Gibson Firebird “Reverse” 1963-1965: The Short-Lived Vintage Originals

BTR#58 - A special double-length episode dedicated to one of the most iconic guitar models ever.
“Weird body shape, wrong balance, heavy-weight, unusable tuners and unstable intonation, poor sounding pickups with horrible rings, bizarre construction, goofy vibrato tailpiece, uncomfortable position of switch and knobs”: that’s how a Gibson Firebird is described by its detractors.
But, let’s grant these guitars the benefit of doubt, so we can make our own judgement.
I recently had the chance to test in my studio, an original vintage Gibson Firebird III from 1964 and a similar model from 1965. It’s the perfect occasion to talk about the short-lived original Firebird guitars and Thunderbird basses, produced by Gibson, in Kalamazoo, Michigan, between October 1963 and May 1965: the so-called “Reverse” models. We are delving into their captivating story and examining their unique features. What is the final verdict?
#vintageuitars #vintagegibson #gibsonfirebird

Scroll down for chapters list.

-English subtitles available in the options of the player
-Sottotitoli in Italiano attivabili dalle opzioni del player

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00:00 - Introducing the Gibson Firebird "Reverse"
02:20 - 1962: Gibson needs a new line of instruments #guitarhistory
03:53 - The Korina Trio experience
05:26 - Ray Dietrich, from cars to guitars
07:35 - Birth of the Firebird Guitars and Thunderbird Basses
09:21 - The Choice of the "Firebird" and "Thunderbird" names
10:40 - The Firebird and Thunderbird models #vintageguitars
14:15 - Firebird Sounds
15:25 - Custom Colors
15:55 - The "Fishbone" 1964 Firebird III
18:35 - Features of the "Reverse" Firebird Guitars #technicaldetails
23:13 - 3 more particular details
23:59 - Approaching a Firebird
24:42 - About tone #guitartone
25:27 - 1965: The "Non-Reverse" Firebrds and Thunderbirds
29:10 - The "Grey zone": Transitional models with overlap of features
29:48 - 1965 Transitional Firebird III, features and tone
31:52 - The neck fragility issue
32:45 - Testimonials of the original "Reverse" Firebirds #rockculture
36:30 - My first Gibson #guitardiary
37:58 - General considerations #bottomline

FAIR USE DISCLAIMER: This video may contain short excerpts of copyrighted material that are used in a transformative manner, intended solely for informational, educational, research, commentary, and criticism purposes. Such use is covered under the provisions of fair use as defined by the United States Copyright Act of 1976 (Pub. L. 94-553, Oct. 19, 1976).