![]() In some ways was it was a descendant of the commercially unpopular Explorer it had a similar 'reverse' body style (but with far more curves), and likewise didn't catch on with the public until some years after the original guitars were sold. The Firebird launched in the second half of 1963, without causing too much of a stir. If you see a vintage Gibson Firebird for sale at an affordable price, snap it up. Like any vintage Gibson, they are great playing instruments, very collectable and command high prices - five figure sums are common for early examples, guitars in great condition, or those with a custom finish. As the 1963 advertising suggests, they have a distinct bright and punchy tone, a contrast to the slightly darker tones produced by the larger PAF humbuckers. ![]() They were not immediately popular, despite being adopted by big stars of the day like Brian Jones and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones but like so many other Gibson guitars, their appeal snowballed today the Firebird is a standard part of the Gibson line. The Gibson Firebird is another of those iconic Gibson guitar designs that is inseparable from the history of rock music. ![]() And some were trying to figure out whether that smashed SG could be glued back together.Gibson Firebirds - as advertised in the 1964 Gibson catalogue In the audience, some were scratching their heads and some were shaking their heads. When one member of the media asked nervously whether Gibson would carry on producing the instruments it’s famous for, Juszkiewicz allowed, “Yes, we will even continue building guitars for Luddites.” suggested, we’re just too dumb to understand it. You say you want a revolution? We’d all like to see the plan. Even if the technology housed in Firebird X were truly revolutionary, it’s difficult to understand how Gibson, who has priced its most widely desired models far beyond the reach of common players, would cause an uprising with another exorbitant collectible. The Firebird X will be produced in a limited run of 1800 guitars and sold in 400 retail shops. But it’s hard to figure Gibson’s thinking on this one. Several pages of scathing responses from the public are still live on their own site. The onboard CPU is updateable and the onboard battery is good for 4 hours of playing time.Īccording to the public, Firebird X constitutes not so much an uprising as an upchucking. Details were lacking at the press conference but apparently the Firebird X can provide a direct digital feed into a computer, presumably for recording, programming, or further signal routing. It’s also a Bluetooth device and connects wirelessly to the two included pedals (one for selecting presets, the other an expression pedal). The coils in its three humbuckers allow for 2048 coil combinations, and there are onboard sliders, toggles, pots, and “tog pots” for setting effects, distortion, EQ, pickup selection, and tuning controls. Theoretically, you can throw your stompboxes, rack gear, and modeling equipment overboard and manipulate your sound exclusively from the guitar’s onboard controls. Henry then unveiled the Firebird X guitar declaring, “This is revolution.”įirebird X (that’s Firebird “ten”) is a 6-string with a digital brain. was not finished shocking the room, where industry wonks and media members sat alongside a few pros including Ace Frehley, Kirk Douglas (the Roots), and Lou Pallo (longtime Les Paul sideman). After rattling off several major milestones in modern technology (the first transistor, the first guitar amp, the first wireless network) he took an SG by the neck - “I think this is the past!” - and smashed it over a cinderblock.Īn audible gasp emerged from the crowd, but Henry J. Henry Juszkiewicz, the controversial chairman and CEO of Gibson, took the stage and began by aligning himself with revolutionary inventors, from Thomas Edison to Guglielmo Marconi to Les Paul. What did the revered maker of the Les Paul, the SG, and the 335 have in mind to save its famed name? We were especially curious given what’s been whispered in the industry about Gibson’s financial troubles (as reported on the Punch-In back in January). So we headed to the Hard Rock Café in NYC with friends from National Guitar Museum to see what the fuss was all about. The company’s invite to last week’s gathering read: This is more than a press conference. When Gibson announced a major press conference, our curiosity was piqued.
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