How can you say you prefer the older one if you haven't played the newer one? From all the reviews I've seen of the new one every review says they are amazing 🙄
As I said in the video. I prefer rosewood. Definitely easy choice for me. I bet the new ones are great! I've heard good things about them. But for me I still prefer the looks and the neck of this one. Thanks for commenting Mark! I appreciate it! 🙂
@@alexradsby I'm sort of with you on the Rosewood but I find it's very hard to tell the difference between laurel and rosewood, I like the way rosewood looks maybe more but sound etc no real difference. I'm just waiting for them to be back in stock I'll definitely be snapping one up I'm a huge Johnny Winter fan so I've always wanted a good Firebird the Gibson's are a bit out of my price range 🤘
Dude Johnny Winter is killer! My only problem with the fretboard is that they look pale, but its easy fixed with Monty's Wax www.montysguitars.com/products/montys-montypresso-relic-wax As for playability, its basically the same tbh. I wouldn't know the difference I don't think. So it's just me being shallow as f*ck haha. You know, like a lot of guitarists are when it comes to guitars. Looks & playability = picking it up more often. I will try to play one of the newer ones at some point! 🙂
@@alexradsby not shallow mate all guitarists buy with their eyes😏 I have Rosewood Ebony Roasted Maple Lignum Rosa Laurel and Maple fretboards but I nearly always go for the Maple mostly because I like the way it looks especially a black strat with a maple board 🤘
Absolutely agree , I have the current one They dropped the ball on the current Headstock Strings should be straight in line from nut to tuner Me , a 4 decade + player and never tried one till now
I seem to remember Eric Haugen saying that he preferred those 1990s-2000s era Firebirds (he did specifically mention the Korean build) to the current, and recommending them too. I looked at the time, and I think I did see one for sale on eBay, from Japan and think it was around 700-800. They're a little more money and harder to find, but it seems worth the search. I have a couple of Squier & Epiphone's. I do take your point about resale. But the newer Epiphone Casino, and the Squier Classic Vibes are quite nice, if you get a good one. And I like them for those character guitars I use less like Casino, Mustang and yeah ... would love an Epi Firebird. Squier and Epiphone make a good mod platform, if you aren't planning to resell. My backup Strat (a 50s CV) is in the shop getting setup, and upgraded to Fender '59 Pure Vintage. I like it that much, better than the Fender Players I've tried, and I think after pup upgrade, should be getting close enough to the Vintera, except without Fender on the headstock. And gives me a 50s flavour to complement the main 60s Vintera. But, don't like Indian Laurel either, that's why I chose the maple neck 50s Squier CV Strat. The smoother, darker Casino Laurel fretboard is better than the Mustang, which is a bit more grey, ashy, dry / scratchy.
I love how informative this video is and I wish more reviews were like this. The editing is great, the video looks clean and I'm glad you showed these small details that you wouldn't notice unless in person. Amazing job! Oh yeah, 1 question I had was that I know Firebird's are known for being very neck/head heavy and always falling down when you have a strap on it. So I was wondering if you felt/experienced it with this one?
Good question. The reason why the firebird usually is neck heavy is because of the big banjo tuners. For the normal tuners this isn't really the case, I haven't noticed neck dive on mine! Thank you for your kind words man! I appreciate it a lot! 🙏🙂
I have a 2020 firebird. I absolutely love it. I've heard the pickups are the same as the Joe Bonamassa pickups. It sounds great for slide or whatever I play. It is a neck thru. Grover tuners and CTS pots. I'm left handed, my local guitar tech flipped it for me. I am however curious about how a set of Johnny Winter mojo tone pickups would sound in it.
@@Pannemat Yes he swapped the nut. The only issue I've had occasionally is my left arm hitting the volume/tone knobs. It feels and plays great. With the body being notched out pretty much identical on both sides, the guitar sits comfortably on my left thigh.
Not sure if you know but the Neck on the new one running all the way through the body is alot closer to Gibson & alot more important than the better headstock on the older one, Thats what Troglodytes show said, he said the ones with the neck all the way threw the body are alot better than the ones with satin regular necks...The original Gibson Firebirds definitely have the same neck as the 2020s & not the older one in your video, however id love to have either one 😆 ordering the newest one tomorrow! Cant wait! Thinks for sharing the video
the new ones are nice. the string spacing might not be perfect but the neck through really makes it resonate well and the pickups sound great. quality control was pretty good on mine but I bought it from sweetwater new. I would like to play a set neck version to compare.
That's really awesome to hear man! I definitely believe that the neck through sounds great, i bet you feel the vibrations through the body very well. 🙂
No comparison, check out Troglodytes review on the Epiphone Firebird, the neck fully threw ones from 2020 are exactly like the original Gibson firebirds, the satin regular neck ones are no where near the same, but still are cool guitars..Fully threw neck is a must for me & im purchasing one tomorrow!
Thank you man! I don't have any music available actually at this point in time. Though I am writing music with my best friend, hopefully it will turn into something in the future! 🙂
I just bought one today at a pawnshop for 500$. It has the Steinberger bridge and the EMG selects. I think it was made in Japan 86-88. Haven't plugged it in yet.
Cool Firebird. Had no idea they changed the fretboard in the new ones. That’s one I want to try. Granted, I have two Epis that I love (2018 EJ-200SCE and 2019 Les Paul Custom) so I’m not looking for one at the moment 😅
It’s not a set neck. It is a neck through. All one piece from head stock to tail end of body with two bookend wings glued on just like the Gibsons are constructed
I got me ebay via an thunderbird for about, 450.- It was really used, the fretboard was rather a safari as a instrument ,wellsl I play safari sounds...
Hard to see a comparison between the guitar you have and one you don't have and haven't played but I get it. FYI: If you look at the original 1960s Gibsons, the tuner spacing looks like the one you're holding not the tighter version... which looks better to me too because they're inline and not banjo tuners. It may be that some found tuning was easier spread out or the wanted it to look more like the original. Still: Seems like a bargain for the price. My first electric was a Firebird III I bought in 1964. A friend now owns it and I'd offer to buy it back if I thought I could afford it.
That is a fair point actually haha. I only compared it to the modern Gibson. Wow 1964 Firebird must be something special! Never tried a vintage one like that! Thanks for your comment! I appreciate it!
@@alexradsby : It was my first point of reference so I didn't know any better. I think I paid $280 but that's 1964 dollars which would be $2,700 today but $280 didn't seem like that much money even then. $2,700 seems like a lot to me today. I think I paid less than $500 for the Twin Reverb.
@@lrvogt1257 oh man, you bought it brand new?! I got my '64 in 1978, traded a Musicman 210-65 amp and $150 for it. Had the original case and some belt buckle rash. When my 1st son was born I sold it and put the $$ in a 20yr College Bond yielding $5K for tuition. Here's the kicker, he never went to college and was a drummer!? 😆 But even the 5 grand in 2011 wouldn't cover the market price to get another one
The pickups in yours are ceramic mini-humbuckers hiding underneath Firebird-looking pickup covers. But don't feel bad, that's the exact same trick Gibson used on most (all?) of their Firebirds ever since the '70's. The company who reintroduced honest-to-God Firebird pickups is Epiphone, not Gibson. I think they may have first appeared in the Bonamassa Firebird, but they are standard in the current plain Epiphone Firebird, no expensive designer version required. The pickups are Epiphone FB720's and they're the real deal. You can find them pretty cheap, so if you wanna try putting them in yours it won't cost a fortune.
Uh, that's a Gibson headstock. Check out Gibson's 2009 custom shop johnny winter model and you'll see the same tuning peg spacing. As for this headstock being less stable than the original, can't see why being that they all look like straight string pull through designs.
I played a new epiphone prophecy series Les Paul and it was so bad! It felt like absolute junk! I'm not trying to hate on epiphone some of their guitars are cool but really? One of your most expensive guitars feels like plastic. I am odd about guitars though. I really like heavy beefy guitars. Some epiphones are beefy but today they seem to not be. If I were to buy an epiphone I'd make sure it's an older one like yours. The new ones are really not good in my opinion. I actually kinda want that Flying V in olive green, but I would have to make sure it's over 6 pounds first lol!
@@AngelMartinez-qs3cf Nothing majorly wrong with it. I just prefer this one because of the rosewood fretboard. The neck is always the most important part for me 🙂
@alexradsby I don't know why all these Avatars are throwing so much shade on you... (just kidding, I know why. Makes insecure, small minded people feel big. So dumb.) I knew what you were doing. I didn't need to point out the obvious and try to make you feel bad. Seriously, you were comparing what you had in your hand to what you know to be true of a comparable current ripper(I'm putting firebird pups in a project guitar right now-they rip!).
Sick riffs and appreciate the breakdown
Thank you so much! 🙏
How can you say you prefer the older one if you haven't played the newer one? From all the reviews I've seen of the new one every review says they are amazing 🙄
As I said in the video. I prefer rosewood. Definitely easy choice for me. I bet the new ones are great! I've heard good things about them. But for me I still prefer the looks and the neck of this one.
Thanks for commenting Mark! I appreciate it! 🙂
@@alexradsby I'm sort of with you on the Rosewood but I find it's very hard to tell the difference between laurel and rosewood, I like the way rosewood looks maybe more but sound etc no real difference. I'm just waiting for them to be back in stock I'll definitely be snapping one up I'm a huge Johnny Winter fan so I've always wanted a good Firebird the Gibson's are a bit out of my price range 🤘
Dude Johnny Winter is killer! My only problem with the fretboard is that they look pale, but its easy fixed with Monty's Wax www.montysguitars.com/products/montys-montypresso-relic-wax
As for playability, its basically the same tbh. I wouldn't know the difference I don't think. So it's just me being shallow as f*ck haha. You know, like a lot of guitarists are when it comes to guitars. Looks & playability = picking it up more often.
I will try to play one of the newer ones at some point! 🙂
@@alexradsby not shallow mate all guitarists buy with their eyes😏 I have Rosewood Ebony Roasted Maple Lignum Rosa Laurel and Maple fretboards but I nearly always go for the Maple mostly because I like the way it looks especially a black strat with a maple board 🤘
@@markproctor3100 I'm a sucker for maple too. Though I've started liking Roasted Flame Maple now 😅
These are great guitars and not just based on price! Huge tone and build quality.
Couldn't agree more! 🙂
Absolutely agree , I have the current one
They dropped the ball on the current Headstock
Strings should be straight in line from nut to tuner
Me , a 4 decade + player and never tried one till now
Sounds pretty good! And great video, as always!
Thank you Ewa! It means a lot coming from you! 🙂
Love my 2020 inspired by Gibson Firebird
That's great news! Do you feel any difference with a neck through guitar vs a set neck?
I seem to remember Eric Haugen saying that he preferred those 1990s-2000s era Firebirds (he did specifically mention the Korean build) to the current, and recommending them too. I looked at the time, and I think I did see one for sale on eBay, from Japan and think it was around 700-800. They're a little more money and harder to find, but it seems worth the search. I have a couple of Squier & Epiphone's. I do take your point about resale. But the newer Epiphone Casino, and the Squier Classic Vibes are quite nice, if you get a good one. And I like them for those character guitars I use less like Casino, Mustang and yeah ... would love an Epi Firebird. Squier and Epiphone make a good mod platform, if you aren't planning to resell. My backup Strat (a 50s CV) is in the shop getting setup, and upgraded to Fender '59 Pure Vintage. I like it that much, better than the Fender Players I've tried, and I think after pup upgrade, should be getting close enough to the Vintera, except without Fender on the headstock. And gives me a 50s flavour to complement the main 60s Vintera. But, don't like Indian Laurel either, that's why I chose the maple neck 50s Squier CV Strat. The smoother, darker Casino Laurel fretboard is better than the Mustang, which is a bit more grey, ashy, dry / scratchy.
Totally appreciate your review! I'm probably about to buy one!... in Australia!
Oh that's awesome! Yes this review took forever to make haha but it's useful for people so I'm very happy that I made it. 🙂
Just subbed, cheers from New Zealand
That's awesome! Thank you so much! 🙂
I love how informative this video is and I wish more reviews were like this. The editing is great, the video looks clean and I'm glad you showed these small details that you wouldn't notice unless in person. Amazing job!
Oh yeah, 1 question I had was that I know Firebird's are known for being very neck/head heavy and always falling down when you have a strap on it. So I was wondering if you felt/experienced it with this one?
Good question. The reason why the firebird usually is neck heavy is because of the big banjo tuners. For the normal tuners this isn't really the case, I haven't noticed neck dive on mine!
Thank you for your kind words man! I appreciate it a lot! 🙏🙂
@@alexradsby ah that makes sense, thanks for answering my question :)
I have a thunderbird Neck Thru, and it's the best sensation compared to set necks or bolt on, it feel way more solid and stable.
& are made just like the original Gibson firebirds, they are neck fully threw, not like the one in this video made in Korea
I have a 2020 firebird. I absolutely love it. I've heard the pickups are the same as the Joe Bonamassa pickups. It sounds great for slide or whatever I play. It is a neck thru. Grover tuners and CTS pots. I'm left handed, my local guitar tech flipped it for me. I am however curious about how a set of Johnny Winter mojo tone pickups would sound in it.
Ah that's great to hear man! Yes it would be awesome to hear those pickups in it for sure!
R B, interesting. Did he swap the nut and all? i wonder how the body feels in the hands of a southpaw.
@@Pannemat Yes he swapped the nut. The only issue I've had occasionally is my left arm hitting the volume/tone knobs. It feels and plays great. With the body being notched out pretty much identical on both sides, the guitar sits comfortably on my left thigh.
@Pannemat I'm a southpaw but play right handed😶😜😝🤪
Not sure if you know but the Neck on the new one running all the way through the body is alot closer to Gibson & alot more important than the better headstock on the older one, Thats what Troglodytes show said, he said the ones with the neck all the way threw the body are alot better than the ones with satin regular necks...The original Gibson Firebirds definitely have the same neck as the 2020s & not the older one in your video, however id love to have either one 😆 ordering the newest one tomorrow! Cant wait! Thinks for sharing the video
Ive since checked out the newer ones! They are damn good! Can’t go wrong! 🙂
@alexradsby thanks for that info, ordering mine today 😁
the new ones are nice. the string spacing might not be perfect but the neck through really makes it resonate well and the pickups sound great. quality control was pretty good on mine but I bought it from sweetwater new.
I would like to play a set neck version to compare.
That's really awesome to hear man! I definitely believe that the neck through sounds great, i bet you feel the vibrations through the body very well. 🙂
No comparison, check out Troglodytes review on the Epiphone Firebird, the neck fully threw ones from 2020 are exactly like the original Gibson firebirds, the satin regular neck ones are no where near the same, but still are cool guitars..Fully threw neck is a must for me & im purchasing one tomorrow!
Great information. You play well, too. What year is your Firebird?
I think this one is a 2007 model. Thank you so much!
Nice vid. I just bought a tokai fb65 firebird. Nice guitar the finish on the neck could be better. Maybe worth checking out.
what a beautiful guitar that is. thanks for sharing Alex. do you have any mp3/cd recordings for your music available for purchase/download.
Thank you man! I don't have any music available actually at this point in time. Though I am writing music with my best friend, hopefully it will turn into something in the future! 🙂
@@alexradsby Hope so, you clearly have a great talent there.
Just curious... What guitar has a neck with "something you could catch your hand on"???
Im taking about fret sprout. Sometimes the wood shrinks a bit depending on humidity making the frets stick our and catch your hands/fingers.
I just bought one today at a pawnshop for 500$. It has the Steinberger bridge and the EMG selects. I think it was made in Japan 86-88. Haven't plugged it in yet.
I believe it's 9 piece not including the wings, on the neck through anyways.
Ah yes the neck through definitely has multiple pieces like that. I wonder if this one is more standard like a 2 or 3 piece + wings.
Cool Firebird. Had no idea they changed the fretboard in the new ones. That’s one I want to try. Granted, I have two Epis that I love (2018 EJ-200SCE and 2019 Les Paul Custom) so I’m not looking for one at the moment 😅
The new ones do look pretty amazing tbh 🙂
i got the 2020 model. it`s great!!!
i admit i dont like the loose spacing of the tuners on the headstock.. but it plays perfect....
I tried it in the store the other day! Its a great guitar for sure!
Looks so sweet, mine ofc got damaged in shipping 🙄 have to process an exchange now
Damn that's so annoying 😑
Do the new ones still have Grover tuners on it?
I have no idea. Has to say so on the website no?
Great video man! I think I like this version better too. Did you say what year it was? Maybe I missed it.
I didn't. It's a 2007 I think. Not 100% sure though 😅
Great review and play about a great Guitar!
Thank you very much for that and warm greetings from the right now left/green filthy Germany!
With you on this one: I also really prefer the look of your headstock (plus the string issue thing.)
Thank you haha! 🙂 definitely made the right choice picking this one up!
It’s not a set neck. It is a neck through. All one piece from head stock to tail end of body with two bookend wings glued on just like the Gibsons are constructed
Which one? Mine was set neck. The new ones are neck through.
My local used guitar shop had some Gibson Firebirds selling for £600. But they did not look good. They were new.
Hmm bad quality control or? £600 seems really cheap for Gibson ones 😅
Hey, great honest review! What song is that at 00:28?
It's The All American Rejects - Swing Swing.
@@alexradsby Cool! I knew I heard that song before. Great group, I like Dirty Little Secret from Them!
@@AngelMartinez-qs3cf Ah yes! Great song for sure!
$649 in the U.S. Great demo
Ah! Pretty close guess haha! Thank you Eric! 🙂
I got me ebay via an thunderbird for about, 450.- It was really used, the fretboard was rather a safari as a instrument ,wellsl I play safari sounds...
Hard to see a comparison between the guitar you have and one you don't have and haven't played but I get it. FYI: If you look at the original 1960s Gibsons, the tuner spacing looks like the one you're holding not the tighter version... which looks better to me too because they're inline and not banjo tuners. It may be that some found tuning was easier spread out or the wanted it to look more like the original. Still: Seems like a bargain for the price.
My first electric was a Firebird III I bought in 1964. A friend now owns it and I'd offer to buy it back if I thought I could afford it.
That is a fair point actually haha. I only compared it to the modern Gibson. Wow 1964 Firebird must be something special! Never tried a vintage one like that! Thanks for your comment! I appreciate it!
@@alexradsby : It was my first point of reference so I didn't know any better. I think I paid $280 but that's 1964 dollars which would be $2,700 today but $280 didn't seem like that much money even then. $2,700 seems like a lot to me today. I think I paid less than $500 for the Twin Reverb.
I'd love to have my '64 Firebird III back 😢
@@lrvogt1257 oh man, you bought it brand new?! I got my '64 in 1978, traded a Musicman 210-65 amp and $150 for it. Had the original case and some belt buckle rash. When my 1st son was born I sold it and put the $$ in a 20yr College Bond yielding $5K for tuition. Here's the kicker, he never went to college and was a drummer!? 😆 But even the 5 grand in 2011 wouldn't cover the market price to get another one
The pickups in yours are ceramic mini-humbuckers hiding underneath Firebird-looking pickup covers. But don't feel bad, that's the exact same trick Gibson used on most (all?) of their Firebirds ever since the '70's. The company who reintroduced honest-to-God Firebird pickups is Epiphone, not Gibson. I think they may have first appeared in the Bonamassa Firebird, but they are standard in the current plain Epiphone Firebird, no expensive designer version required. The pickups are Epiphone FB720's and they're the real deal. You can find them pretty cheap, so if you wanna try putting them in yours it won't cost a fortune.
Oh that's awesome! Love it! Thanks for the information!
What year is that Epiphone, if not 2020?
I think it's a 2007 🙂
All the 2020s got alot of the Joe Bonamassa QC left over.
Uh, that's a Gibson headstock. Check out Gibson's 2009 custom shop johnny winter model and you'll see the same tuning peg spacing.
As for this headstock being less stable than the original, can't see why being that they all look like straight string pull through designs.
I meant the banjo original style headstock 🙂 those are dead straight
Ya wanna feel something spectacular , get the Gibson Custom Shop Epiphone 63 Firebird . now , Ya have a fine instrument ,
I'll buy it for you friend;!!🤘😎
Haha that you don't have to friend 🙂 thanks for the follow man 🙂
I played a new epiphone prophecy series Les Paul and it was so bad! It felt like absolute junk! I'm not trying to hate on epiphone some of their guitars are cool but really? One of your most expensive guitars feels like plastic. I am odd about guitars though. I really like heavy beefy guitars. Some epiphones are beefy but today they seem to not be. If I were to buy an epiphone I'd make sure it's an older one like yours. The new ones are really not good in my opinion. I actually kinda want that Flying V in olive green, but I would have to make sure it's over 6 pounds first lol!
Damn! I was really hoping the Prophecy series was good. I need to try out more of the new ones as well haha
You can’t compare guitar’s without having the guitar that you’re comparing it too.. Ridiculous!
That's true. Dumb idea to make a video like this. Thank you for letting me know!
Oh, I just read the title, it is a 2007. Sorry...
Haha don't worry. I should've have mentioned the year in the video, definitely my mistake 🙂
@@alexradsby LOL, what's your take on the 2020 model. You don't like it that much?
@@AngelMartinez-qs3cf Nothing majorly wrong with it. I just prefer this one because of the rosewood fretboard. The neck is always the most important part for me 🙂
😏
Neck dive? Don't you think it's more important than the look? Once again youre missing a crucial point, like in a lot of your other vids.
I don't. And if you do. Please make a video about it so I can tell you how amazing your videos are, please! 🙏
@alexradsby I don't know why all these Avatars are throwing so much shade on you... (just kidding, I know why. Makes insecure, small minded people feel big. So dumb.)
I knew what you were doing. I didn't need to point out the obvious and try to make you feel bad. Seriously, you were comparing what you had in your hand to what you know to be true of a comparable current ripper(I'm putting firebird pups in a project guitar right now-they rip!).
@leeasbury7273 Thanks man! I thought I did a pretty good job talking about the guitar haha. 🙂