![]() ![]() In terms of body/neck construction, the reverse Firebirds utilized a unique neck-through-body design with wings glued on either side. In the style of Les Paul and SG Standards, the reverse Firebird V sat one step below the top of the pecking order while sporting a single-bound rosewood fretboard with trapezoid inlays and dual pickups featuring separate volume and tone controls.Īlthough identical to the reverse Firebird III in terms of pickups and electronics, an extra $75.50 would buy you an altogether fancier guitar with a ‘leaf-and-lyre’-engraved Deluxe Vibrola and a fully adjustable Tune-o-matic bridge. The original Firebird pickup is a unique device that evolved from theKalamazoo-era Epiphone mini-humbucker - itself derived from the Seth Lover-designed PAF humbucker.ĭistinguished by its solid metal cover, it was constructed using blade magnets (as opposed to passive screws and slugs) along with inductance-enhancing ferrous reflector plates. These models are sometimes confused with the equally twin mini-humbucker-loaded Firebird V but can be easily differentiated by their dot fretboard markers, compensated bar bridge and short flat-arm Vibrola (Firebird Vs have trapezoid inlays, a Tune-o-matic bridge and Deluxe Vibrolas as standard).Īll instruments in the reverse line-up feature bespoke Firebird pickups, whereas the later non-reverse Firebird I and III models came with two and three black ‘soapbar’ P-90 pickups respectively. In the same vein as the Les Paul/SG Special, the $249.50 reverse Firebird III features dual pickups with individual tone and volume controls and a single-bound rosewood fretboard with dot inlays. This particular model was also the least expensive instrument in the range with a list price of $189.50.Ī Sunburst finish was standard across the board, but in order to help Gibson shake off its staid, old-fashioned image and appeal to the more forward-thinking younger generation, all Firebirds were offered in a choice of 10 custom colors for an extra $15.Īlong with FrostBlue,Ember Red, Cardinal Red, Kerry Green and Polaris White, these included five metallic (“Poly”) shades called Golden Mist, Silver Mist, Pelham Blue, Heather and Inverness Green. And while anyone with a few tools and the gumption can make a Firebird replica these days, the chipped bridge, the aged body and headstock, the worn fretboard – including a crack where Johnny had broken the neck – and the cigarette burns all proved that it takes a special talent to recreate a piece of rock history.Much like Gibson’s Junior/TV, Special, Standard and Custom models represented different price points within the original Les Paul and SG solidbody lines, the Firebird range comprised four instruments at various levels of spec and ornamentation.Īnd as per the style of Junior and TV models, the reverse Firebird I features an unbound dot inlay rosewood fingerboard and a single pickup with volume and tone controls. How wrong I was – further inspection revealed that each guitar had a chip in the pickguard, although I was informed that no two were exactly alike, due to the fact that each one was painstakingly done by hand. I noticed a chip in the pickguard near one of the screws at first, I thought that there had been a mistake by one of the builders. While inspecting the guitar, I found myself awe-struck by the detail put into it. I was immediately presented with approximately 30 brand new Johnny Winter guitars, each one impeccably finished in that iconic vintage sunburst finish. I was ushered to the back area of the Gibson Custom Shop, to what looked like a giant stock room filled with the pleasant scent of freshly cut wood. I was given a personal, “behind-the-scenes” look at Gibson’s latest Custom Shop masterpiece: a recreation of Johnny Winter’s 1963 Firebird V. ![]() With that said, my experience during Gibson’s Summer Jam, held in the heart of theĪBR-1 bridge, heavy stop-bar tailpiece Neck & Headstock:Ĭompany’s Nashville operations, probably gave me my most memorable NAMM experience to date. ![]() This year was no exception with its return to Nashville, Tennessee, a move that seemed to bring an extra sense of “magic,” if not just plain hopefulness, to the entire event. The Summer NAMM show never ceases to present unique opportunities to lucky convention-goers. ![]() Pat Foley, Artist Relations Director for the Gibson Custom Shop, proudly displays the Johnny Winter 1963 Firebird V ![]()
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