FIREFLY FFLPS vs. GIBSON LES PAUL
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- Опубліковано 5 чер 2024
- [CORRECTION!!! The LP DOES indeed have a maple top - like most LPs. I got the spec of this model and the Vintage Mahogany Studio mixed up in my notes. Apologies!]
Hey friends! Here's my review of the Firefly FFLPS Elite and a comparison of how it stacks up against a Gibson Les Paul Studio. Thanks to my friend Derek for loaning me the LP. This video is not sponsored in any way. Just trying to share my opinions and experience with anyone looking to maybe add this guitar to their collection. Happy playing!
00:00 Hullo!
00:06 Some initial noodles, Les Paul vs. Firefly
01:04 Unboxing and drum break
01:27 Rules of Engagement, welcome and disclaimers
02:31 FIREFLY REVIEW, mostly talking but some playing
14:21 CONTROVERSIAL HOT TAKE! WHY GIBSON?!?
16:40 GIBSON vs.FIREFLY - facts & figures comparison
20:14 GIBSON vs.FIREFLY - Sound comparison, no amp sim
22:12 GIBSON vs.FIREFLY - Sound comparison, duet Firefly
22:56 GIBSON vs.FIREFLY - Sound comparison, duet Gibson
23:30 Closing comments
Man I’m sorry to hear that you have cancer,I sincerely hope that you get better sooner than later.I had cancer too and I beat it so it’s absolutely horrible that you have it but there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.great content man and again your in my family’s prayers.
Same here! Kick cancer straight in the azz!Love this video, great review/comparison.Having trouble finding this model though.🤔 Any suggestions?
@@edwardsstanley772Reliable rumors (from Firefly) say there's a fresh drop coming on 17 January '23 at Guitars Garden, look under FFSP, there'll likely be a bunch of different finishes.
The "Bats" versions and the signature knockoffs are popular with the kids. The P90 gold top goes super quick.
But caveat emptor: it's a lottery, they sell and ship the duds right along with the good ones. If you get a dud be firm (and patient) and demand an exchange.
Fingers crossed they'll drop a batch of the SG/Viper copies!
Hello 👋 Rog!
I can't believe that I haven't come across your channel before. That being said...
WOW! First of all, please let me tell you a little bit about myself. I've been a PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN and PROFESSIONAL AUDIO ENGINEER in Las Vegas for 40 years. I was in an all original Rock-N-Roll band from the early 80's through about 2003 and then an audio engineer from 2003 through about 2013 and then got really sick and am now on SS Disability making in a month, what I used to make in three days! In the two and a half years that it took my SS Disability to get approved, I had to slowly and PAINFULLY sell my 23 guitars and 9 guns among all of my other things to keep a roof over my head because I didn't plan on suddenly being unable to work. My last two clients were Mariah Carey and Prince...
I was a HUGE GUITAR SNOB! I had two prized Les Pauls from the Custom Shop worth about six grand a piece among my other various Gibson, Fender, BC Rich, Guild, Ibanez, and Martin guitars. Long story short, once I got my SS Disability approved I HAD TO start from scratch. My first purchase and HUGE SURPRISE was a Sqire Tele! So sure, I had to put some TLC and time into it, including purchasing some Fender Original Tele Pickups, but the neck was not only good, but GREAT, and it turned out to be a total player! My next purchase was an Epiphone 335 and again, I was pleasantly surprised! All I did was a proper setup! Now I have nine guitars including a FireFly LP and a couple of Washburn Acoustics and I'll tell ya what, I'm happy as a pig in slop!
Second, DUDE. ROG! I can't express how very impressed I am with both your courage and tenacity. WHAT SPEECH IMPEDIMENT? Man, I lost a bunch of teeth because of the pain meds that I was on for years and I sound way worse than you my friend! LOL! Look man, KEEP THE FAITH AND KEEP FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT MAN! I'll put you in my prayers 🙏.
PRAYERS WORK! I almost died 4 times and I'm still here man...
God bless and take care...
P.S. new sub here bro!
The jazz chords that you were comping on the FF sounded warmer and juicer than the Gibson, which had a brighter top end.
The FF is also more of a looker for 1/10 of what the Gibson goes for.
Plus, for a budget guitar, the FF has stainless steel frets, and the Gibby has nickel frets at it's price point?
For a gigging guitar, the only added cost of new tuners at some point, and a good setup, makes the FF a better value, in my humble opinion.
Hang tough with the Cancer Man. I went through chemo and radiation last year, and I am coming around, in the gym now, trying to put weight back on. You are a very good guitarist, and know yer stuff. I have just about sold all my expensive guitars, at a loss, and went cheap guitars and added pickups, keys and am happy, no regrets. I was recently at an open mike with my Harley Benton, and some guy was ranting about my cheap, crappy guitar. he had a very nice American Strat. and I smoked him. It comes down to the player's skill and ability. My recent project is a pink Fesley, not much to add. I will be subscribing and checking in on your recovery process. Just read Daniel's comment below, and agree with the light at the end of the tunnel, hopefully never to return.
One thing guitar reviewers rarely do us crank up the amp and see how much feedback a guitar gives. Also its good to see if a guitar maintains its setup. Those are the biggest problems cheap guitars have and it would be awesome to see the results in every video.
Is is it
I have a firefly classic and elite models, I giged with classic several times. I've had no issues. Played through tube,solid state and didgital modeling amps and it delivered. No set up, just changed strings. Kind of scary for these high end models but my pockets love it. Going to buy more 😅
Best of luck on your battle. Hope everything goes your way. Thanks for taking the time to do this video. It’s nice to see a video of this quality done by a guy that really knows his stuff
I have both a FFLPS elite and a 2015 Gibson studio love both of them each has its own thing
On the Firefly I upgraded the pickups to P-90 type and locking tuners on it
It’s a great instrument for the money I have into it it plays and sounds great. It’s a little heavy around 9 pounds and looks more extravagant than my studio.
Finally. A guitar tech that can actually play ,without a ungodly amount of distortion. Bless u my brother.
Prayers for recovery! G-d bless! Great video and great chops!
This was an amazing review! Thank you for being so thorough!
Great to seeing you my friend, enjoy your reviews, especially your music and your honest opinion,I can see and feel the love you have for gear/guitar stuff,God bless you, my friend and your family have a good one.
Great breakdown! Loved the hard panning and both sound amazing! This was the first video of yours that I have seen and I am a fan now! Looking forward to more great showdowns!
Great video, fantastic playing, even better monologue. You have the right attitude and I wish you the very best! Thanks so much for this info, I might just pick one of the FFLPs.
Good review, awesome playing, great conversation about this budget friendly guitar. I bought a firefly 335 style for my 82 year old dad and he just loves it.
Sorry to hear about the cancer--my prayers for your swift recovery. Love the video!
Best wishes for a speedy recovery! I just got my fflps and am floored with how comfortable it is and how great it sounds.
Great work! Firefly is doing some great things for guitarists! I have a Firefly "338" and a Gibson 338. Difference? You bet! $4,000 difference? Nope.
I'm no longer touring or gigging, (73 and sitting at home, playing with myself. 😮), but I love all my babies, regardless of their parentage. 😂
Except you forgot about little things like sound quality playability and of corse just resale value. Gibsons will keep going up in value while your firefly has little to no resale value what so ever. Little things like hi and low frets the fact that the nuts on these el cheapo guitars are not cut correctly making the guitars tuning very unstable. You really can not even compare a Gibson guitar to a firefly thats kinda like comparing 24 carrot gold to a piece of copper.
Except they did just compare the two! They are both guitars, and he compared them against one another. One guitar cost a lot of money, and the other one doesn't cost a lot of money. So in fact they are comparable. That's the whole point of the video. @@user-xr2gb1wn2y
Check out a Cort G series. Amazing guitars.
I really appreciate videos like this, especially with the play demo part. Quality playing, the same playing on both guitars, very well done. Sounded to me, through my tv speakers, there wasn't an ant-hill worth of difference between the two. That might change if it were gained up to today's metal, over saturated, wall-of-noise levels, but I don't play there. Thanks again for the thorough look at the FFLPS.
Top quality comparison here bro! Excellent and in depth. Great playing too! Thank you
Great comparison video. To me the Gibson sounded a bit warmer, but I can't say that I preferred it in every scenario. It's hard to believe how good of a guitar you can get for the price of a pair of running shoes these days.
I mean, its a copy. I can't respect a copycat though. Not when it's a blatant rip off.
@@realtruenorth really? it is a good guitar in its own right gibson quality control is not good so why pay dollars more for a product that is no way worth it???
@@knoxyish you make it sound like those are the only 2 options. , I don't respect or desire to support China for many reasons. Many options.
@@knoxyish you cant argue with people like this. its not about the guitar its about names
Really enjoyed your commentary, insights and playing. All the best!
Best and most detailed guitar comparison I've seen on the tube. Well done and some excellent guitar playing as well.
Bless you dude for doing this,I'm a big firefly fan, and I have one elite that is a favorite, although I changed the pickups and tuners,they are a solid les paul,I had to pound down a few frets,I go over every new guitar, round over the fretboard, level and crown and recut a bone nut,I'm sorry I passed on this one,I keep waiting for more traditional colors such as this cobra burst,I've trusted your opinion every since I landed a king offset Tele,your video helped me choose it,keep up the good work,take care.
I love how practical your approach is. You have to search pretty far and wide to find somebody who acknowledges (not necessarily preaches) some of the very hard-earned and unpopular lessons regarding what is real vs. felt, how there is potentially a place for all levels of craftsmanship, and how opinions vary in a perfectly acceptable way. I'll be digging into your library!
I love my Firefly 338 and check the guitarsgarden website pretty regularly. The only thing that makes me hesitate is that I just wonder exactly how they're able to make those things so affordably. I really hope it's by avoiding gauging and selling direct in bulk, and that it's nothing to do with unfair labor/compensation practices. Either way, that's another, different video.
You did a great job here, doing an unbiased and thorough review. Awesome work!
They use CNC routers. One person can produce a dozen bodies in one day by themself in a matter of hours without even getting a splinter. A body blank at stewmac is $149 and a neck is $75. That's the upper end. You can go to Lowe's or Home Depot and probably save some money on the body. If you have the equipment you can make a $5,000 Gibson for $200. Just buy the same wood and electronics.
I'm looking into getting one for my workshop so I can make my own.
Great review, super thorough and well performed. You're very comfortable in front of the camera, and it shows 👍Good luck with the health issues, you're a young man and statistically you have a great chance of beating this mother. Prayers to you and your family.
Sorry to hear about Your cancer i'm also recovering cancer patient so much love there, Your video was well done and I appreciate the time you took in the methodology that you used very helpful.For giving stats and then giving a play by play so that we could compare the sound. I myself currently own 5 Firefly guitars so you could say that i'm a fan. I definitely want to have a Gibson guitar at some point for the reasons you mentioned . I believe that Gibsons have a unique tone and look forward to be able to play one. I look forward to more videos in the future and wish you the best of luck
lovely to hear from u mate..!! nice groovy demo
My Wife has had 2 bouts with cancer and so I know what you are up against brother.. I subscribed to your channel and how it helps. I too have a UA-cam channel but lost the ambition to upload more than 3 videos. Eventually I’ll get off my ass and continue. God bless you bro.
I love it that you start the video playing and switching between the 2 instruments without talking in between!!!
Since they started having the really nice rounded fret ends on their guitars, my FF flying V is sweeeet! You are a really great player as well!!
Boy, that was some tasty playing on the bridge pup at the end. Thanks for this, very helpful.
I think this was my first visit I sure injoyed the video really good demo I've played a 1957 black beauty for 25 years and it got a lot of miles on it. I wish I could find one that feels like and sounds as good. That burst guitar you are playing sounds really good never heard of that company anywho great demo glad I stopped by. Peace out. 2thumbs up .....
Best Firefly review (maybe the best guitar review period). All good information and really good playing too. I want to know data about the instrument, not just opinions and you provide really good data.
Really good comparison, and great playing! Both guitars sound excellent to my ears. I already own way too many guitars, but if I was looking for a Les Paul style guitar I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Firefly like this one. I know it's been the case for quite some time now (and younger players have of course never experienced things any other way), but it still amazes me how much guitar you can get for very little money today. Sure, a Firefly is obviously never going to be at the top of the food chain, but diminishing returns quickly come into play when looking at more established brands. Things sure have come a long way since I bought my first electric guitar (a Westone strat copy) back in 1988. It wasn't terrible by any means, but the same money, especially when adjusted for inflation, will get you a far superior instrument today, and if we compare today's inexpensive amps and amp sims (good sounding, with tons of built in effects) to my first 15 watt solid state Roland amp that didn't even have a reverb.... Things sure have improved a lot since then. 😄
Dude, I am very sorry to hear about your cancer. We’re all going to pray very hard for you my friend and keep up the great videos and that course were subscribed. God bless you my friend. God bless you.
Nice comparisons. I like the tone on the FireFly better. I have The FF338 and the only thing it needs is a better bridge.
Stay strong brother!
Absolutely amazing review and playing!! Liked and subscribed.
Good luck with your treatment
Hi Raj, If it was your intention to make an in depth review, I would say, "mission accomplished". Your hard work didn't go unnoticed. Great video...Godspeed
Great video and info. Some sweet playing as well. Thanks
First time watching, sorry to hear about cancer. I am in the process of getting a prognosis that might include that. I really like your whole review, your knowledge, opinions, your playing, your personality and communication skills. Great job Sir 😊
All the best to you!
So glad I ran across this video. Intelligent, thoughtful conversation and lovely playing (also intelligent and thoughtful)! Thank you! Your health is in my thoughts. Be well, friend!
Fantastic Review! Thank You!
Most enjoyable and informative. Thanks.
Great review, great playing. The Gibson’s pickups sound a little better on my old iPad. Thanks brother. Subscribed! Also, might take a look at the Rene Caisse story. Blessing’s, love and laughter. ~M
Thanks for an awesome review.
Got recommended this video by the algorithm. Not disappointed. You're funny. Hope everything goes well for you, and you keep making a lot of noise.
Keep up the fight! Fantastic review and playing! I'm going on my sixth FF, a couple of them took a lot of work and a couple were great out of the box but I took it upon myself to mod the hell out of all of them. My Spalted 338 and my FFJA are my favorites.
Nice jazz licks! Loving the review just for the content of the playing.
Wow great job comparing the firefly & gibson studio. This is the first time I've seen you on you tube and im amazed. Especially at your wall of guitars you made ! You did the firefly justice. I'll be waiting for your next video , hope you are well , cancer is not pleasant, best wishes & prayers your way
Thanks for your time .
This is such a great video! Your playing is super tasty, definitely looking forward to more of your vids. Thanks for sharing.
Great video!!👏🎸 Greetings from a fellow musician in Norway!🇳🇴🇺🇸
Great review. I have an FF338 and being an extreme novice, it is perfect for me. I only found the fret edges to be a bit sharp but that went away with play. I hope you make a full recovery.
What a great video! Thanks
Excellent review and playing.
Congratulations on getting monetized on UA-cam 🎉 🍾 Great video really enjoyed watching your channel 👍😎🎸🤘
As others have said, great review and playing!
Nice work! I’m only listening on a tablet but I think in looks and sound the Firefly beats the Gibson’s ass. Obviously I can’t comment on the playability, but you seem to get along with both guitars just fine. I’m sorry to hear you’ve been ill but I’m glad to know you’re still playing and really enjoying it. After left wrist and thumb surgery three years ago I struggled badly and almost lost my desire for playing. I was on the brink of selling my guitars but I took a month off playing and made a fresh start. I’m still struggling a bit but I just got my first nylon string guitar and I’m really excited about it. I hope you are well and I’m really glad to hear that you’re going to be getting a little money from your channel. Hang in there and don’t work too hard if you’re not feeling well from time to time. Good luck and God bless!
Nice video. Nice overview. Best wishes on your battle against cancer, man. So sad to read that. Hope you get better soon and continue delighting us qith these type of videos.
first time visiting the channel and new subscriber, great video man. wishing you the best
Enjoyed your video . I think the test will be time . My older Gibsons other than fret wear , switches keep getting better , if the FF does the same you have a winner .
Very cool audio & visual splits @ the end, nice touch! And hey, that cursed cell thing man. First time viewer, subscribed, etc Jesus help you fight. Thx, SS from Michigan✝️
Nice!🤘 love good build platforms! 😊
You do fantastic reviews. I own 2 Fireflys ,(a gold top LP and a ES 338) I've modded both,(pickups,tuners,roller bridges) and set both up for play ability. They both sound and play pretty dam close to their more expensive counterparts and def do the job.......great copies ! Oh and I'm a bassist by trade.......when the hell will Firefly come out with some decent basses ?
It's funny how nobody mentions the microphonics of the pickups...
I had 1...The pickups needed a wax potting job..
Awesome video! In the market for a guitar and this helps! Subscribed to your channel
You rock. Great review.
In our prayers. Thank you for your demo and time.
Great video! Fight the good fight brother!!
Hope you are doing well Rog. Still listening to Mingo on the daily!
So sorry to hear about your cancer, I lost my Dad to Acute Myleoid Leukemia. My prayers to you for. Speedy recovery!
Thank you for this video. I bought a FFLPS 2 years ago and I love it. The first thing I did was to have it all checked out, intonation was good, frets and action was also good, for the price you can't beat it.
The last tune that you played both guitars, was that Angel of Mercy ? You gave me goose bumps, thank you.
My thoughts & prayers are with you and your battle, I am going through similar issues and may God Bless You !
Wonderful video. Very well done
I'm glad algorithm sent you My way. Great playing man. But you said what I was kinda expecting. Everyone that I've noticed that has been honest with no bias says the fireflies are compatible to a 600-1000 Epiphone. I have two firefly guitars a double cut P90 when they first came out and about 3 months ago I bought a Les Paul style Smokey burst. They are amazing instruments I've never been able to play a Gibson but I want one so bad. Until then a 219.00 dollar fflp will suffice.
Just bought my first FireFly t-style. I’m amazed how great it is!! Fenders lucky they have brand recognition!!
Nice Playing
Great review
An alternative approach to a low fret is to replace it with a taller fret, then bring it down to flush with the others. It requires pulling a fret and fashioning another but keeps you from having to bring all the rest down and shortening the life of the frets overall.
I got a guitar from another bargain offshore brand that seemed as if the truss rod had been tightened a bit when they leveled the frets. As a result, when the neck was dead flat the frets in the mid-section of the fingerboard were a little too low. My point is that you're right that most of these will need some fret work out of the box in order to optimize the setup.
which brand, just curious lol
@@SeedOilFitnessOfficial Harley Benton
I don’t know how I cam across this video but I’m glad I did. Very nice. Never even head of firefly, but I loved the way it sounded. I preferred it over the Gibson, it has a natural shimmer on the highs that the Gibson doesn’t. Don’t know if it has to do with the pickups or woods, or what , but that guitar sounded lovely, or maybe it was just your playing. 😂
This was a great watch. There are so many people reviewing guitars and so many of them should watch this video on how to do it. Opinions mean so much more when they're coming from someone who knows what they're doing, as it's plain you do-- and it's backed up with specs, measurements , and relevant and thoughful sound comparisons.
I have 5 Fireflies with 2 of them being LPs and both are amazing. In your tests, I gave the sound edge to the Gibson simply because it clearly has more articulate pickups and I like that clarity / attack. What would be interesting to see is that Firefly LP with a 490/498 combo wired in and compared to the Studio again.
Sounds great and wonderful playing. What amp sim / amp did you use?
Awesome review and playing man. Also nice silver 414 EB. Does it have the C12 capsule? HA. I have 2 of them... only 1 has the C12 capsule. Sound difference is slight. Anyway, best to you man. Keep up the fight.
Thanks! Yeppers, C12 on that EB. I’ve had it for probably 25 years or so, and it’s one of my favorites pieces of gear!
I bought a FFLPS Elite Yellow Bat and it is awesome, I also got an EART LP and love it very much too; they both sound awesome to my untrained ears.
I'll never be able to afford a Les Paul, but I don't care at this point in my senior fixed income life, since it's all for personal fun.
Foremost, I hope you beat that cancer and get well quickly
Gorgeous guitar and great sound. Get well soon!
Bless you, brother! Keep playing. It'll help heal you. Vibrations will help cure you. Thanks for doing what you do. Best Regards from Deleware! Robert
One of the other reasons to choose the LP over the Firefly.....resale. I've been playing guitar for 58 years and if you're like me you might be in search of the next best thing.....all the time. So being a working musician and sound man I can't come up with the $1500-$2000 if I see something that I can't live without so by owning more expensive models I can sell and buy without too much damage. Not so with the Firefly. Back in the summer I sold a Prs S2 and bought a very nice wine red Studio. Then I went out and bought a G&L Comanche. Both guitars I love to death and bring to my gigs 3-4 times a week. But if I get that itch I can always flip the LP because the name and value are there. Great video, prayers on your treatment.
Obviously a guitar priced ×10 more will have greater resale value.
Really dig the extra foam packing, not bad you rock dude hope you get better health love your playing
Liked , shared and subscribed. ❤ great video . God bless. Both sound great ❤
Sorry about the cancer. We have a ton of advances in treatment so I might suggest to always be flexible about treatment if Drs start to say “nothing we can do”. They did that to me and gave me less than 6 months, took things into our own hands & 2 yrs later feeling really decent with much higher energy/concentration. We went foreign surgical option for tumors in the liver. I read fenbendiazole has been working for other types of cancer. Stay positive it’s a tough journey.
Great video. First time here & now subscribed and contributing to your dozens of dollars yearly.
Don't know if your still checking these comments but I SURELY missed your content ! Down since the first Slick Guitar review, didn't know where you'd gone. I assumed it just got too time sucking for too little return and you're a smart guy. I signed into YT I was so excited. Praying for your Health man... Don't worry though, you're looking great and you still sound like Bryan the Dog from Family Guy !!!
I like your take on "good guitar vs. expensive guitar". I once had the guitar player from a very well known band try my Korean-made Schecter C-1 neck-through with USA electronics (paid $700 new on sale). He said it was "the best guitar he's ever played", but would never own one because it didn't say Gibson on the headstock. To each their own... I prefer the best guitar I've ever played regardless of the logo.
Cool video, great tasteful chops too. 🙏for your health💯
I haven't been here for a while. Dude, cancer? This is news to me as of today. As far as the speech impediment goes, if you had not mentioned it, I would not have noticed it. Mine is worse. I will continue to say that your chops and style bring the best out of every axe. I have to keep telling myself that so that I don't rush out and buy another Firefly in hopes of sounding like that. Another really practical and enjoyable review.
Awesome playing man God bless with the health problems best wishes 🙏
I've got to say I thought y'all were just "drinking the Kool Aid" on the Firefly guitars but recently picked up a thinline tele style used at a local store. The store had a Nashville-style tele that needed some fret work to make it right so I chose the tobacco burst. It plays very well for the price-point and needs minimal personalization. Thank you for the very detailed review.
Great video, rooting for you in your fight. Just a heads up, the studio LP does still have a maple top, it’s just not going to be a looker if you were to strip it down.
You're 100% right! I got some specs mis-filed with the Vintage Mahogany Studio model. I double checked the Sweetwater page for this exact model and, like most, it's indeed a male top. Thanks and I'll make the correction in the description.
Excellent comparison.
New subscriber here. I stumbled upon your video and really enjoyed it, especially since I own both a Les Paul and a Firefly. You have some tasty chops, by the way, but what I enjoyed most, I think, is your vibe. You seem like a cool, dude. Kick cancer's ass and keep on keepin' on.
I stumbled on your vid thru the UA-cam algorithm and this is really great review vid.
I wish you a full and speedy recovery man.
Did you have it somewhere where you give the model number of this firefly? I wanna get one now. Haha (because of ur review)
Also I was wondering if you could’ve just exchanged it due to that one low fret?
I know with myself i wouldn’t be able to do a fret job because I haven’t done that before and i wouldn’t want to try it on a brand new guitar.
Okay, thank you for making this vid. There is a lot of us that appreciate it
The firefly sounds great! I really like the burst color they did too. It will match my MIM strat 😃
Damn I’m impressed with that guitar.
I love your video opening! I have three single cut, sub $500 Gretsches and I love them! I get compliments on the growl of the neck pick up on one. I get compliments on the chimey tone of the bridge humbucker. If you have the money, spend it. If funds are limited, there are so many great options at a great, affordable price.
Very cool comparison. I can’t believe I can’t hear much of a difference between the two. I’ve been loving my firefly 338, but I think now I also need to get the LP
On your 338, how are the pick ups? I am wanting one but need to plan for swapping I guess.
I own two, one is fantastic, one is wired out-of phase :) buy it, but expect a possible dud.