Epiphone Firebird Ebony review
By MNJ
| Posted in Guitar
The Epiphone ST EB LTD Firebird in Ebony finish, along with a Worn Cherry option, is a limited run of guitars that pay tribute to one of Gibson’s most eccentric designs of solid body electric guitar.
The shape of the Firebird, originally intoduced by Gibson in 1963 to compete with the soaraway success of the Fender Stratocaster, was dreamed up by a car designer called Ray Dietrich. He was attempting to emulate the tailfins and extravagent features of the classic American gas guzzlers of the time, and the model came to be referred to as the ‘reverse’ Firebird as the bottom bout protruded further than the top one. It actually ended up looking like an Explorer with rounded off rather than angular extremities. The Firebird also gave Gibson an excuse to experiment with solid colour finishes, and a lot of guitars sported Fire Engine Red and Pelham Blue as an option as well as the standard Sunburst. It also featured the ‘backwards’ banjo-style tuners which had first appeared in the Gibson EB-1 bass in 1953.
The construction of the Firebird was a departure from the norm, although you could argue that its unique one-piece neck through body form mirrored Les Paul’s Epiphone ‘log’ guitar from nearly 20 years previously. There were four different models, each with its own distinctive appointments, including a single pickup versions with a stop bar tailpiece and a three pickup version fitted with a Maestro tremolo unit. The original guitars, and all the subsequent reissues, featured a mini humbucking pickup which had a very distinctive trebly sound and lacked the power and sustain of a humbucker. This is where this Epiphone Firebird version parts company with that idea, instead favouring Alnico Classic Humbuckers for a much more up to date approach. To my knowledge, there weren’t that many original Firebirds ordered in black either, so this Epiphone is right up to date and will most likely find new fans in both the metal and indie communities.
The design of the Firebird, with its long reach, takes a bit of getting used to in the standing position, plus the guitar isn’t balanced, but then they never were and you just have to live with it. The start of the fingerboard seems a long way away at first but that’s soon overcome. I have to mention the tuners, which are unlike anything I’ve ever come across. The string needs to be cut to length and then clamped in place with a ‘tap’ mechanism. Fine tuning is by a rotary knob on the back. The guitar held its tuning well during the review period and as long as the strings have been installed correctly, I can’t see too many problems arising.
On this particular guitar, which was not a review sample but a regular stock item, the standard of finishing on the fret ends was exemplary. Poorly finished frets are often a sign that a guitar has left the building a little bit before it should have done. This Firebird played beautifully and sounded good too – the Alnico humbuckers delivering serious rock tones in all positions. I particularly liked the front pickup sound, which was very Les Paul like indeed. The volume and tone knobs are quite close together and you have to remember that the tuners are backwards, in every sense. Apart from those minor issues the Epiphone Firebird ST EB LTD passes muster admirably.
Tags: epiphone firebird, explorer, Les Paul