Non-reverse Firebirds

Iamnobody

@bbill335 - care to tell us a bit more about yours? It looks lovely. 

bbill335

Iamnobody said:

@bbill335 - care to tell us a bit more about yours? It looks lovely. 

It's all original apart from the finish (and wiring). I stuck a Mojoaxe bridge on it, I have it wired for normal bridge-both-neck because I didn't like the strat-like middle position that's stock and the mid pickup on it's own is a bit meh, so it's basically an SG special in a different shape with no neck dive. 

Vibrola is lovely, I can get away with a fair bit of wild wobbling without going too out of tune.

Neck is narrow but the back is just full enough, it's thicker under the low strings than the hight strings for some reason. i like it A LOT, i don't think there is a better neck for me out there. definitely not for everyone though.

shugz

Iamnobody said:

shugz said:

Iamnobody said:

Thanks Gents

I’ve been watching too many National concerts on YouTube - the Dessner twins create some great music with theirs...and the solo from Weller’s You do Something to Me was played on one.

Messed around with my new/old one when I got it back. Needed a setup and fixed the neck volume pot which had disintegrated. Definitely not note for note but always a fan of the Firebird solo in YDSTM. Weller a very underrated guitar player in my humble pie opinion. Cover your ears, bridge pickup a Lollar:



H

Nice. Does the maestro play ok? I’ve never had one but being a big Weller fan if fancy an SG with one.

I bet it would sound even better on the neck pickup - I’d always assumed that’s how that solo was recorded? It’s a beautiful solo one to learn note for note and also good to jam out - Cradock varies the theme live. 

I’d agree Weller is recognised as a songwriter but possibly underrated as a guitarist - he’s subtle though a lot of the time, he knows how to play a concise melodic solo - YDStM, Strange Museum, Peacock Suit, Changing Man, Hung Up, Stanley Road, Heavy Soul pt1 all have that.

He can also jam though - the extended guitar solos on Foot of the Mountain live, and Heavy Soul pt2 etc.  

I’d love  it if he made a really dirty/bluesy guitar based album - taking the themes from Whirlpools’, Heavy Soul etc and just going for it. I don’t think he’s written anything particularly great since around 2005 though. Just my opinion of course...

Thanks kindly. I'd say a well setup guitar, good frets bone nut etc also helps. As does neck angle, the Maestros can be a bit hit or miss but I think it depends on setup really. It should be good and reliable - if it's not then hopefully that can be sorted. Probably Leo wins best original vibrato unit on the Strat but I do like the Maestros, look cool and do work fine.

YDSTM was just off the cuff, fancied recording something just as I got it back that day. I'd say original was still bridge pickup but maybe more mids, less treble/ spike but not 100% on that. I like it anyways as it shows Weller could Clapton it out with the best of them if he wanted to. I think the first 5 solo albums were it for me. Appreciate he doesnt want to repeat or do the same stuff though - he has always probably been his own Changingman character of sorts. Magnificent career. A national treasure in my view.

Agree the blues thing could be interesting but he knows it'd probably get panned as stodgy pub rock. Nowt wrong with a bit of storage though

Doubt your local to Glasgow but you're very welcome to try my NR if it's any use.

Cheers 
Hugh

Iamnobody

Cheers @shugz sadly I’m very far from Glasgow but appreciate the offer.

Maybe it’s the middle pickup then

It always seems a bit harsh to me when I play it on my junior even with the tone rolled off. Maybe it’s just the sound I have in my head for it that thinks it’s more the the neck - I haven’t listened to the recorded version for ages anyway...

Iamnobody

bbill335 said:

Iamnobody said:

@bbill335 - care to tell us a bit more about yours? It looks lovely. 

It's all original apart from the finish (and wiring). I stuck a Mojoaxe bridge on it, I have it wired for normal bridge-both-neck because I didn't like the strat-like middle position that's stock and the mid pickup on it's own is a bit meh, so it's basically an SG special in a different shape with no neck dive. 

Vibrola is lovely, I can get away with a fair bit of wild wobbling without going too out of tune.

Neck is narrow but the back is just full enough, it's thicker under the low strings than the hight strings for some reason. i like it A LOT, i don't think there is a better neck for me out there. definitely not for everyone though.

Excellent. Re. the necks one I saw for sale had measurements it was .8” but fattened up to .96” at the 12th which is a decent taper. Thinner than my 63 reissue 335 but not far off the same at the 12th.

I’ve seen this one on eBay but it’s not right with a bound neck. It’s far higher than I’d spend anyway so it doesn’t really matter!

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F283451048519

Iamnobody

Back on the Firebird trail and GG have this - too much dosh for me but it looks lovely.

https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/pxp191018349990001--gibson-1965-firebird-iii-refinished-aged-white-pre-owned

Tikibird44

Iamnobody said:

Thanks Gents

I’ve been watching too many National concerts on YouTube - the Dessner twins create some great music with theirs...and the solo from Weller’s You do Something to Me was played on one. Not just that but they do look good - better than the reverse models.

There’s no rush - I’d have to get rid of one or two first to raise some funds anyway.

If I was lucky enough to pick up a ‘players’ vintage I could live with the neck size and narrow nut. Would it be Rickenbacker narrow?

It would be a luxury item and not my main guitar so no worries on that front. I haven’t gigged for nearly 10 years anyway. 

Better than the "reverse" ones in your opinion. I object to the term as the proper ones were designed first but then the design was watered down and turned around. Still both great guitars though.

Iamnobody

Tikibird44 said:

Iamnobody said:

Thanks Gents

I’ve been watching too many National concerts on YouTube - the Dessner twins create some great music with theirs...and the solo from Weller’s You do Something to Me was played on one. Not just that but they do look good - better than the reverse models.

There’s no rush - I’d have to get rid of one or two first to raise some funds anyway.

If I was lucky enough to pick up a ‘players’ vintage I could live with the neck size and narrow nut. Would it be Rickenbacker narrow?

It would be a luxury item and not my main guitar so no worries on that front. I haven’t gigged for nearly 10 years anyway. 

Better than the "reverse" ones in your opinion. I object to the term as the proper ones were designed first but then the design was watered down and turned around. Still both great guitars though.

Yep. Definitely my opinion as I typed it. 

I don’t think we to clarify every single comment with IMO etc.

I do like both designs but based on aesthetics alone the non-reverse wins for me.

shugz

Great guitars, I've managed not to sell my P90 one so far - result

Any ideas where the 60s one is? If it's Glasgow I'd happy to take a look at it for you.

Cheers 
Hugh

Iamnobody

shugz said:

Great guitars, I've managed not to sell my P90 one so far - result

Any ideas where the 60s one is? If it's Glasgow I'd happy to take a look at it for you.

Cheers 
Hugh

It doesn’t say where this one is - they normally do though...

That’s a generous offer to go and look - but I’m not in a position to buy it and just admiring it from from afar.

JayGee

shugz said:

Teyeplayer said:

shugz said:

Oh and the case is usually enormous, have a van ready for that alone.

I have since discovered that of the ‘average’ cars about, very few can fit a firebird in; the Skoda Octavia comes highly recommended if you buy your cars for no other reason than to accommodate a guitar.  

Having owned 2 x vRS Octavias I concur. 

They fit quite neatly across the boot of an original and genuine Saab 900 if that helps...

Teyeplayer

JayGee said:

shugz said:

Teyeplayer said:

shugz said:

Oh and the case is usually enormous, have a van ready for that alone.

I have since discovered that of the ‘average’ cars about, very few can fit a firebird in; the Skoda Octavia comes highly recommended if you buy your cars for no other reason than to accommodate a guitar.  

Having owned 2 x vRS Octavias I concur. 

They fit quite neatly across the boot of an original and genuine Saab 900 if that helps...

This really is first world problem stuff.

SteveRobinson

I once bought two Gibson NR Firebirds for £50 the brace

Neil

SteveRobinson said:

I once bought two Gibson NR Firebirds for £50 the brace

  

wesker123

SteveRobinson said:

I once bought two Gibson NR Firebirds for £50 the brace

Yeah but how much were houses back then? 

SteveRobinson

wesker123 said:

SteveRobinson said:

I once bought two Gibson NR Firebirds for £50 the brace

Yeah but how much were houses back then? 

It was about 20 years ago TBF but still an incredible bargain. 

Iamnobody

If anyone is considerably richer than me this ‘65 in remarkable condition just came up on eBay...

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F164165343949

Teyeplayer

Iamnobody said:

If anyone is considerably richer than me this ‘65 in remarkable condition just came up on eBay...

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F164165343949

That’s stunning, definitely a bucket list guitar.

Moleman

Surely one of the chief exponents of the non-reverse Firebird has to be Del Bromham of STRAY (1970’s British melodic heavy rock band). Del still leads his own version of that classic band and I’ve seen them many times live. That guitar cuts through a loud band like nothing else - thing is like a laser!

bbill335

Iamnobody said:

If anyone is considerably richer than me this ‘65 in remarkable condition just came up on eBay...

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F164165343949

never worth that much, quite a ubiquitous model and none of the fancy trimmings like binding, ornate tailpiece, etc. as much as i love them, i'd say you were daft for paying (or asking for!) 6k

perhaps one of the models with proper FB humbuckers, gold hardware, custom colour, etc. could command that much but never the absolute standard version.