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

Big Al

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
14,537
I just pulled mine out again and even though I have my issues with my left arm, (I also fell and broke my left hand), I wanted to check it out and I have to say, the action is perfect, the neck is dead on straight and it plays and sounds fantastic. I cannot play much right now, for obvious reasons, but my son is always willing to do so for me and we have these little evaluation sessions that make for great father son bonding. Nick is 31 now and it is nice to spend time with him sharing this stuff.

I find almost everything about this guitar appealing. It looks great, I have a burst. I would rather have had a lacquer finish but really for 8 bills I win't complaining. The pickup, in our estimation has a very woody vintage sound and is not a high output fire breather, but it has a very nice vintage type tonality. I was surprised as I expected not to like it at all, but it interfaces with my vintage and modern amps well and has that more Fendery single coil type tone that I kinda like. It responds very well to tone and volume pot changes and works great with pedals. I like it.

The bridge works very well and intonation is not a problem, at all.

We both feel the frets are too low. The vintage types may like them, but both Nick and I prefer the Dunlop 6100 type of tall/wide fret and I see a refret in the future.

The Klusons are just like every other Banjo Kluson I have used on my vintage and reissue Firebirds and they are what they are. I like the fact that they are there and they bug me for the same reasons the originals did, but I am happy to deal with it and it isn't a problem.

The finish is good and the burst well applied, but it is thick poly and I may do a refine when I regret it, I haven't decided yet. Still, I can live with this, it isn't bad just not vintage.

I would prefer nickel hardware and I may change it all out, but it isn't that important to me right know and the Klusons are chrome I think so I don't know if I can even get them in nickel.

Pots got to go.

Still, this is an excellent guitar, nit picking aside, and I have no regrets for having bought mine. In fact I am rather pleased as I have always wanted a Firebird I and this has proven to be a good one. They are all gone now right? I mean sold out? So glad I got mine. I may grab a used one when they start popping up and go nuts modding it out and doing a refine in a custom color.
 

Lenny

Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2002
Messages
967

Thanks Stevie. I had mine wired this way but have switched to the 50's wiring and it sounds 10 times better now. The treble doesn't vanish when rolling off the volume and the tone pot has a perfect sweep.
 

AA00475Bassman

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 26, 2016
Messages
3,769
You can still buy nickel Kluson firebird tuners 119.00 , I have owned 7 Firebird's over 40 years never had a problem other than i find banjo style hard to operate .
 

Big Al

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
14,537
I thought the hardware WAS nickel. The pickup certainly is.

You might be right. I haven't bought a guity with shiny new nickle plate for so long I saw shine and thought chrome. It doesn't look like any of my vintage nickle hardware.
 

Uncle Gary

Active member
Joined
Oct 15, 2006
Messages
2,431
You might be right. I haven't bought a guity with shiny new nickle plate for so long I saw shine and thought chrome. It doesn't look like any of my vintage nickle hardware.

FWIW, the Kluson banjo tuners ARE available in nickel finish. I put a set on my '14 Firebird V last winter. I know, I know, I'm crazy. I admit it.
 

Roe

Member
Joined
Apr 6, 2006
Messages
463
mine came with large frets, similar to Jumbo - almost perfect for me (I prefer 57110S - jescar stainless jumbos)
 

Moderne

Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2011
Messages
56
Mine just arrived two days ago.

The neck was so bowed as to make it unplayable. After I set it up, it played terrible and sounded just as bad. Maybe I got a lemon but it was nothing like I was expecting. I have a few other Epiphones that are very nice instruments so I'm not sure what to think

I'm returning it. I was very excited to get it too.

It certainly looks cool and the finish is very nice.

the rest I have to pass on.
 

TM1

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Messages
8,349
Mine just arrived two days ago.

The neck was so bowed as to make it unplayable. After I set it up, it played terrible and sounded just as bad. Maybe I got a lemon but it was nothing like I was expecting. I have a few other Epiphones that are very nice instruments so I'm not sure what to think

I'm returning it. I was very excited to get it too.

It certainly looks cool and the finish is very nice.

the rest I have to pass on.

Ah man, that's too bad. They're nice when they're setup right and most of the ones I've seen were great right out of the box. Mine needed a tweak of the TR and a little file action on the nut. I eventually installed a Nylon Nut like the early Sixties ones would have had.
LPForum member Randk is making them with a CNC and selling them on Ebay and I think also in the classifieds here.. they're worth every bit of the $18.00
 

AA00475Bassman

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 26, 2016
Messages
3,769
Mine just arrived two days ago.

The neck was so bowed as to make it unplayable. After I set it up, it played terrible and sounded just as bad. Maybe I got a lemon but it was nothing like I was expecting. I have a few other Epiphones that are very nice instruments so I'm not sure what to think

I'm returning it. I was very excited to get it too.

It certainly looks cool and the finish is very nice.

the rest I have to pass on.

I was thinking of buying one after reading this I'm glad i bought a 2014 firebird V last week .
 

rockabilly69

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 29, 2001
Messages
2,872
I was thinking of buying one after reading this I'm glad i bought a 2014 firebird V last week .

My 2013 Firebird is a STELLAR instrument, although I did gut it, replacing all of the electronics and hardware, except the Steinberger tuners which after a learning curve, I've grown to love, and I hate banjo tuners, which I've had a few that were plain terrible on two different 'birds. I only gutted it to sound more vintage, but it sounded great out of the box!

Here it is... https://soundcloud.com/daniel-weldon-1/firebird-and-victoria
 

Roe

Member
Joined
Apr 6, 2006
Messages
463
Ah man, that's too bad. They're nice when they're setup right and most of the ones I've seen were great right out of the box. Mine needed a tweak of the TR and a little file action on the nut. I eventually installed a Nylon Nut like the early Sixties ones would have had.
LPForum member Randk is making them with a CNC and selling them on Ebay and I think also in the classifieds here.. they're worth every bit of the $18.00

Mine is great but it needed quite a bit of truss-rod adjustment (neck was bowed) and some setup. Its almost perfect now
 

AA00475Bassman

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 26, 2016
Messages
3,769
My 2013 Firebird is a STELLAR instrument, although I did gut it, replacing all of the electronics and hardware, except the Steinberger tuners which after a learning curve, I've grown to love, and I hate banjo tuners, which I've had a few that were plain terrible on two different 'birds. I only gutted it to sound more vintage, but it sounded great out of the box!

Here it is... https://soundcloud.com/daniel-weldon-1/firebird-and-victoria

You really can play , enjoyed the clip as always !
 

becks bolero

New member
Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
1,810
damn, that is great, as always!

did you put your album out yet??? lemme know, I'll buy it

I played a JB bird at a store, really liked it.

I may pick one up, eventually, but I just got a custom '63 firebird repro built. can't justify it.

too many gtrs, not enough time to play
 

PeterAleva

New member
Joined
Sep 8, 2017
Messages
1
Joe B Firebird I/Treasure Whats everyone think

I'd love to fix it, but it is water damage. I've been thinking on getting another one for a while now and I think the unibios should be fine to swap out. I guess I haven't had time, but you know what? I've got a week off in December and i'll put this on my list.
 
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