequiously aping Eric Clapton with his Firebird I HB purchase. Clapton famously scored his at Music City in Philadelphia for sum'm like, oh, $175., cuz it was this guitar everyone would come in and tinker on but no one would buy. All this right at the zenith of Cream's popularity. He played it at The Electric Factory, a converted auto repair shop, that night. You could almost think of that Firebird model as the Firebird EVH, were EVH famous at the time.
@paulcouturie77942 жыл бұрын
Oh yeah. And gave Skynyrd truly a great sound.
@maxpeck41542 жыл бұрын
Didn't Allen Collins put a p90 in the bridge of his Firebird?
@maxpeck41542 жыл бұрын
Yup
@nikolaibarbarich78872 жыл бұрын
Oh boy did Allen that firebird good ! He's the only reason I think I'd buy one to be honest
@coleemmersonhallman53293 жыл бұрын
as a non-gibson player, the firebird wiring makes way more sense than the les paul wiring
@TheChadPad3 жыл бұрын
I agree, and I'm a Gibson guy
@Nashvillesky3 жыл бұрын
Agreed
@Russell_Optics3 жыл бұрын
I agree 100% . It just seems logical the top two would be front & rear volume with the tone below each one.
@mattcuccurese3 жыл бұрын
As a designer, yes I agree, it makes way more sense to match them up to the pickup position rather than perpendicular...but from a player's view the vertical can make sense too since you're reaching down rather than having to reach back. Also the LP's layout has been so engrained that changing it to what "makes sense" could turn people off to the guitar.
@EternalSlaughter3 жыл бұрын
How can you not mention Allen Collins?! Top teir firebird player. Before he got his Clapton explorer the only guitar he used on the first couple Skynyrd albums was a firebird 5.
@mykhedelic64713 жыл бұрын
Johnny Winter should've been cast as the whitewalker Night King and he should've slayed them all with his Ice Firebird. Dude was phenomenal.
@jakesmith45063 жыл бұрын
I saw Johnny and Edgar at the ELECTRIC RODEO in Wyoming Michigan back in aug 1976. it was a really fabulous show.
@markseverson33583 жыл бұрын
Johnnie winter was a beast!
@normc81693 жыл бұрын
RIP Johnny
@GuyNarnarian3 жыл бұрын
Underrated comment
@mykhedelic64713 жыл бұрын
Points to Edgar, too. Just an awesomely talented family.
@frogganator39183 жыл бұрын
Lol everyone talking about how odd it feels to play a firebird, meanwhile I'm sitting here looking at my explorer thinking everything looks perfectly normal 😅
@homeworldmusic3 жыл бұрын
Twins, like Arnold and Danny
@scooter23772 жыл бұрын
I've got a firebird V it sounds amazing and plays like a dream! But youve got to be a contortionist to tune the damn thing with the banjo keys in the middle of the headstock!!!!!! But they sure look super COOL!!!!!
@Rhythmic12 жыл бұрын
I'm a drummer and know very little about guitars so take this for what it's worth but the Firebird sound has always been one of my favorite. It sounds like it's growling to me.
@zandig66616 күн бұрын
Love minis lookn for a set of firebird minis right now 🤘🤘
@dylanadams14553 жыл бұрын
I think the Firebird/Thunderbird, Flying V and the Explorer are three of the coolest things Gibson ever gave us.
@frankenes12273 жыл бұрын
Johnny Winter... one the most under appreciated blues players ever
@wildeyedherman31023 жыл бұрын
Amen
@touchthesun24483 жыл бұрын
Jimi Hendrix was once asked how it felt to be the best guitar player in the world and he said "I don't know, ask Johnny Winter" He was a true genius and master of the FIREBIRD
@ramblerdave13393 жыл бұрын
Went to see him every time he came through Detroit, for years. First time was at Olympia stadium, as Johnny Winter And, (opening up for Small Faces with Rod Stewart, and Three Dog Night). My GF at the time had introduced me to Johnny's album, And we were there specifically there to see him. I left there a lifelong fan of J.W., and of the Faces, and of one song of TDN (Chest Fever). That was Fall of '70. Last time was at Masonic Auditorium, with Muddy Waters and James Cotton, supporting Muddy's Album, which featured all three. Good Times! RIP Johnny and Muddy! 😎
@geraldfriend2563 жыл бұрын
My first really big hero.
@thomepyle13 жыл бұрын
Agree 1000%
@michaelevans17388 ай бұрын
Disrespectful to not mention Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Allen Collins 😭
@UncleBogator Жыл бұрын
Love the sounds of a Firebird. Can't forget Allen Collins. So many relate the Explorer to Collins, but he didn't use an Explorer until very late.
@outlawchassisfab1600 Жыл бұрын
He always played his explorer except for Free Bird where he played a firebird for years. He played I believe 3 different firebirds at different times over the years on Free Bird until the last few years he played the explorer even on Free Bird.
@JustSomeGuy3 жыл бұрын
You just knew I had extra money sitting in my account, didn't you?
@DelScully3 жыл бұрын
check out the new epi ones! They are also finally neck thru as well with the correct pickups!
@troyoswald56833 жыл бұрын
;-)
@dimitrisaivaliotis56163 жыл бұрын
@@DelScully you mean there is a Firebird made by epi?
@copetill78963 жыл бұрын
@@dimitrisaivaliotis5616 I think he means the 2020 "Gibson Inspired" Epi that plays just about as well as the 2014-2018 Gibson FB's. It's a great guitar for $599 so I picked one up. I'm not certain about the pickups being replicas because mine are fairly bright, but nice - maybe someone will let us know. Epiphone sold out of the cases then the Guitars within a short period of time. I believe that they were trying to raise the bar w/their reputation & they're now selling them in an unfinished version because they probably didn't make a lot of money. It's a real neck-through Guitar that even arrived w/a solid setup. I've also noticed the prices going up on 'em.
@jamesthe-doctor89813 жыл бұрын
@@copetill7896 I think they are replicas, or at least pretty close because like Rhett mentioned, they are the closest thing Gibson has to the Fender sound. To me, Firebirds just scream “JOHNNY WINTER!!” whose sound was always very bright. Rhett also said that the Firebird was basically Ted McCarty’s response to Fender’s sound because they were kinda kicking his ass at the time. Of course, this is all conjecture, those Epi pickups might be all different for all I know. I guess I’ll just have to buy one and find out! 😂
@docd21673 жыл бұрын
Rhett is correct about the variety of great tones from the Firebird. I bought one in 1965 in High School (southside of Chicago) and we were playing Paul Revere, etc., and it was perfect (don't remember which pickup I used). 2 years later I was in a British invasion cover band, and it sounded perfect for all those different tones (esp., through my Vox Beatle amp). 2 years later I was in one of the few integrated soul bands in Chicago, still playing the Firebird, and it again was perfect for those songs. I know I used different pick-ups and combinations for the different sounds, and I was always able to get the right sound, regardless of the amp. The only problem I ever had was it broke strings at the bridge when playing 4+ hours gigs in Chicago nightclubs. Unfortunately all I've got left are the pictures.
@michaelnorthover61462 жыл бұрын
Just watched your Firebird video - great stuff, especially the feature breakdown. However, as others have mentioned, Phil Manzanera is the player I most associate with the Firebird. His 1964 cherry red Firebird VII is one of the most iconic guitars in British rock history. (Also worth noting he was a pioneer in the use of guitar effects, in the early 70s he was playing his Firebird through Brian Eno's Moog synthesizer).
@CinematicLaboratory2 жыл бұрын
Totally agree! Firebird is Roxy Music :)
@ZalMoxis11 ай бұрын
He's over rated IMO... but still good...
@wordragon3 жыл бұрын
Scott Holiday from Rival Sons uses this guitar's "mini humbuckered", surfer, fuzzy tone to blend perfectly with the high-tone, smooth gravel of Jay Buchannan's voice. It is a tone pairing that very few have attempted and I think it owes so much to the choice of the Firebird.
@johnkyd39773 жыл бұрын
That opening solo is one of the best things you've ever played. Wonderful feel. I sold my white Firebird in 91 for a plane ticket to Los Angeles. I'm still here, but now I really miss that guitar. The best sustain of anything I've ever played.
@alanagottalottasay9973 жыл бұрын
the pickups can be so warm and still sparkly but if you ask them to get pissed and snarl they do that just as well...
@Fubbernutt3 жыл бұрын
It’s almost like the best of single coils and humbuckers. Honestly my favorite pickup.
@lueysixty-six73003 жыл бұрын
Well put!
@lueysixty-six73003 жыл бұрын
@@Fubbernutt Does the pickup translate into other guitars well? I mean..other guitars without the thru-neck? Could I put a firebird minihum into my SG Special, for example, and expect that sort of sound? Or is the thru-neck so integral to making the Firebird soun, that without it, the "signature tone" is lost..?
@Fubbernutt3 жыл бұрын
@@lueysixty-six7300 I think it does. I’ve seen a few strat and les Paul’ style guitars with firebirds that sound amazing. I will say the bolt on neck makes it a bit snappier, but they’re still not as icepicky as single coils.
@benelmer3 жыл бұрын
@@lueysixty-six7300 I put a firebird pickup in my Gibson sg special and it's now my favorite pickup it's super clear, dynamic and gets rid of the flubby Low-end
@sam_uelson3 жыл бұрын
Paul Stanley used a firebird on the alive album. You can definitely hear his rhythm tone when its isolated
@dumtamdum2 жыл бұрын
dato
@ryanzigler38963 жыл бұрын
Year's ago, I was able to play a vintage '60's sunburst firebird III in the local music shop. 20+ years and still remember it vividly. I was plugged into a hotrod deluxe that lived in the shop. Awesome experience, I've wanted one ever since.
@pyroman60003 жыл бұрын
I became interested in Firebirds because of Allen Collins, Eventually I was able to get enough $$ together to buy one. It even looks like Allen's- minus the vibrato. Same burst color. BUT, it has different tuners. Still not standard guitar machine heads, but not banjo tuner, either. So the headstock is considerably lighter, and not so divey. (Gibson also redesigned the hard case so the weight of the guitar isn't resting on the end of the headstock- bonus!) The through part is a sandwich of several types of wood- really gorgeous stripes. You're so right about the sound and feel, Rhett! It doesn't feel like any other guitar to play. And not just due to the position of everything- that through neck is so resonant, it feels alive under your fingers! I'm going to have to give my SG a break, and pull this one out. It's been so long since I played it... Funny story- I GOT that SG because I couldn't afford the Firebird I was trying out at the time, lol. The sales guy said "Hang on- I'll be right back!" Then hands me this p90 loaded SG, and steps back with this smile on his face to watch the fun. It was love at first play! They had me set up on a Fender Super Sonic 60, with a gorgeous warm bluesy crunch dialled in. I literally couldn't put it down, and it went home with me that day. STILL my #1. If I'd had the dough, that amp would have been mine, too- and to hell with the neighbors! When the sales guy gets to know what you like- it's time to hold onto your wallet!
@AugustinasBeksta3 жыл бұрын
These series along with Keith Williams' short histories are now my favorite things on KZbin. :)
@bfish89ryuhayabusa3 жыл бұрын
That control layout is what I would expect from looking at those dials. The "normal" one is so counter-intuitive. It makes more sense to have the two neck pickup pots closer to the neck, and the two bridge pickup pots together "down" from that. (down if you're holding the guitar vertical)
@eghii2 жыл бұрын
played in what is now considered a proto-punk band in the early 1970s and our lead had one and it was absolutely the perfect set up for the sound we wanted!!! hot, loud, and open to whatever dynamics the songs demanded.
@briandillon80413 жыл бұрын
I’m afraid I’m on the way to the music store right now to look at Firebirds
@austinwaynick63473 жыл бұрын
Good luck
@Alexander-of7ny3 жыл бұрын
Lucky you, guitar shops still closed over here
@johnvcougar3 жыл бұрын
I saw an Epiphone Firebird at our local store for around $AU800. But a Gibson? Get ready ...
@johncox25523 жыл бұрын
An Epiphone Firebird is “the one that got away” for me! Bright red with white trim and plastics and three pickups with gold hardware. I had just bought a Les Paul and couldn’t swing both. Hardest decision in my guitar playing life.
@jimbailey11223 жыл бұрын
I got mine through Reverb from a store in Alberta. The US/Canada exchange rate sealed the deal. I wanted the Classic White, and they are hard to find here in the US and command top dollar when you do,. Love it, it's a beast of a guitar.
@musicplaylists593 жыл бұрын
Howlin' Wolf is the only person i've seen play a firebird who made it look small lol, he was an enormous person
@jamesfetherston11903 жыл бұрын
Three hundred pounds of heavenly joy.
@ericmills98393 жыл бұрын
Strat looked like a baby guitar in his hands!
@harvey19543 жыл бұрын
Looked like a tie clip on him.
@ahobimo7323 жыл бұрын
He was a vocal giant as well. The power of his voice was truly magnificent. He is a very underrated artist, imo.
@ericbitzer52473 жыл бұрын
I've heard live recordings of Howling Wolf and he got really nasty to other musicians and singers. I remember he was saying. "Bo Diddly can't sing! I'm the king of this shit!" He was downing others too. Chuck Berry was another one I remember.
@miltonkeynes30903 жыл бұрын
When he started talking about the guys who made the Firebird famous, I was thinking he better talk about the great Johnny Winter. I’m glad I wasn’t disappointed.
@stevenpape20213 жыл бұрын
A firebird pickup, using a mini-humbucker surround will fit directly into an SG special. Almost the Firebird tone without the unwieldiness.
@davidrussell89183 жыл бұрын
The coolest firebird sound. Dave Mason, "only you know and I know". Update: almost forgot, Allen Collins of Lynyrd Skynyrd played those super cool double leads with Gary Rossington on a Firebird.
@darrellowe42083 жыл бұрын
Thank you, Rhett! My wife the CEO, the one who does the financial maneuvering in the relationship just said, "I can see having more than one guitar for different sounds." Your video made sense to her. Now I might be able to replace those old memories with different guitars for new memories and to forget the regrets of selling loved guitars. Thanks again!
@aryasenaputra32262 жыл бұрын
I aspire to have wife like you, lucky guy.
@giacomoneri17824 ай бұрын
@@aryasenaputra3226 Either that or no wife at all. They wouldn't want you to tell them "you can have just one pair of shoes, they all have the same purpose, walking".
@djpuffinstuff332 жыл бұрын
Great video Rhett. I always loved the look of the Firebird. I was first introduced to it through one of the most famous album covers of all time. On the Kiss Alive album cover Paul is playing a black and white 1964 reverse Firebird 1. I think it was the inspiration for his Ibanez Paul Stanley model with the extended "handle" he could grab.
@markh23513 жыл бұрын
I was a schoolkid in London late 60's and early 70's and spent a lot of time trawling the music shops in Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road. I saw a Firebird in the window, they were a very rare sight and I had to try it. The neck dive was wild, on a slippy strap the neck would drop like a stone. However, it was the best guitar I had ever played, damn thing virtually played itself it was so alive. I still remember that day so many decades later. The idea of ever owning a Fender or a Gibson in those days was pure fantasy, but that particular instrument has been forever in my dreams.
@soundbites11523 жыл бұрын
Scott Holiday of Rival sons is a Firebird player. Both Gibson and bespoke designs. He gets a huge sound. He is The Fuzz Lord.
@hazeofthegreensmoke5053 жыл бұрын
Lol
@mattcuccurese3 жыл бұрын
*Every guitar video* Rhett - "This is probably one of my favorite pickups ever" Lol... love this video series man, keep it up!!
@johnvcougar3 жыл бұрын
🤪 Rhett is consistently consistent!
@cosmikrelic48153 жыл бұрын
"... of all time!"
@RuneSaastad3 жыл бұрын
Those pick ups are among my top 5 pick ups as well...of all time.... :P
@stanislavmigra3 жыл бұрын
he is trying to match Josh Scott and his "this is my favourite pedal" 😂😂
@TheBYRecords3 жыл бұрын
I plaid a custom shop firebird in a boutique shop in Miami that had vintage guitars and vintage cars, a wild place. The sales guy hooked me up in a large amp room, plugged in the guitar straight into a Marshall head and cranked it up to what I thought was an unreasonably loud volume. It is by far the most overwhelming guitar experience I’ve had in my life and since that day it is the tone I am chasing constantly. I don’t yet but i will own a Firebird at some point in the future.
@c.s.89413 жыл бұрын
I actually have an SG that came stock with firebird pickups and i love the sound of it.
@Otis-Isom3 жыл бұрын
You sure it wasn’t an sg deluxe from the 70’s. They had mini humbuckers stock. Firebird pickups are different than mini humbuckers
@c.s.89413 жыл бұрын
@@Otis-Isom these dont have the screws for the pole pieces. They are both bar magnets
@Philip_Taylor3 жыл бұрын
I love those oddball Gibsons. They've really played around on the theme over the years.
@jacobarmstrong53083 жыл бұрын
@@Otis-Isom The 2018 SG Special had mini humbuckers too
@prsplayer2103 жыл бұрын
@@jacobarmstrong5308 I had one of those it was hot garbage and the pickups were microphonic. I really wanted to like it because of be never owned an SG before. The worst fretwork I have ever seen on any usa made guitar. Was a cool guitar for a good price but the one I had was not good.
@btakin87373 жыл бұрын
Allen Collins and Warren Hayes slay the world when they wielded firebirds
@zachariahmontana18863 жыл бұрын
Allen Collins. Fuck yeah.
@toneyisaiah4083 жыл бұрын
Eric Clapton played a Gibson Firebird during his time with Cream.
@toneyisaiah4083 жыл бұрын
Stephen Stills played a Firebird.
@cameronroberts46303 жыл бұрын
Johnny Winter!
@toneyisaiah4083 жыл бұрын
Most people think the Firebird as a car.
@paulsansom43733 жыл бұрын
Phil Manzenera (Roxy Music) and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, both notable and devoted Firebird players.
@Mikino19763 жыл бұрын
Love Phil’s playing! He got such an explosive sound out of the Firebird.
@stevekirby73333 жыл бұрын
Gate is most often coupled with his non-reverse Firebird with P90 pickups.
@davidzack88752 жыл бұрын
I was wondering when someone would mention Manzanera. He never seems to get enough credit.
@scooter23772 жыл бұрын
Absolutely !!!! Phil and Roxy never get the credit they deserve!!!! And Phil's firebird on Diamond Head is one of the most beautiful tones ever captured!!!!
@brittsmith82603 жыл бұрын
There's a great video of Steve Winwood and traffic at Santa Monica College in 72. Steve is playing a non reverse Firebird and rocking "Dear Mr. Fantasy."
@FakingANerve3 жыл бұрын
I'm fairly certain the banjo tuners were an aesthetic choice to keep the headstock uncluttered and clean when viewed from the front. I _love_ how the headstock looks!
@jonathanhudak20593 жыл бұрын
They also help to balance it out too but yeah they look cool as hell too!
@schtepke3 жыл бұрын
On the Victory models they had a similar headstock wih regular tuners. looks great too though.
@jonathanhudak20593 жыл бұрын
Martin S... What were the Victory models?
@nelsonvh30333 жыл бұрын
Banjo tuners in combination with the Firebird headstock design allow for straight string pull....that might be the reason Gibson used them.
@jonathanhudak20593 жыл бұрын
Nelson v h.... That's a very good point thanks 👍
@j.c.cutler12233 жыл бұрын
I love my Firebird. The new Epiphone Firebird’s are fantastic too. You should get one on the channel
@grahamthom85973 ай бұрын
I bought a Firebird in 1979 or 1980. I’d seen Johnny Winter many times by then. I really liked the sound of the Firebird. As an avid blues fan, I wanted to check one out. So,a friend who was an owner of a guitar shop ordered one, he was thinking of adding the firebird to the other guitars he sold. It’s everything that you mentioned (including the massive guitar case) and more. We played around on it for a few hours. Then I got up put the guitar in its case and took it to the cash. My friend was perplexed and asked what was I doing. I replied, what does it look like. I’m buying this guitar! I have never regretted doing do. It’s still one of my favourite guitars and I play it a lot. It just has a wonderful feel when I play it. It has a ´je ne s’ai pas quoi’ magic to it. That’s my Firebird story. Great guitar! 🎸 😎👍
@dannyblau38503 жыл бұрын
This kind of inspired me and I’m currently building a custom firebird that is routed for tele pickups/electronics. And in a nod to you I painted and finished it burgundy mist with a gold guard.
@bobjob1402 жыл бұрын
What's the point in doing this? I'm genuinely curious what you think. I'm pretty certain that you're just gonna end up with a firebird that sounds like a tele. Seems like heresy to me.
@bobjob1402 жыл бұрын
Maybe the fact that the firebird is a longer scale might make a slight difference. But I'd be surprised if its immediately noticeable or even worth the trouble. I'd think it would make more sense to just have a tele and a firebird and leave them as is.
@joeytaylor87672 жыл бұрын
Was just wondering if it could be like stratocaster. I assume for right amount of money, you could get the look of Firebird, but make it more user friendly for short fat guy such as myself.
@grawman672 ай бұрын
@@bobjob140I guess the point is that that's what he wanted
@thebestian3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for mentioning Johnny Winter. I feel like a lot of people forget and just mention clapton or some other big star. Some might say they were more impactful, but my father and his friends saw Johnny way more times than those other guys. I heard he was more willing to go to those smaller shows, and being in a fly over state that hits a lot of people around here more than clapton
@jonathanhudak20593 жыл бұрын
Ian B. I saw Johnny Winter in the mid-1990s at a smaller venue. He was great! Even though he played a slowed down somewhat accoustic blues set but when one of the Roadies brought out his old battered Firebird the whole place cheered literally at the top of their lungs! it was awesome. Johnny Winter use the firebird a lot longer than Eric Clapton did. Eric Clapton only used one for the end of Cream and maybe a little bit with Blind Faith but that was about it whereas Johnny used Firebirds for a lot longer and really put everything into them with so much gusto and skill and talent etc... Amazing!
@LetzBeaFranque3 жыл бұрын
In the mid 2000s I was at a Guitar Center and they had a blonde Firebird that I was demoing through a Fender and it sounded fabulous on the neck pickup playing jazz chord melody style. I thought I had to be wrong about how good this guitar sounded until one of the salesman was going by and stopped for a minute and said "that is a very special guitar." I don't think he was BS-ing me because he was already helping someone else and kept on moving. It sounded beautiful but was an ergonomic nightmare.
@ckmoore1012 жыл бұрын
Firebird and Les Paul sound "completely different" Oh totally agree, I can hear it! _looks around nervously_
@fabriceregnaut35403 жыл бұрын
A few decades ago , as a fan of Johnny Winter , I had a Firebird V 63 sunburst , a truly beautiful guitar
@kenimiller38963 жыл бұрын
My favorite Firebird player has always been Phil Manzanera of Roxy Music.
@BloggStandard3 жыл бұрын
Somebody who knows what is what (on this thread)
@Jamamegapr3 жыл бұрын
What caught my attention to this guitar was watching Allen Collins play it. Beautiful sounding guitar
@Chaomhainn2 жыл бұрын
Allen Collins , Stephan Stills , Joe Bonamassa , Scott Holiday ( Rival Sons) can be added to the special people who choose to wield and strap on to the Fire Bird guitar playing it as it sings in the wind and dances on rainbows and , of course you Rhett. Cheers .
@stretcherbearer13503 жыл бұрын
I bought one of those when they first came out in 1963, wish I still had it. The "shift of everything to the left" as you describe took some getting used to but still loved playing it. Sold it when I got drafted into the military in 1965, really didn't think I'd be around to play it again.🥺
@SuperStrik93 жыл бұрын
Johnny Winter and Allen Collins are why I love Firebirds.
@davidsisto76943 жыл бұрын
That's exactly why I got mine.....huge fan of both!
@Syncop8rNZ3 жыл бұрын
Rhett: "It's an original design and you can really see the automobile designer's influence." The Designer: *grabs a lefthanded Jazzmaster and holds it righthanded* "That'll do."
@senord24293 жыл бұрын
Lmaoo 😂😂😂
@Inspironline3 жыл бұрын
Love this comment!
@David-wf4wc3 жыл бұрын
Says the "Fender Guy" just seconds before trying a Firebird and shortly thereafter complaining how their shoulder hurts. It's funny how acoustics never get this type of treatment. Auto design considered, you see many similarities back and forth between brands (cars and instruments both) competing for a merging market at that time. From build philosophy you couldn't be further from the truth. That said, the same type of underhanded commentary could be said about any guitar manufacturer over the last 50+ years after the Strat and Les Paul cemented their legacy. Somehow though, the guitar diversity is very noticeable. So let's not discount something so easily.
@WalkenDead3 жыл бұрын
Beside both being offset there really isn't a comparison. Neck thru construction, model specific pickups, Fender headstock...... wait we'll just redact that part. I like them both, great guitars are like great cars, you can be a brand junkie or just love them all.
@thebestian3 жыл бұрын
I don't really see the comparison at all. I know it's a meme in the guitar community but their constructions couldn't be further apart. Yeah, offset, but that's 90% of guitar designs, and if they wanted to copy it they should have picked a higher selling model. The jazz sold pretty modestly compared to fenders other lineup. Albeit still well.
@johnpeccarelli2389 Жыл бұрын
Just got my Epiphone Firebird this week. I absolutely love it! As a mandolin player, I’m comfortable with the right hand position being shifted so far to the left. Your connection to Firebirds is so clear- it seems to suit your playing so well. Listening to you is motivating me to play the Firebird more- thanks for the inspiration, Rhett!
@tompaul2591 Жыл бұрын
Interesting. I've never played one but I have an SG. Someone said they didn't like SGs because of the right hand going too far left. To me, it just feels right. Maybe I should try a firebird 🤔
@BabySafeHaven2 жыл бұрын
Heard Johnny Winter's Firebird several times in the late 60s, early 70s. The loudest concert I ever attended was seeing Johnny at the Boston Tea Party on Lansdowne Street, next to Fenway Park. Not a big concert club, but very famous for the time. He had four Fender Super Sixes all tied in to each other -- and cranked. Look those up. My ears rang for days afterwards....but it was worth it. I can still hear that Firebird sound to this day. And yes, it's the most distinctive rock guitar sound ever!
@gabrielvelloso98343 жыл бұрын
I'd really love to see "The Supro Sound" next, it's such an iconic sound, and a pretty interesting amp brand that I don't know much about
@johncox25523 жыл бұрын
I agree!
@thebrysmith33 жыл бұрын
Phil Manzanera played a Firebird and the lead singer was named Bryan. That was all it took for me to fall hard for Roxy Music.
@DroomSpook3 жыл бұрын
Phil Manzanera is who I think of when I think of Firebirds. I own a Hanson Firenze II with three Firebird pickups. Definitely my favorite pickups and what I always go back to over my teles and p-90s and certainly over regular humbuckers. There is just something perfect about the neck position in particular. Clarity + warmth. Also, Roxy Music kick ass!
@plantagenant3 жыл бұрын
Yep...obviously a cultural divide here....Johnny Winter in the States and Phil Manzanera from Roxy Music for Britons and who they most associate the Firebird with. I"m' pretty sure he had it custom painted that red colour. I could never afford one like that but I did pick up a Tokai copy...a bit like an SG where the next seems shunted over to the left only with the Firebird neck it seems even more extended. Takes some getting used to.
@BloggStandard3 жыл бұрын
@@DroomSpook and then Eno put it thru his synth and took it too 11
@davidgriffith17352 жыл бұрын
My 1964 Firebird VII doesn’t look the best anymore, but still plays like a dream. Rhett’s description of the sound and balance (lack of it), is spot on!
@robertgallagher500 Жыл бұрын
I've played firebirds for about 20 years. I love them. I have a zebra wood limited custom and it's my go to instrument. My fellow musicians call me firebird Bob.
@DunDefFAN3 жыл бұрын
I'd love to see a 'What is the Gold Foil Sound' video
@comeflywithme253 жыл бұрын
God yes- a "supro sound" video would also be rad. Whether it's about their guitars, pickups, or even the amps
@Fubbernutt3 жыл бұрын
Yes please
@TheChadPad3 жыл бұрын
The sound of rubber magnets! I'd love to see that too, such a unique sound
@glenkepic32083 жыл бұрын
Yep, first electric, an Audition 'offset' with gold foils, $12.00 in '73. Good guitar to learn on (yes, it was work).
@VIDS20133 жыл бұрын
I have a Supro Silverwood. The gold foil pickups in it sound fantastic.
@VIDS20133 жыл бұрын
"The case feels like it's the size of a twin mattress." 😂😂😂 Couldn't agree more. It's huge! Any bigger, and Dracula could sleep in it.
@GuyNarnarian3 жыл бұрын
Sounds like the perfect guitar for a one bedroom apartment with thin walls. If your neighbors dont kill you, Dracula will.
@jonathanhudak20593 жыл бұрын
It is a HUGE case that's for sure! :-)
@VIDS20133 жыл бұрын
@@jonathanhudak2059: I thought Jazzmaster cases were big...
@jonathanhudak20593 жыл бұрын
Vids2013...never seen a Jazzmaster case are they big? My Firebird case is indeed Huge!
@VIDS20133 жыл бұрын
@@jonathanhudak2059: Jazzmaster cases are bigger than a Strat/Tele case. Firebird cases are another leap in size. (Flying V cases are also absurdly large.)
@kenb87672 жыл бұрын
I love the neck on my Firebird... it is wider - but very easy to be precise with notes. I also added Johnny Winter signature pickups to get as close to his sound as I can possibly play. Fun to play.
@justanotherrandomcrit81153 жыл бұрын
Paul McCartney played the famous solo from Maybe I’m Amazed on a Firebird.
@kennygardner50413 жыл бұрын
Everyone talks about Allen Collin’s tone on Freebird but Allen took the bridge humbucker out and replaced them with a dog ear P-90. Totally different tone! Fatter and deeper. Now listen to Johnny Winter use the bridge pickup on a Firebird; that can cut glass!
@CL-ci6cg3 жыл бұрын
Neil Young has a Firebird humbucker in the bridge of his legendary Les Paul 'Old Black' and a P90 in the neck. Think of all the classic songs that he wrote and played with that Firebird pickup from the grungiest grunge to classic rock to folky clean sounds. What a great pickup!
@rcjward3 жыл бұрын
Totally agree.
@weehudyy3 жыл бұрын
Brian Jones from the Stones used it more than Keef . Clarence ' Gatemouth ' Brown could rattle the floor with one , but the player that made it stand out for me was Phil Manzanera from Roxy Music . Saw him both with Roxy and with Brian Ferry's ' Let's Stick Together ' tour and his shimmering tones were just amazing . The Ferry tour had Chris Spedding doing the Rock God stuff with a flying V and Manzanera creating huge washes of colour ... The Great Paul Thompson and John Wetton in the engine room .
@TheLunchandCompany9 ай бұрын
Yes, I saw more photos of Brian Jones playing a Firebird than Keith; there are a couple of photographs of Keith holding one but I always assumed it was Brian’s guitar and he was tuning it up for him.
@skgate2 жыл бұрын
“sounds like” winter 1961-1965.. like something youd hear at the mall at night around Christmas time back then
@dsan35163 жыл бұрын
Waited until 15:46 to hear the name Johnny Winter! Guy was phenomenal, his brother too.
@TheChadPad3 жыл бұрын
Correction: the neck and body are continuous pieces of wood, 9 slivers all stuck together. You need that guitar man. It is totally you. I actually thought you owned it, cause you DO own it!! \m/
@ProtonJimmy3 жыл бұрын
Yeah I'd say there's way way more glue in the center piece of a Firebird than in the neck joint of a Les Paul
@TheChadPad3 жыл бұрын
@@ProtonJimmy this is true, I thought about that while watching too, but he does have a point in that there’s no glue separating the upper sections of the wood from the bottom. Interesting idea that might affect the tone!
@malcolmwindust38883 жыл бұрын
Great video and I totally agree that without the banjo tuners it’s not a Firebird! I had the opportunity to play one briefly in a music shop as I absolutely adored them but had never played one before. It didn’t exactly drop into my hands and the head went south at an alarming speed. But I still love them …
@jusztinnemeti63802 жыл бұрын
I've had one since 1993. It's not weird at all. Sitting down, it balances perfectly and is in perfect position. I added a weight to my strap to counter act the neck dive when standing. That's probably the only drawback, it is neck heavy. Love the banjo tuners as well. One thing to note, I had the action and intonation set up in 1994 and I haven't touched it since. It's incredibly well made.
@EvilUncleGeddy3 жыл бұрын
I've played a Reverse Firebird for 30 years. Love them. For me, the coolest guitar there is.
@HofiAgilAghov3 жыл бұрын
First time I played s Firebird, it took me like 15 minutes to just understand the weird neck relativity and adjust myself to the unusual placement of the 12 fret. I love it so much though, it sparkles and chunks at the same time like no other guitar
@jonathanhudak20593 жыл бұрын
Well said! It does have a different orientation to it but yeah nothing you can't adjust to and once you're used to it it just becomes more natural
@NateJamesAcoustic3 жыл бұрын
Great video, sir. Huge fan of Johnny Winter too and so cool to see you pay homage to him while discussing his favorite Gibson. Always wanted one myself seeing footage of him play one when I was a kid, and you threw down some dynamite riffs on here that got me thinking about one again. One of these day lol
@szabolcsmezei40883 жыл бұрын
The second jam sounds blissful! You should make this a full album main guitar, you sound inspired.
@rageingrhino3 жыл бұрын
First time I saw a firebird PJ Harvey was playing it at a concert in Sydney in 2003 , it was amazing , fell in love with PJ, fell in love with the look and sound of the fire bird but I just can’t get past how the feel, it’s like someone is pulling the guitar out of my hands and I have to reach for the next chord.
@Krustenkaese923 жыл бұрын
Always loved how the Firebird looks like the main weapon of an anime or JRPG character
@alexanderguestguitars1173Ай бұрын
I built a guitar with a Firebird pickup in the bridge and a tele neck. It really IS just like a tele. Slightly less 'distinctiveness' on the bridge pickup than a tele bridge (NOTHING else sounds like a tele bridge pickup) but with a little bit more fullness - as it IS essentially a HUMBUCKER in it's functionality. I've also wired the vol pot to coil split so you can get something like a strat(ish) single sound on the bridge too, only slightly less gain as it's only one coil. LOVE those Firebird type HUMBUCKING pickups.
@ol.grumpy.bastard Жыл бұрын
Starting when I was a young kid, my folks (inexplicably) let me stay up late on Friday and Saturday nights to watch horror movies and live music shows like "Burt Sugarman's Midnight Special" and "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert." I was already a huge music fan by the time I turned nine in 1973, and knew many of the bands (LZ, Stones, Alice Cooper, etc) everyone was into. While I loved the sound of electric guitars, I don't think I had really put the sound and the look of them together--they were just those things the guys in the bands that I saw in magazines and on TV played, and that was about it. That changed on Saturday, Dec 29, 1973, when Don Kirshner introduced Johnny Winter. My eyes popped out when a rail-thin, albino guy with long white hair and beard walked onstage dressed in all black, wearing a leather top hat, and holding a huge, weird guitar that was the same color as his hair. I'd never seen anyone like him before. They kicked into "Rock and Roll Hootchie Koo" and whatever hair I had on the back of my neck stood up. By the time he hit those first lead runs, I was out of the chair and sitting cross legged with my face nearly pressed against the TV (far closer than the recommended six feet). That was the moment I connected the loud, distorted sound of a guitar to the instrument. When he hit that first solo, that bright white Firebird was *screaming* and the sound went right up and down my spine. I had no idea what kind of guitar it was but, in that moment, I knew I had to play guitar...and I absolutely needed to play one of those big, weird, white ones making that huge, beautiful sound. That was my version of seeing The Beatles on Ed Sullivan' show. From that night on, I never just looked guitar players on TV and in magazines, but I studied the guitars they were playing and began picking up on the differences in sound between different makes/models. I eventually got a guitar in '77. As I slowly learned to play, I began putting names to all those different shaped guitars and learning why they sounded different from each other. The one that eluded me was the Firebird. They still weren't a guitar that a whole lot of people were playing. When one popped up somewhere, it was almost like just seeing one gave me a little jolt. When I finally picked up a Firebird for the first time, I was in my early 20s. The first thing I noticed was the size. They were huge...but they were comfortable. I was now 6'4" tall and most guitars felt small in my hands. A Firebird, otoh, had some substance to it. What really appealed to me as a player, though (and still does), is the Bird's wide, flat neck. It fits my left hand perfectly. I've owned a bunch of them over the years. I currently have two, both that I've modded to my taste; one's a tobacco burst with a Bigsby, and the other, of course, is white...just like Johhny's. This December will be 50 years since that night in front of the TV. I still get goosebumps when I watch that footage of Johnny Winter's RC appearance on youtube, and I'm still hopelessly in love with Firebirds.
@paulwassom42313 жыл бұрын
Bob Stinson of the Replacements played one at the ‘Live at Maxwell’s’ album that came out. Bobby sounds great.
@HTEK2073 жыл бұрын
Bobby had that guitar the first time I saw the Matts. He was a big enough guy the guitar fit him well and he played the strings off it that night!!!
@donellison56783 жыл бұрын
Thanks. You do something few do - you describe the historical context. Too often people see something through present-focused eyes. You help us see what the past was like and how it affected the musical objects we love.
@Stillson143 жыл бұрын
Wanted one since I saw Allen Collins playing one in a Skynyrd video. On my bucket list for sure.
@jrockofages54133 жыл бұрын
Allen was actually the first one I thought of when I saw that guitar
@rosslwooten3 жыл бұрын
@@jrockofages5413 ya I'm surprised he didn't get a mention
@anabidingdude80793 жыл бұрын
@@jrockofages5413 Johnny Winter & Allen Collins for sure. The thing I loved about Skynyrd was the guitarists were self-conscious about playing guitar with different pick-ups to create a separation of sound. Collins with the Firebird mini-humbuckers (although I've seen him rock an Explorer as well), Rossington would play PAFs usually in a Les Paul and then Ed King (and even, if I remember correctly, Steve Gaines) would be on a SSS Stratocaster.
@jrockofages54133 жыл бұрын
@@anabidingdude8079 absolutely they all had their unique tonal fingerprint and you could hear them speaking to each other. I was wondering if the name Firebird may have been an inspiration to the title Freebird
@ashamael3 жыл бұрын
@@jrockofages5413 same
@Jguitar450 Жыл бұрын
Now I want a firebird even more now, to bad they’re out of my price range. For me my first introduction to the firebird was Dave Grohl (Nirvana and Foo Fighters) when he used it on The Pretender and Allen Collins (Lynyrd Skynyrd: RIP) when he used it during the early days of Skynyrd.
@charliemoody71683 жыл бұрын
Clapton played a Firebird with Cream on the Goodbye tour (Chastain amphitheater). When he broke a string, a tech came out to change it, another tech came out with a guitar case - from which he took a beautiful old LP & displayed it to the crowd; Clapton called for “a round of applause for the Les Paul”. LP into case, Firebird to Clapper, and on with the show!
@asilaydyingguitarist3 жыл бұрын
That intro riff is awesome, immediately made me run to my guitar and play
@f2detaboada3 жыл бұрын
Same!
@jimhendren82553 жыл бұрын
Me too
@dansmith76783 жыл бұрын
I love Firebird pickups. Just added a Firebird neck pickup to a Tele. It sounds great and works well with the Tele bridge pickup too. You should do a FrankenTele episode Rhett.
@Rob-JulieMillerАй бұрын
Johnny Winter was also the first guitarist I heard play a Firebird. He and Allen Collins were my favorites. That Lynyrd Skynyrd had three guitarist that could play lead and each with a different sound; Gary Rossington and his Gibson Les Paul, Ed King and his Fender and Allen Collins and his Gibson Firebird, each with its own sound made for some mighty fine guitar music.
@gioigeniale67113 жыл бұрын
When you mentioned whitch artists played one over the years - my first idea: Johnny Winter.
@scottrandall75633 жыл бұрын
Dude, I like your videos, and generally find them informative, but that "one piece of wood, no glue" is just wrong. It's a nine piece walnut mahogany multi-laminate (that's alot of glue) with wings glued on. Check out the sunburst or tobacco burst where you can actually see the mult-laminate. It makes it stronger, and adds to the sustain.
@paulyguitary76513 жыл бұрын
Ray Dietrich with two iconic designs, The Checker Cab and the Gibson Firebird.
@therev61433 жыл бұрын
Just started recording with one and quickly falling in love with it. You're 100% right it's super weird to play at first--like an ironing board. But the thing sounds killer. I want one.
@patrickwinter76232 жыл бұрын
Stephen Stills used a Firebird when he had the Manassas band and later solo tours. Saw him on 1979, 3rd row in Indianapolis, and he played that guitar through most of the concert.
@隠れた3 жыл бұрын
How about a “the explorer sound” video? I don’t know much about that guitar would like to see a video
@ashamael3 жыл бұрын
I've had my Explorer for 20 years and it remains my dream guitar. It will do anything I ask of it, from wonderful ambient cleans to \m/ metal \m/ The stock 500T bridge pickup that they come with (or came, I don't know if they still use them) is hands down my favorite pickup ever.
@bramabull1113 жыл бұрын
My buddy had one, one of the nicest feeling necks I've ever had my hands on. Stayed in tune like a dream, action was perfect. Soundwise, I found it very trebly and almost a bit thin, but I'm used to very fat and muddy sounding blues guitars. Tbh I'd rather it that way to have to add the bass rather than try to take it out. Keeps the tone very clear.
@vancearama3 жыл бұрын
That five watt world video and seeing a Firebird in your other videos is why I ended up trying one out and buying one.
@michaelsteven10903 жыл бұрын
The Firebird sound?..It's Johnny Winter..
@pablorios86683 жыл бұрын
For Rhet everything “is one of the best sounding things”: Filtertrons, 57 Tweed Deluxes, PAF humbuckers, Hi-Watt amps, 68 Bursts... and now Firebirds!🤯
@WobiKabobi3 жыл бұрын
Comsidering there are a lot of things that make sound.... thats not a very long list of best sounding things.
@maxonmendel57573 жыл бұрын
I guess he just makes videos about things he likes