Well shit I bought a brand new Gibson NR Firebird

[tinybobseger]

looks like a lot of fun

[Larry Mal]

Congrats! I've been wanting one of those also.

I agree, the Les Trem II is the vibrato for this guitar since Vibramate can't seem to make that product.

The pickups are largely the same as they are in other Gibson Firebirds, hot ceramic jobs. Not as bad as what you'll always read on the internet.

Zhangbucker is your friend when you want to upgrade them to real vintage kinds (which you do).

The wide neck at the nut is my favorite thing about Firebirds, it gives almost an acoustic feel. Super playable.

I'll get one of those some day. I love a non-reverse 'Bird and have one with the P90s in it.

Great score!

[Embenny]

That looks amazing.

But all the parts match and all the finish is there...are you sure this is your type of guitar?

STILL... heh heh heh...

the finish looks very thin and i guess it will wear thru nicely after a while.
DYING to take this to rehearsal next week and play it real LOUD!

will put the Duesenberg on it now. stay tuned for more! MAN i'm excited with this!

Post a photo with the Duesenberg! I bet it looks and sounds amazing.

[Pacafeliz]

I must confess... I mean, you all know the beater guitars I like. And I'm not gentle to them either.

But this flaw on a brand new guitar is irritating me more than it should...



WTF is wrong with Gibson's (and MusicStore's) QC?!


Love the guitar and all, I wouldn't want to change or return it, but that IS a flaw that would make it harder to resell, if I'd want to do that someday... right?

Will give them a call...

[Larry Mal]

Wouldn't bother me much, so it's a scrape or something in the black finish?

Probably could be touched up with fingernail polish and buffed out.

[Gavanti]

My ‘68 NRFB III has a similar rough patch in the same spot, and Hiwatt Bob mentioned that this is the case on all the old ones he’s seen. It’s odd that Gibson wouldn’t have sorted that out such an obvious flaw by now though... little too much verisimilitude.

[HNB]

I have seen stuff like that at Guitar Center when I was trying out Les Pauls. It kind of put me off seeing the sticker price on those and there being that kind of stuff with the finish. I get that it is a little detail, but for the cost of those guitars, I would expect someone to take a good look at it before it rolled out for someone to buy. If I could find it in less than five minutes, it makes me wonder how there are inspectors in their factory checking guitars and missing that sort of stuff. (Especially when it is a common issue.)

[Pacafeliz]

I have seen stuff like that at Guitar Center when I was trying out Les Pauls. It kind of put me off seeing the sticker price on those and there being that kind of stuff with the finish. I get that it is a little detail, but for the cost of those guitars, I would expect someone to take a good look at it before it rolled out for someone to buy. If I could find it in less than five minutes, it makes me wonder how there are inspectors in their factory checking guitars and missing that sort of stuff. (Especially when it is a common issue.)

Exactly my point. But I guess I will live with it...

[Despot]

Happy NGD! I've long had a soft spot for NR Firebirds (hell ... all firebirds).

I'm with Larry on the pickups - I'd swap them for something that's designed as an actual Firebird pickup rather than the hot mini hums it came with. I'm not as forgiving on these pickups as Larry (I'm one of those internet haters when it comes to these pickups!).

I had the pleasure of playing a vintage reverse Firebird III recently - those pickups are far closer to single coils in sound ... really great sounding pickups, but absolutely not the current hot ceramic mini hums these come with now! These newer designed pickups don't even sound like the old/proper mini hums they used on Epiphones in the '60s ... they're a totally different beast.

[Pacafeliz]

thanks, yeah, later on i might look into swapping them for something more... dramatic

NEWS: MusicStore got back at me, said i could either send the guitar back for a refund OR just fuck up ("...it was a speacial deal").
I guess i'll just keep it.

but, strangely enough... every day that passes, the strings buzz more and more on the fretboard.

i love the guitar, i want to love it. but at the same time, i'm frustrated.

the set-up is just pretty much fucked up. bummer.
but that can be fixed, i guess.

[Pacafeliz]

After new .10 strings and with the vibrato all of a sudden most of the annoying feet buzz is gone!!!


It's a keeper!!!

[Don_Karnage]

Looks great! Kinda feels like the vibrato completes the look

[Pacafeliz]

...gonna peel off the pickguard foil now

Btw, when changing the tailpiece I found more sloppy Gibson work...


Oh well...

[s_mcsleazy]

you gonna go for roller saddles or stick with those ones?

[HNB]

...gonna peel off the pickguard foil now

Btw, when changing the tailpiece I found more sloppy Gibson work...


Oh well...

Ugh looks like a refin with that work.... Paint on the thimbles.... LOL