Since I've been investigating a potential purchase of one of these, I've watched scores of UA-cam videos on them. Yours is in the top 3. The jagged editing doesn't matter. You go into great detail, give clear explanations and rationales, you play both clean and distortion tones (I'm amazed at how many vids I've watched that only had dirty tones), and YOU HAD THE GUITAR IN TUNE! (again, I was aghast at how many demo videos on here feature an out of tune guitar! That is kindergarten-level rule #1! Thank you for such an excellent review!
Thanks! I tried to make it honest, informative, and entertaining without spending too much time filming. It’s still too long. But I tried to share a real experience. Anyway, Thanks for the positive comments!
I got to turn it up today. I kept looking at the amp to see if there was some kind of effect on. These pickups...this thing is absolutely badass. This may be the best guitar for the money in the world.
I loved this video man Felt very real in the sense that it feels like this is what my experience would be like if I had bought it You should post a video on how to set up a guitar I felt like I learned a lot about the set up process
Gibson sells both mini humbucker and Firebird reissue pickups ($129 ea). I like it as is. I will NOT replace Epi pups. That being said, it is not my main guitar. Firebird experts might have different opinions of the Epiphone. I like it a lot. Still
I own a76 medallion V saw a clip from mr Bonamassa he recommends you back the tone off on the bridge pick up mini buckers are a little like the tone on a tele biting treble so backed off to 5 and bamm!!!
I've always had an eye for the Firebird, though it's always been second to my favorite guitar the BC Rich Bich. But I gotta say, when I saw Sonny Landreth play that guitar with the Gonners... damn what an instrument. Great review man!
The best set-up video I have seen. A real life feel to it, and the editing made it feel even more real life. 👍👍👍 I agree with your thoughts on the SG. So far it has kept me from buying one, bet it's a great guitar though.
Thanks for the positive comments! The SG: I love it cuz I spent time setting it up. But I’ve ran across a few SGJ faded Gibson models for less $800. I really don’t know which I would rather own. A real Gibson still carries the “Headstock” value. But there really is no difference after setting it up how I like.
@@6dbthreshold It's a beautiful SG, but like you mentioned, I just can't get used to the edges being different from the front. Other than that SG's are great guitars. Anyhow, I've been eying the Firebird, your video made me want it more. Don't know why I waited so long.
If you have some knowledge this is a very comprehensive review/critique. Probably the best I have seen, goofy /~! eDiteng notwithstanding. I have one on the way myself. That little comment about STRAIGHTENING the neck to relieve problems higher up the neck is gold. Counter-intuitive but it can work. I had an epi flying V that rattled up high. The tech put a LOWER nut on the thing and fixed it. That is when I started to understand this. That V was an excellent guitar. I think I sold it because it was too big to hide from my wife. Well, here we go. I will either have a headache or a great guitar.
Honesty, is such a lonely word, everyone is so... I sold my Epiphone Firebird to a friend 13 years ago, it was a mistake! Great video! Thanks for your honesty! ;-)
Highly impressed! I am going to buy this guitar within the next couple weeks. I am a greenhorn at the art of guitar, but I do have some knowledge about it. I had no clue how to go about working on a guitar to make it play better, and have always been afraid to even attempt it in fear of getting it so out of wack it would never be playable again. So you're demo has helped me in many ways, and for that I thank you! The firebird is my favorite body style from the entire Gibson line. You're ability to play is as top notch as your level of intelligence in understanding the mechanical side, expert! Now I know it requires a specific type of tool's to do the job. The eyeball will only work in a, "pure luck" outcome.
You’re too kind. $10 for feeler gauges $10 for hex wrenches and a decent set of screwdrivers can make a guitar play much better. I wished I would have started tinker earlier. It’s not difficult and really pretty hard to break anything if you make small adjustments and don’t strip out any fasteners. UA-cam has a bunch of great content on detailed guitar setup. StewMac is a great place to start learning (even though they are trying to sell tools mostly, they still teach pretty well). I bought a Squier for $250 to practice on. Messed up one nut $20. But now it plays great.
@@6dbthreshold man! Thank you so much for the info! Soon as I watched your video, I went straight to Google and found several, complete tool kits, and really none of them were extremely outrageously over priced. Found one for like 39 bucks, and probably cheap made, but looked like the little guage things were the most important part. I don't know how those could tear up, unless just carelessness. Screw drivers and things are a dime a dozen, for cheap ones. The one thing that always worried me the most was getting the kneck really bad warped, or the intonation out to the point of no return. But I do thank you much for your guidance. I will most definitely check out the link.
@@timjoseph887 I did buy it! I couldn't really tell you if it is worth that much, cause I'm a beginner. Maybe someone with more experience could tell you, but I do love mine and wouldn't part with it for nothing.
Awesome 6dB🎸《☆》Nice work & Jamz👍🏾🔔🍺I got one of the 2001 vintage Epiphone 1963 FB VIIs. I've gone round & round with Neck adjustments over the years. It's a Korean made guitar. So the Chinese managed to keep with the tradition of Neck problems. I'm still the proud owner even tho the Value of it seems to have doubled over the years. The Lyre Vibrola high E string slot had to be burnished out with a rat tail file as it was popping strings frequently. Im thinking about going with a Steinberger Trem. That's what Allen Collins had on his FB Vs with a P90 pickup at the bridge. There's a few UA-cam videos that Show Allen playing Freebird on his FB Vs which were mostly cobbled together guitars with broken/repaired necks. His Gibson Explorer came later✌😎☯️
@@6dbthreshold Being the technical mind I am I really liked it, and the format was entertaining. I enjoy the Justin Johnson videos for the same reason, and he's amazingly talented as well. Stay well my friend.
I like the LTD 1000s. They have straighter string pulls. I got the epi instead solely for the more vintage look. I’ve had a LTD EC300 Goldtop for 10 years and love it. Probably my best guitar.
I bought one used, in mint condition. Had the same problems with the frets around 12 -15th fret. Neck needed adjusting and like you i was adjusting it and nothing changed, then loose, then it finally changed. I'm working on the frets now, your video helps a lot thanks! I bought a Z-file from Stew Mac for crowning frets, I'm very happy with it. Makes the job easier
Bought that Epi Firebird. Fret ends like razor blades, neck horribly out of adjustment, just like yours actually, some high frets. I love it. I would love to get a well set up axe out of the box but that does not seem to be my karma. This is one beautiful guitar. I would say this has gibson and strat characteristics right down the middle. A very hot strat. Totally unique.
Thanks for the comment. You got me thinking about setup of new guitars. I would guess I’ve bought, sold or traded more than 50 guitars in my life. I can only think of two that didn’t need a setup adjustment: a Reverend Sensei and a Taylor acoustic. I’ve been an Epiphone fan for years, but I’ve never had an Epiphone that wasn’t WAY out of adjustment.
They just don’t bother at the factory anymore unless you are buying something $1000+, which sucks. You don’t buy a car and then immediately have to take it to a garage to get setup 😂
Hi great review! Do you still have the guitar? Is that Firebird the Inspired by Gibson seres? I have a Gibson SG '61 Reissue, a Gibson Les Paul Studio and a Fender Player Series Telecaster. I'm asking myself what the heck do I need a new guitar for? I like the sound that is coming out of the Firebird. Are those Mini Humbuckers? Sorry for the many questions.
Thanks for the comment! Yes, to all your questions. It is the Inspired By Gibson Epi Firebird. And I still have it. I’m reducing my collection to essentials: Strat, Tele, Les Paul, and the various other unique guitars: P90s, minihumbuckers (in another tele), firebird pups, and filtertrons. Still hunting for the unique pup guitars. Firebird pups are not minihumbuckers - similar, but they have rail magnets and no pole pieces. Minihumbuckers have bar magnets and adjustable steel posts. Firebird pups and minihumbuckers sound different for sure.
Yeah I heard that "Brown Sugar" hail to the king Reverend Willie G! Billy Gibbons uses 7s! He has his own strings, Dunlop "Reverend Willy" Electric Guitar Strings - Extra Light 07/38!!!!
I got it pretty close with .009s. Filed on one fret to get rid of the buzz. But I ended up raising the action again because it just feels better to me. It’s a pretty stable guitar. I’m happy with it. It’s just too big to play and sit on the couch comfortably. So it hangs on the wall most of the time - until I want a unique tone for recording. It stays in tune pretty damn good. It’s a great second guitar that I’ll never sell. But, I usually play and write on an old telecaster that is my “couch guitar”.
Hi Man, It looks that you know a lot about guitars, about setup and play, Im not a big fan from Epiphone , but the Gibson version its veeeeery expensive, I see on this video that you do a looot of adjustments, do you recommend this firebird model..? Thanks..!!
If you are a new player, there are better guitars available (Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster) for less money. If you love Firebirds (they are unique), the Epiphone is a good value compared to a Gibson. But the Epiphone will probably need a professional setup. My best advice, go play one. If you like it, buy it. If you have doubts, look for something else.
@@6dbthreshold I not a new player, I have more than 30 years playing, I have some guitars, Gretsch,Rickenbaker, Fender Strat & Tele, Ibanez, Gibson, my concern its about all the adjustments that I need to do, looks that comes with a lot of problems, I think buying another guitar and Gibson Firebird it's not an option, too expensive to me, maybe Ephiphone Firebird, Im going to try to play one before buy, only have one question to you, what about the tunning, keep tunning if you do a bending or playing some solo..? thanks man..!!
Mine is fine now. Tuning stability is decent. Very similar to my Les Paul. Not great. Not terrible. I would recommend the Epiphone over the Gibson because it’s 90% as good as a Gibson but 25% the price. But each individual guitar has individual wood. So it’s always a crap shoot. I say “go for it”.
I love Firebird pickups, which are NOT the same as "mini-humbucking" pickups, just a similar size, and they are humbucking too. So I bought a pair of Firebird pickups (real design, not a P-90 in Firebird housing) from "Magneto Design" in humbucking sized housing, to install in a 2001 Gibson LP Special. They still sound like Firebird pickups, but the LP Special is a much more comfortable design for me to play, although the neck-through design of the Firebird guitar is a cool design feature, that likely adds to the sustain (?). Love the Firebird pickup's tone!!
Ever seen Jim Lill’s video on electric guitar tone? He makes an excellent case that it’s almost exclusively pickup related. The guitar setup, pickups and metal parts that alter the magnetism are all that matters. Of course if you like how your guitar looks and feels, you’ll play better too. Which is the most important part of playing. I hope to get a LP special one day. I like what you did with it. Thanks for to comment.
I just got mine today. The nut action is good, so the nut slots are fine. The neck is straight, and I don't have fret buzz. I didn't check the string height, but it feels good. I haven't spent much time with it yet, so those are my first impressions. The pickups sound great, IMO. I have a 2013 Gibson Firebird IV, so I'll have to A/B it soon. The Gibby has the hotter ceramic pickups, so if I keep it (the Gibby), I will probably replace them with more vintage spec. ones. The plan though, is to sell the Gibson, pocket the extra $$ and hold onto the Epiphone. The last 2 Epiphones that I bought did not come with the truss rod wrench, which seems odd, but I see that yours didn't either.
I like Craig Ross too. But I think Slash wrote that riff. Who knows - credits always get screwed up in the music biz. But that riff is definitely one of my all time favorites. . 🤘🤘
Will sweetwater do a set up to avoid all this mess? I don’t like buying guitars without trying them first . I changed to 8’s and never looked back. Sounds like it’s always out of tune. I might save for a Gib for about 2200
Sweetwater will do a setup but won’t go that far. Playing first is always the best route. All guitars are always out of tune (well tempered scale). This firebird sounds very out of tune because I was pressing too hard due to bad setup and forcing some notes sharp.
They aren't mini-humbuckers they are firebird pickups. Minihumbuckers have pole pieces firebird pickups are a humbucker with a one piece bar magnet. Johnny left all of his firebirds pretty much stock electronic wise but the ones that had the vibrola were changed to a stopbar and tuneomatic. The reason I always liked them was johnny winter and Steve jones had a sunburst firebird I
Firebird pickups actually have 2 bar magnets, one in each bobbin, but you are correct - a true Firebird pickup shares absolutely nothing with a mini humbucker. By their design they can only have so many winds on them so they are traditionally low output, lots of sparkle and spank, like a fat Telecaster. Quite possibly the most infuriating subject in the online guitar sphere. People who love Firebirds understand it. Everyone else for the most post has no idea what they're talking about. A Firebird is very unique, it's own thing. You can play anything on a Firebird. I'm never parting with mine. Lots of people say that the modern Gibson Firebird pickups are just mini humbuckers with no-hole covers. Also wrong. They are constructed as a traditional Firebird pickup but with ceramic magnets, so they're insanely hot. I bought mine a few months ago - a 2014 in vintage white. The previous owner had put Lollar Firebird pickups in it. They're glorious. Not touching them. I left the Nashville bridge because I could only find an abr-1 in nickel and the rest of the hardware is chrome, but I did replace the crappy threaded thimbles with Faber 1 piece studs and traditional thumb wheels.
@@maxpeck4154, how do you think, is the sound of the modern ceramic Gibson pickups completely different comparing with the Lollar pickups? Which of them are the most authentic on your opinion? Thanks in advance!
@@Mr4skynet The Lollars are way more authentic for sure. The modern ceramic ones have a similar tone but they're insanely high output compared to vintage ones. I think the ceramics were sort of an attempt to make Firebirds more of a heavy rock/metal guitar, although I've read a lot of people have gotten a more vintage-ey sound from them by lowering them way down away from the strings. The Lollars are very vintage sounding with maybe a touch more bass than a vintage example. I haven't tried them myself but I've read that the Mojotone Johnny Winter set are very vintage correct if you're looking for that sound.
Great video! Great playing too. I play old time roots acoustic mostly, but love electric guitars and amps. I'm down to three electrics, a modded Squier CV 60s Stratocaster, a Godin 5th Avenue Kingpin, and just got a used 2020 Epiphone Firebird. Like you, I just want to cover a few essentials of pickups and looks that I like. Check out the Godin. Not expensive and made in North America from American wood. The Firebird needs a full setup, not sure if I want to do it, or take it to my luthier. Maybe you inspired me, IDK. My eyes and hands aren't what the used to be. LOL. Thanks again. I'll subscribe and hopefully you'll make more good videos.
Thanks for the positive comment! A band mate of mine back in the 90s (much better player than me) always played Godin guitars. Back then, I didn’t think they were “cool” enough. But every Godin I’ve played has been a great guitar! I haven’t tried the kingpin yet, but I may try one now since I’ve never owned an arch top electric. I’m starting to play a wider variety of styles. Who knows, that Godin might inspire me to learn some old jazz standards that really good guitarists can play. I started setting up electric guitars a few years ago. Not much to it other than a few tools and some confidence. A lot of great luthiers have excellent videos teaching set ups. I’m still scared of cutting nuts from scratch. But everything else is pretty easy. And it’s really actually pretty hard to damage a guitar with the truss rod and bridge adjustments if you take your time and don’t use excessive force. I’ve many mistakes, but never hurt a guitar. And now I prefer to set up my own stuff just because it saves time a money (you don’t have to drive to the luthier’s shop and wait if they are backed up with work). I watched Crimson Guitars do a fret leveling job, and finally got the courage to work on a cheap Epiphone SG I had. It came out decent and got rid of my fear for good. Fret leveling may be a little too involved (tools and time), but truss rod, action and intonation adjustments are simple and usually better than factory. Even with small adjustments. Thanks again for the comment. I’m gonna look for a Godin next time I’m in a guitar store.
@@6dbthreshold thanks for the kind reply. I tuned up the Firebird and its setup better than I thought it was. The intonation is fine, the nut cuts seem as low as they can be. The problem is on the bridge pickup, the b and e strings are much quieter than the g string. The neck pickup is fine. The treble side of the bridge pickup is already raised higher than the bass side. Any ideas? This is an issue with the 2019/20 Firebirds, so I read. I'm actually more comfortable with electronics so the pickup is coming out today. I bought it used from GC so I can always return it. But I've already bonded with it. 🙄🙃
Chris, my first guess is string gauge. Are you using a wound g string? I think Firebird pickups have generally smaller/weaker magnetic field than normal Humbuckers. So they will be more sensitive to string gauge choices and adjustment height. Meaning thicker string gauges (with more iron content) will create much higher interference with the magnetic field: more output. Thinner gauges on the b and e will have less output. If your string gauge is normal (Ive used Diaddario 9s and 10s without issues), I might take the pickup covers off and see how they are built. Most Firebird aficionados make a huge deal about the difference between minihumbuckers and Firebird pups. Minihums are just smaller traditional humbuckers. But firebird pickups have individual rail magnets in the two bobbins. It could be that the rail magnet isn’t level in your pickups. But I’ve never taken the epi Firebird pickups apart to confirm what they really are. For my Epi firebird, I ended up having to raise the bridge bass side of the pickup super close to the strings to get tonal balance. As compared to the neck pup (5mm) the bridge pup is MUCH closer to the strings (3mm). I also have the bass side higher than the treble side, so I have the opposite issue as you. I never took the covers off since I like the sound and don’t know Firebird pups well enough to think that’s abnormal. For what it’s worth, I put a Dimarzio dp113 mini hum in the neck position of a tele. I have treble side within 3mm of the high e and the bass side within 6mm of the low e. It sounds great, but demonstrates how sensitive small humbuckers are to string gauge and pickup height. Good luck. Let me know if you find any solutions.
I find the "old" firebird looks better than the new one inspired by Gibson custom shop. The sound is also the same and the tuners are not so heavy as thos banjo style ones, the new Epiphone has.
Yes, the editing sucks 😄, but what a journey! I just had mine delivered yesterday and she's a beauty! I'm going to need to tighten my truss rod too, but the action is only slightly high. FYI, the pups in Firebirds are not mini Humbuckers, they are pups made specifically only for Firebirds. 👍🏻👍🏻
My theory as to why people like unboxings is that it's kinda like Christmas, when you open your gifts, as well as seeing how it's boxed. It's like a striptease act...take it off baby, take it all off !!! 13:54 - What is this? Marilyn Manson? David Bowie? Very Cool and lifelike !!!
@@6dbthreshold I think that it looks cool 😎. There are many rock and roll action figures that I like, unfortunately they're no longer available or they are outrageously priced !!!
Not yet. I can do basic fret work. I'm gonna have the nut replaced with bone and the frets fixed. I love the sound and have no problems with the size of the guitar. I actually find it kinda comfortable. Just bummed with the setup.
I think the nuts are cut too high by design... you can always cut the slots deeper, but if they're TOO deep from the factory then the nut has to be replaced. It sucks but makes a bit of sense.
Yea he did. I sure do miss that original lynyrd skynyrd lineup! Gaines was a nice replacement though wouldn’t you say? Seeing Blackfoot, Molly Hatchet, Sultans of swing at an outdoor concert in Va. for $10 bucks 76-77 time oh yea! Now I live in Deep South Mexico changing some pickups on the Epi Firebird with Mojotone Johnny Winter pickups when it arrives
Yep. That’s why real Gibson’s cost so much. If I like a guitar, I like spending time getting it perfectly setup. If I don’t like the guitar, it’s like getting your teeth cleaned. No fun, but I’m glad it did it. Unless the hygienist is purdie. Then it’s relaxing.
Epiphone frets are trash! If you buy an Epiphone guitar just have it professionally set up if you can't do it yourself. Epiphone guitars usually need work on the frets like leveling and polishing and crowning.
Can’t disagree. I’ve had 5 Epiphones over the years. 3 of 5 needed full leveling. 2 needed spot leveling and polishing. I can live with some minor issues. But all 5 of them buzzed out of the box.
Great video! Got a second hand 2020 myself, a couple of months ago. Luckily the previous owner bought it from a dealer who set it up nicely. Since I got it, I've swapped the bridge and tailpiece to a Faber conversion kit. I find the pickups very good, so I don't think I'll do anything about those. However I've ordered a Switchcraft toggleswitch as I find the original a little flimsey. Here's a short playing demo I did before I did the hardware swap: ua-cam.com/video/KfG3kgoHDl4/v-deo.html
I watched your video. Great playing. Excellent tone. I’ve been watching for used versions for a while - finally broke down and bought a new one. I’ll have to check out the Faber parts. Thanks for the comments.
Since I've been investigating a potential purchase of one of these, I've watched scores of UA-cam videos on them. Yours is in the top 3. The jagged editing doesn't matter. You go into great detail, give clear explanations and rationales, you play both clean and distortion tones (I'm amazed at how many vids I've watched that only had dirty tones), and YOU HAD THE GUITAR IN TUNE! (again, I was aghast at how many demo videos on here feature an out of tune guitar! That is kindergarten-level rule #1! Thank you for such an excellent review!
Thanks! I tried to make it honest, informative, and entertaining without spending too much time filming.
It’s still too long. But I tried to share a real experience.
Anyway, Thanks for the positive comments!
@@6dbthreshold It had everything you want and need - information clearly presented and unvarnished honesty!
I got to turn it up today. I kept looking at the amp to see if there was some kind of effect on. These pickups...this thing is absolutely badass. This may be the best guitar for the money in the world.
Get one you won't be disappointed! Excellent value for the money! Just got one this Monday really liking it
I completely agree with you 100% This has got to be the best guitar for the price I have ever seen or played. I have been playing 45 years..
The choice of riff, and tones you choosed, is verry inspirring to get that guitar. Best video so far I saw. I subscibe to your channel !
I loved this video man
Felt very real in the sense that it feels like this is what my experience would be like if I had bought it
You should post a video on how to set up a guitar
I felt like I learned a lot about the set up process
Do they sell the "Gibson" pickups for this? Would that make it better? How do you like thus far and did you modify it?
Gibson sells both mini humbucker and Firebird reissue pickups ($129 ea). I like it as is. I will NOT replace Epi pups.
That being said, it is not my main guitar. Firebird experts might have different opinions of the Epiphone. I like it a lot. Still
I bought this guitar because of PJ Harvey too. Looks and sounds great!
Thats some Arthouse editing there, never gets boring. Good set up, interesting presentation.
I own a76 medallion V saw a clip from mr Bonamassa he recommends you back the tone off on the bridge pick up mini buckers are a little like the tone on a tele biting treble so backed off to 5 and bamm!!!
I've always had an eye for the Firebird, though it's always been second to my favorite guitar the BC Rich Bich. But I gotta say, when I saw Sonny Landreth play that guitar with the Gonners... damn what an instrument. Great review man!
In the uk Allen Collins used the bird on a televised concert we had the full 12 minute solo circa 75
Great video and thanks for the setup tips. Awesome shout out to PJ Harvey@13:54! Totally forgot she played one sometimes.
The best set-up video I have seen. A real life feel to it, and the editing made it feel even more real life. 👍👍👍 I agree with your thoughts on the SG. So far it has kept me from buying one, bet it's a great guitar though.
Thanks for the positive comments!
The SG: I love it cuz I spent time setting it up. But I’ve ran across a few SGJ faded Gibson models for less $800. I really don’t know which I would rather own. A real Gibson still carries the “Headstock” value. But there really is no difference after setting it up how I like.
@@6dbthreshold It's a beautiful SG, but like you mentioned, I just can't get used to the edges being different from the front. Other than that SG's are great guitars. Anyhow, I've been eying the Firebird, your video made me want it more. Don't know why I waited so long.
Excellent review! Love Firebirds!
If you have some knowledge this is a very comprehensive review/critique. Probably the best I have seen, goofy /~! eDiteng notwithstanding. I have one on the way myself. That little comment about STRAIGHTENING the neck to relieve problems higher up the neck is gold. Counter-intuitive but it can work. I had an epi flying V that rattled up high. The tech put a LOWER nut on the thing and fixed it. That is when I started to understand this.
That V was an excellent guitar. I think I sold it because it was too big to hide from my wife.
Well, here we go. I will either have a headache or a great guitar.
Congratulations and best of luck with your new guitar!
Honesty, is such a lonely word, everyone is so...
I sold my Epiphone Firebird to a friend 13 years ago, it was a mistake!
Great video! Thanks for your honesty! ;-)
Amazingly thorough and honest review! Awesome! New subscriber! And probably my next guitar!
Awesome! Thank you!
Highly impressed! I am going to buy this guitar within the next couple weeks. I am a greenhorn at the art of guitar, but I do have some knowledge about it. I had no clue how to go about working on a guitar to make it play better, and have always been afraid to even attempt it in fear of getting it so out of wack it would never be playable again. So you're demo has helped me in many ways, and for that I thank you! The firebird is my favorite body style from the entire Gibson line. You're ability to play is as top notch as your level of intelligence in understanding the mechanical side, expert! Now I know it requires a specific type of tool's to do the job. The eyeball will only work in a, "pure luck" outcome.
You’re too kind. $10 for feeler gauges $10 for hex wrenches and a decent set of screwdrivers can make a guitar play much better. I wished I would have started tinker earlier. It’s not difficult and really pretty hard to break anything if you make small adjustments and don’t strip out any fasteners. UA-cam has a bunch of great content on detailed guitar setup. StewMac is a great place to start learning (even though they are trying to sell tools mostly, they still teach pretty well). I bought a Squier for $250 to practice on. Messed up one nut $20. But now it plays great.
@@6dbthreshold man! Thank you so much for the info! Soon as I watched your video, I went straight to Google and found several, complete tool kits, and really none of them were extremely outrageously over priced. Found one for like 39 bucks, and probably cheap made, but looked like the little guage things were the most important part. I don't know how those could tear up, unless just carelessness. Screw drivers and things are a dime a dozen, for cheap ones. The one thing that always worried me the most was getting the kneck really bad warped, or the intonation out to the point of no return. But I do thank you much for your guidance. I will most definitely check out the link.
Did you buy it ? Hard to believe it will be worth 600
@@timjoseph887 I did buy it! I couldn't really tell you if it is worth that much, cause I'm a beginner. Maybe someone with more experience could tell you, but I do love mine and wouldn't part with it for nothing.
Well worth the money
Just when i though i’ve got ‘em all…. Sigh… “orders epi firebird”
Awesome 6dB🎸《☆》Nice work & Jamz👍🏾🔔🍺I got one of the 2001 vintage Epiphone 1963 FB VIIs. I've gone round & round with Neck adjustments over the years. It's a Korean made guitar. So the Chinese managed to keep with the tradition of Neck problems. I'm still the proud owner even tho the Value of it seems to have doubled over the years. The Lyre Vibrola high E string slot had to be burnished out with a rat tail file as it was popping strings frequently. Im thinking about going with a Steinberger Trem. That's what Allen Collins had on his FB Vs with a P90 pickup at the bridge. There's a few UA-cam videos that Show Allen playing Freebird on his FB Vs which were mostly cobbled together guitars with broken/repaired necks. His Gibson Explorer came later✌😎☯️
Thanks for the comment!
Thank god for the metric system!
I always take new guitars to Spruce Tree Music in Madison,I want one and I want to Frankenstein it with EMG'S. Not sure which EMG's I want yet
Nice. Love watching you work buddy! Old world perfection at work.
Thanks Chris. Hope it wasn’t too boring. Guitar setup videos are popular among hobbyists, so I figured I’d make one too. Not too terribly involved.
@@6dbthreshold Being the technical mind I am I really liked it, and the format was entertaining. I enjoy the Justin Johnson videos for the same reason, and he's amazingly talented as well. Stay well my friend.
I was looking up an LTD Phoenix 1000 Firebird and your vid showed up. Enjoyed the video and i thought it was informative. All the best.
I like the LTD 1000s. They have straighter string pulls. I got the epi instead solely for the more vintage look. I’ve had a LTD EC300 Goldtop for 10 years and love it. Probably my best guitar.
I bought one used, in mint condition. Had the same problems with the frets around 12 -15th fret. Neck needed adjusting and like you i was adjusting it and nothing changed, then loose, then it finally changed. I'm working on the frets now, your video helps a lot thanks! I bought a Z-file from Stew Mac for crowning frets, I'm very happy with it. Makes the job easier
Typical dual action trussrod.
Buddy nice axe you should have a case for it
I did have a bootleg Keeley moded tube screamer. I am sure that helped a lot but the pickups had to be there first.
Bought that Epi Firebird. Fret ends like razor blades, neck horribly out of adjustment, just like yours actually, some high frets. I love it.
I would love to get a well set up axe out of the box but that does not seem to be my karma. This is one beautiful guitar. I would say this has gibson and strat characteristics right down the middle. A very hot strat. Totally unique.
Thanks for the comment.
You got me thinking about setup of new guitars. I would guess I’ve bought, sold or traded more than 50 guitars in my life. I can only think of two that didn’t need a setup adjustment: a Reverend Sensei and a Taylor acoustic.
I’ve been an Epiphone fan for years, but I’ve never had an Epiphone that wasn’t WAY out of adjustment.
They just don’t bother at the factory anymore unless you are buying something $1000+, which sucks. You don’t buy a car and then immediately have to take it to a garage to get setup 😂
Cool video Mike, didn't realize there was so much set up to a guitar. Dig the Rick Springfield too!
Surprised you watched it that far. But thanks!
Hi great review! Do you still have the guitar? Is that Firebird the Inspired by Gibson seres? I have a Gibson SG '61 Reissue, a Gibson Les Paul Studio and a Fender Player Series Telecaster. I'm asking myself what the heck do I need a new guitar for? I like the sound that is coming out of the Firebird. Are those Mini Humbuckers? Sorry for the many questions.
Thanks for the comment! Yes, to all your questions. It is the Inspired By Gibson Epi Firebird. And I still have it. I’m reducing my collection to essentials: Strat, Tele, Les Paul, and the various other unique guitars: P90s, minihumbuckers (in another tele), firebird pups, and filtertrons. Still hunting for the unique pup guitars.
Firebird pups are not minihumbuckers - similar, but they have rail magnets and no pole pieces. Minihumbuckers have bar magnets and adjustable steel posts. Firebird pups and minihumbuckers sound different for sure.
I'm new to your UA-cam Channel.. Thanks For Sharing
Thanks for subbing!
Yeah I heard that "Brown Sugar" hail to the king Reverend Willie G! Billy Gibbons uses 7s! He has his own strings, Dunlop "Reverend Willy" Electric Guitar Strings - Extra Light 07/38!!!!
Hendrix ain’t wrong. My favorite player too!
I think Allen Collins had a p90 in the bridge of his Firebird.
Wow! I’ve looked at pictures of him with a Firebird a million times and just noticed that. Thanks for the info!
New sub, thanks for the info.Some fun stuff also!
So did you ever achieve an optimal setup and reach playability nirvana?
I got it pretty close with .009s. Filed on one fret to get rid of the buzz. But I ended up raising the action again because it just feels better to me.
It’s a pretty stable guitar. I’m happy with it. It’s just too big to play and sit on the couch comfortably. So it hangs on the wall most of the time - until I want a unique tone for recording. It stays in tune pretty damn good. It’s a great second guitar that I’ll never sell. But, I usually play and write on an old telecaster that is my “couch guitar”.
At least someone use this guitar in the way it meant to be... to play Free bird 😍
😂. Very well said. Thanks for watching!
Absolutely brilliant. Thank you
Thanks for the comment. Too kind.
Hi Man, It looks that you know a lot about guitars, about setup and play, Im not a big fan from Epiphone , but the Gibson version its veeeeery expensive, I see on this video that you do a looot of adjustments, do you recommend this firebird model..? Thanks..!!
If you are a new player, there are better guitars available (Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster) for less money. If you love Firebirds (they are unique), the Epiphone is a good value compared to a Gibson. But the Epiphone will probably need a professional setup. My best advice, go play one. If you like it, buy it. If you have doubts, look for something else.
@@6dbthreshold I not a new player, I have more than 30 years playing, I have some guitars, Gretsch,Rickenbaker, Fender Strat & Tele, Ibanez, Gibson, my concern its about all the adjustments that I need to do, looks that comes with a lot of problems, I think buying another guitar and Gibson Firebird it's not an option, too expensive to me, maybe Ephiphone Firebird, Im going to try to play one before buy, only have one question to you, what about the tunning, keep tunning if you do a bending or playing some solo..? thanks man..!!
Mine is fine now. Tuning stability is decent. Very similar to my Les Paul. Not great. Not terrible. I would recommend the Epiphone over the Gibson because it’s 90% as good as a Gibson but 25% the price. But each individual guitar has individual wood. So it’s always a crap shoot. I say “go for it”.
@@6dbthreshold I will keep in mind, Thanks..!!
Unusually great video no really
I love Firebird pickups, which are NOT the same as "mini-humbucking" pickups, just a similar size, and they are humbucking too. So I bought a pair of Firebird pickups (real design, not a P-90 in Firebird housing) from "Magneto Design" in humbucking sized housing, to install in a 2001 Gibson LP Special. They still sound like Firebird pickups, but the LP Special is a much more comfortable design for me to play, although the neck-through design of the Firebird guitar is a cool design feature, that likely adds to the sustain (?). Love the Firebird pickup's tone!!
Ever seen Jim Lill’s video on electric guitar tone? He makes an excellent case that it’s almost exclusively pickup related. The guitar setup, pickups and metal parts that alter the magnetism are all that matters.
Of course if you like how your guitar looks and feels, you’ll play better too. Which is the most important part of playing.
I hope to get a LP special one day. I like what you did with it. Thanks for to comment.
The switch was junk in mine. I had sweetwater to a setup so it played fine.
I just got mine today. The nut action is good, so the nut slots are fine. The neck is straight, and I don't have fret buzz. I didn't check the string height, but it feels good. I haven't spent much time with it yet, so those are my first impressions. The pickups sound great, IMO. I have a 2013 Gibson Firebird IV, so I'll have to A/B it soon. The Gibby has the hotter ceramic pickups, so if I keep it (the Gibby), I will probably replace them with more vintage spec. ones. The plan though, is to sell the Gibson, pocket the extra $$ and hold onto the Epiphone. The last 2 Epiphones that I bought did not come with the truss rod wrench, which seems odd, but I see that yours didn't either.
Thanks for the insight.
Love the Lenny Kravitz, Craig Ross is SUCH a badass and underrated guitarist...
I like Craig Ross too. But I think Slash wrote that riff. Who knows - credits always get screwed up in the music biz. But that riff is definitely one of my all time favorites. . 🤘🤘
I was really talking about Craig as a guitarist overall…. I know he didn’t write the song .. he’s a WAY better musician than Slash…
Will sweetwater do a set up to avoid all this mess? I don’t like buying guitars without trying them first . I changed to 8’s and never looked back. Sounds like it’s always out of tune. I might save for a Gib for about 2200
Sweetwater will do a setup but won’t go that far. Playing first is always the best route. All guitars are always out of tune (well tempered scale). This firebird sounds very out of tune because I was pressing too hard due to bad setup and forcing some notes sharp.
They aren't mini-humbuckers they are firebird pickups. Minihumbuckers have pole pieces firebird pickups are a humbucker with a one piece bar magnet. Johnny left all of his firebirds pretty much stock electronic wise but the ones that had the vibrola were changed to a stopbar and tuneomatic. The reason I always liked them was johnny winter and Steve jones had a sunburst firebird I
Firebird pickups actually have 2 bar magnets, one in each bobbin, but you are correct - a true Firebird pickup shares absolutely nothing with a mini humbucker. By their design they can only have so many winds on them so they are traditionally low output, lots of sparkle and spank, like a fat Telecaster. Quite possibly the most infuriating subject in the online guitar sphere. People who love Firebirds understand it. Everyone else for the most post has no idea what they're talking about. A Firebird is very unique, it's own thing. You can play anything on a Firebird. I'm never parting with mine. Lots of people say that the modern Gibson Firebird pickups are just mini humbuckers with no-hole covers. Also wrong. They are constructed as a traditional Firebird pickup but with ceramic magnets, so they're insanely hot. I bought mine a few months ago - a 2014 in vintage white. The previous owner had put Lollar Firebird pickups in it. They're glorious. Not touching them. I left the Nashville bridge because I could only find an abr-1 in nickel and the rest of the hardware is chrome, but I did replace the crappy threaded thimbles with Faber 1 piece studs and traditional thumb wheels.
@@maxpeck4154 Johnny Winter said that a firebird is the most fender like Gibson. Everything is different neck,pickups it's a whole other animal.
@@russblack443 Couldn't agree more. The neck on mine is plenty wide and flat but it's not chunky at all. Thin. Easiest to play neck I've ever owned.
@@maxpeck4154, how do you think, is the sound of the modern ceramic Gibson pickups completely different comparing with the Lollar pickups?
Which of them are the most authentic on your opinion?
Thanks in advance!
@@Mr4skynet The Lollars are way more authentic for sure. The modern ceramic ones have a similar tone but they're insanely high output compared to vintage ones. I think the ceramics were sort of an attempt to make Firebirds more of a heavy rock/metal guitar, although I've read a lot of people have gotten a more vintage-ey sound from them by lowering them way down away from the strings. The Lollars are very vintage sounding with maybe a touch more bass than a vintage example. I haven't tried them myself but I've read that the Mojotone Johnny Winter set are very vintage correct if you're looking for that sound.
Great video! Great playing too. I play old time roots acoustic mostly, but love electric guitars and amps. I'm down to three electrics, a modded Squier CV 60s Stratocaster, a Godin 5th Avenue Kingpin, and just got a used 2020 Epiphone Firebird. Like you, I just want to cover a few essentials of pickups and looks that I like. Check out the Godin. Not expensive and made in North America from American wood. The Firebird needs a full setup, not sure if I want to do it, or take it to my luthier. Maybe you inspired me, IDK. My eyes and hands aren't what the used to be. LOL. Thanks again. I'll subscribe and hopefully you'll make more good videos.
Thanks for the positive comment!
A band mate of mine back in the 90s (much better player than me) always played Godin guitars. Back then, I didn’t think they were “cool” enough. But every Godin I’ve played has been a great guitar!
I haven’t tried the kingpin yet, but I may try one now since I’ve never owned an arch top electric. I’m starting to play a wider variety of styles. Who knows, that Godin might inspire me to learn some old jazz standards that really good guitarists can play.
I started setting up electric guitars a few years ago. Not much to it other than a few tools and some confidence. A lot of great luthiers have excellent videos teaching set ups.
I’m still scared of cutting nuts from scratch. But everything else is pretty easy. And it’s really actually pretty hard to damage a guitar with the truss rod and bridge adjustments if you take your time and don’t use excessive force. I’ve many mistakes, but never hurt a guitar. And now I prefer to set up my own stuff just because it saves time a money (you don’t have to drive to the luthier’s shop and wait if they are backed up with work).
I watched Crimson Guitars do a fret leveling job, and finally got the courage to work on a cheap Epiphone SG I had. It came out decent and got rid of my fear for good.
Fret leveling may be a little too involved (tools and time), but truss rod, action and intonation adjustments are simple and usually better than factory. Even with small adjustments.
Thanks again for the comment. I’m gonna look for a Godin next time I’m in a guitar store.
@@6dbthreshold thanks for the kind reply. I tuned up the Firebird and its setup better than I thought it was. The intonation is fine, the nut cuts seem as low as they can be. The problem is on the bridge pickup, the b and e strings are much quieter than the g string. The neck pickup is fine. The treble side of the bridge pickup is already raised higher than the bass side. Any ideas? This is an issue with the 2019/20 Firebirds, so I read. I'm actually more comfortable with electronics so the pickup is coming out today. I bought it used from GC so I can always return it. But I've already bonded with it. 🙄🙃
Chris, my first guess is string gauge. Are you using a wound g string? I think Firebird pickups have generally smaller/weaker magnetic field than normal Humbuckers. So they will be more sensitive to string gauge choices and adjustment height. Meaning thicker string gauges (with more iron content) will create much higher interference with the magnetic field: more output. Thinner gauges on the b and e will have less output.
If your string gauge is normal (Ive used Diaddario 9s and 10s without issues), I might take the pickup covers off and see how they are built. Most Firebird aficionados make a huge deal about the difference between minihumbuckers and Firebird pups. Minihums are just smaller traditional humbuckers. But firebird pickups have individual rail magnets in the two bobbins.
It could be that the rail magnet isn’t level in your pickups. But I’ve never taken the epi Firebird pickups apart to confirm what they really are.
For my Epi firebird, I ended up having to raise the bridge bass side of the pickup super close to the strings to get tonal balance. As compared to the neck pup (5mm) the bridge pup is MUCH closer to the strings (3mm). I also have the bass side higher than the treble side, so I have the opposite issue as you. I never took the covers off since I like the sound and don’t know Firebird pups well enough to think that’s abnormal.
For what it’s worth, I put a Dimarzio dp113 mini hum in the neck position of a tele.
I have treble side within 3mm of the high e and the bass side within 6mm of the low e. It sounds great, but demonstrates how sensitive small humbuckers are to string gauge and pickup height.
Good luck. Let me know if you find any solutions.
I find the "old" firebird looks better than the new one inspired by Gibson custom shop. The sound is also the same and the tuners are not so heavy as thos banjo style ones, the new Epiphone has.
ótimo vídeo, great vídeo thanks 😊
Grazie per la visione 👍
GOOD JOB,WELL DONE.
Yes, the editing sucks 😄, but what a journey! I just had mine delivered yesterday and she's a beauty! I'm going to need to tighten my truss rod too, but the action is only slightly high. FYI, the pups in Firebirds are not mini Humbuckers, they are pups made specifically only for Firebirds. 👍🏻👍🏻
Most of the reviews ive seen people did not get the case? Its $130 ish for the Epiphone hard shell case.
My theory as to why people like unboxings is that it's kinda like Christmas, when you open your gifts, as well as seeing how it's boxed. It's like a striptease act...take it off baby, take it all off !!!
13:54 - What is this? Marilyn Manson? David Bowie? Very Cool and lifelike !!!
PJ Harvey. I discuss her around 19:46. Looks like my video is gooched (13:54 shouldn’t show that pic). I dunno why.
@@6dbthreshold I think that it looks cool 😎.
There are many rock and roll action figures that I like, unfortunately they're no longer available or they are outrageously priced !!!
Righty tighty lefty Lucy
Lefty Lucy would be a good name for a punk band. No?
@@6dbthreshold It would be better than righty tighty
Bought one recently as well. Same problems. Nut is way too high. Don't think the frets were leveled.
Did you get it sorted out? I’m pretty happy with mine now. But I guess that’s life when ordering without playing first.
Not yet. I can do basic fret work. I'm gonna have the nut replaced with bone and the frets fixed. I love the sound and have no problems with the size of the guitar. I actually find it kinda comfortable. Just bummed with the setup.
I think the nuts are cut too high by design... you can always cut the slots deeper, but if they're TOO deep from the factory then the nut has to be replaced. It sucks but makes a bit of sense.
How about Clarence Gatemouth Brown? Man you don’t look a day over 50..7? Yea that’s it, thanks liked the post!
9’s are plenty good
Clarence Gatemouth Brown. Thanks for the reference. Looks like he played a non-reverse firebird a lot.
Yea he did. I sure do miss that original lynyrd skynyrd lineup!
Gaines was a nice replacement though wouldn’t you say? Seeing Blackfoot, Molly Hatchet, Sultans of swing at an outdoor concert in Va. for $10 bucks 76-77 time oh yea! Now I live in Deep South Mexico changing some pickups on the Epi Firebird with Mojotone Johnny Winter pickups when it arrives
What king of tuners on the firebird?
Grovers. Decent. Not as cool as banjo tuners. But they work fine.
@@6dbthreshold Thanks. 😎
Inspired by Gibson?
Yessir. I like it more than I thought I would.
Umm that too much work but that is why you the best bro
Yep. That’s why real Gibson’s cost so much. If I like a guitar, I like spending time getting it perfectly setup. If I don’t like the guitar, it’s like getting your teeth cleaned. No fun, but I’m glad it did it. Unless the hygienist is purdie. Then it’s relaxing.
He must be some relative of R. Kotzen:)
Epiphone frets are trash! If you buy an Epiphone guitar just have it professionally set up if you can't do it yourself. Epiphone guitars usually need work on the frets like leveling and polishing and crowning.
Can’t disagree. I’ve had 5 Epiphones over the years. 3 of 5 needed full leveling. 2 needed spot leveling and polishing.
I can live with some minor issues. But all 5 of them buzzed out of the box.
Great video! Got a second hand 2020 myself, a couple of months ago. Luckily the previous owner bought it from a dealer who set it up nicely. Since I got it, I've swapped the bridge and tailpiece to a Faber conversion kit. I find the pickups very good, so I don't think I'll do anything about those. However I've ordered a Switchcraft toggleswitch as I find the original a little flimsey. Here's a short playing demo I did before I did the hardware swap: ua-cam.com/video/KfG3kgoHDl4/v-deo.html
I watched your video. Great playing. Excellent tone. I’ve been watching for used versions for a while - finally broke down and bought a new one. I’ll have to check out the Faber parts. Thanks for the comments.
@@6dbthreshold Exactly what switch was that? Maybe they use the les paul ones.
Billy Gibbons plays 7 lol
Tom Petty chords lol
Who doesn’t like Tom Petty? Is he still cool? Or is he considered “boomer” music now?
Put it back in box lol