The Epiphone Firebird might just be the one!

Epiphone released this Firebird as part of it's "Inspired By Gibson" collection and here I demo and review the model with an eye toward how closely it resembles the Gibson original.
I talk about the guitar's construction and features, and demonstrate how it sounds in a mix, playing through my trusty blonde spec, Fender Tone Master Deluxe Reverb, and offer my opinion about whether this is a truly legit Firebird.
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[@timcallender999]

I bought mine sometime in June. Fell in love with it in the store and took it home five minutes later. It's become my #1 guitar.

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Nice. Yeah I think Epiphone did a good job with this one. Enjoy it.

[@beenderedonedat]

same here and I own 16!

[@brandonhawthorne1456]

I got mine from Sweetwater last November. The Christmas special included free plek-couldn’t pass that up. It is my number one go-to now. I have my sights on the Frost Blue ‘63 Epi Firebird V!

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Well that was a heck of a deal. Glad you’re enjoying it. Thanks so much for watching.

[@codybluetarp]

Interesting reading other satisfied Epiphone Firebird owners. It's an excellent guitar; the workmanship and neck design are totally cool, along with the sound.

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Yes, I appreciated Epiphone building a proper, multi-ply, neck-through Firebird, rather than something that just resembles a Firebird superficiallly. Glad you’re enjoying yours and thanks for watching.

[@chrispaskell8344]

I bought one about 6 months ago. It has become a favorite for blues and blues rock. I find it very versatile. As much as I found my tele. This firebird is now what I play most of the time. My number one go to.

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

That’s great. It’s a nice guitar and I’m glad you’re enjoying it. Thanks for watching the video.

[@WarrenAndrews-w5x]

Got one and I love it for life 😎

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

That’s great. Thanks for watching

[@ew6629]

That's a great price point for what you're getting. As always, an excellent thorough demo and overview of the Epiphone Firebird!

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Thank you so much.

[@bretspangler8717]

I have the drab olive green version, it is one of my favorite guitars, I get a tone very similar to my P90 SG with less noise, tuning is a stretch for my short arms but easy to get used to. The ads show the fretboard as very light, mine is a nice dark chocolate color, I did do a basic tuneup, oiling the fretboard and a fret polish and changing the strings when I got it.

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Yes, as I mentioned, this one has a perfectly nice looking fretboard. Glad you're happy with yours. Thanks so much for watching.

[@martinclayton7260]

I just bought mine today, I love it! I swapped an Ibanez, and some pedals for it, and a case. It sounds beautiful.

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Nice. Enjoy it and thanks so much for watching.

[@TommySG1]

Thanks for sharing Leonard, I actually just ordered one via Sweetwater ( haven’t received it yet ). I’ve never even played a Firebird but @ this price for an actual neck~thru along with even a small discount it was a no brainer here 🤙 I watched another video on John Baker’s channel and it sounded so damn close to his custom shop bird I was floored. Initially I was going to gut it and install all new hardware, however with 18:1 tuners, graphtech nut, CTS pots I may just do a simple string change / set up and call it a day lol…. I just subbed your channel, thanks for the nice review on this model, much appreciated and happy Thanksgiving 🤙

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Thanks so much. I really appreciate you watching and subscribing. Happy Thanksgiving to you and I hope you love your new Bird.

[@WillyMcCoy50]

The alnico II FB720 pickups are voiced perfectly. The Gibson Firebird pickups are ceramic. Way too off from their originals of the mid 1960s.

[@austinburns4213]

Bought mine a few months back, but haven't been playing much as I was out of town. The tone is just amazing - but I am surprised that these pickups are "probuckers", because they do hum (a lot like a strat). Maybe the design just enhances the hum, IDK, but they're not quiet humbuckers in the usual sense. The neck PU is just amazing on its own, and the bridge is rather brittle though a super reverb (also like a strat), but the tone knob is smooth and highly functional and rolling back a bit gets it really creamy and so no problem. No neck dive that I notice, but with the strap button in the back like an SG, it tends to lean away from you - a little (which can easily be countered by looping the lower strap over the back upper body wing, but it isn't necessary if the angle doesn't bother you). I am astounded they can do this for the price. This ones a keeper.

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Interesting. I don’t recall any hum issues, but I only played it here in my studio which is pretty electrically quiet. Even Fender style guitars aren’t too bad in this room. In any case, they did a great job with that model.

[@jasonosborne9063]

Got one today. It’s so good it fits like a glove. ❤️ great review you are bang on. Great licks too. Dayam!!!

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Nice. Thanks so much for watching.

[@nellayema2455]

I have one of these and a 2013 Gibson Firebird. I prefer the sound of the Epi pups, TBH. Both guitars are amazingly light for such big guitars. You're assessment of the Epi is spot on. They're a great value, and pretty dang close to the original in looks and feel.

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

They are surprisingly close. Thanks so much for watching.

[@n2space4u]

Nice review, and great blues lick vocabulary

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Thank you. Yeah, after 60 years I should hope so. 😆 Thanks so much for watching.

[@momo1momo]

Beautiful playing and great demo, very informative. Thank you!

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Well I’m happy you found it enjoyable. Thanks so much for watching.

[@RavenMadd9]

Thank you for your honest review

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

I appreciate that and thanks for checking it out.

[@mortonwilson795]

Great demo, great playing! I think Epiphone are going out of their way to up the ante quality-wise these last 2 or 3 years. This one seems a good bang for your buck overall, esp with the full neck thru body thing. I tried one, along with the Gibson, recently - fun guitar but not my thing - I'll stick to Les Paul style guitars. That said, it's unique and with bit of work on the frets and maybe upgrading pick-ups a small price to pay for something that's pretty much on a par with the US made model for a fraction of the price!

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Thank you. Yes, the Firebird is really a unique feeling instrument and good on Epiphone for producing a more accurate version complete with 9-ply neck through construction. Thanks for watching my channel. Appreciated.

[@dzl8596]

Nice review and nice playing! I like my Firebird so much, I bought the Thunderbird bass to go with it.

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Very cool. I’ve never tried a Thunderbird bass. I’ll have to check one out at some point. Thanks for watching.

[@FrazySting]

Got to tried it out at a store and immediately fell in love with it. Wish I could have taken it home with me.

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

It is quite nice. Especially at this price point. Thanks for watching.

[@efeoktay244]

Thanks for the great review. I'm buying it next week.

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Nice. I hope it’s perfect for you and thanks for watching.

[@kennyblackbird5674]

The Gibson Firebird a jazz guitar? I honestly thought that Gibson was marketing the Firebird for the country and western players as a way to compete with Fender. I know the SG was designed to be a compact solid body jazz guitar. Edit: btw I hear a little Lonnie Mack stylings in your playing 👍

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Yeah, it's a pretty obscure fact. My research took me to a vintage site with this info: Although today seen as a rock instrument (largely because of the shape), it was initially pitched as a jazz guitar. The following text comes from both 1963 and 1966 Gibson Firebird literature "A new, exciting, dramatic shape to match the brilliance of their sound, the beauty of their tone ...in new ultra modern solid body guitars by Gibson. The very shape of Jazz - designed for the fast action of jazz artists' fleeting fingers. Thin, light, deeply cutaway for easiest access to every fret, they could only be Gibson." Who knew, right? Thanks for watching.

[@Pete_Harris]

Such a cool looking guitar!

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

It is. Thanks for watching.

[@user-zd7iv8vh1t]

Johnny winter said that the firebird is the best of all worlds fender and gibson all together...do you think the same?

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Johnny liked the feel of a Gibson - scale length, radius, etc. - but he always preferred a brighter, more focused sound. Back in the 60s and 70s the mini humbucker was the answer. He also played solid body Epiphones for the same reason. Of course nowadays there are countless options and he spent most of his later career playing the headless Erlewine Lazer, using his old Firebird primarily for slide. Thanks so much for watching.

[@advancedraymondology2914]

I LOVE it. I was trying to find it in a different color though. Apparently it's available in Pelham blue, but it's out of stock. Well it'll give me some time to save, I guess.

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

I haven't seen Pelham Blue on any Epiphone version other than the older Firebird Studio, which is a set neck, rather than neck through model. Plus I believe it has full size humbuckers so it's really a Firebird in shape only. If you see an actual neck through Epiphone in Pelham, do let me know and thanks for watching.

[@advancedraymondology2914]

​@@leonardgriffieblues5845no you are right! Further researching it I learned the one I saw was a 2013 edition that many Firebird-lovers were saying wasn't very Firebird like, for the reasons you mentioned. I saw more than one person say that it was a good guitar but basically an SG that was shaped like a Firebird.

[@venvnco6259]

Do you have any video's of you just playing music. I really enjoy your playing style.

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Thanks so much. I guess the closest would be my "Play Some Blues" series I do from time to time. I do things like detail my influences or discuss certain aspects of my playing. There are quite a number of those. I'm very happy you enjoy my work and I continue to attempt to provide something for as many viewers as possible.

[@Stratsrule]

Love the shirt

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Well thanks, and thanks for watching.

[@mrredritehand]

You have a very unique voice there bro, I bet you can sing like a muther

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Thank you my friend, and thanks for watching.

[@guitarzan0515]

That’s a Sweet Firebird!! Goes good with those Sweet Licks! Great Review and playing!!

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Thanks my friend.

[@fordhammie]

Great rig and play but why are u holding the guitar 🎸 on your side not across your lap? The location of 12th fret alters how u hold it?

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Thanks and great question, but after all these years I don’t actually think about it. The only criteria is what is most comfortable with a given guitar. I could play it in any position (well, behind my head wouldn’t be great for the camera 🤣), but this guitar, like a few others, just falls into the best position for me and the camera on a strap. It’s the same way I play a Flying V seated. Interestingly, an Explorer works fine across the leg. I hope that answers the question and thanks for watching.

[@jessejorgensen3931]

Funny how different a guitar sounds depending in who's playing. Thanks for not noodling.

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

LOL. You’re welcome. Yeah, regardless of the gear, I’m always going to sound like me. Hopefully I give some idea of the potential of any gear. Thanks for watching.

[@TheBFN]

😈🔱👿... I would lov to see a review of the 12 string Johnny winter played... Johnny just amazes me..his playing style and what he choose to play.. But idk why anyone would pay big $ for a gibson or fender when they are all made in china today 🙄... Buy yourself a vintage Japanese guitar wich are prob made better than any new guitar

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

I actually spent a fair amount of time playing that model when I was a teenager. It belonged to the bass player and I played it on a handful of songs. As far as I know, there’s no reissue in current production (there was a MIM version a few years back, but I don’t think it was accurate). With vintage models running between $5,000 and $12,000, the only way I’d be able to feature one would be if someone loaned me one. Thanks so much for watching.

[@shawnstarks1743]

Short answer:NO I own 2 American Firebirds. So of course I’m going to say NO!

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

No to what? Did you watch the video? I made no claim about the Epiphone vs Gibson. I didn’t say the Epiphone was the best Firebird available. I only mentioned this as one of the best of the new Epiphones I’d tried up to that point. If you did watch and just didn’t find that clear, well thanks for watching.

[@shawnstarks1743]

@@leonardgriffieblues5845 Nothing personal towards you. (Please) This is strictly towards Epiphone. It's good but it's not good enough and never will be. I played one of those. Meh. Its one those products that you as a consumer just "settle" for. Meanwhile, you really want the real thing. A Gibson. Epiphone has the audacity to charge you $1699 for a Chinese made Firebird 7 reissue with a case. It will be a cold day in hell before I buy that sh!t.