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FIREBIRD V DESCRIPTION |
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It Turned the Guitar World Upside Down - Literally Created by legendary automotive designer (and visionary) Ray Dietrich, the 1963 Firebirds literally reversed conventional concepts for guitar bodies and headstocks. You can bet heads turned when any guitar player took to the stage with one of these unusual instruments strapped on. Players like Eric Clapton, Johnny Winter and Phil Manzanera (Roxy Music) found their combination of looks and sound to be perfect for their needs (though, of course, Clapton played many Gibsons through the years). The Firebird V was the more affordable "brother" to the top-of-the-line Firebird VII, but with two mini-humbuckers and chrome hardware. Still eye-catching though. Gibson Firebird V at a Glance:
And They Called Gibson "Conservative". . . Nobody is lukewarm when it comes to the Gibson Firebirds. The company had already made a bold statement in 1958 with the introduction of the odd-shaped, totally "modernistic" Flying V, Explorer and the elusive Moderne (which may or may not have ever been produced beyond a few prototypes, depending upon who you ask). Then, in 1963 came the Firebird, which was created by Ray Dietrich, who was actually an automotive designer (and some say the inventor of the "tail fin"). With its upside down look, it was clearly not mainstream. This was Gibson saying, essentially, there's nothing conservative about our company. The Move to Minis! The majority of Gibson guitars came with humbucking pickups, as seen on most Les Pauls. Since the Firebird was so far off the beaten path already, the decision was made to use the company's mini-humbuckers, which were later used on the Les Paul Deluxe. These pickups produce a sound with a bit more bite and sizzle than your average 'bucker, and it worked to great advantage on the Firebird, particularly with the solid chrome plated pickup covers, which matched all the other hardware on the guitar. Beyond that, the controls were pure Gibson, with two volume and two tone controls along with a three-way pickup selector switch. Between the Body and the Headstock That's right, that's where you put the neck. Critics joked that it should have been put on the other end of the body, keeping in line with the reverse body style. Because of the way it attaches to the mahogany body and because there is no upper bout, the neck looks disproportionately long, but the scale is still Gibson's normal 24 3/4-inches. Of course, the long headstock with the inline tuners (which are tuned from the rear, rather like a banjo) were quite unusual for the company. Unlike the rest of the instrument, the Firebird V has a rather traditional rosewood fingerboard with pearloid trapezoid inlays. This is fitted over a unique neck with nine-ply mahogany and walnut on cherry. Firebird V features:
Gibson: Don't Mess with a Good Thing Gibson guitars have been around for well over a century. When guitarists are looking for an outstanding combination of superb tone and playability along with great looks and gorgeous finishes, the choice for most of those 100 plus years has been Gibson. From their amazing collection of fine acoustics to the electric guitars that literally rewrote music history, Gibson guitars have been on almost every chart-topping album from artists like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Cream and Led Zeppelin. These "first call" instruments also cross an enormous array of diverse styles, from folk and country to blues and hard rock. With that resume, it's not surprising that so many of Gibson's best-selling instruments have changed little over the decades. Because there's just no sense in messing with a good thing!
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