I bought 2 Firefly guitars. You don't need to replace the pickups. You need to wax pot them. You remove the pickups and submerge them in hot paraffin & bees wax for 20 minutes. Then wipe them off and let them air dry until cool. Then REALLY wipe the pickups to clean them up well. At that point, you can safely reinstall the pickups.
@@behanseck I found that it rolls off some of the annoying high end that you find on cheap pickups. The new sound was comparable to expensive pickups like my Seymour Duncans. It does NOT affect the pickup's normal high end. It removes frequencies that no one wants to hear.
I now have 8 of these Firefly LP styles in different finishes or configurations….4 classics and 4 elites. Yeah, I have a problem😆 They’re just solid guitars for the price and there’s so many great finishes. Most budget brands remain fairly static in their product lineup whereas Firefly is consistently coming out with new and exciting finishes or models. They have also been offering limited edition versions of Gibson’s Widow series. Some really awesome finishes! One of the things that should be emphasized is that many people buy these as a mod platform to customize as they see fit. And they’re certainly great for that purpose as well. Not sure if you’ve reviewed the 3 pick up model but it’s worth checking out too!👍
Dear Firefly master, please help me out, the company didn't reply to my email about this. What are the specs of the neck? Shape, width at 1st and last fret, thickness at 1st and 12th fret? Thanks a lot.
Eric, I feel your pain. Ordered the gloss black and gold. Then I had to get the transparent red. I change out those hideous black knobs and put wilkinson ez lock tuners- just a personal preference. Yeah, I'm hooked now.
What case will an FFLP fit in? I just got a BAT and need a case for it. The Musician's Gear case I had for my Epi LP isn't long enough to fit the headstock.
I have 2 of them: a Goldtop 'Classic' and a black 'Elite'. The Elite arrived defective and I had to do a lot of work on it and get a compensated nut. I got it fixed and it rapidly became my favorite Les Paul I've ever played and/or owned (and that includes Gibsons)! The Elite is completely upgraded to the max - Graphtech Compensated Tusq Nut, Seymour-Duncan Custom pickup set, GraphTech Ratio Locking Tuners, MojoTone solderless wiring harness, Switchcraft 3-Way, and a mirror pickguard to mimic one of my guitar heroes: John Sykes. It's BEASTLY!
Good demo/review, Darrell, as usual. Low-end guitars are pretty much where I live, and if I want more "oomph" in the instrument, I can upgrade the pickups, pots, appearance items, do a fret job, etc., without going bankrupt, and I end up with a very capable and attractive guitar for a relatively modest cost. If the neck is straight and I like the body shape & color, why spend more if I don't have to?
Same here. I have over 20 guitars and I've only paid over 250 bucks for maybe 3 of em. No use in buying expensive guitars when cheaper ones do the job. If the guitar feels good and I connect with it, brand doesn't matter to me
I've purchased (and sent back) a 2018 Gibson Les Paul. Neck wasn't straight, one trapezoid inlay wasn't set flush to the fretboard and the Goldtop paint was poorly finished around the neck pocket. And no, it wasn't a Chibson. It was the real deal. Except it was a lousy deal because it was just a badly made guitar that should never have passed through quality control. Sometimes cheaper can be better.
@@REDW1NG94 I have 4 of what most people would call junk I don't..a 3 tobacco sunburst costzon from Amazon a couple of years ago I am pretty sure it is the same thing as a glarry minus the name,a lake placid blue metlflake look Huntington 139lb,a antique white dst100 donner and a Peavey cherry sunburst SC-1 I used to have a very popular Epiphone studio gothic satin flat black classic but I needed money for a friend to help him out and he meant alot to me he was one of my best friends...so that one is sold but I still know where it is...
And then there is fender. For $2.4k u get 2 color options, that are on the market since first day of fender existance, no inlays, no any special stuff like abalone dots, sparkle color or one of those changing ones... i hate fender but for that aesthetic part but love the tones..
What people forget is that much of the output of U.S. brands is standard stuff. They are well made but not exceptional. Even these benefit from pickup and hardware upgrades. Sure you can pay more for an Ultra or Custom shop. I have one custom guitar that looks amazing and is fantastic to play. But all that bling isn't what makes it a better guitar. So now I don't mind less exotic woods, crazy inlays or binding in places it doesn't help play better. I do prefer transparent finishes in general though. Just over the crazy figured wood craze.
I finally caved and bought my first single cut. I love my new Epiphone Les Paul standard pro plus top. 1 month later I bought an LTD KH3. I am totally loving them both. Normally only played Ibanez and Schecter. Blown away by both of these guitars!
I have an elite LP and a classic LP. I also have their version of the SG. They were all in need of adjustments. I have learned some set up basics so I have set them up to my liking. They play very well. Should you wish to upgrade any features you certainly could and still not spend a fortune. Foreign made guitars have made giant strides in the last decade. You don't have to spend a lot of money to own a good quality instrument. Most importantly I'm inspired to play and I look forward to playing everyday. Isn't that really what it's all about? Thanks Darryl for all you do!
Hey Darrell . You are always smiling and bringing us great and informative reviews. I really look forward to these videos. Based on watching your reviews, I bought 9 guitars this year including a gloss black FF338. You gave me the confidence to know what to look for both in new and used gear. Hope you’re having a great day too.
I just got this very guitar, coincidentally same Blueberry Burst color, and, wow. It is impeccable. Gorgeous finish. I can't find a single flaw on it. No marks, no chips, no excess glue, no microphonic pickups (though maybe I haven't encountered it yet). The fingerboard is incredible, low smooth action, rounded frets. For $190 + $27 shipping, I'm just really impressed with the overall quality and sound. I've never owned a LP so this was the perfect choice for me to affordably get one and see if I liked it longer term. GuitarGarden is offering a bunch of new options as of a couple weeks ago. Thanks for these reviews, they are incredibly helpful!
Great demo! I purchased a spalted maple Firefly 338 for my wife for the Holidays. She really likes it, microphonic pickups and a few small finish issues not withstanding. Darrell - Thanks again for such great content!
you're videos have really helped me in my search for new gear! I recently decided that I wanted to either get a new guitar or bass, but don't have the budget for a super high end instrument. Watching your budget series has helped me find the answers I have needed to decide on what I'm getting! Thank you so much! Been watching since I started playing guitar and before, helped me so so much in my progression.
The affordable guitar market has really allowed us to explore and collect a variety of instruments we never would have been able to afford. I was a devout Gibson guy and a Fender hater, or so I thought. Now I have come to realize that I was a follower and didn't choose the instrument that fit my personal style. It's now possible for even a casual player to have a collection of 5 very different guitars for a thousand dollars to pick and choose according to their mood or the music they feel like playing on any day.
I ordered a FFLPS Blueberry burst after many you tube videos , saw your video and ordered one on Sat. 12/9 recieved the guitar on 12/14. Fretboard was a little dry, lemon oiled it. There are a few light scratches by the volume and tone knobs , the knobs are hard to turn, a very small discoloration where the pick guard meets the neck. I love the guitar, even with the flaws only I will know they are there. Great guitar for the price. Thank you for the review. I also put clear knobs on this guitar, they look much better than the amber ones it came with.
I have one of their Tele styles. Absolute bargan banger. I just wish they'd make an LP style in white. Too bad they've not yet. Hey, Firefly, you watching this space? MAKE ONE IN WHITE WITH BLACK BINDING!
Thanks for another great review on firefly, I have the red bat and a blue 338 Did change the pus in the red and it plays out weekly, really hoping to see a touring band rock one on stage!!
Great review. Budget always means there are limitations. However, you showed a great review of a good budget/beginner guitar (for new players like me) without enough performance until something more makes sense. Good job.
I just got one of these a couple days ago after waiting about a month to ship. I can say hands down this thing is great! Needed a little cleaning and some adjustments but nothing crazy. E string had a slight buzz out of the box but action was otherwise perfect. Neck is so smooth and the electronics are actually really nice. For a casual home player or more I'd recommend it especially for the price. This plays better and feels smoother than some of the "higher end" models I have.
My daughter bought me a Firefly 335 last year and I love it. I've been looking for a nice single cut/LP style axe but I have 5 budget guitars and a Sterling CT50 and I keep telling myself I have enough - at the moment. These are definitely on my radar, but so are many others...so many options nowadays! Great content & production, as always! Thanks, Rob
I recently bought the Firefly knock-off of the 335 (FF-338), and I am thoroughly pleased with the purchase. I first learned about Firefly on this channel, but I also saw reviews from others, and every last review praised how much bang for your buck these guitars deliver. Now I can say the same based on personal experience.
Where ere these great budget guitars when I was learning to play 40 years ago? The guys and gals taking up the guitar nowadays have got it made with extremely nice budget guitars , which I'm happy about because more people will start and stay with a great hobby and/or career .Thanks Darrell for yet another great video ! I hope YOU have a fantastic day !
My first guitar was a no-name Strat knockoff with the worst action you could imagine. That was circa 1974. Couple years later, I bought an Ibanez LP clone for $300 used, which was a lot of money in those days. I still regret selling that one. But I'm happy with my new collection since returning to guitar after 25 years away: Epiphone LP Special II wine-red beauty, Schecter Hellraiser, Schecter Omen-6 (the best neck and action of all my guitars), older Ibanez Gio circa 2000 that's surprisingly nice, Yamaha Pacifica 112V, and recently a Squier Bullet but I'm probably going to return that one because it arrived with a chunk missing from the body and it's not up to any of the guitars I have (except in looks - it's a great looking guitar, but I don't need a wall decoration). So, yeah, the options these days are much better than 40 years ago.
I have tried out as few of these and I have to say they are very good even if they were three times the price they would be worth it. Unfortunately I have read lately the holes for the bushings on TOM bridge are too large and they shim them and hide the fact by putting washers between the bushing and the body to hide the over size hole. If you can take your off and see if it fits loose or the bushing pull right out and let us know. I know I can fix it but a lot of people can't. I keep holding off buying one because of the issue. I want a 3 Pick Up version because I sold my Gibson Ace Frehley ages ago and always wanted another 3 PU LP. They seem to be the only ones making a reasonably priced 3 PU guitar.
I’ve purchased two new Fireflies in the past two months, and neither had shims (or any defect that I’ve been able to find). Sure they aren’t $1,500 Les Paul’s, but the quality and playability you get for $200 is insane. But as always, YMMV.
@@dhess34 I have been on the fence and thanks to this vid and Darrell I just pulled the trigger on a 3 pup blue burst! All the Fireflys I tried in the past I thought cost way more than $200.00. When I was told they cost less than 2 bills I really couldn't believe it. If it turns out to be a dud I am blaming Darrell! LOL I have found plenty of issues with real LPs over the years so bad IMO Gibsons should have sold them as 2nds or blem models. This will be Guitar number 167 in my collection!
@@dhess34 I first started collecting in the mid 70s when you could buy a 50s Les Paul for a few hundred bucks. I was a huge Gibson fan then bought anything that I thought was a good deal. I got so good I was appraising, checking the originality etc. Visited Gibson several times got to look at some of the history they had on hand. When I sold off the first collection before I got married in 87 I had 150 guitars, 102 were Gibsons mostly LPs from the 50s thru the early 70s and some from the 80s like my LP GEM collection. Some Explorers and Vs some of the odd Gibsons. If I had waited just two or three more years I could have sold some of the LPs for as much as 75K ea maybe nore. My new collection I started back 25 years ago when I got my son a BC Rick starter set and saw a BC Rich Beast hanging on the wall. Now it's is very eclectic only one Gibby Explorer. I am actually happier with what I have now than all the high end expensive stuff.
Definitely couldn't find one when I was buying my first electric early this year. Ended up with an IYV LP clone. Which is a solid low price guitar. (if you can find one on Amazon instead of having it shipped from the manufacture's reverb store)
Hi Darrell. How would you rate this against some of the Harley Benton Single Cut models such as the original and mk2 SC-550 models or their SC Customs? (Not fair to compare the new DLX models)
I couldn’t live with that lower cutaway, not Les Paul at all! It’s the same with the current Harley Benton’s, the older ones were more authentic copies! For a good Les Paul copy check out the Artist Guitars LP59. Artist are an Australian company that has their guitars manufactured in the Far East to their specifications. Bone nut, locking tuners, fret nibs, coil splits, lockdown tail piece and Bullbucker pickups that are based on a Seymour Duncan Jazz/JB set that really sing! Available in the U.K. directly from their website for around £200, so cheap at twice the price!
Nice review, I've been looking at Fire Fly for quite some time. I'm also loving my "All the tones you'll ever need." shirt. Fits my guitar preferences perfectly. Keep up the good work.
Great review as usual, I'd love to see you perform a review on the Firefly Resonator guitar. I'm really interested in that one. I really wouldn't mind seeing you review any resonator guitar for that matter.👍👍👍
D.b. just bought one ,still $189 mine had a bad bridge ! Replace it ok now! On the FF 338 replaced placed pickups and put roller bridge,kicks ass now! Enjoyed the video ! FF a diamond in the rough! Minor adjustments ! I got skunk on FF thin line tele bad neck had to shim neck to make playable but at $125 why cry ! lolol!
It's a good looking guitar the one thing I don't care for are the dark colored knobs. I would swap them out for white ones. All said looks decent enough.
I bought the Elite FFLPS Les Paul copy off of Ebay last month. I wanted a green guitar with the quilted top that I could upgrade and modify. I paid way more than $189 for it. I paid $325 after shipping. When I got the guitar, I found that it had so many issues more than the issues Darrell talked about. The guitar did not stay in tune. The nut was not cut properly and the string space was way off. The high E strip buzzed when played open but fretted it was ok. All the hardware was crap. The bridge saddles were cut too deep and the tuners would slip after tuning. The neck was was so back bowed that the factory loosened the truss rod to forward bow the neck straight. The neck had .018" neck relief with 9-42 gauge strings and there was still excessive string buzz. The guitar sounded like crap. Even the pickup rings were bad. I was worried that I had bought a huge lemon. So I replaced all the hardware (pickup rings, bridge, tail piece and tuners) and the electronics. I put Dimarzio pickups (Tone Zone and PAF) in it. I shielded the guitar. I replaced the nut with a TUSQ nut. To fix the excessive back bow, I put 10-46 gauge strings on and properly adjusted the truss rod. I set the string height to 1.5mm on the high E and 2.0 mm on the low E. I now have .009" of neck relief with no string buzz and the guitar stays in tune. After doing all this, the guitar sounds amazing and looks amazing. It took a lot of work and it was worth it. Fortunately, I know how to make all the repairs and adjustments. If you do not know how to work on your guitar properly, I would not recommend purchasing any Fire Fly guitars because the low price is not worth throwing an extra $300 into something that might be worth upgrading or modifying. From now on I will take my chances with ESP/LTD, Epiphone, Michael Kelly, Aria, Agile and Vintage Les Paul copy guitars that I currently own.
This will be my next FF. I have their T-style thin-line. LOVE it, but it does have a bit of neck-dive. Have never owned any LP style, but totally trust Firefly do give me what I want to get into playing one.
Love the video! That color is great 👍 I’ve seen you’re rivoltaRegata video I think a rivolta combinata demo or comparison would be awesome 🤩 If that would be possible. Keep up the good work!!
I like a pretty guitar as much as the next person. But a few blemishes here and there wouldn't stop me from buying one. The only cosmetic thing I would change would be the knobs. They look pretty crappy on that beautiful blue finish. Did the guitar come painted? If you were going to change the pickups, what specifically would you change to? I say specifically because many pickups might have the same name, but in the details there are differences. I was looking at some Railhammer Humcutters and I think there were 3 models with the same name but they were all different. You already said it stays in tune pretty well. Not so with my Squier Strat until I put on a Tusq nut and Tusq stringsaver saddles, and locking tuners, among other mods, such as pickups, pots, switch and wiring. Of course I spent more on mods than the guitar cost me, but it sounds beautiful now, and stays in tune. My instructor couldn't believe how good it sounds, telling me it sounds like a high-end Strat. Gonna take me a look at this baby. I've been looking at a Solo ES-335 but might switch gears and go with this one. It's $100 cheaper than the ES-335 and still has the Gibson look. It just doesn't have the F holes in it and it's a solid body I assume.
Haven't tried a Firefly, but I did "pickup"... (pardon the pun) the "Inyen Vina" (IYV) Emerald Green monster off of Amazon for about the same price. Love the guitar, but don't like the pickups. I'm curious what you think of those. They're made in Vietnam, and I've read that that factory has made guitars for ESP and Harley Benton. Could they challenge the Firefly for the best budget Les Paul? Thoughts?
I have a firefly. It's got a spalted flamed maple top and Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates pickups. It's beautiful and plays great. The ONLY problem mine has is that fret 13 has popped up on the high E side so when I fret it at fret 12 there is some buzz there. Gotta knock it back in or go to the luthier for levelling. Otherwise it looks, feels, and sounds as good as any Gibson that I have owned. I do plan to upgrade the Pots and switch with all new stuff...switchcraft and a treble bleed. The current circuit doesn't do much so I just keep everything on 10 and it's all good.
Love these firefly guitars. I have an LP and 335 style. Both look and play great. Do the compare to a 600 dollar axe? Nope. But for 200 bucks, they rock! Thanks for the video!
Hey Darren, I know it's a little far away from your neck of the woods but could you review the Artist LP59 CSB for those of us from down under who have been keeping an eye on them as a FANTASTIC budget Les Paul guitar? The reviews for it have been absolutely great and I just want to know if it's worth choosing one of them over a Harley Benton or a FireFly which are priced about the same. They even come with locking tuners so could be a very interesting video!
i have a firefly elite black custom with upgraded parts i bought for $200.00 on facebook market place worth every penny i even got a big bag of extra parts too i love my firefly i want a gold top a 338 and a classic in silver burst oh and the bat series awesome review Darrell love these videos
I own an FF338, which is great. BUT ................... have you reviewed the Harley Benton SC-400? I recently bought one in the goldtop satin finish with the price of $132 USD. It came to me in perfect condition, perfectly set up at the factory. There was no sloppy workmanship at the nut, or anywhere. And when I began playing it, it was every bit as good or better, playing-wise than my Gibson Les Paul Classic, which has been my #1 guitar for years! The neck is every bit as comfortable as, and very similar to the Gibson slim-taper 60's neck. In addition, the SC-400 has that cool HB contoured neck joint and a better looking cutaway then the Firefly. Compare these two side-by-side, and you just might say the Harley Benton SC400 is the better buy. And NO, I have no connection to Harley Benton or Thomann.
Great content Darrell. I was actually able to beat the scalpers and get my hands on a (second run T-O-M bridge) Firefly single P90 double cut junior model from Amazon last year for just a mere $130! Don't exactly know how they're able to pull it off, and not exactly sure I want to (Ha!), but I was definitely more than surprised with what I had to work with after unboxing. I obviously had to swap the tuners for a stable set of Grovers, and I'm just now getting around to replacing the cheapo plastic nut with a TUSQ, but quite honestly? Those are typically the same standard routine upgrades I always expect to do on just about any so called "budget" guitar that by comparison would cost nearly 2-3 times the price of this Firefly. The stock P90 is what it is. I mean, it's kind of hard to screw up a pickup as basic as that am I right?! I may decide down the road to go ahead and swap it out with a higher quality brand P90, which will also give me an opportunity to apply some proper shielding tape while I'm in there, but overall?! I honestly gotta chalk the overall buying experience down as a solid win. It's really quite unfortunate that typically these get greedily snatched up and horded within the first 24 hours by shamelessly parasitic online scalpers are looking to opportunistically re-sell them at a price markup. Wow, this is a loooong comment! Ha! Anyway, my advice and overall point I'm trying to reach is this: If you don't mind working on guitars and just so happen to see one of these on Amazon or their site at standard retail? Buy it. Seriously. Don't even hesitate. They are definitely that good and worth every penny. Whew! ^^How did I type soo much!!^^ Bwahaha! Take care Darrell. Cheers!
Apparently those microphonic Pickups can be fixed by Pot Waxing them, which involves removing them from the guitar and soaking them in hot parafin wax. This isolates all of the parts and pieces within the pickup so they won't vibrate and create that awful feedback. Dylan Talks Tone does this with all of the pickups he builds for customers, unless they request him not to. Looks like about a $20 investment: $15 for a cheap crock pot and $5 for a block of wax at Wally world. Of course, there is always the chance that even after waxing them they are still crappy sounding pickups. Or just buy some new inexpensive pickups at Guitar Fetish. Looks like theirs are Pot Waxed also. P.S. This technique is credited to EVH.
I have a firefly fflp in the sorta orange quilt/flame spalt maple. Awesome guitar. Only issue with the Firefly brand is timing it right and getting one when they're in stock😂
I believe original PAF gibson pickups were not wax potted, no? Mine is great in the studio, and I can get away with using it with a loud stage rig if I don't use soldano to Nu-metal amounts of saturation and gain.. The pickups I have are from a 2021 run of FFLPs (Mine is an approximation of a 59 cherry burst look) And they sound pretty good actually.. The only weird thing is the wiring is the third option that nobody ever uses, namely fully independent volume controls.. (in position 2 you can roll one of the pickups volume controls completely off without the whole guitar cutting out like 50's or modern wiring would do. Thatt is the ONLY advantage to this wiring scheme.. You get all the dulling of the tone when you roll the volume down that you do with modern wiring (without a treble bleed), and you get the weird tone-control-turns-into-a-second-volume-control when the volume knob is anywhere below 10. I have been too lazy to finally get around to resoldering it lol.
Hey, Darrell...another great review. I know you've done Harley Benton's before, but I'd love to see your take on the Harley Benton Aeolus Frost Flame. Thanks!
So, as I'm getting back into owning and collecting guitars, it really seems to me that if you're not specifically buying a guitar for its brand, it appears best to get a well-constructed cheaper guitar like a Firefly, and then buy high-end pickups. For nearly the same price as a stock Epiphone, someone could buy a Firefly and a pair of $200 EMGs or even some signature Seymour Duncan's. I don't see why anyone would go another route. Getting pickups put in by a professional, costs about $50-$80. So, for under $500, you could have a beautiful, well-constructed guitar, some elite pickups, and a professional setup. If I'm wrong, let me know.
Why don't we have such guitars available in India. The moment I heard about the price I couldn't stop myself to check out the website and order one for myself but was really disappointed as they ship only within the States.
I started out playing country. Now I play Southern Gospel music, country style. I do my own turn arounds and leads when I out myself. At church I play lead (fade in and out as needed. Getting to point. Ur opinion best guitar for me. Ur opinion please
Nice looking guitar Darrell. Thanks for demo’ing the middle pickup position in this one. Pity about the microphonic issue and thx for explaining what to do to fix it. I love the colour of it though. A good project guitar do you think ?
So quality vs price. Playability vs bling. A well built cheap guitar with upgraded electronics and hardware will usually be the best value. The thing is finding great quality cheaper components that compare well to the big brands. Anyone have thoughts on this? Mine are I have yet to find a great Chinese made guitar but they are getting there. Even Indonesian has gotten better. Now we see some from Vietnam. I predict India will be the next low cost labor market. I guess it comes down to which builder sets up shop. Cort and Samick have a quality build legacy. Plus there is another. What are everyone's go to brands that are great quality and very upgradeable at different price points?
You treat $200 & $2000 guitars with the same level of respect in your reviews which I love. Great stuff as always.
Back with another budget guitar review!!
In my experience this is one of the best options for a LP style guitar. Enjoy :)
U sell it?
When are you going to announce the winner for the B&G crossroads guitar?
@@mrjunocat5750 he did. Olivier Petrin won.
@@Incaensio when was that?
@@mrjunocat5750 3 days ago. Go check the community tab on this channel. 👍
I bought 2 Firefly guitars. You don't need to replace the pickups. You need to wax pot them. You remove the pickups and submerge them in hot paraffin & bees wax for 20 minutes. Then wipe them off and let them air dry until cool. Then REALLY wipe the pickups to clean them up well. At that point, you can safely reinstall the pickups.
Agreed! It can be cheaper than new pickups (depends as there might be exceptions unless you do it..)
Thanks for the advice, I'm gonna try that always heard stories of dipping them...
@@neverquit9414 You should check out the "how to" videos on UA-cam. That's how I learned how to do it. Good luck.
what does it do to the sound?
@@behanseck I found that it rolls off some of the annoying high end that you find on cheap pickups. The new sound was comparable to expensive pickups like my Seymour Duncans. It does NOT affect the pickup's normal high end. It removes frequencies that no one wants to hear.
I now have 8 of these Firefly LP styles in different finishes or configurations….4 classics and 4 elites. Yeah, I have a problem😆 They’re just solid guitars for the price and there’s so many great finishes. Most budget brands remain fairly static in their product lineup whereas Firefly is consistently coming out with new and exciting finishes or models. They have also been offering limited edition versions of Gibson’s Widow series. Some really awesome finishes!
One of the things that should be emphasized is that many people buy these as a mod platform to customize as they see fit. And they’re certainly great for that purpose as well.
Not sure if you’ve reviewed the 3 pick up model but it’s worth checking out too!👍
Dear Firefly master, please help me out, the company didn't reply to my email about this. What are the specs of the neck? Shape, width at 1st and last fret, thickness at 1st and 12th fret? Thanks a lot.
Eric, I feel your pain. Ordered the gloss black and gold. Then I had to get the transparent red. I change out those hideous black knobs and put wilkinson ez lock tuners- just a personal preference. Yeah, I'm hooked now.
Thanks for your insight on your other guitars. Good to know
How do these compare to AIO/ Wolf and Dillion as examples. Epiphone is now being made in China.
What case will an FFLP fit in? I just got a BAT and need a case for it. The Musician's Gear case I had for my Epi LP isn't long enough to fit the headstock.
I have 2 of them: a Goldtop 'Classic' and a black 'Elite'. The Elite arrived defective and I had to do a lot of work on it and get a compensated nut. I got it fixed and it rapidly became my favorite Les Paul I've ever played and/or owned (and that includes Gibsons)! The Elite is completely upgraded to the max - Graphtech Compensated Tusq Nut, Seymour-Duncan Custom pickup set, GraphTech Ratio Locking Tuners, MojoTone solderless wiring harness, Switchcraft 3-Way, and a mirror pickguard to mimic one of my guitar heroes: John Sykes. It's BEASTLY!
Winner, winner! 👍🏻
Good demo/review, Darrell, as usual. Low-end guitars are pretty much where I live, and if I want more "oomph" in the instrument, I can upgrade the pickups, pots, appearance items, do a fret job, etc., without going bankrupt, and I end up with a very capable and attractive guitar for a relatively modest cost. If the neck is straight and I like the body shape & color, why spend more if I don't have to?
thats a motto I live by too
Same here. I have over 20 guitars and I've only paid over 250 bucks for maybe 3 of em. No use in buying expensive guitars when cheaper ones do the job. If the guitar feels good and I connect with it, brand doesn't matter to me
I've purchased (and sent back) a 2018 Gibson Les Paul. Neck wasn't straight, one trapezoid inlay wasn't set flush to the fretboard and the Goldtop paint was poorly finished around the neck pocket. And no, it wasn't a Chibson. It was the real deal. Except it was a lousy deal because it was just a badly made guitar that should never have passed through quality control.
Sometimes cheaper can be better.
@@REDW1NG94 I have 4 of what most people would call junk I don't..a 3 tobacco sunburst costzon from Amazon a couple of years ago I am pretty sure it is the same thing as a glarry minus the name,a lake placid blue metlflake look Huntington 139lb,a antique white dst100 donner and a Peavey cherry sunburst SC-1 I used to have a very popular Epiphone studio gothic satin flat black classic but I needed money for a friend to help him out and he meant alot to me he was one of my best friends...so that one is sold but I still know where it is...
@@talkychris did you buy anthing instead of gibson? what inexpensive les pauls you might suggest?
From Leo: It is amazing how finely finished these low end guitars are. Blue flame, binding, inlays, we used to pay a lot extra for those features.
And then there is fender. For $2.4k u get 2 color options, that are on the market since first day of fender existance, no inlays, no any special stuff like abalone dots, sparkle color or one of those changing ones... i hate fender but for that aesthetic part but love the tones..
What people forget is that much of the output of U.S. brands is standard stuff. They are well made but not exceptional. Even these benefit from pickup and hardware upgrades. Sure you can pay more for an Ultra or Custom shop. I have one custom guitar that looks amazing and is fantastic to play. But all that bling isn't what makes it a better guitar. So now I don't mind less exotic woods, crazy inlays or binding in places it doesn't help play better. I do prefer transparent finishes in general though. Just over the crazy figured wood craze.
I finally caved and bought my first single cut. I love my new Epiphone Les Paul standard pro plus top. 1 month later I bought an LTD KH3. I am totally loving them both. Normally only played Ibanez and Schecter. Blown away by both of these guitars!
Once you get bit by the 'Les Paul' bug, all hope is gone. I have 16 of them now! (Maybe 17, I lost count!)
I have an elite LP and a classic LP. I also have their version of the SG. They were all in need of adjustments. I have learned some set up basics so I have set them up to my liking. They play very well. Should you wish to upgrade any features you certainly could and still not spend a fortune. Foreign made guitars have made giant strides in the last decade. You don't have to spend a lot of money to own a good quality instrument. Most importantly I'm inspired to play and I look forward to playing everyday. Isn't that really what it's all about? Thanks Darryl for all you do!
Thanks 😊
Darrell, you are a great human being. Thank you for all you do.
Hey Darrell . You are always smiling and bringing us great and informative reviews. I really look forward to these videos. Based on watching your reviews, I bought 9 guitars this year including a gloss black FF338. You gave me the confidence to know what to look for both in new and used gear. Hope you’re having a great day too.
That looks almost identical to the Epiphone Les Paul I bought as my second electric guitar. Gorgeous color!
I just got this very guitar, coincidentally same Blueberry Burst color, and, wow. It is impeccable. Gorgeous finish. I can't find a single flaw on it. No marks, no chips, no excess glue, no microphonic pickups (though maybe I haven't encountered it yet). The fingerboard is incredible, low smooth action, rounded frets. For $190 + $27 shipping, I'm just really impressed with the overall quality and sound. I've never owned a LP so this was the perfect choice for me to affordably get one and see if I liked it longer term. GuitarGarden is offering a bunch of new options as of a couple weeks ago. Thanks for these reviews, they are incredibly helpful!
Great demo! I purchased a spalted maple Firefly 338 for my wife for the Holidays. She really likes it, microphonic pickups and a few small finish issues not withstanding. Darrell - Thanks again for such great content!
you're videos have really helped me in my search for new gear! I recently decided that I wanted to either get a new guitar or bass, but don't have the budget for a super high end instrument. Watching your budget series has helped me find the answers I have needed to decide on what I'm getting! Thank you so much! Been watching since I started playing guitar and before, helped me so so much in my progression.
Probably the smart money replaces the electronics and pick ups.
I love how you focus on affordable things. Thank you
The affordable guitar market has really allowed us to explore and collect a variety of instruments we never would have been able to afford. I was a devout Gibson guy and a Fender hater, or so I thought. Now I have come to realize that I was a follower and didn't choose the instrument that fit my personal style. It's now possible for even a casual player to have a collection of 5 very different guitars for a thousand dollars to pick and choose according to their mood or the music they feel like playing on any day.
I ordered a FFLPS Blueberry burst after many you tube videos , saw your video and ordered one on Sat. 12/9 recieved the guitar on 12/14. Fretboard was a little dry, lemon oiled it. There are a few light scratches by the volume and tone knobs , the knobs are hard to turn, a very small discoloration where the pick guard meets the neck. I love the guitar, even with the flaws only I will know they are there. Great guitar for the price. Thank you for the review. I also put clear knobs on this guitar, they look much better than the amber ones it came with.
I was looking for cheap Les Pauls earlier today… you read my mind
I have one of their Tele styles. Absolute bargan banger. I just wish they'd make an LP style in white. Too bad they've not yet. Hey, Firefly, you watching this space? MAKE ONE IN WHITE WITH BLACK BINDING!
Thanks for another great review on firefly, I have the red bat and a blue 338 Did change the pus in the red and it plays out weekly, really hoping to see a touring band rock one on stage!!
Great review. Budget always means there are limitations. However, you showed a great review of a good budget/beginner guitar (for new players like me) without enough performance until something more makes sense. Good job.
My bad! ‘with enough performance’
We love it when you 1-minute solo at the end of November, Darrell!!! Its nut is truly impressive!!! 😎🖤
Another awesome review, and that playing! Please bring back the old intro, even just for a cameo? Thanks Darrell.
I just got one of these a couple days ago after waiting about a month to ship. I can say hands down this thing is great! Needed a little cleaning and some adjustments but nothing crazy. E string had a slight buzz out of the box but action was otherwise perfect. Neck is so smooth and the electronics are actually really nice. For a casual home player or more I'd recommend it especially for the price. This plays better and feels smoother than some of the "higher end" models I have.
My daughter bought me a Firefly 335 last year and I love it. I've been looking for a nice single cut/LP style axe but I have 5 budget guitars and a Sterling CT50 and I keep telling myself I have enough - at the moment. These are definitely on my radar, but so are many others...so many options nowadays! Great content & production, as always!
Thanks,
Rob
I recently bought the Firefly knock-off of the 335 (FF-338), and I am thoroughly pleased with the purchase. I first learned about Firefly on this channel, but I also saw reviews from others, and every last review praised how much bang for your buck these guitars deliver. Now I can say the same based on personal experience.
Where ere these great budget guitars when I was learning to play 40 years ago? The guys and gals taking up the guitar nowadays have got it made with extremely nice budget guitars , which I'm happy about because more people will start and stay with a great hobby and/or career .Thanks Darrell for yet another great video ! I hope YOU have a fantastic day !
My first guitar was a no-name Strat knockoff with the worst action you could imagine. That was circa 1974. Couple years later, I bought an Ibanez LP clone for $300 used, which was a lot of money in those days. I still regret selling that one. But I'm happy with my new collection since returning to guitar after 25 years away: Epiphone LP Special II wine-red beauty, Schecter Hellraiser, Schecter Omen-6 (the best neck and action of all my guitars), older Ibanez Gio circa 2000 that's surprisingly nice, Yamaha Pacifica 112V, and recently a Squier Bullet but I'm probably going to return that one because it arrived with a chunk missing from the body and it's not up to any of the guitars I have (except in looks - it's a great looking guitar, but I don't need a wall decoration). So, yeah, the options these days are much better than 40 years ago.
Now you got me wanting one
Hell,all the flaws you talked about can be found on a Gibson.
I just purchased a Firefly LP for my grand daughter. It will be her first electric guitar.
I have tried out as few of these and I have to say they are very good even if they were three times the price they would be worth it. Unfortunately I have read lately the holes for the bushings on TOM bridge are too large and they shim them and hide the fact by putting washers between the bushing and the body to hide the over size hole. If you can take your off and see if it fits loose or the bushing pull right out and let us know. I know I can fix it but a lot of people can't. I keep holding off buying one because of the issue. I want a 3 Pick Up version because I sold my Gibson Ace Frehley ages ago and always wanted another 3 PU LP. They seem to be the only ones making a reasonably priced 3 PU guitar.
I’ve purchased two new Fireflies in the past two months, and neither had shims (or any defect that I’ve been able to find). Sure they aren’t $1,500 Les Paul’s, but the quality and playability you get for $200 is insane. But as always, YMMV.
@@dhess34 I have been on the fence and thanks to this vid and Darrell I just pulled the trigger on a 3 pup blue burst! All the Fireflys I tried in the past I thought cost way more than $200.00. When I was told they cost less than 2 bills I really couldn't believe it. If it turns out to be a dud I am blaming Darrell! LOL I have found plenty of issues with real LPs over the years so bad IMO Gibsons should have sold them as 2nds or blem models. This will be Guitar number 167 in my collection!
@@johnro6659 167?! You have me beat by 164 😂
@@johnro6659 I want to be like you, and never stop feeding the GAS! Congrats on the horde!!
@@dhess34 I first started collecting in the mid 70s when you could buy a 50s Les Paul for a few hundred bucks. I was a huge Gibson fan then bought anything that I thought was a good deal. I got so good I was appraising, checking the originality etc. Visited Gibson several times got to look at some of the history they had on hand. When I sold off the first collection before I got married in 87 I had 150 guitars, 102 were Gibsons mostly LPs from the 50s thru the early 70s and some from the 80s like my LP GEM collection. Some Explorers and Vs some of the odd Gibsons. If I had waited just two or three more years I could have sold some of the LPs for as much as 75K ea maybe nore. My new collection I started back 25 years ago when I got my son a BC Rick starter set and saw a BC Rich Beast hanging on the wall. Now it's is very eclectic only one Gibby Explorer. I am actually happier with what I have now than all the high end expensive stuff.
I'm thinking of getting one of the Semi-Hollow models for the holidays.
Definitely couldn't find one when I was buying my first electric early this year. Ended up with an IYV LP clone. Which is a solid low price guitar. (if you can find one on Amazon instead of having it shipped from the manufacture's reverb store)
Just ordered the black with red binding promotional guitar, hoping it doesn't have any major issues. Great review man, your playing is on point. 👉
Going with Vic's suggestion to wax pot the pickups before I do any upgrades great suggestion Vic !
Hi Darrell. How would you rate this against some of the Harley Benton Single Cut models such as the original and mk2 SC-550 models or their SC Customs? (Not fair to compare the new DLX models)
Sweet & clean, Darrell. Could listen all day...no fatigue. Merry Christmas.
You should do a video showing folks how to wax pot the pickups yourself using tea candles, it’s an easy fix.
It’s funny how this guy’s playing is so tasteful every damn time
I couldn’t live with that lower cutaway, not Les Paul at all!
It’s the same with the current Harley Benton’s, the older ones were more authentic copies!
For a good Les Paul copy check out the Artist Guitars LP59.
Artist are an Australian company that has their guitars manufactured in the Far East to their specifications.
Bone nut, locking tuners, fret nibs, coil splits, lockdown tail piece and Bullbucker pickups that are based on a Seymour Duncan Jazz/JB set that really sing!
Available in the U.K. directly from their website for around £200, so cheap at twice the price!
I have a firefly DC with dimarzio p90's, wiring upgrade, grovers and a brass nut.
Fantastic guitar !
🎸🤟🍻
I think that was my favourite 1 minutes solo I've heard on this channel.
Nice review, I've been looking at Fire Fly for quite some time. I'm also loving my "All the tones you'll ever need." shirt. Fits my guitar preferences perfectly. Keep up the good work.
Great vid love your content.
Thanks JM!
Great review as usual, I'd love to see you perform a review on the Firefly Resonator guitar. I'm really interested in that one. I really wouldn't mind seeing you review any resonator guitar for that matter.👍👍👍
Really enjoy the video. Been looking into these and the AIO Wolf guitars.
Dude... great guitar for the price! I'm more a higher end kinda guy but this is great and good looking guitar!
D.b. just bought one ,still $189 mine had a bad bridge ! Replace it ok now! On the FF 338 replaced placed pickups and put roller bridge,kicks ass now! Enjoyed the video ! FF a diamond in the rough! Minor adjustments ! I got skunk on FF thin line tele bad neck had to shim neck to make playable but at $125 why cry ! lolol!
It's a good looking guitar the one thing I don't care for are the dark colored knobs. I would swap them out for white ones. All said looks decent enough.
I bought the Elite FFLPS Les Paul copy off of Ebay last month. I wanted a green guitar with the quilted top that I could upgrade and modify. I paid way more than $189 for it. I paid $325 after shipping. When I got the guitar, I found that it had so many issues more than the issues Darrell talked about. The guitar did not stay in tune. The nut was not cut properly and the string space was way off. The high E strip buzzed when played open but fretted it was ok. All the hardware was crap. The bridge saddles were cut too deep and the tuners would slip after tuning. The neck was was so back bowed that the factory loosened the truss rod to forward bow the neck straight. The neck had .018" neck relief with 9-42 gauge strings and there was still excessive string buzz. The guitar sounded like crap. Even the pickup rings were bad. I was worried that I had bought a huge lemon. So I replaced all the hardware (pickup rings, bridge, tail piece and tuners) and the electronics. I put Dimarzio pickups (Tone Zone and PAF) in it. I shielded the guitar. I replaced the nut with a TUSQ nut. To fix the excessive back bow, I put 10-46 gauge strings on and properly adjusted the truss rod. I set the string height to 1.5mm on the high E and 2.0 mm on the low E. I now have .009" of neck relief with no string buzz and the guitar stays in tune. After doing all this, the guitar sounds amazing and looks amazing. It took a lot of work and it was worth it. Fortunately, I know how to make all the repairs and adjustments. If you do not know how to work on your guitar properly, I would not recommend purchasing any Fire Fly guitars because the low price is not worth throwing an extra $300 into something that might be worth upgrading or modifying. From now on I will take my chances with ESP/LTD, Epiphone, Michael Kelly, Aria, Agile and Vintage Les Paul copy guitars that I currently own.
You have to go to guitar garden and see all the new guitars they have been putting out. Really nice stuff
They need to bring back this color and the cherry red. I’ll buy both
Can you do a video like this but for a strat
You bet!
This will be my next FF. I have their T-style thin-line. LOVE it, but it does have a bit of neck-dive. Have never owned any LP style, but totally trust Firefly do give me what I want to get into playing one.
Love the video! That color is great 👍 I’ve seen you’re rivoltaRegata video I think a rivolta combinata demo or comparison would be awesome 🤩 If that would be possible. Keep up the good work!!
Sadly impossible to purchase here in the UK. Great review as always.
I like a pretty guitar as much as the next person. But a few blemishes here and there wouldn't stop me from buying one. The only cosmetic thing I would change would be the knobs. They look pretty crappy on that beautiful blue finish. Did the guitar come painted? If you were going to change the pickups, what specifically would you change to? I say specifically because many pickups might have the same name, but in the details there are differences. I was looking at some Railhammer Humcutters and I think there were 3 models with the same name but they were all different. You already said it stays in tune pretty well. Not so with my Squier Strat until I put on a Tusq nut and Tusq stringsaver saddles, and locking tuners, among other mods, such as pickups, pots, switch and wiring. Of course I spent more on mods than the guitar cost me, but it sounds beautiful now, and stays in tune. My instructor couldn't believe how good it sounds, telling me it sounds like a high-end Strat. Gonna take me a look at this baby. I've been looking at a Solo ES-335 but might switch gears and go with this one. It's $100 cheaper than the ES-335 and still has the Gibson look. It just doesn't have the F holes in it and it's a solid body I assume.
I got a Chinese Gibson and its amazing too. Wouldn't be surprised if they were made in the same place. Mine cost the same.
Haven't tried a Firefly, but I did "pickup"... (pardon the pun) the "Inyen Vina" (IYV) Emerald Green monster off of Amazon for about the same price. Love the guitar, but don't like the pickups. I'm curious what you think of those. They're made in Vietnam, and I've read that that factory has made guitars for ESP and Harley Benton. Could they challenge the Firefly for the best budget Les Paul? Thoughts?
Nice to know your opinion. Thanks for sharing.
Maaan thats a nice finish. Wish they still sold them.
I've been on the fence about one, you're swaying me, man.
For the low cost you could put really good pickups in it and still be way under the cost of a expensive guitar 👍🏆.
It actually got the vibe
I have a firefly. It's got a spalted flamed maple top and Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates pickups. It's beautiful and plays great. The ONLY problem mine has is that fret 13 has popped up on the high E side so when I fret it at fret 12 there is some buzz there. Gotta knock it back in or go to the luthier for levelling. Otherwise it looks, feels, and sounds as good as any Gibson that I have owned. I do plan to upgrade the Pots and switch with all new stuff...switchcraft and a treble bleed. The current circuit doesn't do much so I just keep everything on 10 and it's all good.
Love these firefly guitars. I have an LP and 335 style. Both look and play great. Do the compare to a 600 dollar axe? Nope. But for 200 bucks, they rock! Thanks for the video!
looking forward to a review of the Aerosonic :-)
Need to check out all the new models they came out with like the Pegasus and Explorer models. I'm waiting on a reviewer to cover those.
Hey Darren, I know it's a little far away from your neck of the woods but could you review the Artist LP59 CSB for those of us from down under who have been keeping an eye on them as a FANTASTIC budget Les Paul guitar? The reviews for it have been absolutely great and I just want to know if it's worth choosing one of them over a Harley Benton or a FireFly which are priced about the same. They even come with locking tuners so could be a very interesting video!
It seems that all their guitars have been sold out in the US
Awesome review Darell it's crazy how good some cheap guitars are. Ever thought about trying Agile guitars?
I have two Firefly Classics. Amazing for the price.
I just got a LEO Jaymz LP guitar, might replace pickups but is great. Firefly price range.
i have a firefly elite black custom with upgraded parts i bought for $200.00 on facebook market place worth every penny i even got a big bag of extra parts too i love my firefly i want a gold top a 338 and a classic in silver burst oh and the bat series awesome review Darrell love these videos
stick two nice p/ups in ,relic it a smidgin,, keeps you
outta mischief for years, !
I own an FF338, which is great.
BUT ................... have you reviewed the Harley Benton SC-400? I recently bought one in the goldtop satin finish with the price of $132 USD.
It came to me in perfect condition, perfectly set up at the factory. There was no sloppy workmanship at the nut, or anywhere. And when I began playing it, it was every bit as good or better, playing-wise than my Gibson Les Paul Classic, which has been my #1 guitar for years! The neck is every bit as comfortable as, and very similar to the Gibson slim-taper 60's neck.
In addition, the SC-400 has that cool HB contoured neck joint and a better looking cutaway then the Firefly.
Compare these two side-by-side, and you just might say the Harley Benton SC400 is the better buy.
And NO, I have no connection to Harley Benton or Thomann.
Beautiful guitars, they would be great to enhance with better pu’s.
Great content Darrell. I was actually able to beat the scalpers and get my hands on a (second run T-O-M bridge) Firefly single P90 double cut junior model from Amazon last year for just a mere $130! Don't exactly know how they're able to pull it off, and not exactly sure I want to (Ha!), but I was definitely more than surprised with what I had to work with after unboxing.
I obviously had to swap the tuners for a stable set of Grovers, and I'm just now getting around to replacing the cheapo plastic nut with a TUSQ, but quite honestly?
Those are typically the same standard routine upgrades I always expect to do on just about any so called "budget" guitar that by comparison would cost nearly 2-3 times the price of this Firefly.
The stock P90 is what it is. I mean, it's kind of hard to screw up a pickup as basic as that am I right?!
I may decide down the road to go ahead and swap it out with a higher quality brand P90, which will also give me an opportunity to apply some proper shielding tape while I'm in there, but overall?!
I honestly gotta chalk the overall buying experience down as a solid win.
It's really quite unfortunate that typically these get greedily snatched up and horded within the first 24 hours by shamelessly parasitic online scalpers are looking to opportunistically re-sell them at a price markup.
Wow, this is a loooong comment! Ha!
Anyway, my advice and overall point I'm trying to reach is this:
If you don't mind working on guitars and just so happen to see one of these on Amazon or their site at standard retail?
Buy it. Seriously. Don't even hesitate.
They are definitely that good and worth every penny.
Whew! ^^How did I type soo much!!^^ Bwahaha!
Take care Darrell.
Cheers!
I love Les Pauls and I'd love to get a Firefly but I can't find them anywhere in Sweden. Over-all, they seem hard to find in Europe.
Apparently those microphonic Pickups can be fixed by Pot Waxing them, which involves removing them from the guitar and soaking them in hot parafin wax. This isolates all of the parts and pieces within the pickup so they won't vibrate and create that awful feedback. Dylan Talks Tone does this with all of the pickups he builds for customers, unless they request him not to. Looks like about a $20 investment: $15 for a cheap crock pot and $5 for a block of wax at Wally world. Of course, there is always the chance that even after waxing them they are still crappy sounding pickups. Or just buy some new inexpensive pickups at Guitar Fetish. Looks like theirs are Pot Waxed also. P.S. This technique is credited to EVH.
Darrell do some mods to this guitar (tunners, pickups, maybe obsidian solderless kit, etc)
Wait did I here you say compare the neck pickup to the middle pickup? lol Great videos!
I have a firefly fflp in the sorta orange quilt/flame spalt maple. Awesome guitar. Only issue with the Firefly brand is timing it right and getting one when they're in stock😂
I believe original PAF gibson pickups were not wax potted, no? Mine is great in the studio, and I can get away with using it with a loud stage rig if I don't use soldano to Nu-metal amounts of saturation and gain.. The pickups I have are from a 2021 run of FFLPs (Mine is an approximation of a 59 cherry burst look) And they sound pretty good actually.. The only weird thing is the wiring is the third option that nobody ever uses, namely fully independent volume controls.. (in position 2 you can roll one of the pickups volume controls completely off without the whole guitar cutting out like 50's or modern wiring would do. Thatt is the ONLY advantage to this wiring scheme.. You get all the dulling of the tone when you roll the volume down that you do with modern wiring (without a treble bleed), and you get the weird tone-control-turns-into-a-second-volume-control when the volume knob is anywhere below 10.
I have been too lazy to finally get around to resoldering it lol.
Hey, Darrell...another great review. I know you've done Harley Benton's before, but I'd love to see your take on the Harley Benton Aeolus Frost Flame. Thanks!
I’m glad I alread have american guitars so now i don’t feel bad hoarding imports
😂😂😂
Beautiful guitar 🎸💥 great sounds Bro!
Great review! That thing looks awesome! I'm going to get one if I can get rid of my Epiphone Les Paul Studio!
So, as I'm getting back into owning and collecting guitars, it really seems to me that if you're not specifically buying a guitar for its brand, it appears best to get a well-constructed cheaper guitar like a Firefly, and then buy high-end pickups. For nearly the same price as a stock Epiphone, someone could buy a Firefly and a pair of $200 EMGs or even some signature Seymour Duncan's. I don't see why anyone would go another route. Getting pickups put in by a professional, costs about $50-$80. So, for under $500, you could have a beautiful, well-constructed guitar, some elite pickups, and a professional setup. If I'm wrong, let me know.
Excellent guitar sounds and looks great, thank you brother 😎
Why don't we have such guitars available in India. The moment I heard about the price I couldn't stop myself to check out the website and order one for myself but was really disappointed as they ship only within the States.
I got one and love it didnt have to do anything Mine is black w 3 pickups and gold hardware
I started out playing country. Now I play Southern Gospel music, country style. I do my own turn arounds and leads when I out myself. At church I play lead (fade in and out as needed. Getting to point. Ur opinion best guitar for me. Ur opinion please
Please make a demo on their semi hollow
Nice looking guitar Darrell. Thanks for demo’ing the middle pickup position in this one. Pity about the microphonic issue and thx for explaining what to do to fix it.
I love the colour of it though. A good project guitar do you think ?
So quality vs price. Playability vs bling.
A well built cheap guitar with upgraded electronics and hardware will usually be the best value.
The thing is finding great quality cheaper components that compare well to the big brands.
Anyone have thoughts on this?
Mine are I have yet to find a great Chinese made guitar but they are getting there. Even Indonesian has gotten better. Now we see some from Vietnam. I predict India will be the next low cost labor market.
I guess it comes down to which builder sets up shop. Cort and Samick have a quality build legacy. Plus there is another.
What are everyone's go to brands that are great quality and very upgradeable at different price points?
FIrefly guitars are pretty good looking guitars for the money.
Pretty sweet. Set neck for under 2 bills.
About half-way through the vid... wondering how heavy the 'Fly is, as LP-style guitars can weigh a ton.
Also, how thick is the neck?