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Daniel Lanois and his Firebirds

G

gtrfinder

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Dec 19, 2007
Messages
300
I'm on a Firebird kick lately. To me that are one of the coolest and most unique designs ever, and they really represent a unique era of American history (car culture, custom colors, etc...). I also think of them a one of Gibson's answers to the Stratocaster. I imagine the marketing meetings were particularly interesting listening to Ted McCarty and a car designer Ray Dietrich sell the design and color schemes to the board.

Anyways, on to the subject at hand.
Lanois is the person I most associate with Firebirds, as I'm too young to have experienced the Johnny Winter phenomenon. He is one of the only prominent people who I listen to who seems to play them on a relatively regular basis. From some of the pictures I've seen it looks like he has a bunch of them.
I'll bet that some here on the forum know alot more about him than I do, so I just thought I'd open this up for discussion and picture sharing. Feel free to contribute whatever you wish.

Here is one shot to get started:

LanoisFBVIII.jpg


Thanks!
 
frazettafan

frazettafan

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Oct 28, 2006
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I don't know too much about him, never knew he played a Firebird, but "Shine" is one of my favourite ever albums. He's a talented guy.
 
tooold

tooold

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Jul 31, 2006
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He plays a couple of vintage Firebirds in the "This Is What It Is" DVD. His book "Soul Mining" is worth reading, an interesting perspective on performance and recording. And his latest project, Black Dub, is fantastic. I guess I'm a fan...
 
Art Werck

Art Werck

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Mar 17, 2003
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shine and Acadie are great albums. I saw DL last summer Harvest picnic in Ancaster/Hamilton ON. Very enjoyable day. DL jammed or sang with every guest on the bill. There was space for about 10,000 and I think a little over 5,000 showed up. Beautiful day, hope he does it again next year.
 
tooold

tooold

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plexi69 said:
When I think Firebirds, I think Keith and Brian.
Click to expand...

Fair enough, the images are iconic, but it was the same FBVII they both used, wasn't it? And can you point me to one Stones track (on an album) where the sound of a Firebird is identifiable? I'm a huge Stones fan, so it's not that I'm dissing them.

Maybe you don't know DL, maybe you do and don't like him, but he's been a Firebird player (and P-90 LP player) for a long time, and the sounds are distinctive.
 
Y

yeti

Guest
I've only held and played one FB in my life, a bicentennial and it was really top-heavy and sounded completly dull and lifeless. Yet the tones I hear on records, videos ( just check Joe B's. clips with his new loaner FB) are fabulous. Are they all top heavy? Wich PU's deliver the tone I'm in love with. How much $ does it require to get that tone? Are the reissues any good?
Thanks in advance:jim
 
tooold

tooold

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2,071
yeti said:
I've only held and played one FB in my life, a bicentennial and it was really top-heavy and sounded completly dull and lifeless. Yet the tones I hear on records, videos ( just check Joe B's. clips with his new loaner FB) are fabulous. Are they all top heavy? Wich PU's deliver the tone I'm in love with. How much $ does it require to get that tone? Are the reissues any good?
Thanks in advance:jim
Click to expand...

Kerry (j45) is the best guy to talk about Firebirds, but I'll take a stab at it. My problem is I've never played a new one. I know Kerry had several reissues (in addition to a bunch of old ones, one of which I now have) and liked a couple, didn't like some others.

The new FB pickups are ceramic magnet versions and, from all reports, are nothing like the old ones. I've used the Seymour Duncan remakes, which are pretty good, but hotter output and a little midrange-ier.

The neck-heavy thing doesn't bother me, but I'm not gigging with them. The banjo tuners are the culprit, I know some people have replaced them with the Steinberger tuners that really cut down on the weight. I may try some on a beater FBI I need to refinish.

A good Firebird to me is one of the great tonal options, somewhere on a line that includes a DeArmond-equipped Duo-Jet. Nothing else sounds like them. I like them better on the clean side, but they can rock very well, as you've heard. Kerry and others love the upper-fret access, but I don't play up high, so that's no big deal for me.
 
G

gtrfinder

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Dec 19, 2007
Messages
300
To me they're just badass guitars. I've owned a couple and the old ones are my favorites. The old pickups are really half the equation. The good ones are very present without being too harsh, but those seem to be the exception rather than the rule. Some of the earliest ones from '63 and '64 aren't neck heavy (especially with the Lyre to balance out the body), but any problems I had with neck dive were fixed with the right size strap.
I've heard that some of the early FB I's were south of 6 pounds, which just boggles my mind.
 
Shakeyjake

Shakeyjake

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Joined
Sep 18, 2007
Messages
158
I bought a 76 Bird a few months ago..very light.

Using the rear strap button and wide strap have no issues with balance.

I was worried about the PU's after reading the later Re Issues have ceramic but my Bicent has Alnico I believe ? not brittle at all and not crazy hot like the post 80 Birds.

Bought this after becoming a Lanois junkie..pared with a 64 AC30 and SDD3000 IT JUST ROCKS :peace2
 
Shakeyjake

Shakeyjake

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Sep 18, 2007
Messages
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I don't see Dan using them these day's or the VOX AC30's.
He is digging that Tweed sound too much.

Think he uses the Celestion Silver/Blue in them.
Vibrolux,Harvard Deluxe etc.

Miss those FB tones from him.
 
Anje

Anje

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Jan 3, 2002
Messages
1,170
Sublime photo gtrfinder!
The old 60's early ones are unique to me, in feel, tone,.. great instruments.
The few I've played (model III) were not neck heavy, balance was good standing up. When playing seated though I remember that hands are more pulled to the left due to the neck / bridge position compared to the body shape, so you get the same kind of feel than when playing an explorer for instance.
 
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