This video is dedicated to my MOTHER. 06-15-1941 TO 12-16-2023 Her passing came during the recording of this video. She will be remembered in my heart forever !
Thank You .. She always like watching me playing guitar over the years... My Mother and Father would both come out and support the band back in the day!@@southerncrossvids
There is no good time in life to lose a beloved parent. That said, right before Christmas is an especially difficult time because so many of our childhood memories are around family holidays. I'm so very sorry for your loss.
This is a great run thru of the entire guitar. Great job and thank you for taking the time to do this. I just ordered one tonight (Wed. 12/27/23) and it looks like there's a few left. Thanks again. ✌
Please come back and tell us about the MADCAT FFTL you receive from Guitar Gardens. This channel and this comment area is for others to read that are thinking about this guitar. Your input on what you receive helps others. Thanks for commenting ... very comment helps the UA-cam AI system push the video out to others. Remember to smash that like button...
So sorry for your loss. Fantastic review. Very comprehensive. I just ordered a Mad Cat.. This will be my third Firefly, the first being almost three years ago,
Thank You for letting me know you like the review... I try to do the BEST REVIEWS on YT .. Any feedback is welcome as we are learning what the members want to see. What are the first two ???? FFLP ... FFDC ... FFST ??? 338 Maybe ?
Sorry to hear of your loss. I've always thought of the funniest moments in times like these. The flaming marshmallow to my mom's forehead is always a good one and the lure to her bandana always puts a smile on my face. She'll always be within you and around you. Again, sorry for your loss.
My mother was always into something . . . . LOL Ya, I'm sure if I sit and think about it ... I can think of some funny stuff she did. She would keep you on your toes, she was forth coming on what she thought. Most of the time right when you didn't want her to be... LOL
I reviewed the Last run on these... Please come back and inform everyone how your new Mad Cat is.... The one I have is just ... WOW ...The Flame maple just pops . The last run was the first run on the MadCat with the Upgraded A5 pickups as well... That made the guitar a keeper in its stock form for me. Stock the guitar is good. I would not change the pickups in mine... I like the sound and breakup I get from the stockers... Please come back and report on the new run ! ! ! !
Received the my FFTH-BCTY-539 today. Ordered on 3/22 and received on 3/26. It was shipped from Southern California to my home in Northern California. I am giving it a day or so to acclimate before I do my overall review. So far I am pleased with the packaging, no fret sprout and the finish - deeper, richer than in photos. The guitar was not in tune (no worries) and the only negative out of the box was the frets being a little “scratchy.” I will clean, polish the frets when I change the strings.
Mine just has a sound..... Dunno what it is.... but I like the break up on the crunch channel with these pickups... and the clean tones are great as well .. has a open ring sound to it. I'm still blown away by all the work in this guitar.... the top and the binding.... for 200.00 bucks.... This is one of Firefly's hits ! As long as they can keep the QC under control this will be a seller for them. Enjoy the guitar . . . . . @@markreinking5647
I encountered an issue when I tried to tune the guitar. I was getting a significant amount of buzz with the 6th string so I tried raising the saddle. While doing so, the string “cracked” and started to unwind. While replacing all of the strings I realized there was no plastic on the pick guards so I am a little suspicious about being sent a “returned” guitar. After I replaced the strings, I adjusted the truss rod (approximately a half turn) because I was still getting a buzz from the string and that seemed to fix it. On the edge again - whether to return it or keep it and have a professional luthier check it out. Stay tuned…
Yep... I see they have the listing up ! You never know how many they got in.... Last time they had them for over a month.... Thats when I got mine... Time before that they were gone before I knew they had listed them.... Witch was good..... This last run had updated pickups ! ! ! ! So they made it better ! I LOVE MINE ! ! ! ! its a player for sure !
I have one of these Mad Cat's from Firefly. It is one of the nicest guitars that I have ever owned. It was less than $200 and it plays and feels as good as guitars that I've paid $1000+. I had to shim the neck on mine before it would play right, but after doing so, it was already intonated perfectly, and the string height was already good. The bridge pickup was slighty tilted on mine, but I was able to fix that easily. This is a really nice instrument. I discovered from Jimmy Stewart's channel that the history of this guitar goes back to the "Prince" era. Eventually Hohner purchased the rights to the Mad Cat, but now they're making their comeback through Firefly. I highly recommend this one as a great guitar for both beginners and seasoned musicians. There is very little to criticize and I probably won't modify mine because it's just good the way it is... Thanks for breaking this one down so thoroughly!
Sorry for your loss. We are at that age, and it is terrible. Im happy to be here. These Prince copies did not catch my eye for a while, but the new run has flame maple on the neck!! The Harrison Concert when Prince came out playing this guitar, instantly made me want one! Great vid.
Please accept my sincerest condolences for your loss..... I just got one of these in a couple of weeks ago. I ordered it for a buddy and he was happy with it. I did the initial inspection, restring and set up. My buddy wanted it strung with 11's and tuned to standard. The neck was back bowed out of the box. After truss rod adjustment the intonation was flat and had to be set. No initial problems with high frets at my buddies preferred string height. There were a couple of pin sized finish defects but the finish looked good overall. Everything else seemed good for this price range.
@@DominionFretWorks, I agree. I've had 4 FF guitars go through my hands and haven't seen any real issues other than a few high frets. And that just gave me an excuse to buy some specialty tools to do my own fret work.
Just got one. It was flawless. Got some Lizard spit cloths and polished the frets, they were a bit rough, and now its just perfect. I agree, every bit as great as a thousand dollar guitar. I was sweating it when I bought it, worried about paypal, worried about Guitarsgarden, worried about the shipping but I have to say those fears were unfounded in my case. Holey moley was I relieved. Action was beautiful....intonation was nearly perfect, I think I moved the D string forward a tad but that was it. I'm in love with this thing. My favorite new guitar....now I'm thinking...... firefly's answer to the 335? I might need one more guitar from Guitarsgarden LOL (much to my wife's chagrin). The only scary thing is you cant really talk to anyone at the company. But it was delivered in a timely fashion so it didnt give me time to freak out lol.
I haven't had any problems with Guitar Garden. Shipping is most of the time for me 1 week... and I have order over 15 guitars from them... only one of those had shipping damage. I did a review of the 335 they sell... Mine was very nice. They have made some changes from the one I ordered...they are always updating the models. The new ones have better pickups from what I have heard.
Sorry for your loss. Great, detailed review! I just purchased this guitar and am glad that they seem to come with Alnicos now. I hope I get a good one! Take care my friend!
Firefly does seem to be getting better at the overall OC of their product. That doesn't mean they don't make bad ones, everyone does. Thier product seems to be getting better and better with each production run. They still have some MISSES . . . Like the Relic's. Please come back and let us know how yours comes. This is how others know about the product. Helps them know what to expect when they order one.
They were out of this model so I ordered a relic guitar from Firefly instead. Never ordered one before because I couldn't see myself getting a banged up guitar. It was so easy to play! I noticed that the string spacing on the Firefly is so much better than on Fenders and the sanded neck made the guitar feel so great. I ordered new Fender noiseless tele pickups (the ones on the Firefly was not bad, BTW) and I liked the new pickup sounds as they gave me more choices in sound. Also changed the hardware, although there was nothing wrong with the Firefly's... Sweetwater actually told me I wouldn't notice any better sound, but I did it anyway. Now the Firefly is my goto guitar. Amazing!
It means so much to me when I see the same people video after video making comments.... I really do appreciate it. I hope I can continue to make videos you want to see. This 1 hour and 20 min video takes about 3 - 8-hour days to make. I really try my hardest to make the best review video I can. Thank You for supporting the channel !
Great review. I just got mine in yesterday and it is an absolutely beautiful guitar. I cannot believe the quality of this at the price they’re asking. The binding is absolutely gorgeous. It’s a funky looking guitar, but I like that. It’s an eye catcher for sure. I already got two compliments from two different people when they saw it sitting in my living room. Out of the box it plays pretty well, but I can’t wait to give it a full set up and restring. This is my first telecaster style guitar and it’s gonna be a keeper.
So, yours is the latest production run...It you just got it .... Does it have the FLAME MAPLE NECK ?????? If so, what do ya think ? I hear it is just beautiful. This is something they added to the new ones.... Mine doesn't have the flame maple neck...
Thank You ! I love mine ! ! ! a lot of guitars come through here for the channel... This guitar is one that is staying... AND I'm leaving it stock.... For me this guitar is fine in its stock form... Sounds Great Plays Great I may install a Pure Tone jack. I do that to every guitar that is a keeper ! ! !
Obviously my condolences brother..I have just subscribed after watching the video. Love the way you do not hesitate to say when there's an issue regardless of whether or not it may cast a shadow as long as you're telling it as it is. Your pain will ease. This to will pass. Sorry went of script there. Feeling your pain.I'm looking forward to watching your vids from the start. Lots of love from uk. Dover to be precise. 25 miles from France via the channel tunnel. Just opened a bottle of wine and talking to much. Stay safe, be lucky my friend. Simon. ..si to me mates. ✌😎.
I try to do the best job of reviewing the guitar I can.... I point out what I see. It's up to the viewer to decide if the product is worth the price in the end . Sure, my thoughts are in there. But I try to point out what I see for you to decide. For me ... This guitar for 200.00 bucks... and they just listed it on SALE for 189.00. Ya just can't go wrong. The neck and body itself are worth more than that.... If you were doing a PARTS CASTER. Thank You for your kind words for or loss here... Are family will move on . . and we will get through it together. Thanks for the sub... and tell others about the channel !
Buy far Firefly's best-looking guitar ! What I hear the most is.... Love it but wish they could get the orange tone out of the stain... it does have a orange hue to it... In some lights it shows more than others. Thanks for commenting.... It helps the UA-cam AI push the video out to others !
Thanks for letting me know you liked the review. Please check out some of the other reviews on the channel. And if you would please tell others about the channel and if you haven't already, please consider subscribing.
I own one and you’re right. A great looking and put together guitar. I’m just not sold on the clean sound. Just my preference. To me it would be worth changing the pick ups because the rest of the guitar is quality. 👌
I wished they had this guitar during the pandemic because I purchased a HB Madcat guitar and it was ok but I had to put a bunch of work into it and the frets cut like a knife. Great review.
This guitar is Upgraded from the last release from FF.. oldasrocks posted that info below.... They added better pickups. He has the INFO on his post below. Thanks for commenting ! it help the UA-cam AI system push the video !
I have one. I also have a Gretch Streamliner, an excellent guitar, about 3 times the price of the MadCat; and I have a Fender ‘52 reissue Telecaster, a dream guitar and about 7 times the cost; and I have a MIJ Fender ‘64 reissue Strat that is priceless (to my mind). I don’t begrudge what I’ve paid for either of those - I love them all and couldn’t think of parting with any of them. The only reason I list those out is because the biggest bang for the buck was the MadCat. I agree with you wholeheartedly, it easily compares to a $1k guitar. It impresses me every time I plug it in. And it’s damn good lookin’. It was delivered in 3 days, and was pretty much ready to go out of the box. I also changed strings: it came with 9’s (I believe DiMarczios!) & I prefer 10’s, so I had to tweak the action and then the intonation (but that only on the low E). Really, really nice guitar regardless of price, but mind blowing for under $150. One more thing - I also have one of the first Firefly’s when they first hit our market, the red with white piping 335 -style. That guitar needed a lot of fixing; the frets needed, well, everything, I replaced the the tuners and replaced the bridge with a roller, and a few of the fret markers fell out and had to be reglued. Firefly seems to have paid attention to, and corrected every negative review posted about previous models. Very commendable.
I will be getting another one soon... mine was from the runs without the flame maple necks. So, maybe time for the UPGRADED model... Thanks so much for your input .... It is why this channel is here. Info for others... from the people that own these guitars ! ! ! My Madcat .... is most likely the best, I have received from Firefly.... Just a nice guitar.
If the ever rerelase this model I will have to get one. When you are a budget like I am, I have to really consider if the juice is worth the squeeze but this video convinced me to take the plunge.
If you go to the description window of the video scroll down to where it says weight and click there and it will automatically take you to the weight measurement part of the video. UA-cam calls them video chapters.
Nice job on the review. How long did it take to receive your guitar. I ordered a cpl days ago with only an order confirmation thus far. Not a big deal just curious…
Picked up one in the previous run on this one. Beautiful guitar. My only complaint on mine was the coloring was orange vs yellow. It eventually grew on me.
The neck on mine has an orange-ie tent to it... I like it. the work that went into this guitar for 200.00 bucks is just crazy ! ! !! JUST CRAZY for 200.00 bucks.
$189 as they have on sale tonight (while they last)…. Definitely a fun model you can’t beat for the $$$. Have been noticing a lot more artist knockoffs the past few weeks on Les Paul styles.
The good, the bad, and the ugly. I just got mine yesterday. Overall, I'm very impressed with the look, fit, and finish. I was worried it would be on the heavy side as some people have reported, but I'm pleased to have gotten one that weighs just a tad over 7 pounds. I only noticed one blemish in the fretboard where a small piece of wood chipped out. But I can easily fix it. I'm not the biggest fan of the orange color. I think I'll hang it in a sunny window when not in use in hopes of sun bleaching the wood to a more natural looking tone. Its too bad they make the body out of four pieces. I would gladly pay extra to have one made out of two or three pieces evenly centered. The tuners will be replaced sooner than later. They slip at times and don't seem to consistently hold good tune. I'm not the biggest fan of the head stock shape. If Tokai can get away with using Fender shapes why can't Firefly. Would have been nice to have an all maple neck without a seam along the fretboard. Afterall, they had to cut a channel for the skunk stripe anyway. The pickups and pots on below average at best. I will be upgrading to something better soon. The bridge saddle screws are subject to stripping out if you're not careful. All in all a great platform to make upgrades to and great buy at $220 shipped.
Ya.... The tone of the stain is on the orange side... I saw this on mine as well... The neck and body have this orange tint to them..... Ya the 4 pc body .... with a top and bottom Veneer they are using smaller pieces of wood to make the core of the body.... I did not have any problems with the tuners on mine.... They locked well and held tune well... If you just received yours ... Then your is I think two production runs after mine. They just received another batch about 2 weeks ago...and they have received another bath about 2 and 1/2 months after mine.. I think mine was the first batch with the new Al-5 pickups. So, they could have changed the tuners ... and or the pickups in later runs... I was hoping they would stick to the pickups mine came with... I thought they did well ... Not really a tele pickup as they had more pop and gain... but suited for this Rock-Tele. Pickup are subjective though... If you're looking for more of that Tele-Spank ... Then the pickups mine came with wouldn't be a good fit. Ya.... the skunk stripe.... Looks cool.... But I'm sure the truss rod was installed from the top... This was done for looks....and cost... The truss rod is a spoke wheel design... So doing an undermount truss rod install would have made them write a new CAM program... and change what the production workers are doing... Something they don't do.. Adding time and training. But your right..... If they used a 2pc body and change the tint of the stain to more of an aged yellow....I would have no problems with 300.00 with better pickups and hardware... I would easily go 400.00 ... no problems whatsoever.
Prince finally had Kinmans in his, Fender noiseless along the way. You think the routes are deep enough for full stack noiseless Strat pickups like the Seymour Duncans or the GFS TruCoils?
The routes look deep... A stacked single coil should fit. But this guitar doesn't need pickups... It has a good sound right now... The clean tones in the video show that. Has a very open and air-ie sound with just enough ring/bell to it. It is ready to play with the puppies in there! I was able to get good tones in all my stock settings with very little work. just small changes in the comp/gate and small changes in the BBE ....rolled the mid bass off just a little on the ART and rolled the tone back just a little on the guitar.
@@DominionFretWorks Agreed, they put Alnicos in this time I see, ditched the ceramics from the previous version. It really does sound great, love the phase-y sounds you're getting in the middle position Once the nut slots are cut right and the intonation is sorted it could be a gigger
Hi, I bought one for my son. When I saw his, I immediately bought another one for myself. I've been playing for over sixty years. These guitars are about as good as they get. I now own six Firefly guitars. All are excellent! How in the world can they do this? And for $200! Shalom/gw
When hear this videos with tone comparisons and tests I immediately hear if i like it or not. Cheap or expensive not an issue. I) notice this guitar before and really like it. It bites like a tele, are quacky and big at the same time. Think I need one.
Ya.... This is a good one... I have been hearing that the new model has an upgraded flame maple neck ..... If you get one please report back and let us know
Ya ..... your the second person to say they have ordered one in the last 2 days .... Please come back and report on the guitar. This is a new production run for them.... Need to let everyone know if they are as good as the last run ... Thanks for commenting and watching the video !
Thank You ... We want to be the best review channel on YT. I so glad to see people liking the detail reviews. Please join in a talk to everyone ... If ya have a Firefly or any other guitar !
Due to your reviews I bought this guitar instead of either of the Leo Jaymz that I was looking at. I think I’ll stick to Firefly for a while. It seems that they have steadily improved their quality. One thing-can you tell me if the electronic compartments are shielded?
It has a black paint coated in there.... Not sure if it is shielding paint or not. I like the copper foil tape shielding... I have only ever gotten one guitar with this shielding stock from the factory. Unless you have a problem .. I wouldn't do anything to it.. I plugged into all the amps here and it was fine... NO NOISE.
@@DominionFretWorks I just rebuilt my SDGR Ibanez bass and have some copper tape left. I’ll probably line it before I set it up. Thanks again for these reviews. I sent your video to my son as well. He said it is the best online review he has seen. Thanks for not being a shill!
@@DominionFretWorks Also, I have a pristine 2000 Terry C Mcinturff Empress for sale. It’s the crown jewel of my collection. Do you know of a reputable buyer?
Times have changed.... I would list it with a shop that does that type of stuff... Or start calling the shops that sale older or limited run guitars. You could also do reverb . . . . you would get more but have to do all the leg work as far as Q and A on the guitar..@@falcons5683
I do not mind a review with distortion, reverb etc as long as you play it clean as well. You do a good job at this. Some others have so much effects on them that I just cannot tell whether they want to impress me with their playing ability or give me a good review. I have blocked those others. Please be heavy on the clean.
Yeah everyone likes something different.... Most of the time I try to do a little bit of everything.... I do have reviews without clean but those are usually shred guitars. Thanks for your input and commenting.
Nice thumbs up subbed Great video, Beautiful guitar sounds like it needs a set of texas special's ,and a steel string slight return and it would be ready for stage duty.
The stock pickups have a sound.... it is a good sound... It does things well and has a likeable tone ....I say this as it is a Budget Guitar... It does very well for a under 250.00 dollars .. If you installed a Pure Tone Jack .... and some nice pickups.... Ya this guitar would be just great. For me.... The stock pickups are good enough to BAR PLAY.... I would install a Pure Tone jack....and maybe install some very nice tuners.... Just to make sure it would hold up to a full set-list playing out. The stock tones are good enough to EQ out and get the sounds needed to play out. If I was doing a Pro - Level upgrade ... on this guitar 1) Dylan Talks Tone Picks 200.00 2) Pure Tone Jack 7.00 3) Nice Cap to match the pickups 7.00 4) Nice set of tuners 80.00 5) the GUITAR 250.00 But again .... this guitar does very well in its stock form.... Doing the above would make it NEXT LEVEL for sure... 550.00 bucks and your time.... I think you would have to spend 1,200 + dollars to get an off the shelf guitar after the above list ... anything over 1200.00 is only going to give you 1 or 2 % better... If you shop around and find a good 1200.00-dollar stock name brand guitar... As with anything... There are good ones and bad ones. Sometimes they just NAIL the stock guitar, and it is just a PLAYING MONSTER ! I say this a lot .... find your guitar that you bond with... Then make the changes to fit your style of playing... Thanks for commenting and joining the channel ! Everyone helps everyone else here... We chat and talk about guitars and Amps. Again Thanks ! ! ! ! ! !
I like around .06 to .065 from the bottom of the Low E to the top of the 12th fret... I try to be .075 to .01 lower on the High E So if I'm at .065 on the High E @ the 12th I shot for around .050 to .0575 on the High E The Radius of your bridge can change some of the measurements.... If you can adjust each saddle make sure your bridge Radius is set as well.... Very one likes what they like... All I can say is you have to find that sweet spot.. If your action is too low.... Even if it's not buzzing.. It can CHOKE notes ..They well not ring out as long... It can also make getting harmonics harder. If the action is high.... .08 and higher ... The notes ring out longer ... but it becomes harder to fret notes the higher you go. If your using a slide on the guitar ... then your action will be set high... .09 maybe the lowest ... I know players that use a slide with lower action.... but they have been playing for many years like that and have learned how glide the slide over the strings. I hope this helps you out a little... I would say go for the STANDARD setup .07 on the Low E and .06 on the high E... Start there.
I am a huge fan of Firefly (and MusicNGear). They have earned it by consistantly improving their guitars and expanding their offerings. And most important, I have always received great customer service from both Aron and Annie. Sometimes can seem a little slow to respond, other times immediate. Probably just timezone differences, but they have always come through. Hope they remain Firefly and don't sell out anytime soon.
Yes ... they did have the Stainless-Steel Sheen to them. Thanks for commenting and please check out some of the other reviews on the channel... The newer the review the more content and detail...
I think this guitar with some Dylan Talks Tone Pickups..... would just be great.... But for What I paid for this guitar the stock setup is good. Best Tele under the 400.00-mark IMO.
I have one ariving tomorrow. In antisipation of possably changing the tuners. Is there a set that you would recomend that will be a close fit and not cost half the price of the Firefly? 😝
@@DominionFretWorks I forgot what you had said the neck radius was and measured mine. I concure. I came up with 15 although I was suprised and rewatched that portion of your video. I didn't expect it to be that flat.
Ya..... 15 is flat for a tele... Thats why I gage all the necks. Sometimes your fingers tell your brain.... NAAA it has to be a 12 or 14 LOL Can't be a 15 ...You just think, it's a tele they wouldn't go to a 14 or flatter radius. I don't know what the Price Mad-Cat Radius was. Don't know if they just copy that one or did their own thing here. I ready like the compound radius necks they do .... I would have thought they would have used the compound radius. But this one is 15 top and bottom.@@rodrich1644
52:40 Weight Chapter in the video If you click on the description view more tab.. all the chapters come up... This is under the video. Thanks for commenting !
I have look at this neck-through guitar many times....Customer photos are all over the place as far as the color of the guitar. Plus if you look at the bottom of the page of the listing on Amazon...... It reads.... Frequently returned item Check the product details and customer reviews to learn more about this item. That means a lot of these are returned... Reading this and looking at the photos from customers where the color is all over the place... Just make me think ... I could get a good one ... could get a bad one.... This can happen really with any guitar. I get it. But this one seems to be riding the fence as they say. I have seen it on sale for as low as 159.00 dollars about a year ago.... So the price is never the same on it... It's now at 204.21 ????? 204.21 ahh What is up with the price. That is just a weird price. But even after all the signs..... I still look at this guitar and go... Hell for that money ITS NECK THROUGH. I can fix the electronics... tuners... nut and tremolo.... If they are bad. Then I think of the guitars I already have here to fix and work on.... LOL Thanks, Bob, for telling me what you want to see next. I need the subs to speak up ! ! ! ! Together we have a group helping one another out. Plus its GUITARS ! ! !!! any guitar is just cool ! This guitar has been on the fence for me for sometime.....Just haven't pulled the trigger. Thanks Again ! for posting and it is one of the guitars I do look at for reviewing.
@@DominionFretWorks Yes exactly, All I care about is if the body and the neck and frets are good. I don't care about the electronics, I'll be installing my own. I don't care about the bridge either cuz I'll install my own there also. Tho I do wish it was routed for a Floyd. The frets are supposedly stainless steel !! Really ? A stainless steel feet guitar that's Neck thru ? For $200 buck ? I mean man, if that's real then I don't even care if the frets arent flattened lol. I'll have that done or do it myself. But for the body and neck thru at that price with those stainless steel frets would be just unimaginable. Its like one of the older Carvin guitars from the 90s ! I think I'm gonna have to give it a try just to see.
@@AngryTruckerBob I hear ya....Thats why I have look at it for over a year... Neck through with SS frets 200.00 ... Just crazy. If you get one E-mail me and let me know what ya think of it.
hi. i just suscribed to ur nice channel. U r really professional and work exactly. Can u make reviews ant Fazley, Jet ans Eart guitars too. I saw on ur wall a Schecter Sun Valley. There is no review of it ? Scalloped model would be interesting too.❤❤
I have a review of the NK scalloped headless guitar. ua-cam.com/video/ox4D096zxkM/v-deo.html I also have one Eart guitar review. ua-cam.com/video/Hc9s17JfNNc/v-deo.html I have not done a review on Jet Guitars. I'm sure at some point we well. The Schecter needs a review at this point... There are 4 guitars here waiting for reviews that are over the 800.00-dollar price point. A Kramer, Epiphone, Schecter and a Yamaha. 1 guitar at the 300-to-400-dollar price point Squier 3 at the 250 and under price point. I also have a few mod videos planed. about 4 or 5 of those... Pickup installs, Pot Wiring and bridge building. So, there is a lot coming in the next few months! The video I make take a lot of time to make. The subs here like the detail videos. So, every video is detailed and cover everything to the best of my ability. remember to hit the like button ! and please tell others about the channel ! Thanks for commenting and letting me know what you want to see.
@@DominionFretWorks Ur channel is really interesting, its a pleasure to look at you explaining everything so clearly. Maybe u know the channel Guitaristas, he does reviews abt Gibson, Les paul, SG...he dt like the Fender. He is very good, and u r a real great specialist like him, with stratocaster models. thx a lot. a real pleasure to watch what u do.
Firefly did a fine job with this guitar, Harley Benton has their version and it's nowhere near as good as this one, they chose to use an unfinished neck and the white neck looks hedious, compared to the firefly mad cat, is the binding part of the maple cap top, or is it the same looking plastic as the pickguard,this guitar is well worth the money,thumbs up firefly, thanks for the review.
If they used the material on the pick guard as the binding this would just be over the top.... But they didn't.... The Binding is very nice.. has a 3d look to it as the light hits it... The pick guard doesn't so this...The pick guard is very 2d looking... I'm sure it's a cost thing... BUT if you could use the binding material on the pick guard.... OMG it would be sooooooooooo !!!!! COOL ! ! ! ! ! !
@@DominionFretWorks I heard somewhere that the binding is part of the maple cap itself,and not some plastic, and the 3d effect is just the side of the flame top cap, the same cap is on the back, looks to be about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick, flame maple cap on both top and bottom, utilizing the side of the caps as the binding,if that's what it looks like, they must be losing money on these right.
it was 199.99 plus the shipping. In my case total came to just under 130.00 Dollars. They have sold out of just about everything over at Guitar Gardens. Last, I check they do still have these in stock...
Hey, of ALL guitars around 200, what one would you rec for a new player? I just wanna get my dad something he feels is bad ass and makes him want to pick it up. I wished I nevere got that POS fake strat
Sorry I thought I had replied to this comment. The Firefly FFST with the angled back plate is a good sub 200.00 guitar. It is a strat body. Here is there new SUPER FFST model guitarsgarden.com/collections/sg/products/firefly-super-ffst-model-ash-wood-body-electric-guitars-matte-white-colorbna That one would be super cool for him !
Mine came with a backbow and was unplayable right out of the box as the strings were pressed against the frets. After adjusting the truss rod, there was a good bit of non amplified buzz on the lower strings, even with their high-ish .075 12th fret action. Eventually found 6 or more high spots on the frets, similar to what you found where most of the high spots were just a small portion of the fret. In some cases the high spots were directly under the string, so I had missed them when initially checking for fret rock. Also, quite a noticable falloff starting at fret 14. Ended up doing a full leveling, crowning and polish. And last, this one came with those terrible strings without the D'addario colored ends, and turned my finger tips black. Haven't seen those on a Firefly myself in a while. Thought for sure I was going to replace the pickguard with a clear one. As ugly as I thought it was going to be, it actually looks fantastic against the finish. The bridge position was a bit to bright for my classic rock tastes. I'd probably never have the tone control or volume control on full in that position. I replaced the bridge pickup with a GM Stratbucker and kept the 250k volume pot and the .047 cap on the 500k tone control for now. The Stratbucker required slightly enlarging the 4 "corners" of the scratch plate cutout. Also replaced 3 way switch with a 5 way superswitch. My favorite guitar at the moment. When I pick it up, I don't want to put it down. Well worth it, even with all the needed fretwork on this one.
Well, FWIW I just received a 2nd Firefly Madcat and this one too is nearly unplayable right out of the box. A few issues noted: 1. Fret buzz everywhere. The truss rod was completely loose, yet zero relief. Maybe with more time to acclimate the relief would have become adjustable, but decided not to wait and see. (Did not check it over with a fret rocker) 2. Frets are scratchy (not my typical experience with Firefly) 3. Neck pocket is not a great fit. A visible gap/line can be seen on both sides of the joint. Might have just needed to be tightened as I also noticed some creaking. 4. The neck heal looks dinged up some 5. One string tree was loose and lots of "pinging" when tuning 6. Knobs are not smooth turning, one felt crooked 7. This guitar weighs 0.8 lbs less than the 1st one I received 8. Bridge pickup tilted towards the bridge 9. Feels and sounds more like a toy than their typical quality of late, although the neck pickup alone does sound nice I'm still a huge fan of Firefly, but unfortunately this particular guitar is way off, and is going back
Yep...... Thats the 2nd one that has been posted here that I think an E-mail needs to be sent to Firefly.... IE Guitar Gardens over. They need to know about this stuff... and make it right. I have had only 1 firefly to go back..... When I hear things like this ... I think to myself ... Do they know my address... Do they know I'm going to do a review on the guitar they send me.... I may need to do a SNEAKY order and see what I get. Order one with another name to a different address... Please let us know how they take care of you.. So far, they have always been good about anything I ask for in E-mails... The return was a little slow moving as far as the e-mails back and forth. But they made it right.@@maorienteg
They were quick to respond to my 1st emai regarding, offered to refund some money to help pay for repairs/adjustments. But this one just doesn't feel right. Sometimes their emails were a few days slow, other times next day. I have returned 4 Fireflys. 2 have been sent back due to playability, and 2 more due to finish issues. But most have been keepers with a little work On a positive note, the current Metallic Blue LP style TL, the Matte Black Super ST, the Natural Ash ST and the latest 3 pickup Cherry Burst LP were each near perfect out of the box. For your subscribers who enjoy working on guitars, IMO these are worth the risk of "buying before trying".
Finally received the return shipping label this morning. They apologized for the condition of the guitar and said the would do better, and even added a discount code for my next purchase. Great customer service again.
Ya ... was not thinking 15-inch radius.... So, do ya like to tone or not ???? I think this guitar has a bell and a chirp... But a good bellist and chirpy sound...But it also can just do the High gain stuff...I had a lot of fun playing this guitar !
Even just a little rock..... back and forth and I tell ya... most would say its good in some cases. Thanks for commenting on the video's it does help the AI system on UA-cam.
You're not doing your watchers right.I don't care how many notes you can play, I just want to hear what that guitar sounds like in an amp WITHOUT your stomps.
I'm not using any STOMP PEDALS ......... Most that watch the channel know that most of your tone comes from your Amp and Speakers..... Not saying the guitar has nothing to do with it... Just saying a good amp 90% of someone's sound. This guitar sounded good through my solid-state amps and my tube-amps. If Firefly has not changed the pickups in this model on their new runs of this model it has a good tone. This is a Review channel not a demo channel. My guitar playing skills are not up to a True Demo Channel Standards. I hope you watch more videos here .... I try to do my best reviewing the guitars and trying to get the best sound from the guitar. Thank You for your input and commenting.....
@DominionFretWorks but it's the distortion.reguardless if you have stomps or no buyers should hear what the guitar sounds like first of all .I have been playing over 60 years.And if I'm going to buy a guitar I want to hear what it sounds like.Guitarist don't seem to realize where to start when demonstrating a guitar or amp.I worked in a music store for years and I found out where to start when giving a demonstration.
@@LeonardLangford I understand what your saying..... but a RAW Tone on UA-cam = no views.. I hate to say that. I do no post editing on the sound.... What you hear is a room mic ... right into the video recorder. that is also why the tone is open and air-y sounding. So many thing change the tone and sound of a guitar... room size mic placement mic type the amp itself the speakers I can take a 5,000 dollar Gibson LP and play it through a cheap amp.... you will never hear the tone of the guitar... it is lost by the amp.... My point is this.... if you take a 200.00 guitar and a 5,000 dollars guitar and play them thought a good amp system .... you can hear the difference between them... do the same test through a cheap amp and you can't tell the difference between them.. They will both sound BAD.... I try to do a good review.... of the product. I'm honest about the product. Most of the time the product is good... for the asking price. Guitars now are great... way way better than 30 years ago. I have reviewed some guitars that did not have good reviews ... a 200.00 dollars guitar gets the same review as a 2000,00 dollar guitar here. I point out the good and the bad. To your point.... The only standard amp I have is a Egnater .... witch is still not a standard amp. I can get almost the same tone from it as I do my rack.... with clean tones and crunch tones... Maybe a little better with clean tones LOL....the Egnater. I hope you come around more ! ! ! ! this channel is open to all views... I'm sure there are more people that feel the same as you ... when it comes to my amp setting. every comment makes me think how to do better !
Great go overs of guitars , yet , bend the neck forward and back, if it flexes ,,,,, it Fails Next , no twists or humps in playing surface Then Resonance ,,, mostly all else is workable Of course weight , and a few other things that are often overlooked (or replaced )if it feels good and is strong and sings And is not Blue in color HAAAAAAACUUGHCOUGHCOUGHWEEEEEEEEZZ
I like looking at the Maple top too . . . . it is so good looking. I may end up getting a new one.... I am waiting for someone to tell me if the new ones have the flame maple necks on them...
This video is dedicated to my MOTHER. 06-15-1941 TO 12-16-2023
Her passing came during the recording of this video. She will be remembered in my heart forever !
So sorry to hear of your loss. May she rest in peace.
Sympathies to you and yours.
Thank You ... She would help pick out guitars sometimes... for the reviews.@@CG-gf7ce
Thank You .. She always like watching me playing guitar over the years... My Mother and Father would both come out and support the band back in the day!@@southerncrossvids
There is no good time in life to lose a beloved parent. That said, right before Christmas is an especially difficult time because so many of our childhood memories are around family holidays. I'm so very sorry for your loss.
Got one about a month ago. I kept thinking, I'm going to have to change something. Not going to change a thing. WHAT A NICE INSTRUMENT. Amazing
Lied I changed them.and wow weeee
Just ordered one as they are back in stock. Great review!!! Just bought a Firefly bass as well. Unbelievable for the price
This is a great run thru of the entire guitar. Great job and thank you for taking the time to do this. I just ordered one tonight (Wed. 12/27/23) and it looks like there's a few left. Thanks again. ✌
Please come back and tell us about the MADCAT FFTL you receive from Guitar Gardens.
This channel and this comment area is for others to read that are thinking about this guitar.
Your input on what you receive helps others.
Thanks for commenting ... very comment helps the UA-cam AI system push the video out to others.
Remember to smash that like button...
So sorry for the loss of your mother. Very nice looking guitar. And again sir sorry for your loss. Great review as always. Take care.
Thank You ! She was so much help to me over the years.
Glad you liked the review. 1 more guitar review before X-mass.
So sorry for your loss. Fantastic review. Very comprehensive. I just ordered a Mad Cat.. This will be my third Firefly, the first being almost three years ago,
Thank You for letting me know you like the review... I try to do the BEST REVIEWS on YT ..
Any feedback is welcome as we are learning what the members want to see.
What are the first two ???? FFLP ... FFDC ... FFST ??? 338 Maybe ?
Sorry to hear of your loss. I've always thought of the funniest moments in times like these. The flaming marshmallow to my mom's forehead is always a good one and the lure to her bandana always puts a smile on my face. She'll always be within you and around you. Again, sorry for your loss.
My mother was always into something . . . . LOL
Ya, I'm sure if I sit and think about it ... I can think of some funny stuff she did.
She would keep you on your toes, she was forth coming on what she thought. Most of the time right when you didn't want her to be... LOL
Was on the edge whether to purchase or not, but with my wife liking the guitar and your review, I took the plunge and ordered one today.
I reviewed the Last run on these... Please come back and inform everyone how your new Mad Cat is.... The one I have is just ... WOW ...The Flame maple just pops . The last run was the first run on the MadCat with the Upgraded A5 pickups as well... That made the guitar a keeper in its stock form for me. Stock the guitar is good. I would not change the pickups in mine... I like the sound and breakup I get from the stockers...
Please come back and report on the new run ! ! ! !
@@DominionFretWorks And deepest condolences on the passing of your mom 🙏
Received the my FFTH-BCTY-539 today. Ordered on 3/22 and received on 3/26. It was shipped from Southern California to my home in Northern California. I am giving it a day or so to acclimate before I do my overall review. So far I am pleased with the packaging, no fret sprout and the finish - deeper, richer than in photos. The guitar was not in tune (no worries) and the only negative out of the box was the frets being a little “scratchy.” I will clean, polish the frets when I change the strings.
Mine just has a sound..... Dunno what it is.... but I like the break up on the crunch channel with these pickups... and the clean tones are great as well .. has a open ring sound to it.
I'm still blown away by all the work in this guitar.... the top and the binding.... for 200.00 bucks....
This is one of Firefly's hits ! As long as they can keep the QC under control this will be a seller for them.
Enjoy the guitar . . . . .
@@markreinking5647
I encountered an issue when I tried to tune the guitar. I was getting a significant amount of buzz with the 6th string so I tried raising the saddle. While doing so, the string “cracked” and started to unwind. While replacing all of the strings I realized there was no plastic on the pick guards so I am a little suspicious about being sent a “returned” guitar. After I replaced the strings, I adjusted the truss rod (approximately a half turn) because I was still getting a buzz from the string and that seemed to fix it. On the edge again - whether to return it or keep it and have a professional luthier check it out. Stay tuned…
They just added a few of these on their website. Just ordered one!
Yep... I see they have the listing up !
You never know how many they got in.... Last time they had them for over a month.... Thats when I got mine... Time before that they were gone before I knew they had listed them....
Witch was good..... This last run had updated pickups ! ! ! ! So they made it better !
I LOVE MINE ! ! ! ! its a player for sure !
My condolences to you and your family for your loss of your mother!
Thank You.
I have one of these Mad Cat's from Firefly. It is one of the nicest guitars that I have ever owned. It was less than $200 and it plays and feels as good as guitars that I've paid $1000+. I had to shim the neck on mine before it would play right, but after doing so, it was already intonated perfectly, and the string height was already good. The bridge pickup was slighty tilted on mine, but I was able to fix that easily. This is a really nice instrument. I discovered from Jimmy Stewart's channel that the history of this guitar goes back to the "Prince" era. Eventually Hohner purchased the rights to the Mad Cat, but now they're making their comeback through Firefly. I highly recommend this one as a great guitar for both beginners and seasoned musicians. There is very little to criticize and I probably won't modify mine because it's just good the way it is... Thanks for breaking this one down so thoroughly!
ya... this run of Firefly's was great... I hear they have added a Flame maple neck to the new production run.
Thinking about getting a new one...
Sorry for your loss. We are at that age, and it is terrible. Im happy to be here.
These Prince copies did not catch my eye for a while, but the new run has flame maple on the neck!!
The Harrison Concert when Prince came out playing this guitar, instantly made me want one! Great vid.
Ya ... flame maple necks are so nice looking !
Will do for sure! I'll try and make an unboxing video for sure 😎
Please accept my sincerest condolences for your loss.....
I just got one of these in a couple of weeks ago. I ordered it for a buddy and he was happy with it. I did the initial inspection, restring and set up. My buddy wanted it strung with 11's and tuned to standard. The neck was back bowed out of the box. After truss rod adjustment the intonation was flat and had to be set. No initial problems with high frets at my buddies preferred string height.
There were a couple of pin sized finish defects but the finish looked good overall. Everything else seemed good for this price range.
Thank You for sharing your thoughts on the one you worked on.
I'm just shocked over the work put into this guitar.. for 200.00 dollars.
@@DominionFretWorks, I agree. I've had 4 FF guitars go through my hands and haven't seen any real issues other than a few high frets. And that just gave me an excuse to buy some specialty tools to do my own fret work.
right on ! never have to many tools for Guitar repairs ... LOL @@BazonBlades
Just got one. It was flawless. Got some Lizard spit cloths and polished the frets, they were a bit rough, and now its just perfect. I agree, every bit as great as a thousand dollar guitar. I was sweating it when I bought it, worried about paypal, worried about Guitarsgarden, worried about the shipping but I have to say those fears were unfounded in my case. Holey moley was I relieved. Action was beautiful....intonation was nearly perfect, I think I moved the D string forward a tad but that was it. I'm in love with this thing. My favorite new guitar....now I'm thinking...... firefly's answer to the 335? I might need one more guitar from Guitarsgarden LOL (much to my wife's chagrin). The only scary thing is you cant really talk to anyone at the company. But it was delivered in a timely fashion so it didnt give me time to freak out lol.
I haven't had any problems with Guitar Garden.
Shipping is most of the time for me 1 week...
and I have order over 15 guitars from them... only one of those had shipping damage.
I did a review of the 335 they sell... Mine was very nice. They have made some changes from the one I ordered...they are always updating the models. The new ones have better pickups from what I have heard.
So sorry for your loss.
Thank You.
Sorry for your loss. Great, detailed review! I just purchased this guitar and am glad that they seem to come with Alnicos now. I hope I get a good one! Take care my friend!
Firefly does seem to be getting better at the overall OC of their product. That doesn't mean they don't make bad ones, everyone does.
Thier product seems to be getting better and better with each production run. They still have some MISSES . . . Like the Relic's.
Please come back and let us know how yours comes. This is how others know about the product.
Helps them know what to expect when they order one.
They were out of this model so I ordered a relic guitar from Firefly instead. Never ordered one before because I couldn't see myself getting a banged up guitar. It was so easy to play! I noticed that the string spacing on the Firefly is so much better than on Fenders and the sanded neck made the guitar feel so great. I ordered new Fender noiseless tele pickups (the ones on the Firefly was not bad, BTW) and I liked the new pickup sounds as they gave me more choices in sound. Also changed the hardware, although there was nothing wrong with the Firefly's... Sweetwater actually told me I wouldn't notice any better sound, but I did it anyway. Now the Firefly is my goto guitar. Amazing!
I have a few .... Firefly's that I have changed up.... and LOVE THEM !
Yes! Been checking all day for this video. It's like an early Xmas present.
It means so much to me when I see the same people video after video making comments.... I really do appreciate it.
I hope I can continue to make videos you want to see. This 1 hour and 20 min video takes about 3 - 8-hour days to make. I really try my hardest to make the best review video I can. Thank You for supporting the channel !
I'm grateful and truly appreciate your efforts. And I usually learn something each time too.
Thanks again!
Great review. I just got mine in yesterday and it is an absolutely beautiful guitar. I cannot believe the quality of this at the price they’re asking. The binding is absolutely gorgeous. It’s a funky looking guitar, but I like that. It’s an eye catcher for sure. I already got two compliments from two different people when they saw it sitting in my living room. Out of the box it plays pretty well, but I can’t wait to give it a full set up and restring. This is my first telecaster style guitar and it’s gonna be a keeper.
So, yours is the latest production run...It you just got it ....
Does it have the FLAME MAPLE NECK ??????
If so, what do ya think ?
I hear it is just beautiful. This is something they added to the new ones.... Mine doesn't have the flame maple neck...
This was one of the most thorough guitar reviews i have ever watched. Just ordered one of these guitars. Very well done!
Thank You !
I love mine ! ! !
a lot of guitars come through here for the channel... This guitar is one that is staying...
AND
I'm leaving it stock....
For me this guitar is fine in its stock form...
Sounds Great
Plays Great
I may install a Pure Tone jack. I do that to every guitar that is a keeper ! ! !
Prince would be proud of your analysis!
Thanks ! ! ! !
glad you like the video !
Obviously my condolences brother..I have just subscribed after watching the video. Love the way you do not hesitate to say when there's an issue regardless of whether or not it may cast a shadow as long as you're telling it as it is. Your pain will ease. This to will pass. Sorry went of script there. Feeling your pain.I'm looking forward to watching your vids from the start. Lots of love from uk. Dover to be precise. 25 miles from France via the channel tunnel. Just opened a bottle of wine and talking to much. Stay safe, be lucky my friend. Simon. ..si to me mates. ✌😎.
I try to do the best job of reviewing the guitar I can.... I point out what I see. It's up to the viewer to decide if the product is worth the price in the end .
Sure, my thoughts are in there. But I try to point out what I see for you to decide.
For me ... This guitar for 200.00 bucks... and they just listed it on SALE for 189.00. Ya just can't go wrong. The neck and body itself are worth more than that.... If you were doing a PARTS CASTER.
Thank You for your kind words for or loss here... Are family will move on . . and we will get through it together.
Thanks for the sub... and tell others about the channel !
Excellent! Thank You and Best Regards and Best Wishes!
such a pretty guitar
Buy far Firefly's best-looking guitar !
What I hear the most is.... Love it but wish they could get the orange tone out of the stain... it does have a orange hue to it... In some lights it shows more than others.
Thanks for commenting.... It helps the UA-cam AI push the video out to others !
Nice review, very detailed.
Thanks for letting me know you liked the review.
Please check out some of the other reviews on the channel.
And if you would please tell others about the channel and if you haven't already, please consider subscribing.
Now that’s a good intro! It’s weird how it’s a workhorse type of tele but it’s decked out in kinky leopard print😈
Yes, love the playing intro. Think that should become your thing on these reviews :0)
I forgot to add, thanks for the 80s jams you selfishly kept from us on the other video. And nice little Hendrix tease there
Sorry for your loss
Thank You
I own one and you’re right. A great looking and put together guitar.
I’m just not sold on the clean sound. Just my preference.
To me it would be worth changing the pick ups because the rest of the guitar is quality. 👌
Ya ... pickup upgrade would put this guitar with any tele at any price point.
Your Right !
I wished they had this guitar during the pandemic because I purchased a HB Madcat guitar and it was ok but I had to put a bunch of work into it and the frets cut like a knife. Great review.
This guitar is Upgraded from the last release from FF..
oldasrocks posted that info below.... They added better pickups. He has the INFO on his post below.
Thanks for commenting ! it help the UA-cam AI system push the video !
I have one. I also have a Gretch Streamliner, an excellent guitar, about 3 times the price of the MadCat; and I have a Fender ‘52 reissue Telecaster, a dream guitar and about 7 times the cost; and I have a MIJ Fender ‘64 reissue Strat that is priceless (to my mind).
I don’t begrudge what I’ve paid for either of those - I love them all and couldn’t think of parting with any of them. The only reason I list those out is because the biggest bang for the buck was the MadCat.
I agree with you wholeheartedly, it easily compares to a $1k guitar. It impresses me every time I plug it in. And it’s damn good lookin’.
It was delivered in 3 days, and was pretty much ready to go out of the box. I also changed strings: it came with 9’s (I believe DiMarczios!) & I prefer 10’s, so I had to tweak the action and then the intonation (but that only on the low E). Really, really nice guitar regardless of price, but mind blowing for under $150.
One more thing - I also have one of the first Firefly’s when they first hit our market, the red with white piping 335 -style. That guitar needed a lot of fixing; the frets needed, well, everything, I replaced the the tuners and replaced the bridge with a roller, and a few of the fret markers fell out and had to be reglued. Firefly seems to have paid attention to, and corrected every negative review posted about previous models. Very commendable.
I will be getting another one soon... mine was from the runs without the flame maple necks.
So, maybe time for the UPGRADED model...
Thanks so much for your input .... It is why this channel is here. Info for others... from the people that own these guitars ! ! !
My Madcat .... is most likely the best, I have received from Firefly.... Just a nice guitar.
I checked out their website they seem to have a nice line up of nice looking guitars ..I think it's pretty , dope sounding.
right now, they are low on everything..... Kepp checking back they will restock.
Great review as usual
Thank You !
If the ever rerelase this model I will have to get one. When you are a budget like I am, I have to really consider if the juice is worth the squeeze but this video convinced me to take the plunge.
Guitar Gardens has this model in stock right now.
They now have it in a Blue Brust . . . And still have the Blond Model like this one.
@@DominionFretWorks thank you for the heads up
Deeply sorry for your loss, God bless you. Very detailed video, very cool guitar. What is the weight?
If you go to the description window of the video scroll down to where it says weight and click there and it will automatically take you to the weight measurement part of the video.
UA-cam calls them video chapters.
Wow, how did I miss that, thank you!
@@gilpi552 Chapters are good YES ! LOL
Thanks for letting me know all the work into doing the chapters has paid off . . . .
Glad you found it !
Nice job on the review. How long did it take to receive your guitar. I ordered a cpl days ago with only an order confirmation thus far. Not a big deal just curious…
I live in Northern Va....So, they are shipping cross county to me.
Most of the time its 5 to 7 days...to my door.
What is the CPL model ???
Crazy Matt here I got one and love it plays and sounds great , great job bro
Thanks, Crazy Matt ! ! !
Picked up one in the previous run on this one. Beautiful guitar. My only complaint on mine was the coloring was orange vs yellow. It eventually grew on me.
The neck on mine has an orange-ie tent to it... I like it. the work that went into this guitar for 200.00 bucks is just crazy ! ! !! JUST CRAZY for 200.00 bucks.
$189 as they have on sale tonight (while they last)…. Definitely a fun model you can’t beat for the $$$. Have been noticing a lot more artist knockoffs the past few weeks on Les Paul styles.
Just did a post with your INFO....
I hope it goes out to everyone that is a SUB of the channel.
Thanks for the heads up ! @CG-gf7ce
The good, the bad, and the ugly. I just got mine yesterday. Overall, I'm very impressed with the look, fit, and finish. I was worried it would be on the heavy side as some people have reported, but I'm pleased to have gotten one that weighs just a tad over 7 pounds. I only noticed one blemish in the fretboard where a small piece of wood chipped out. But I can easily fix it. I'm not the biggest fan of the orange color. I think I'll hang it in a sunny window when not in use in hopes of sun bleaching the wood to a more natural looking tone. Its too bad they make the body out of four pieces. I would gladly pay extra to have one made out of two or three pieces evenly centered. The tuners will be replaced sooner than later. They slip at times and don't seem to consistently hold good tune. I'm not the biggest fan of the head stock shape. If Tokai can get away with using Fender shapes why can't Firefly. Would have been nice to have an all maple neck without a seam along the fretboard. Afterall, they had to cut a channel for the skunk stripe anyway. The pickups and pots on below average at best. I will be upgrading to something better soon. The bridge saddle screws are subject to stripping out if you're not careful.
All in all a great platform to make upgrades to and great buy at $220 shipped.
Ya.... The tone of the stain is on the orange side... I saw this on mine as well... The neck and body have this orange tint to them.....
Ya the 4 pc body .... with a top and bottom Veneer they are using smaller pieces of wood to make the core of the body....
I did not have any problems with the tuners on mine.... They locked well and held tune well... If you just received yours ... Then your is I think two production runs after mine. They just received another batch about 2 weeks ago...and they have received another bath about 2 and 1/2 months after mine.. I think mine was the first batch with the new Al-5 pickups.
So, they could have changed the tuners ... and or the pickups in later runs... I was hoping they would stick to the pickups mine came with... I thought they did well ... Not really a tele pickup as they had more pop and gain... but suited for this Rock-Tele. Pickup are subjective though... If you're looking for more of that Tele-Spank ... Then the pickups mine came with wouldn't be a good fit.
Ya.... the skunk stripe.... Looks cool.... But I'm sure the truss rod was installed from the top... This was done for looks....and cost... The truss rod is a spoke wheel design... So doing an undermount truss rod install would have made them write a new CAM program... and change what the production workers are doing... Something they don't do.. Adding time and training.
But your right..... If they used a 2pc body and change the tint of the stain to more of an aged yellow....I would have no problems with 300.00
with better pickups and hardware... I would easily go 400.00 ... no problems whatsoever.
Prince finally had Kinmans in his, Fender noiseless along the way. You think the routes are deep enough for full stack noiseless Strat pickups like the Seymour Duncans or the GFS TruCoils?
The routes look deep... A stacked single coil should fit.
But this guitar doesn't need pickups... It has a good sound right now... The clean tones in the video show that. Has a very open and air-ie sound with just enough ring/bell to it. It is ready to play with the puppies in there!
I was able to get good tones in all my stock settings with very little work. just small changes in the comp/gate and small changes in the BBE ....rolled the mid bass off just a little on the ART and rolled the tone back just a little on the guitar.
@@DominionFretWorks Agreed, they put Alnicos in this time I see, ditched the ceramics from the previous version. It really does sound great, love the phase-y sounds you're getting in the middle position
Once the nut slots are cut right and the intonation is sorted it could be a gigger
Mine should be here February 7th!!!!!!!!! I can't wait till it gets here!!!!! : )
The are sold out of these now.... You must have gotten one of the last ones.
Please report back when you have it.
Let us know how your Mad-Cat is...
Hi, I bought one for my son. When I saw his, I immediately bought another one for myself. I've been playing for over sixty years. These guitars are about as good as they get. I now own six Firefly guitars. All are excellent! How in the world can they do this? And for $200! Shalom/gw
This guitar ...... I LOVE IT ...
it stays out in the room to grab at any time !
When hear this videos with tone comparisons and tests I immediately hear if i like it or not. Cheap or expensive not an issue. I) notice this guitar before and really like it. It bites like a tele, are quacky and big at the same time. Think I need one.
Ya.... This is a good one...
I have been hearing that the new model has an upgraded flame maple neck .....
If you get one please report back and let us know
They are back in stock again and I bought one yesterday.
Ya ..... your the second person to say they have ordered one in the last 2 days ....
Please come back and report on the guitar.
This is a new production run for them.... Need to let everyone know if they are as good as the last run ...
Thanks for commenting and watching the video !
Great Review! Thanks..
Thank you !
excellent! thank you
Thank You ... We want to be the best review channel on YT.
I so glad to see people liking the detail reviews.
Please join in a talk to everyone ... If ya have a Firefly or any other guitar !
Due to your reviews I bought this guitar instead of either of the Leo Jaymz that I was looking at. I think I’ll stick to Firefly for a while. It seems that they have steadily improved their quality. One thing-can you tell me if the electronic compartments are shielded?
It has a black paint coated in there.... Not sure if it is shielding paint or not.
I like the copper foil tape shielding... I have only ever gotten one guitar with this shielding stock from the factory.
Unless you have a problem .. I wouldn't do anything to it.. I plugged into all the amps here and it was fine... NO NOISE.
@@DominionFretWorks I just rebuilt my SDGR Ibanez bass and have some copper tape left. I’ll probably line it before I set it up. Thanks again for these reviews. I sent your video to my son as well. He said it is the best online review he has seen. Thanks for not being a shill!
@@DominionFretWorks Also, I have a pristine 2000 Terry C Mcinturff Empress for sale. It’s the crown jewel of my collection. Do you know of a reputable buyer?
Times have changed.... I would list it with a shop that does that type of stuff... Or start calling the shops that sale older or limited run guitars.
You could also do reverb . . . . you would get more but have to do all the leg work as far as Q and A on the guitar..@@falcons5683
I do not mind a review with distortion, reverb etc as long as you play it clean as well. You do a good job at this. Some others have so much effects on them that I just cannot tell whether they want to impress me with their playing ability or give me a good review. I have blocked those others. Please be heavy on the clean.
Yeah everyone likes something different....
Most of the time I try to do a little bit of everything....
I do have reviews without clean but those are usually shred guitars.
Thanks for your input and commenting.
Nice thumbs up subbed Great video, Beautiful guitar sounds like it needs a set of texas special's ,and a steel string slight return and it would be ready for stage duty.
The stock pickups have a sound.... it is a good sound... It does things well and has a likeable tone ....I say this as it is a Budget Guitar... It does very well for a under 250.00 dollars ..
If you installed a Pure Tone Jack .... and some nice pickups.... Ya this guitar would be just great.
For me.... The stock pickups are good enough to BAR PLAY.... I would install a Pure Tone jack....and maybe install some very nice tuners.... Just to make sure it would hold up to a full set-list playing out. The stock tones are good enough to EQ out and get the sounds needed to play out.
If I was doing a Pro - Level upgrade ... on this guitar
1) Dylan Talks Tone Picks 200.00
2) Pure Tone Jack 7.00
3) Nice Cap to match the pickups 7.00
4) Nice set of tuners 80.00
5) the GUITAR 250.00
But again .... this guitar does very well in its stock form.... Doing the above would make it NEXT LEVEL for sure...
550.00 bucks and your time.... I think you would have to spend 1,200 + dollars to get an off the shelf guitar after the above list ...
anything over 1200.00 is only going to give you 1 or 2 % better... If you shop around and find a good 1200.00-dollar stock name brand guitar... As with anything... There are good ones and bad ones. Sometimes they just NAIL the stock guitar, and it is just a PLAYING MONSTER !
I say this a lot .... find your guitar that you bond with... Then make the changes to fit your style of playing...
Thanks for commenting and joining the channel !
Everyone helps everyone else here... We chat and talk about guitars and Amps.
Again Thanks ! ! ! ! ! !
Can you tell me what height the string should be from the neck on the gauge?
I like around .06 to .065 from the bottom of the Low E to the top of the 12th fret... I try to be .075 to .01 lower on the High E
So if I'm at .065 on the High E @ the 12th I shot for around .050 to .0575 on the High E
The Radius of your bridge can change some of the measurements....
If you can adjust each saddle make sure your bridge Radius is set as well....
Very one likes what they like...
All I can say is you have to find that sweet spot.. If your action is too low.... Even if it's not buzzing.. It can CHOKE notes ..They well not ring out as long... It can also make getting harmonics harder.
If the action is high.... .08 and higher ... The notes ring out longer ... but it becomes harder to fret notes the higher you go.
If your using a slide on the guitar ... then your action will be set high... .09 maybe the lowest ...
I know players that use a slide with lower action.... but they have been playing for many years like that and have learned how glide the slide over the strings.
I hope this helps you out a little... I would say go for the STANDARD setup
.07 on the Low E and .06 on the high E... Start there.
I am a huge fan of Firefly (and MusicNGear).
They have earned it by consistantly improving their guitars and expanding their offerings.
And most important, I have always received great customer service from both Aron and Annie.
Sometimes can seem a little slow to respond, other times immediate. Probably just timezone differences, but they have always come through.
Hope they remain Firefly and don't sell out anytime soon.
This is a good guitar from them.... They have come a long way from the Amazon Days!
They have even improved on the shipping boxes!
@@maorienteg Now at some point they should send me a " Free Guitar in that improved shipping box "
You know for review . . . . :) LOL
Thanks. The specs say SS frets. Did the appear to be SS?
Yes ... they did have the Stainless-Steel Sheen to them.
Thanks for commenting and please check out some of the other reviews on the channel... The newer the review the more content and detail...
I like that guitar too. I had to go through it, but, it wasn't far off. Interesting but uneven sweep of the tone. Great budget telecaster.
I think this guitar with some Dylan Talks Tone Pickups..... would just be great....
But for What I paid for this guitar the stock setup is good. Best Tele under the 400.00-mark IMO.
I have one ariving tomorrow. In antisipation of possably changing the tuners. Is there a set that you would recomend that will be a close fit and not cost half the price of the Firefly? 😝
HipShot and Gotoh are the best bang for buck in the mid-price point.
I would not go with anything less...The stock tuners really are not too bad.
@@DominionFretWorks I forgot what you had said the neck radius was and measured mine. I concure. I came up with 15 although I was suprised and rewatched that portion of your video. I didn't expect it to be that flat.
Ya..... 15 is flat for a tele... Thats why I gage all the necks. Sometimes your fingers tell your brain.... NAAA it has to be a 12 or 14 LOL Can't be a 15 ...You just think, it's a tele they wouldn't go to a 14 or flatter radius. I don't know what the Price Mad-Cat Radius was. Don't know if they just copy that one or did their own thing here.
I ready like the compound radius necks they do .... I would have thought they would have used the compound radius. But this one is 15 top and bottom.@@rodrich1644
Mad Cat was one of Princes favorite Tele's
How much do you think it weighs in at?
52:40 Weight Chapter in the video
If you click on the description view more tab.. all the chapters come up... This is under the video.
Thanks for commenting !
I would really love to see a review by you of the IYV ISSY-200NA looks like an unbelievable guitar. Would love to hear what you think.
I have look at this neck-through guitar many times....Customer photos are all over the place as far as the color of the guitar.
Plus if you look at the bottom of the page of the listing on Amazon...... It reads....
Frequently returned item
Check the product details and customer reviews to learn more about this item.
That means a lot of these are returned...
Reading this and looking at the photos from customers where the color is all over the place... Just make me think ... I could get a good one ... could get a bad one.... This can happen really with any guitar. I get it. But this one seems to be riding the fence as they say.
I have seen it on sale for as low as 159.00 dollars about a year ago.... So the price is never the same on it... It's now at 204.21 ?????
204.21 ahh What is up with the price. That is just a weird price.
But even after all the signs..... I still look at this guitar and go... Hell for that money ITS NECK THROUGH. I can fix the electronics... tuners... nut and tremolo.... If they are bad.
Then I think of the guitars I already have here to fix and work on.... LOL
Thanks, Bob, for telling me what you want to see next. I need the subs to speak up ! ! ! ! Together we have a group helping one another out. Plus its GUITARS ! ! !!! any guitar is just cool !
This guitar has been on the fence for me for sometime.....Just haven't pulled the trigger.
Thanks Again ! for posting and it is one of the guitars I do look at for reviewing.
@@DominionFretWorks Yes exactly, All I care about is if the body and the neck and frets are good. I don't care about the electronics, I'll be installing my own. I don't care about the bridge either cuz I'll install my own there also. Tho I do wish it was routed for a Floyd. The frets are supposedly stainless steel !! Really ? A stainless steel feet guitar that's Neck thru ? For $200 buck ? I mean man, if that's real then I don't even care if the frets arent flattened lol. I'll have that done or do it myself. But for the body and neck thru at that price with those stainless steel frets would be just unimaginable. Its like one of the older Carvin guitars from the 90s ! I think I'm gonna have to give it a try just to see.
@@AngryTruckerBob I hear ya....Thats why I have look at it for over a year...
Neck through with SS frets 200.00 ... Just crazy.
If you get one E-mail me and let me know what ya think of it.
@@DominionFretWorks probably be awhile bro , maybe a few months. Gotta take care of other bills first but yea I definitely want one for sure.
hi. i just suscribed to ur nice channel. U r really professional and work exactly. Can u make reviews ant Fazley, Jet ans Eart guitars too. I saw on ur wall a Schecter Sun Valley. There is no review of it ? Scalloped model would be interesting too.❤❤
I have a review of the NK scalloped headless guitar.
ua-cam.com/video/ox4D096zxkM/v-deo.html
I also have one Eart guitar review.
ua-cam.com/video/Hc9s17JfNNc/v-deo.html
I have not done a review on Jet Guitars. I'm sure at some point we well.
The Schecter needs a review at this point... There are 4 guitars here waiting for reviews that are over the 800.00-dollar price point.
A Kramer, Epiphone, Schecter and a Yamaha.
1 guitar at the 300-to-400-dollar price point Squier
3 at the 250 and under price point.
I also have a few mod videos planed. about 4 or 5 of those... Pickup installs, Pot Wiring and bridge building.
So, there is a lot coming in the next few months!
The video I make take a lot of time to make. The subs here like the detail videos. So, every video is detailed and cover everything to the best of my ability.
remember to hit the like button ! and please tell others about the channel !
Thanks for commenting and letting me know what you want to see.
@@DominionFretWorks Ur channel is really interesting, its a pleasure to look at you explaining everything so clearly. Maybe u know the channel Guitaristas, he does reviews abt Gibson, Les paul, SG...he dt like the Fender. He is very good, and u r a real great specialist like him, with stratocaster models. thx a lot. a real pleasure to watch what u do.
@colhad9505 I watch his channel.. I love what he does..
His channel is much larger than mine. Would love to do a show with him....
@@DominionFretWorks ur channel is smaller today, but it will be famous and large like its, for sure.👍
Fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you ! ! !
I guess that means you like the video ! ! ! !
Thanks for commenting it really does help the UA-cam AI system push the video to others.
Firefly did a fine job with this guitar, Harley Benton has their version and it's nowhere near as good as this one, they chose to use an unfinished neck and the white neck looks hedious, compared to the firefly mad cat, is the binding part of the maple cap top, or is it the same looking plastic as the pickguard,this guitar is well worth the money,thumbs up firefly, thanks for the review.
If they used the material on the pick guard as the binding this would just be over the top.... But they didn't.... The Binding is very nice.. has a 3d look to it as the light hits it... The pick guard doesn't so this...The pick guard is very 2d looking...
I'm sure it's a cost thing... BUT if you could use the binding material on the pick guard.... OMG it would be sooooooooooo !!!!! COOL ! ! ! ! ! !
@@DominionFretWorks I heard somewhere that the binding is part of the maple cap itself,and not some plastic, and the 3d effect is just the side of the flame top cap, the same cap is on the back, looks to be about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick, flame maple cap on both top and bottom, utilizing the side of the caps as the binding,if that's what it looks like, they must be losing money on these right.
❤
Glad you Loved the video !
Thanks for joining in !
How much did you pay for the Firefly MADCAT FFLT?
it was 199.99 plus the shipping.
In my case total came to just under 130.00 Dollars.
They have sold out of just about everything over at Guitar Gardens. Last, I check they do still have these in stock...
Hey, of ALL guitars around 200, what one would you rec for a new player? I just wanna get my dad something he feels is bad ass and makes him want to pick it up. I wished I nevere got that POS fake strat
Sorry I thought I had replied to this comment.
The Firefly FFST with the angled back plate is a good sub 200.00 guitar. It is a strat body.
Here is there new SUPER FFST model
guitarsgarden.com/collections/sg/products/firefly-super-ffst-model-ash-wood-body-electric-guitars-matte-white-colorbna
That one would be super cool for him !
TY man!@@DominionFretWorks
Mine came with a backbow and was unplayable right out of the box as the strings were pressed against the frets.
After adjusting the truss rod,
there was a good bit of non amplified buzz on the lower strings, even with their high-ish .075 12th fret action.
Eventually found 6 or more high spots on the frets, similar to what you found where most of the high spots were just a small portion of the fret. In some cases the high spots were directly under the string, so I had missed them when initially checking for fret rock.
Also, quite a noticable falloff starting at fret 14.
Ended up doing a full leveling, crowning and polish.
And last, this one came with those terrible strings without the D'addario colored ends, and turned my finger tips black. Haven't seen those on a Firefly myself in a while.
Thought for sure I was going to replace the pickguard with a clear one. As ugly as I thought it was going to be, it actually looks fantastic against the finish.
The bridge position was a bit to bright for my classic rock tastes. I'd probably never have the tone control or volume control on full in that position. I replaced the bridge pickup with a GM Stratbucker and kept the 250k volume pot and the .047 cap on the 500k tone control for now. The Stratbucker required slightly enlarging the 4 "corners" of the scratch plate cutout. Also replaced 3 way switch with a 5 way superswitch.
My favorite guitar at the moment. When I pick it up, I don't want to put it down.
Well worth it, even with all the needed fretwork on this one.
This one came to me just about where I set guitar for customers.... Locking tuning keys and clean a few frets and this thing would be killer..
Well, FWIW I just received a 2nd Firefly Madcat and this one too is nearly unplayable right out of the box.
A few issues noted:
1. Fret buzz everywhere. The truss rod was completely loose, yet zero relief. Maybe with more time to acclimate the relief would have become adjustable, but decided not to wait and see. (Did not check it over with a fret rocker)
2. Frets are scratchy (not my typical experience with Firefly)
3. Neck pocket is not a great fit. A visible gap/line can be seen on both sides of the joint. Might have just needed to be tightened as I also noticed some creaking.
4. The neck heal looks dinged up some
5. One string tree was loose and lots of "pinging" when tuning
6. Knobs are not smooth turning, one felt crooked
7. This guitar weighs 0.8 lbs less than the 1st one I received
8. Bridge pickup tilted towards the bridge
9. Feels and sounds more like a toy than their typical quality of late, although the neck pickup alone does sound nice
I'm still a huge fan of Firefly, but unfortunately this particular guitar is way off, and is going back
Yep...... Thats the 2nd one that has been posted here that I think an E-mail needs to be sent to Firefly.... IE Guitar Gardens over.
They need to know about this stuff... and make it right.
I have had only 1 firefly to go back.....
When I hear things like this ... I think to myself ... Do they know my address... Do they know I'm going to do a review on the guitar they send me.... I may need to do a SNEAKY order and see what I get.
Order one with another name to a different address...
Please let us know how they take care of you.. So far, they have always been good about anything I ask for in E-mails... The return was a little slow moving as far as the e-mails back and forth. But they made it right.@@maorienteg
They were quick to respond to my 1st emai regarding, offered to refund some money to help pay for repairs/adjustments. But this one just doesn't feel right.
Sometimes their emails were a few days slow, other times next day.
I have returned 4 Fireflys. 2 have been sent back due to playability, and 2 more due to finish issues. But most have been keepers with a little work
On a positive note, the current Metallic Blue LP style TL, the Matte Black Super ST, the Natural Ash ST and the latest 3 pickup Cherry Burst LP were each near perfect out of the box.
For your subscribers who enjoy working on guitars, IMO these are worth the risk of "buying before trying".
Finally received the return shipping label this morning. They apologized for the condition of the guitar and said the would do better, and even added a discount code for my next purchase.
Great customer service again.
I believe that color is called vintage Amber.
I love the finish... It has just the right amount of color / toner in the clear coat.
The more I play this guitar ...The more I like it.
15 " Radius ? Ibanez Factory ?
And that sound ,,,, I'll take your word for it
Ya ... was not thinking 15-inch radius....
So, do ya like to tone or not ????
I think this guitar has a bell and a chirp... But a good bellist and chirpy sound...But it also can just do the High gain stuff...I had a lot of fun playing this guitar !
Subscribed
Class in session
I hope there is no test after the class . . . . . LOL
Sorry for your Loss
Thank You !
I dont know what ill do when i lose my mother. My god man im so sorry. Shes 75 im 51.
All we can do is live the best life we can... Remember them for everything they did for us and gave us...
A rocker rocking is not being super critical
Take it easy on yourself Man
Even just a little rock..... back and forth and I tell ya... most would say its good in some cases.
Thanks for commenting on the video's it does help the AI system on UA-cam.
You're not doing your watchers right.I don't care how many notes you can play, I just want to hear what that guitar sounds like in an amp WITHOUT your stomps.
I'm not using any STOMP PEDALS .........
Most that watch the channel know that most of your tone comes from your Amp and Speakers..... Not saying the guitar has nothing to do with it... Just saying a good amp 90% of someone's sound.
This guitar sounded good through my solid-state amps and my tube-amps. If Firefly has not changed the pickups in this model on their new runs of this model it has a good tone.
This is a Review channel not a demo channel. My guitar playing skills are not up to a True Demo Channel Standards.
I hope you watch more videos here .... I try to do my best reviewing the guitars and trying to get the best sound from the guitar.
Thank You for your input and commenting.....
@DominionFretWorks but it's the distortion.reguardless if you have stomps or no buyers should hear what the guitar sounds like first of all .I have been playing over 60 years.And if I'm going to buy a guitar I want to hear what it sounds like.Guitarist don't seem to realize where to start when demonstrating a guitar or amp.I worked in a music store for years and I found out where to start when giving a demonstration.
@@LeonardLangford I understand what your saying.....
but a RAW Tone on UA-cam = no views..
I hate to say that.
I do no post editing on the sound....
What you hear is a room mic ... right into the video recorder.
that is also why the tone is open and air-y sounding.
So many thing change the tone and sound of a guitar...
room size
mic placement
mic type
the amp itself
the speakers
I can take a 5,000 dollar Gibson LP and play it through a cheap amp.... you will never hear the tone of the guitar... it is lost by the amp....
My point is this.... if you take a 200.00 guitar and a 5,000 dollars guitar and play them thought a good amp system .... you can hear the difference between them...
do the same test through a cheap amp and you can't tell the difference between them.. They will both sound BAD....
I try to do a good review.... of the product. I'm honest about the product.
Most of the time the product is good... for the asking price. Guitars now are great... way way better than 30 years ago.
I have reviewed some guitars that did not have good reviews ... a 200.00 dollars guitar gets the same review as a 2000,00 dollar guitar here. I point out the good and the bad.
To your point.... The only standard amp I have is a Egnater .... witch is still not a standard amp. I can get almost the same tone from it as I do my rack.... with clean tones and crunch tones... Maybe a little better with clean tones LOL....the Egnater.
I hope you come around more ! ! ! ! this channel is open to all views... I'm sure there are more people that feel the same as you ... when it comes to my amp setting.
every comment makes me think how to do better !
Great go overs of guitars , yet , bend the neck forward and back, if it flexes ,,,,, it Fails
Next , no twists or humps in playing surface
Then Resonance ,,, mostly all else is workable
Of course weight , and a few other things that are often overlooked (or replaced )if it feels good and is strong and sings
And is not Blue in color
HAAAAAAACUUGHCOUGHCOUGHWEEEEEEEEZZ
This guitar plays nice!
I like it just the way it is STOCK.....
Pretty sure that is a copy of Princes famed Tele
it is.... There are a few made... Harley Benton made one as well... This is the better of the two for sure !
I wish someone would make a clear pick guard and pick up piece in clear.That would look good.and yes i really like mine.
I like looking at the Maple top too . . . . it is so good looking.
I may end up getting a new one.... I am waiting for someone to tell me if the new ones have the flame maple necks on them...