Gibson Firebird V Vintage Sunburst 2019 Electric Guitar

This is a Gibson Firebird V in Vintage Sunburst finish. The Gibson Firebird was originally released in 1963 to compete with Fender’s increasingly popular solid-body guitars, at a time when Gibson’s Les Paul & SG models were not well favoured. Made in the USA in 2019, this guitar features a thru-neck construction comprising a Mahogany/Walnut neck, Mahogany body & 22 fret Rosewood fingerboard. Chrome hardware is fitted including a StopBar tailpiece, Nashville ToM bridge & mini Grover Rotomatic tuning machines. A pair of Gibson 495R & 495T mini humbucking pickups are installed, and are wired to a 3-way toggle switch & independent volume & tone controls.

The Mahogany neck plays beautifully, with the SlimTaper profile filling the hand nicely for a substantial grip when chord playing, yet remaining manageable and practical for articulate lead lines and melodies. The Rosewood fingerboard used in this particular example features a tight grain, and is notably dark in appearance. This adds a real sense of luxury to the playing experience. The 12” radius is traditional for Gibson and provides a highly practical surface for a wide range of styles and techniques. The frets are on the larger side, & provide a rock-solid playing surface whilst enhancing the feel of string bending and vibrato techniques. The smooth lines of the body are comfortable in both seated and standing positions.

The pair of Gibson 495R/495T pickups installed in this guitar are as distinctive and unique as ever. Classified as Mini Humbuckers, Firebird pickups are in fact different from the Mini Humbuckers you would find in a ‘70s Les Paul. The Les Paul variant can be thought of as a scaled down PAF pickup, whilst the Firebird pickups feature twin coils wound directly around the magnets. This results in a smoother tone, which has been described by some as a ‘beefed-up’ Fender sound - certainly distinctive in a Gibson guitar. The neck pickup is round and warm as you would expect, delivering plenty of power for your solos and lead lines. The bridge is brighter, producing a searing output which saturates into a rich distortion tone when driving the amp- perfect for those rock riffs.