Automotive designer, Ray Dietrich came up with the Firebird’s unique lines back in 1963 – at the behest of Gibson’s legendary Ted McCarty – and the guitar has been blowing people away ever since. Midway through 1965 Gibson introduced the “non-reverse” Firebird and our 2010 Custom Shop ‘Designer Series’ reissue here brings that mid/late sixties shape into the 21st century, reborn in gorgeous TV White, (limed mahogany).
TV White
Just prior to the launch of the model, Gibson Custom Shop’s ‘Historic Line’ manager, Edwin Wilson explained that TV White was a new century variation on the near legendary color. “It is a variation on the original limed TV finish, which was much paler than the TV Yellow we're all familiar with...”
P-90s
Over the years, different Firebird models have been powered by full-size humbuckers, mini-humbuckers, and, as with our Non-Reverse TV White model, P-90s. Three of ‘em! The P-90s skronk out that unmistakable Johnny Winter blues tone with aplomb, while cutting crystal clear Mark Knopfler-style lead notes like few other axes out there. Put this guitar out in front of your band and knock the entire room dead!
More sonic depth
With a solid, one-piece Mahogany body, one-piece Mahogany neck and slab-like Rosewood fingerboard – plus those three P-90s – this is a Firebird built from the ground up to deliver classic tone. The combination delivers noticeably more sonic depth than single-coils and is more vibrant and detailed than full-size humbuckers.
A sheer delight
The Custom Shop held nothing back with these ’Birds: vintage-correct long neck tenon, for better neck-to-body tone transfer; all gold hardware, including Grover mini-tuners with ‘kidney bean’ buttons, stopbar tailpiece and tune-o-matic bridge; 4-ply scratchplate, (black-white-black-white), with etched Firebird logo in red; and a 22-fret, 24¾” scale neck. The neck features a flat-C profile, which is sheer delight to move around on.
Condition
Other than some light playwear on the down side of the scratchplate, our Firebird is in Excellent++ condition, and comes in its original Gibson hard shell case, complete with factory paperwork and hardbound Custom Shop certificate, (see pic # 7).
One of the sixties finest guitar moments!
At more than twelve hundred dollars under the original new store price, and with FREE COURIER DELIVERY included to any address within Australia, ($100 airfreight to New Zealand, $175 to the US, Canada, UK and mainstream European countries. International freight added at checkout), this is your chance to score a fabulous Custom Shop iteration of one of the sixties finest guitar moments!
Weight: 7lb 10oz / 3.47kg
Just Guitars
