• Guys, we've spent considerable money converting the Les Paul Forum to this new XenForo platform, and we have ongoing monthly operating expenses. THE "DONATIONS" TAB IS NOW WORKING, AND WE WOULD APPRECIATE ANY DONATIONS YOU CAN MAKE TO KEEP THE LES PAUL FORUM GOING! Thank you!

Joe B Firebird I/Treasure. What's everyone think?

gretsch8217

Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2001
Messages
39
Here's my take on it. I think it's a nice guitar for the money. I bought mine (sunburst finish) from the original owner and got it for a good price. That being said, I can't comment on the set up 'right out of the box'. When I bought it, it had, what I believe to be, the original, light gauge (.009?) strings and played great.

As with most import guitars, there was room for improvement. The guitar is very light and resonant, but top heavy due to the banjo tuners. Not surprising, but much more so than my '96 FB Reissue.

Before I made the changes, the guitar sounded thin to my ears. I'm sure the lighter strings had something, but not all, to do with it. The following, what I believe to be, improvements were made:

1. Replaced stock pots with 500K volume and 250K tone pots from a '64 Epiphone Olympic. Added a paper in oil capacitor.
2. Replaced the output jack with one from the same Olympic.
3. Replaced original bushings, studs and tailpiece with Mojoaxe steel studs and bushing and their compensated tailpiece.
4. Replaced original pickup, which wasn't all that bad, with a custom wound Jon Moore modified FB pickup. Pickup has steel slugs in the coils and an alnico II magnet underneath. Kind of like a faux minihumbucker.
5. Restrung it with D'Addario 010's.

The guitar, to my ears sounds less thin now, and not as offensive in the high end. Other than the hardware items, everything else was from my parts stash, so the mods didn't cost me much.

Now, my question to others who own this guitar is, do you have any issue with the steep neck angle? I ask because mine is such that the tailpiece sits very high off the body. I'm guessing that the necks were cut from blanks using a CNC machine, so they all should be consistent.

Does anyone else have this issue?
 
Last edited:

latkagravas

Member
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Messages
86
Here's my take on it. I think it's a nice guitar for the money. I bought mine (sunburst finish) from the original owner and got it for a good price. That being said, I can't comment on the set up 'right out of the box'. When I bought it, it had, what I believe to be, the original, light gauge (.009?) strings and played great.

As with most import guitars, there was room for improvement. The guitar is very light and resonant, but top heavy due to the banjo tuners. Not surprising, but much more so than my '96 FB Reissue.

Before I made the changes, the guitar sounded thin to my ears. I'm sure the lighter strings had something, but not all, to do with it. The following, what I believe to be, improvements were made:

1. Replaced stock pots with 500K volume and 250K tone pots from a '64 Epiphone Olympic. Added a paper in oil capacitor.
2. Replaced the output jack with one from the same Olympic.
3. Replaced original bushings, studs and tailpiece with Mojoaxe steel studs and bushing and their compensated tailpiece.
4. Replaced original pickup, which wasn't all that bad, with a custom wound Jon Moore modified FB pickup. Pickup has steel slugs in the coils and an alnico II magnet underneath. Kind of like a faux minihumbucker.
5. Restrung it with D'Addario 010's.

The guitar, to my ears sounds less thin now, and not as offensive in the high end. Other than the hardware items, everything else was from my parts stash, so the mods didn't cost me much.

Now, my question to others who own this guitar is, do you have any issue with the steep neck angle? I ask because mine is such that the tailpiece sits very high off the body. I'm guessing that the neck were cut from blanks using a CNC machine, so they all should be consistent.

Does anyone else have this issue?

yes, at the treble side
 

AA00475Bassman

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 26, 2016
Messages
3,769
I think we have seen the violin syndrome across the range at Gibson , the Violin syndrome will cause me to take a pass when shopping guitars .
 

gmann

Well-known member
Joined
May 26, 2003
Messages
6,147
Here's my take on it. I think it's a nice guitar for the money. I bought mine (sunburst finish) from the original owner and got it for a good price. That being said, I can't comment on the set up 'right out of the box'. When I bought it, it had, what I believe to be, the original, light gauge (.009?) strings and played great.

As with most import guitars, there was room for improvement. The guitar is very light and resonant, but top heavy due to the banjo tuners. Not surprising, but much more so than my '96 FB Reissue.

Before I made the changes, the guitar sounded thin to my ears. I'm sure the lighter strings had something, but not all, to do with it. The following, what I believe to be, improvements were made:

1. Replaced stock pots with 500K volume and 250K tone pots from a '64 Epiphone Olympic. Added a paper in oil capacitor.
2. Replaced the output jack with one from the same Olympic.
3. Replaced original bushings, studs and tailpiece with Mojoaxe steel studs and bushing and their compensated tailpiece.
4. Replaced original pickup, which wasn't all that bad, with a custom wound Jon Moore modified FB pickup. Pickup has steel slugs in the coils and an alnico II magnet underneath. Kind of like a faux minihumbucker.
5. Restrung it with D'Addario 010's.

The guitar, to my ears sounds less thin now, and not as offensive in the high end. Other than the hardware items, everything else was from my parts stash, so the mods didn't cost me much.

Now, my question to others who own this guitar is, do you have any issue with the steep neck angle? I ask because mine is such that the tailpiece sits very high off the body. I'm guessing that the necks were cut from blanks using a CNC machine, so they all should be consistent.

Does anyone else have this issue?

Mine was on the high side compared to other FB's I've owned but not excessively so. FWIW I did the same mods as you 'cept for a SD Antiquity pup. Great guitar and mines not neck heavy, well maybe a little but it doesn't dive.
 

gretsch8217

Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2001
Messages
39
I want a Bird. What would you get? USA Firebird V or a Epi Bonnabird?

I would recommend looking for a late 90's or early 2000's reissue. I've seen them in the $1200 range, which is what you'd pay for a newer one, which IMHO, are of lesser quality.
 

AA00475Bassman

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 26, 2016
Messages
3,769
I own several Firebirds I agree if you going for a USA model go early 90's , my USA 2016 has a neck profile IMO most buyers would not care for . My Historic birds are killer !
 

captainvideo

New member
Joined
Aug 14, 2016
Messages
87
I had a 2016. Or whichever year they were 999 with a gig bag. The neck was too thin for me. But I really like the look of them, the balance, feel, sound, etc.
 

AA00475Bassman

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 26, 2016
Messages
3,769
I had a 2016. Or whichever year they were 999 with a gig bag. The neck was too thin for me. But I really like the look of them, the balance, feel, sound, etc.
Very thin but very stable I change out everything but tuners & TRC
 
Top