Gibsons Johnny Winter Firebird

[fillmore nyc]

So this is Gibsons "Inspired By" Johnny Winter Firebird. It actually is a really nice guitar, but as mentioned in another thread, has some really shitty pickups, among other (correctable) issues. Gibson, in their infinite wisdom (apparently "wisdom" is a synonym for "cheap-ass business ethics") decided that they had a few too many generic USA Firebird pickups laying around, so instead of "doing the right thing" and tooling up for some original spec Firebird pickups, they just used their existing stock of "phillips head jammed into the ear" high output FB pickups... in their $7.5k "painstaking, no detail overlooked" replica of a '63 Firebird V.
I've owned a bunch of old Firebirds, and NOT ONE had pickups that read 16.05k on the neck, and 24.1k on the bridge. Original 'Birds read around 5k-7k (at the most), and are much more throaty, albeit with less output than these pickups.
Thats issue #1.

Issue #2:
This was a brand new, never owned guitar. Every nut, bolt, washer and screw on the guitar was either loose, or totally out of adjustment. The bridge pickups mounting spring ws so short and compressed that the pickup flopped around 1/4" in its mounting ring. The 3 way switch securing "ring" (not really a nut) was almost ready to fall off, leaving the 3 way banging around on the pickguard. The volume and tone knobs rotated about 30 degrees more than they should have, cause the pots were all loose, pulling at the wires in the control cav. That, of course, allowed the "finger scalpel" knob position indicators to rotate 360 degrees, just looking for an unsuspecting finger to lacerate.
Intonation??? We dont need no stinkin' intonation!! Wasnt even CLOSE to close. I'd go as far as saying that it COULNDT have been checked or adjusted, and that goes for the truss rod as well.

Anyway, after 3 hours or so of work to correct Gibsons "Custom Shop Treatment", the guitar is ready to play, and actually plays really well, as long as pickups designed to perforate eardrums are acceptable. (With me, they're not).

I SOOO wish I didnt love the feel of Gibsons, cause if there was an acceptable substitute out there, I'd never buy another Gibson EVER. Thankfully, I got this guitar at considerably less than the $7.5k they usually go for, so swapping out the pickups wouldnt be a tragedy, but the whole point is that regardless of what ANYONE pays for a custom shop guitar, changing pickups shouldnt even be a consideration.

[frenchie]

Damn pityfull how industry turned i played a real black 74' one day , firebirds rock , but are VERY heavy ...
you plan to swap pups with which brand fill ?

[fillmore nyc]

you plan to swap pups with which brand fill ?

Well, I have a pair of Duncan Antiquity Firebird pickups that would probably fit the bill, but I might go with something a little fancier, like Lollars, or maybe Ill see if ol' Jim at WCR would wind me up a set. If he doesnt have Firebird pickup parts, I could always send him the Duncan pickups that I already have.
It just sucks that changing pickups would even be a consideration, much less a necessity, all due to Gibsons lack of pride in their products. The fact that they have no conscience whatsoever about doing this sort of shit is really mind blowing, considering what they charge for a guitar like this.

[fillmore nyc]

Just BTW--A few old, dear friends that DO NOT like whats going on here!!
(Kinda almost looks like march of the wooden soldiers)

(Sorry for the fuzzy-ness... its an old pic)

[frenchie]

Just BTW--A few old, dear friends that DO NOT like whats going on here!!
(Kinda almost looks like march of the wooden soldiers)

(Sorry for the fuzzy-ness... its an old pic)

ALL YOURS ?
your assort them your tee shirts by colors ?

[yngwie308]

Is that called a gaggle of Firebirds, or a flock...??
Years ago I when I was in NYC to see Gary Moore on his After Hours tour, I stopped by Rudy's Music Stop on 48th St. They had a Gibson Hysterical, I mean Historic Les Paul in the window.
The topic came up inside the store of Gibson Custom Shop. They told me that Mark Knopfler had a burst made for him by Gibson, this is at just before the release of the Historics in '93-'94, and it basically required extensive reworking just to be playable. And we are talking refretting,ect.
I had related the tale of my Gary Moore Heritages and my necessity to have them refretted and have the hardware changed, ect. Not that they were made completely wrong or anything, just the frets on mine were horrible and the neck on one was replaned by John Zeidler when he redid them. I was suprised that a rockstar client like Knopfler would be treated this way, ect. his was way before Mark had his real '58, ect.
They told me that the guitar was an utter dissapointment to Mark, "Money For Nothing".. .!!
I am not suprised by the off the shelf, generic approach to the pickup selection either, unfortunately. The new Yngwie Malmsteen "Play Loud" guitar as it is now called, has regular production DiMarzio HS-3's fitted along with the stock Fender pickup in the middle, although on the real guitar they were early DiMarzio prototypes of HS-3's with probably different specs than the production models. It seems they only consider pickups as a last resort, as important as they are to the equation.
yngwie308

[lcampz]

I know people who work for and used to work for Gibson. Suffice it to say, the only Gibson I own is a '64 acoustic. If I'm seen with anything else that looks like, smells like and truly sounds like a Gibson... ...trust me, it ain't.

Just don't blame the workers. They aren't the ones calling the shots.

[fillmore nyc]

Just don't blame the workers. They aren't the ones calling the shots.

Myself having worked for a HUGE international corporation (RWE, based in Essen, Germany http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RWE" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) I believe that 1000%, Icampz.

[fillmore nyc]

Is that called a gaggle of Firebirds, or a flock...??
Years ago I when I was in NYC to see Gary Moore on his After Hours tour, I stopped by Rudy's Music Stop on 48th St. They had a Gibson Hysterical, I mean Historic Les Paul in the window.
The topic came up inside the store of Gibson Custom Shop. They told me that Mark Knopfler had a burst made for him by Gibson, this is at just before the release of the Historics in '93-'94, and it basically required extensive reworking just to be playable. And we are talking refretting,ect.
I had related the tale of my Gary Moore Heritages and my necessity to have them refretted and have the hardware changed, ect. Not that they were made completely wrong or anything, just the frets on mine were horrible and the neck on one was replaned by John Zeidler when he redid them. I was suprised that a rockstar client like Knopfler would be treated this way, ect. his was way before Mark had his real '58, ect.
They told me that the guitar was an utter dissapointment to Mark, "Money For Nothing".. .!!
I am not suprised by the off the shelf, generic approach to the pickup selection either, unfortunately. The new Yngwie Malmsteen "Play Loud" guitar as it is now called, has regular production DiMarzio HS-3's fitted along with the stock Fender pickup in the middle, although on the real guitar they were early DiMarzio prototypes of HS-3's with probably different specs than the production models. It seems they only consider pickups as a last resort, as important as they are to the equation.
yngwie308

Unless Im wrong about this, the only guitars that are reasonably close to a replicas are the relic'd Strats and Teles of late. It seems as if Fender really tries to get it right. Gibson just makes me sick. The shit they manage to pass off (to suckers like me ) is really pretty incredible. I have seen SO many screw-ups by that company that its just impossible to write the whole thing off as coincidence. Guitars with backbowed necks, neck & bridge pickups reversed, the aforementioned "relaxed" hardware fasteners . It would be great if they had the quality control of PRS, or Godin, but I guess we wont be seeing THAT anytime soon.
Speaking of Godins, IMO, they are the relatively undiscovered gems of the guitar world. They make a real nice product, they're not run-of-the-mill, and beats literally EVERYONE at the bang for the buck game. I own 6 of them, and I really love 'em all.

Is that called a gaggle of Firebirds, or a flock...??
yngwie308

Dave, I just call 'em BOB. (Bunch 'O Birds!!)

[frenchie]

real french lags (not chinese ones) are very huge quality too;

http://www.laboitenoiredumusicien.com/i ... -AMS-B.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

i own one .....loaded with the right pups they beats every gibson i tried ( yeah even the vintages ones)

[yngwie308]

Yes +1000 on the Godin's, the Multiac SA I played was of superior quality and I was suprised pleasantly by the price.
I am sickened by the syncophantic drivel, (mostly) on the Gibson forum, you know the one, LOL, the best Gibson's are made by private luthiers, like my '56-'52 Goldtop, using Gibson stuff it is the best Gibson I have played!!
yngwie308

[philmanatee]

I'm as guilty as the next guy of really digging the look of classic gibson and fender guitars. I have been repeatedly pissed off at the lack of quality control on gibsons alleged high end reissues. I was recently loaned a 1980 yamaha sbg-2000 by a friend to try out. I can't believe what a great guitar it is, my gibsons now come to the gig as spares! Phil

[frenchie]

never saw a stock gibson with such a color and finition , just have a look ;

http://www.laboitenoiredumusicien.com/i ... -BDN-B.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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

[Flames1950]

I was recently loaned a 1980 yamaha sbg-2000 by a friend to try out. I can't believe what a great guitar it is, my gibsons now come to the gig as spares! Phil

Same with Ibanez Artists of that era, killer guitars. My '82 is pretty whipped though, so if I get to playing out again it will stay at home.

[fillmore nyc]

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!!