Bonamassa Signature Firebird I?

[Big Al]

I dont recall the "tummy cut" on my FBIII. It was a bone fide '63, that I ended up selling after 20+ years of ownership..for bone fide dough. Old brain, I guess.

The Epi FB I is a hell of a guitar. I'm very happy with it!

It is a small cut. For small bellies maybe??? I am very happy with mine too. They are very well made.


I thought all firebird neck/body center through sections were laminated. The early ones had les number of laminations IIRC than later but still laminated or multi piece.

[Dan Silverman]

Merry Christmas Big Al! The very early 63's did not have laminates. It didn't take Gibson long to realize that laminates were cheaper and, I guess, more sturdy than non-laminated. 76 Bi. Firebirds were also built without laminates and I think maybe one other model.

[reidmalips]

Dan, Merry Christmas...and THANK YOU! If it wasnt for your generosity, we wouldnt have these JB approved 'Birds to play with! I'm having a ball with mine! I just need to replace or age the very shiny hardware.

It looks great, feels fantastic and sounds awesome! Thanks again, sir!


Where the hell is Skamokawa??

[Dan Silverman]

You are very welcome and MERRY CHRISTMAS to you also!
Skamokawa is in S.W. Washington, half way between Longview and Longbeach, on the banks of the Columbia. I'm really happy that everyone, so far, is happy with their new "Birds. The BIG thank you goes to JBLP for doing this!!!!

[Stevie C.]

Treasure, early 63 production, has the body cut, but no laminates.

Dan, any idea why they would make the copies with 9ply bodies and necks, when the original Treasure doesn't even have this?

[Dan Silverman]

Stevie, my guess would be cost. You would to need some really nice mahogany slabs to make an original Firebird.
Also, I think that the Epi. is more of a "tribute" to Treasure. Either way, the Epi. Firebird is a great guitar! $799, you gotta be kidding me!!!
God, I sound like such a salesman!

[TM1]

Dan; Nice! The reason that Gibson went to the 9-ply Mahogany/Walnut lam's is that it strengthens the neck. Every other lamination has the grain running 180 degrees the opposite of the previous one. Makes for a strong board! Cuts way down on the amount of Rejects.. If they did a real replica of Treasure, you'd have to find some really strong, well aged Mahogany. I think the Mahogany that Epiphone is using is actually an Eastern Pacific type called "Nato".
I know where Skamokawa is! My daughter lives in Vancouver (near Portland) and works at the Washington State Transportation Dept.. she's the one that puts the messages up on the lighted Highway signs and and tells the crews which highway gets salted or graveled for the snowfall. She and my son grew up in Longview and Toutle.. I was up there in mid-August and visited Doug & Pat in Portland.
Thankas for "loaning" Joe the Firebird and I'm happy you approve of the version that Epiphone did!!

[Stevie C.]

Stevie, my guess would be cost. You would to need some really nice mahogany slabs to make an original Firebird.
Also, I think that the Epi. is more of a "tribute" to Treasure. Either way, the Epi. Firebird is a great guitar! $799, you gotta be kidding me!!!
God, I sound like such a salesman!

Thanks Dan, I can't wait for mine to arrive from Sweetwater. Wish I had ordered it from Joe's site!

[Robin B]

Garywright sorry I dont have any pics of the plastic tuners and I cant post attachments but if you look at Klusons website they have banjo pegs with the plastic buttons on them.http://www.kluson.com/vintage-diecast.html.http://www.ebay.ca/itm/SET-OF-6-KLUS...oAAOSwNphWZZ6l

[garywright]

thanks for the link ..I didn't know Kluson made those

[Cliff Gress]

They are still working on mine.

[TM1]

thanks for the link ..I didn't know Kluson made those

Yeah, they do and they're made better, more precise than the ones from the Sixties. WD Music Products owns Kluson and they do a great job of building them!

[58Lover]

Ive owned several Birds including my current other Firebird which is 76 2 pc center body section and Im happy to report I am totally happy with my new JB Firebird 1. I checked Epiphone site and the specs definitely say mahogany. Mine is mahogany. not the cheap multi pc bodies you would find on an Epiphone LP. Fit and finish is on par with Gibsons USA made Firebirds Ive owned and sold. Not Gibson Custom shop quality but what you would see on a regular USA made Firebird. matter of fact the only thing I don't care for is the color of the back of body and neck is very similar if not identical to some current US models Ive had. I wish the back would have been a little darker but it is what it is. Is this as good as a 3 to 4 thousand dollar Custom shop Firebird 1 ? probably not. Is it going to be worth boo coo bucks down the road ? very doubtful. What I do know is I've always wanted a Firebird 1 and this got my blue coller self into one for under a grand. I wouldn't mind getting another to be truthful. I lowered the action and tuned it up and it rings like a bell. I was hoping I got a good one and so far it seems I did. The board is very nice on mine and frets were polished and no sharp edges like you would find on other import guitars. Thing is a set of banjo style Klusons are over 100 bucks these days so I think overall its a very good deal. I may decide to have it refinished one day in vintage style nitro with a dark back but until then I'm going to play the thing. My current favorite this week. For what its worth I would probably never buy a import Epi LP simply because the body shape and especially the cutaway is wrong not too mention the multi piece bodies but Gibson USA are building SGs and LPs with cnc routed 2 pc bodies these days so...

What # is your '72?

[garywright]

Yeah, they do and they're made better, more precise than the ones from the Sixties. WD Music Products owns Kluson and they do a great job of building them!

Hey Don ...thanks, but I was referring to the plastic replacement tips Robin mentioned for banjo tuners ..I didn't know that those existed as a replacements for the standard metal tips ...do they really weigh that much less to prevent neck dive ?

[TM1]

Hey Don ...thanks, but I was referring to the plastic replacement tips Robin mentioned for banjo tuners ..I didn't know that those existed as a replacements for the standard metal tips ...do they really weigh that much less to prevent neck dive ?

No problem Gary!! thanks!

[Robin B]

Hey Don ...thanks, but I was referring to the plastic replacement tips Robin mentioned for banjo tuners ..I didn't know that those existed as a replacements for the standard metal tips ...do they really weigh that much less to prevent neck dive ?

Yes Gary they really do weigh that much less .The neck dive on my Bird wasn't too bad not like my 91 .I actually bought the buttons for my old bird but when I got the Epi bird I figured I try them on it as it had a little tendency to neck dive so I put them on it no more dive.By the way I just went and ordered another in sunburst
.

[TM1]

I'll have to order a couple of sets of those. I have a 2003 FB VII. Oddly enough I installed a a set of the Steinberger tuners on it and didn't like them. I ordered a set of the newer(within the last 18 months) FB Tuners and love them, but would like a little less weight. I don't have any neck-dive issues with it, but they looks nice.

[Big Al]

I can't find where the buttons alone are. They list the push on buttons for the guitar keys but do not offer any plastic keystone buttons that are screw on like the Kluson Bass Banjo Tuners. Do you have to make a special inquiry or am I missing the link?

[TM1]

Al; Look on the Kluson page and select Vintage Diecast machines:
KLUSON® FIREBIRD/BANJO WHITE PLASTIC KEYSTONE BUTTON W/SCREW AND WASHER (SET 6)

SKU: KFBKBP

Kluson reissue keystone buttons used on current Firebird, banjo, and bass tuners. Set of 6 comes complete with screws and washers. Please note that these buttons and screws DO NOT FIT Kluson original production banjo / Firebird tuners. We have increased the screw size and changed the button shaft dimensions as an improvement on the original design of the tuning machine.

[TM1]

Got mine!

[bizzwriter]

They are still working on mine.

Ha ha -- yeah -- my GAS ended up subsiding considerably while I was waiting (and got the word from AMS that sunbursts wouldn't be in stock until Feb 23rd). As a result, I decided to cancel my order and hang onto my Polaris White '63 SG Jr instead. It's all good!

[garywright]

I can't find where the buttons alone are. They list the push on buttons for the guitar keys but do not offer any plastic keystone buttons that are screw on like the Kluson Bass Banjo Tuners. Do you have to make a special inquiry or am I missing the link?

Hey Al ..if you go back to post #169 and click on the very bottom line the singular kluson buttons for sale will show

[TM1]

They are still working on mine.

Cliff; Hi! Where did this photo come from? To me it looks like either Kalamazoo in the mid 70's or New Nashville plant. The reason I say this is there's a woman in back with a 3- pickup LP Custom which would not have been the case in the early Sixties in Kalamazoo. Great shot! Thanks for posting!

[Amp360]

Got mine! Right out of the box the action was way too high at both the bridge & the Nut. The string height at the nut is very uneven with the G, low E and A strings being considerably higher than the others. The bridge height was 7/64" on the Treble side & 10/64" on the bass side. Would be great if I was just going to play slide guitar on it, but.. I wonder why they didn't fade in the black on the back edge like an original? The front has a decent pattern but pretty abrupt on the back.
But right out of the box it's un-playable and I'll have to spend 30-40 minutes setting it up..
i hope everyone else's is setup better..

Mine was almost in tune out of the box. Setup was nice as well.

[Cliff Gress]

Cliff; Hi! Where did this photo come from? To me it looks like either Kalamazoo in the mid 70's or New Nashville plant. The reason I say this is there's a woman in back with a 3- pickup LP Custom which would not have been the case in the early Sixties in Kalamazoo. Great shot! Thanks for posting!

Off of a Facebook group. Can't remember which now Don.

[TM1]

Off of a Facebook group. Can't remember which now Don.

[Elliot Easton]

Cliff; Hi! Where did this photo come from? To me it looks like either Kalamazoo in the mid 70's or New Nashville plant. The reason I say this is there's a woman in back with a 3- pickup LP Custom which would not have been the case in the early Sixties in Kalamazoo. Great shot! Thanks for posting!

Now Don, you know that with Gibson anything is possible!

[JLeone]

Now Don, you know that with Gibson anything is possible!

That could be a Les Paul Artisan.

[renderit]

Maybe those are Artesians! The kind women of Artesia building Gibsons Artisan guitfiddles! I have heard of this and I know Artesians well ! I used to gets me drinkin' water from them! Expensive though, but if they as a country have purchased all of these wells what are we to do? We had better have a good envoy to Artesia! I will volunteer. See you later, I needs to fill in me bona-fides...

[Arch D. Bunker]

Cliff; Hi! Where did this photo come from? To me it looks like either Kalamazoo in the mid 70's or New Nashville plant. The reason I say this is there's a woman in back with a 3- pickup LP Custom which would not have been the case in the early Sixties in Kalamazoo. Great shot! Thanks for posting!

Bird has no neck laminations - looks also like it has a shallower headstock angle than the early 60s ones, and left cavity routing peak is pointier like on the anniversary birds. Large headstock on the guitar being worked on by the lady at left? Plus the strange looking inlays of the 3 pup LP - I was thinking 'Artisan' initially, but my bet would be a Custom due to the size of the inlays, with reflections of the pearl blocks caused by the camera's flash.

That would mean mid 70s - but that old gal's outfit and hairstyle had me thinking at first..

[Robin B]

Mine was almost in tune out of the box. Setup was nice as well.

Mine was like TM1's the action was a mile high and the nut needed cutting way too high at the 1st fret didn't measure the action at the twelfth just took her home and did a set up.

[TM1]

Bird has no neck laminations - looks also like it has a shallower headstock angle than the early 60s ones, and left cavity routing peak is pointier like on the anniversary birds. Large headstock on the guitar being worked on by the lady at left? Plus the strange looking inlays of the 3 pup LP - I was thinking 'Artisan' initially, but my bet would be a Custom due to the size of the inlays, with reflections of the pearl blocks caused by the camera's flash.

That would mean mid 70s - but that old gal's outfit and hairstyle had me thinking at first..

I'm going to guess and say Mid-70's cause the racks the guitars are in are not the same as the ones used in the 50's & 60's. Those were wood rack then. The woman with the 3-pickup LP in the back looks to have a fancier type block inlay like the Artisan's had.
The Firebird however looks like it has a white finish or some other lighter colour. You can see some reflections in a few spots that only a finished guitar would have, so the laminations would not show in that case.. but the `76 Firebird did not have the 9-ply laminations like most of the Sixties Firebird's had..

[Cliff Gress]

Could it be Heritage?

[TM1]

Yeah, But I think Elliot nailed it!

[Stevie C.]

Any more reviews & pics of your new JB FB1's??

[Cliff Gress]

Yeah, But I think Elliot nailed it!

Perhaps. He did nail some solos though.

[TM1]

Perhaps. He did nail some solos though.

How could you not?
Elliot= Talent, Berklee School of Music, fellow bandmates with talent that some also graduated from Berklee and a born-in sense of musical hooks/melody + great tone!
Oh.. and he's a nice person..

[reidmalips]

Greetings! I put a MojoAxe lightweight aged compensated bridge on my 'Bird. Who sells nice studs to compliment the tailpiece?

[jhmp]

Only ONE PHOTO of a REFINISHED bird in the last three pages of this thread.
Photo's or it didn't happen...

[rockabilly69]

Greetings! I put a MojoAxe lightweight aged compensated bridge on my 'Bird. Who sells nice studs to compliment the tailpiece?

Tonepros http://www.musiciansfriend.com/acces...0Studs&index=4