Bonamassa Epiphone Firebird I

[shinealight]

Not really a fan of Bonamassa but I'll buy one if the price is right because I've always loved Firebirds and a single-pickup guitar would be perfect for the punk band I'm in right now. But not if these things are gonna be in the ~$US900-1000 range. I live in Australia and lemme tell you now there won't be a lot of bites if they're gonna cost 1300-1400 Dollarydoos by the time we finally get them here. That's used actual Firebird money.....

[Shadoweclipse13]

Not really a fan of Bonamassa but I'll buy one if the price is right because I've always loved Firebirds and a single-pickup guitar would be perfect for the punk band I'm in right now.

The idea of getting a signature guitar for a blues-lawyer kinda guy and using it to play punk tickles me in a really good way

[Pacafeliz]

€819 on Thomann isn't exactly cheap no...

[serial]

Firebirds rock. My two favorites-a I and a III (with vibrola). If I was buying guitars as opposed to selling down stuff (too many to play!), I'd grab at least one of these and rock the crap out of it.


And before anyone tries to confiscate my Offset card, here I am with the FB1 with my 1965 JM close behind me:

[Shadoweclipse13]

And before anyone tries to confiscate my Offset card, here I am with the FB1 with my 1965 JM close behind me:

No worries! Firebirds are actually offset anywho!!

[shinealight]

Not really a fan of Bonamassa but I'll buy one if the price is right because I've always loved Firebirds and a single-pickup guitar would be perfect for the punk band I'm in right now.

The idea of getting a signature guitar for a blues-lawyer kinda guy and using it to play punk tickles me in a really good way

Might have to throw in a semi-gag "Smokestack lightning" cover, but yeah. If all you need is a bridge pickup then a two pickup guitar's just a waste of pickups ya know.....

[cmatthes]

And before anyone tries to confiscate my Offset card, here I am with the FB1 with my 1965 JM close behind me:

No worries! Firebirds are actually offset anywho!!

Actually...they're NOT offsets!

[Pacafeliz]

OK here ya go...
http://shop.jbonamassa.com/collections/equipment" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[del]

Yipes! $899 for gold polymist w/case is more than I had bargained for. That said, there's this very promising detail about the pickup:

"The ProBucker™ FB720 has two Alnico II bar magnets used as blades in coils along with a steel reflector plate to achieve the classic Firebird tone of the 60s. Because the DC resistance is around 7.85Kohm, the ProBucker FB720 provides a clean, brighter output with incredible touch sensitivity and a warm low end compared to mini humbuckers, which are used in most Firebird reissues."

That's a very pleasant surprise!

[Larry Mal]

So they aren't the same pickups you'll find in a Gibson Firebird, then.

[del]

So they aren't the same pickups you'll find in a Gibson Firebird, then.

They're the same construction as vintage Firebird pickups (bar magnets serving as blades), but not like modern versions which are standard minihumbuckers with a bar-magnet on the bottom connected to polepieces hidden under that solid cover.

This whole guitar is very much like a "1963 Firebird I Reissue." The fretboard profile is different and "gold polymist" is a new finish option (and I'm guessing the hardware and basic electronics are not-so-special modern off-the-shelf varieties), but it generally appears to be a fairly close match to the original.

That price might be seen as reasonable to a Firebird fan.

[Larry Mal]

Ah, not to me. You can find the Gibson Firebird Vs from last year selling as "open box" for less than this, sure, you'll get the ceramic pickups and only one color, but still.

[spindizzy]

(and I'm guessing the hardware and basic electronics are not-so-special modern off-the-shelf varieties), but it generally appears to be a fairly close match to the original.

Actually I've got one of the Epiphone Sorrento reissues here and the hardware is nickel plated Gotoh or Wilkinson.
The electronics are all CTS and Switchcraft too with Gibson pickups on this model.

To me it looks like Epiphone put real effort into their specials. The Bonamassa's are probably an excellent guitar for the price.

[Musjagjazz]

Price is $799

Pickup is Alnico 2 magnets around 7.85Kohm

Tuners are Kluson® Reissue Firebird/Banjo Tuners with a 12:1 ratio (14.6:1 winding rate)

14" Fingerboard Radius

Adjustable, Dual-Action Truss Rod

24.75" scale length

[uhu]

To me it looks like Epiphone put real effort into their specials. The Bonamassa's are probably an excellent guitar for the price.

+1 I have a Brent Hinds Flying V, well made guitar!