Purchasing a Gibson Firebird: The Easiest Way to Access a Guitar Icon
It can be hard to get your hands on some of the top-notch guitars of yesteryear, but with platforms like eBay, you can find models like the Gibson Firebird used and new. The Gibson Firebird is a guitar that's known for its unique shape and original sound. There are different models of Firebirds, including the Firebird T and V models.
Do these guitars come with pickguards?The Gibson Firebird is known for its distinct pickguard. Unlike most other models of solid-body or hollow-body guitars, the Firebird usually has a pickguard that comes to a point near the bridge of the instrument. Just about every model of the Firebird comes with this unique design element, and some models even come with a pickguard on both sides of the neck.
Control the Firebird via specific knobsWhile the number of knobs can differ with this model, in general, there are usually four knobs to consider. These include the following:
- Volume knob: This volume knob works for the pickup that's closest to the neck of the guitar.
- Another volume knob: This second volume knob controls the volume on the pickup that's closest to the bridge of the guitar.
- Treble knob: This knob controls the tone for the treble and bass. It uses a 5-0-5 system for normal active electronics.
- Tone knob: This knob is used to control the tone of the guitar and is also designed to work with active electronic systems.
The whammy bar, which is also called the vibrato or tremolo bar, is designed to "warble" the tone of your guitar strums. The Firebird has been known to have three variations: a model without a vibrato, one with a wire-style vibrato bar, and a model with a Bigsby-style whammy bar. If you like to use vibratos in your music and don't want to bend the string manually, then purchasing a 2019 Gibson Firebird used or new could be a good idea.
What are some unique features of the Gibson Firebird studio?This guitar is known primarily for its unique design. Not only is it designed to look "reversed" compared to other guitars, but its headstock has a very asymmetrical shaping. Also, some models are cut so that the face of the guitar has the appearance that it's cut from two pieces of wood.
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