Bonamassa Epiphone Firebird I

[mackerelmint]

These things are pretty cool no matter how many dick pics Bonamassa likes to send. I'd be perfectly happy routing one for a second pickup.

[Pacafeliz]

These things are pretty cool no matter how many dick pics Bonamassa likes to send. I'd be perfectly happy routing one for a second pickup.

+1!!!

[MechaBulletBill]

These things are pretty cool no matter how many dick pics Bonamassa likes to send. I'd be perfectly happy routing one for a second pickup.

hell yeh, if I could grab one in burst for a reasonable price, but i've mainly seen the gold ones for sale and a bit too expensive for what it is.

the other thing is, i briefly tried a bonermasher LP at a local shop (someone put it in my hand) and the neck was stupid big. like dick-swinging, look-at-my-yuge-neck, pointlessly big. i dunno if the firebird has a similar neck but that would put me right off.

[leokula]

I simply love this guitar. For a while I have toyed with the idea of building one after a studio firebird, but still haven't got around to it.

[Larry Mal]

This one has the banjo tuners unlike all the entry level Gibson Firebirds too. Id take this one over an entry level Gibson.

Just curious, what do you mean by "entry level" Firebirds? Do you mean the Studios? Those things suck.

I think Gibson has gone away from the banjo tuners, and they seem to have moved on from the Steinbergers.

If you see here, you'll see that the Firebird V T models have Grovers on there now.

I really don't know how I feel about that, I guess I would prefer them to the banjo tuners but not to the Steinbergers. I guess I'm glad I already have my Firebirds, the only thing I would want now is a non-reverse with the Firebird pickups (I have a P90 model), and even then I don't really want one because I'll have to put in new pickups, and all the rest of the stuff... adding hundreds of dollars to what is already a guitar that is a little too expensive for what it is anyway.

[Fiddy]

Just curious, what do you mean by "entry level" Firebirds? Do you mean the Studios? Those things suck.

I think Gibson has gone away from the banjo tuners, and they seem to have moved on from the Steinbergers.

If you see here, you'll see that the Firebird V T models have Grovers on there now.

I really don't know how I feel about that, I guess I would prefer them to the banjo tuners but not to the Steinbergers. I guess I'm glad I already have my Firebirds, the only thing I would want now is a non-reverse with the Firebird pickups (I have a P90 model), and even then I don't really want one because I'll have to put in new pickups, and all the rest of the stuff... adding hundreds of dollars to what is already a guitar that is a little too expensive for what it is anyway.

Like one of these bad boys:

Gibson Firebird

I prefer the Steinberger tuner to the Grovers too. The Steinbergers are nice looking but to be honest, i don't know how good or bad they are. I prefer them based on looks.

The way i see it, Epiphone might QC these ones better due to them being a limited/special run, where as Gibson just churns them out like its 1999. That theory might be flawed, btw but whatever...

[Larry Mal]

I have the Steinbergers and would not hesitate to use them again, but they are only OK tuners. A little finicky, a little over-engineered. There are some limitations with them, I don't think you could drop your E string down to C, for instance. I'd have to remember exactly how it is but you are kind of locked into the note you are tuned to and can't deviate that much from it.

[Despot]

So I played one of these for the first time a few weeks back - completely forgot about it until I saw this thread.

I've got to say ... the one I played was a really great guitar. And it sounded pretty good - not at all like the modern Gibson firebirds. Dare I say it ... it sounded more like the old ones.

I'm a bit biased in this as an owner of an old one ... but we've a few vintage Firebird owners on here, so maybe some of the others have tried as well and can give their opinions. If I didn't have the Firebird V at home I would be plenty happy with one of these. Epiphone have made some great guitars lately (I keep mentioning that '61 small headstock Casino reissue that I all too briefly owned that was every bit as nice as a modern Gibson ES330) - this is another great one ... or at least the one that I tried was great.

As someone who longed for a Firebird for years, only to feel very 'meh' about them when I finally got together funds to buy a modern Firebird in around 2006 ... if these had been available back then I'd probably be a Firebird rather than Jazzmaster player (as my main).