Gibsons Johnny Winter Firebird

[Mynameisfritz]

So here it is - thanks for posting.

Good to hear that after some fixing and PU swap it will also be a good guitar...

Fill, I don't wanna bug you - in fact it is Gibson who is bugging their customers and some of them seem so bugged that they sell their stuff again immediately - but there's another one on ebay right now, and I'm wondering about the headstock which is pictured right there.
Can this be true?


BTW, here's a pic of the JW original FB:

[fillmore nyc]

there's another one on ebay right now, and I'm wondering about the headstock which is pictured right there.
Can this be true?

Fritz, I dont get this shit with the headstock either. Originals have that sculpted ledge, and at least the older pics of JW's Firebird show the headstock ledge too. That pic you posted is correct... Gibson didnt put the ledge on the JW Firebird, and Im not sure why. "MAYBE" Johnny's guitar had a repair in the last year or so, and thats what his looks like now?? Which would make sense if Gibson copied his in the state its in right now. The one thing they DID do really well is the relic job on the whole axe... it truly does look and feel like a 45 year old guitar. Also, mine and the other one I've seen in person are unusually lightweight for a Firebird.
Even with Gibson, I cant believe that lack of a ledge is an oversight. ALL of their FB's have that ledge, and all of the JW FB's that I've seen dont have it. (Wildwood Guitars (http://www.wildwoodguitars.com/electric ... om_artist/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)has 11 of them,and you can clearly see the headstocks are all the same, without the ledge.
If we're talking about the same Firebird, I saw that guitar on eBay too (http://cgi.ebay.com/2008-Gibson-Custom- ... dZViewItem" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;).
Thats actually a good price for that guitar, relative to what they usually sell for. Its almost exactly what I paid for mine, and the seller claims that its new-never owned. Just know what you're getting into if you pull the trigger on that guitar. If you do, hopefully its a good one that doesnt need the work that mine did. Even so, its still gonna have those pickups... those friggin' switchblade-in-the-ear pickups.
Well, they can always be changed out, and at THAT point, it'll be a great guitar, but SUCH a drag that a guitar that costs so much, from a company that doesnt care about anything but money, would NEED new pickups. I HATE that Im even contemplating a pup swap, but I know what that guitar will be if I do it.
(Imagine how it must suck to be an employee at Gibson?? Any place that cares so little about their product CANNOT give a flying shit about their employees).
Here is a pic of mine, ledgeless...

[frenchie]

never saw a stock gibson with such a color and finition , just have a look ;
i don't how i would bother to buy a gibson for twice the price when i can have that for half ......yeah i know i'm sold on them but it's for good reason

You're not kidding, Frenchie. Both of those that you posted are REAL nice guitars. Im suprised that I've never heard of them before. Are they exclusive to Europe or something like that?? Very nice!!

here's the same lag as mine in action ;

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=LUWFHP1LnEA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

the older models...
and yeah i think it's exclusive to france...
you just have to change the pups on them and after it's guitar heaven

[fivecoyote]

Sorry to hear this about your Firebird. Seems no one has anything good to say about Gibsons these days, for good reason. More often than not, success = overhead = decreased product quality, and Gibson epitomizes that. Read an interview w/ Warren Haynes who went out of his way to say that a recent Gibson he got was pretty good and he thought things were getting better!

Ten years ago I "had to have" a Les Paul. I played about 30 before I found one that I liked the sound of (an LP Classic) -- but the frets stink, the fboard inlays are cheap as hell and the pickups have ceramic mags! At least we all know about Gibsons so it is caveat emptor.

Yngwie, can we see a pic of that goldtop? I've always wanted one, but never found one I liked enough.

[Mynameisfritz]

Oh man, I better don't type what I'm thinking about that ledge... sorry.

Now they're not only ruining whole societies with their money politics, but also great guitars!

Sorry again...

[lcampz]

Sorry to hear this about your Firebird. Seems no one has anything good to say about Gibsons these days, for good reason. More often than not, success = overhead = decreased product quality, and Gibson epitomizes that.

Quote 1: "On most Gibson electrics the scale length from the nut to 12th fret is 24.562" No problem with that...but the scale length above the 12th fret is 24.75. At the 22nd fret, the error is about 0.04". About half the width of the fret. Copies (including Epiphone) don't have this fault." -Phil Hartley

How many have been sold this way!? Has anyone verified that? If so, that's ridiculous and unacceptable for that costly a guitar.

Here's a quote concerning Randy Rhoads LPC: "The (Gibson) Les Paul Custom, per 1972 spec, had a four-piece body: two layers of mahogany with a thin layer of maple in the middle and a carved maple top. -Premier Guitar article

True or not, I can't say; however, a former employee, friend told me they have perfected a lot more than just sandwiching... ...and who would "de-construct" a $3K instrument they just paid for to find out? I have wanted a Ferrari Red Les Paul Custom since I was 12; but, I just refuse to gamble on a Gibson... ...maybe I would if someone gave me $700B... ... but... Overhead?? Gibson is notorious for sporadic? factory shutdowns, leaving the workers to fend for themselves 'til they decide to reopen. Interviewers have called Henry J-szkiew-cz a shrewd business man. I'm not calling him anything; because, like H.A. D#mble I've heard he'll throw all kinds of legal heck at you for calling him out on anything.

Guess, I'll get hate mail again. I love the concept and real sound of Gibson and Fender guitars; but, I read up on the history of the companies and factories. It's not like this stuff hasn't been investigated, reported, admitted to and even written about in books which largely praise the original efforts of the founders. But, yeah, the greed for ever growing profits, indifferent ownership and overhead shrinkage has wrought really bad changes. At least Fender seems to still be making an attempt to get things right. But a JVM???? An '83 Strat™ selling with a vintage price tage???? Mystery LPs????

Ignorance was bliss! There's no going back though (unless things change). VG, Greg G., and most of the builders on this forum make a better Marshall than Marshall can make. You can build a better strat™ and tele™ than 75% maybe more of Fender's offerings. And, I've played better Gibson style guitars by Tokai and ESP/Edwards, not to mention numerous other companies and private luthiers. That's just reality. Boy, I've done it now. Ok... send all hate mail... express to... ... ...

No matter what, I still believe you should, at least, get what you pay for.

[yngwie308]

http://forum.metroamp.com/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=19688" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Here are some pics
http://s57.photobucket.com/albums/g219/ ... 20Goldtop/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
password:malmsteen
Thanks, best Goldtop I have played, including the '58 Goldtop big money guitar..
yngwie308

[lcampz]

...read the story and checked out the pics, very nice... ...that's the kind of axe (attention to detail) you should get when you plunk down thousands!!!!

[NY Chief]

[Here's a quote concerning Randy Rhoads LPC: "The (Gibson) Les Paul Custom, per 1972 spec, had a four-piece body: two layers of mahogany with a thin layer of maple in the middle and a carved maple top. -Premier Guitar article

.

Not sure if it changed in '72 but my '71 sunburst is cleary two layers of mahogany with a thin sandwhich but the top is three pieces. You can see the seems at each side of the top, like wings. They're only about 2 inches wide. Guess Gibson used up the last pieces of maple they had on hand that day...