O Boyee!!
Written: Jun 14 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Definitely a class act in terms of quality of construction and definition of tone.
Cons: Factory set up was rubbish. Nut untouched and bridge saddles totally inaccurate.
The Bottom Line: This is a magnificent piece of wood. A testimonial to the reason we all took up the guitar. Are you ready to testify?
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| masuak's Full Review: Gibson Firebird Vii |
Compadres,
When I was a kid I had a Johnny Winter live album featuring a white Firebird on the cover. It's impact has been unforgettable but for some peculiar reason actually owning one of these impressively magnificent beasties never occurred to me.
Many (many) years and (too many) guitars later (actually, is that possible??) I had succumbed to the stereotypical realisation that what I really want to hear in a guitar is a precarious balance between the precise and deliberate "narrow window" response of a Strat (with a bucketful more gain) and the smooth, harmonic creaminess of a Les Paul (without that disconcerting compressive sag that you hear when you slug the strings).
I had a very close version of it in my old Epiphone Crestwood (why don't they reissue a faithful reproduction of that, I ask???) but the necks were treacherous and tended to warp in under the stage lights let alone under the Australian sun.
Out of necessity I drifted over to Fender and got used to wrenching the sound I wanted out of them.
Then I played a friends reissue Firebird. Warm and woody like Johnny of old, tight and articulate like someone I wanna be. What a neck! No longer that typical rubbery experience...a solid, reliable feel, slick and "expensive", and easy as pie to play. And what a sound! Clean and clear with a unique "buzz" that gets under the tone and shoves it around.
I like a three pickup arrangement so I began a long search for a reissue VII for myself.
Eventually I stumbled across a funky metallic red 2003 reissue Firebird VII at Rumble Seat Music (brisk, efficient, and New York professional). Great price, looks like never played.
First impressions. An unbelievable neck...a bold and solid hunk of wood, but with a fast and (dare I say) modern response. Impeccable finish. An utterly beautiful work of art.
Plugged it in. My anticipation was rewarded. A warm, full bodied, and creamy neck pickup with just that bit of grunty breakup. An expressively taut/tense bridge pickup, stinging but fluid. Middle and bridge together provided my "Holy Grail" tone...the articulate but expansive marriage of Fender and Gibson, dare I presume.
Man, I'm having fun. Don't know whether to play jazz standards or just crank the bejesus out of it. Aw shucks, just do it all!
Just as fine with a Fender Vibro King as with an old Marshall Super Lead. (Hey Naylor, how about sending me one of yor'n?)
No real downside...weird old banjo tuners take a bit of getting used to and as it sits a bit precariously on the guitar stand you have to make sure the kids (or your dopey band mates) don't knock it over.
Really, an impulsive buy because my wife let me. But if you're a kid at heart that still looks in the music shop window you'll have one of these (along with an Ampeg Dan Armstrong) out of sheer enthusiasm. And if you actually play you'll rediscover that original thrill.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
masuak
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Reviews written: 1
Trusted by: 0 members
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