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Bonamassa Signature Firebird I?

Robin B

Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2003
Messages
111
How wrong would it be for me to buy another and convert it to a Firebird III.I'm loving my Goldmist bird now thinking about ordering a sunburst.
 

burstman59

New member
Joined
Mar 10, 2002
Messages
1,753
How wrong would it be for me to buy another and convert it to a Firebird III.I'm loving my Goldmist bird now thinking about ordering a sunburst.

I was thinking the same thing or someone could make a really decent Allen Collins tribute model relatively inexpensive. I already have a vibrola unit from a 63 Firebird III.
 

Big Al

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
14,537
It came, I saw, got moist.

Not nitrol, but a beautifully glossy sunburst ala '63. Kluson tuners and neck heavy. The neck is a fatter flatter profile. Like a 60 made in 58. Very nice! The bar bridge, a modern lightning bolt is better than expected. Pickup sounds more vintage 63 than the typical Gibson of the last decade. I like it.

No regrets at all. My first Chinese guitar. An excellent looking and playing guitar. Punches well above its class. An absolute winner and a no brainer at this price.
 

TM1

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Messages
8,349
It came, I saw, got moist.

Not nitrol, but a beautifully glossy sunburst ala '63. Kluson tuners and neck heavy. The neck is a fatter flatter profile. Like a 60 made in 58. Very nice! The bar bridge, a modern lightning bolt is better than expected. Pickup sounds more vintage 63 than the typical Gibson of the last decade. I like it.

No regrets at all. My first Chinese guitar. An excellent looking and playing guitar. Punches well above its class. An absolute winner and a no brainer at this price.
Nice Al! I should have mine by Friday! Too bad they didn't get Terada in Japan to build these like they did with the Epiphone Elite/Elitist guitars.. But I've got a good set of pots & real "Reflector Knobs" to put in it..
 

Big Al

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Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
14,537
Nice Al! I should have mine by Friday! Too bad they didn't get Terada in Japan to build these like they did with the Epiphone Elite/Elitist guitars.. But I've got a good set of pots & real "Reflector Knobs" to put in it..

Yes, I was hoping for the Japanese build to. The pickup is vintage low output, made lower by the distance from the strings. The wraptail bridge is raised up more than my old 63 FB III. Action is good and the pickup is raised as high as it can go, which still puts it well below the strings.

I just have to have 6100 frets so that is in its future, but the stock frets are well done, I just prefer big tall frets.


Not sure of the wood type. It is something like Nato, it is not Honduran or other mahogany. Certainly not Sapele, which I would have prefered. Still it looks close, is light and sounds good.
 

bizzwriter

Active member
Joined
Oct 23, 2002
Messages
975
I will eagerly await your review Big Al. Mine is coming via Sweetwater in February.

Wow -- AMS just changed it's "expected in stock" date for the sunburst from December 23, 2016 to February 23, 2017. Not a happy camper...
 

TM1

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Messages
8,349
Yes, I was hoping for the Japanese build to. The pickup is vintage low output, made lower by the distance from the strings. The wraptail bridge is raised up more than my old 63 FB III. Action is good and the pickup is raised as high as it can go, which still puts it well below the strings.

I just have to have 6100 frets so that is in its future, but the stock frets are well done, I just prefer big tall frets.


Not sure of the wood type. It is something like Nato, it is not Honduran or other mahogany. Certainly not Sapele, which I would have prefered. Still it looks close, is light and sounds good.

Hmm, suppose to be real Mahogany and Walnut. You can always pull the pickup and remover or even cut the springs to get it higher. How's the sustain and evenness of the notes? Neck angle is suppose to be modeled after Joe's `63. Maybe the early Fb's had a slightly different neck pitch(?).
Mine will be here next Tuesday according to the shipping info Michelle sent me! Yeah! I'm going to try an ABM Bell Brass wrapover bridge on it. It's compensated so should work..
Al, is the pickup bright or more on the warm side?
Thanks!!

BTW, would love to see some photos from folks who've gotten theirs!! Thanks!
 

Big Al

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
14,537
Hmm, suppose to be real Mahogany and Walnut. You can always pull the pickup and remover or even cut the springs to get it higher. How's the sustain and evenness of the notes? Neck angle is suppose to be modeled after Joe's `63. Maybe the early Fb's had a slightly different neck pitch(?).
Mine will be here next Tuesday according to the shipping info Michelle sent me! Yeah! I'm going to try an ABM Bell Brass wrapover bridge on it. It's compensated so should work..
Al, is the pickup bright or more on the warm side?
Thanks!!

BTW, would love to see some photos from folks who've gotten theirs!! Thanks!

It is pleasantly bright and full sounding. Warm without treble loss and no glass shards. Responds beautifuly to volume and tone pot roll back. I will probably make some changes when I refret it.

I have seen a lot of Asian guitars marketed as "Mahogany" that are Asian or African varieties of look alike unrelated species. Like the "Korina" V and Explorer. These look nice, but if you know your woods you will notice. Close enough at this price.

The nicest China Made guitar I've encountered. I still can't play. I had Nick play while I listened and changed settings. His impressions too.
 

Amp360

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 16, 2012
Messages
852
I've had mine for about a month or so. It's the same 'mahogany' as the Epiphone Les Paul guitars I've seen. I stripped mine, had it refinished in ember red and put an old wrap around from the 60s in it along with a Lollar.

There was a lot of finish on it. Once that came off even tapping the guitar was a lot louder and I swear it was 1/4 lb lighter. The really weird thing is that the signature on the back of the neck wouldn't come off even when it was sanded. I have no idea what kind of pen or stamp they used, but it was still there even when it was bare wood on the neck.

For the money it's a neat guitar. I'm doing a tour in April and just am using mine for slide so I wanted something that looked cool. I paid $40 for the pickup and another $40 for the bridge. Big improvements.

The Lollar is a little bit lower output, which I like. 7.43 vs 7.60 if you care about ohms. The tone is a lot sweeter and IMHO better. The Epi was a little anemic, but keep in mind I play clean and didn't spend much time with it. This was also through a Tweed Twin and Vibrolux. I don't fault the Epi at all, as the guitar is $700 and the Lollar is $150.

The bridge Epiphone made seems to be a tiny bit heavier. They're pretty close, though. The Epi one may be pot metal, I can't tell what it is. The tuners are, in deed, Kluson and stamped as such if you take them off.
 
Last edited:

Amp360

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 16, 2012
Messages
852
The only one I saw used was $950, but I guess it comes down to what you're looking for. Mine cost me $664.83 shipped. It wasn't free, but I thought it would be a cool guitar to play slide on for a few songs and it's given me a project to work on while I'm not doing all that much.

To each their own. I don't play golf or have any bills, so if repainting a guitar and buying some parts is going to be fun I'm not worried it's going to bankrupt me.

I have an Elliot Easton Firebird that I really like, but setting it up for slide wasn't worth it to me because I use it for a lot of other things quite a bit.
 

Stevie C.

Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2011
Messages
126
I've had mine for about a month or so. It's the same 'mahogany' as the Epiphone Les Paul guitars I've seen. I stripped mine, had it refinished in ember red and put an old wrap around from the 60s in it along with a Lollar.

There was a lot of finish on it. Once that came off even tapping the guitar was a lot louder and I swear it was 1/4 lb lighter. The really weird thing is that the signature on the back of the neck wouldn't come off even when it was sanded. I have no idea what kind of pen or stamp they used, but it was still there even when it was bare wood on the neck.

For the money it's a neat guitar. I'm doing a tour in April and just am using mine for slide so I wanted something that looked cool. I paid $40 for the pickup and another $40 for the bridge. Big improvements.

The Lollar is a little bit lower output, which I like. 7.43 vs 7.60 if you care about ohms. The tone is a lot sweeter and IMHO better. The Epi was a little anemic, but keep in mind I play clean and didn't spend much time with it. This was also through a Tweed Twin and Vibrolux. I don't fault the Epi at all, as the guitar is $700 and the Lollar is $150.

The bridge Epiphone made seems to be a tiny bit heavier. They're pretty close, though. The Epi one may be pot metal, I can't tell what it is. The tuners are, in deed, Kluson and stamped as such if you take them off.

You've had a Bonamassa Firebird I for a month?? How did you get it so early? Any you've already stripped it and painted it??
 

Amp360

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 16, 2012
Messages
852
I know a man who knows a man. I can post photos for you later if you want. I haven't gotten it all together yet but I have the photos of the process. It takes a while before they can do the final buffing and polishing, so it's just been waiting for those steps in their shop.
 
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