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Post by benttop (Steve) on Aug 17, 2019 19:43:59 GMT -7
...on a new Gibson Firebird. I couldn't help myself. I've always wanted one, and especially after selling my Les Paul Deluxe with those mini-buckers in it. Dang I love those. So far no pics or clips, but I'll throw something together soon so you can appreciate the beauty of this thing. BTW it sounds pretty great through the Ghia so far. Haven't tried the Z-Lux yet because I'm having too much fun with the Ghia.
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Post by Jaguarguy (Mike) on Aug 17, 2019 20:38:34 GMT -7
Congrats - I've always wanted one of those!
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Post by Ridgeback on Aug 18, 2019 6:48:32 GMT -7
Hi Steve, good to see you are still involved enough in your music to fall victim to GAS. Still enjoying Therapy 001. Take care.
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Aug 18, 2019 13:34:36 GMT -7
Hi Steve, good to see you are still involved enough in your music to fall victim to GAS. Still enjoying Therapy 001. Take care. Even a guy who can barely hear - once he's saturated in the guitar world, as I've been - still thinks, dreams, feels and lives guitars. And amps. And all those other little doodads needed.
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Post by djcakadave on Aug 18, 2019 13:46:33 GMT -7
Steve, I have a LP with mini buckers! what a freaking tone these have! Danm guitar weighs more than three guitars do but, danm what a sound!
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Post by Dan F"i"fe on Aug 18, 2019 14:03:40 GMT -7
Free Bird! or was that an Explorer?
Congrats either way Steve
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Post by Deleted on Aug 19, 2019 4:25:16 GMT -7
Congrats!!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 19, 2019 4:49:34 GMT -7
Ok It's monday. Let's have the details!
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Aug 19, 2019 19:24:37 GMT -7
I still really love my Firebird. It sounds absolutely killer with the Nova. What kind of tuners did you get? Mine's got the Steinberger gearless ones and they're great. I'm excited for you, brother!
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Post by LT on Aug 20, 2019 15:59:06 GMT -7
I love my FB. And it always gets the question at the gig......."man, that guitar sounds GREAT, but WHAT IS IT?" HA!
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Post by mickey on Aug 21, 2019 22:42:19 GMT -7
Congrats, great guitars, if I had the spare cash a Firebird would be incoming!
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Aug 22, 2019 11:33:11 GMT -7
OK details then... This one has the mini Grover tuners, which I thought I'd love but they are a bit close! Still they are better than some of the crap you find on guitars these days. Two pickups, with no pole pieces. Just a flat expanse of chrome on top. This model has a tune-o-matic bridge and a stop tailpiece, unlike the new EC signature one that has a wraparound bridge/tailpiece and a single mini-humbucker. It has the biggest rectangular case I've ever seen - I'm not certain it really needs a case this big, but it sure is protected well. I haven't weighed the guitar, but it is easily the lightest solid body guitar I have EVER owned. It has the neck-through construction of the original - one solid piece of mahogany from tip to tail. Because of these characteristics, this guitar has midrange up the wazoo. When I play my Strat through the Z-Lux I dime the midrange control, but that is WAY too much mids for this guitar. That said, I don't care for it as much in the Z-Lux as the Ghia. The Ghia just roars with this guitar. I got inspired to learn this piece that I'm struggling with, so when I finally get it internalized and past the point of "oops" I will try to cap a video so you can hear this thing through the Ghia. Might be a while - this piece is kind of a b*tch.
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Post by scottc on Aug 22, 2019 11:47:30 GMT -7
Congrats. I love Firebirds! I owned one years back and regretted selling it, so I pulled the trigger on a NOS 1963-2013 50th anny (all gold) model. Mine has the mini Steinbergers and all gold tune-o-matic/stop tail arrangement. Scott
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Aug 22, 2019 12:50:22 GMT -7
This is Sweetwater's extra large pic of the front of my instrument:
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Post by Jefferson on Aug 22, 2019 13:04:41 GMT -7
nice!
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Post by jeffmp on Aug 22, 2019 17:45:59 GMT -7
A beauty! Congratulations!
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Aug 22, 2019 17:51:02 GMT -7
I've got the mini Grovers on my Explorer, and they're tight together as well. Good tuners, but it's a squeeze gettin' the old fingers in there!
You've probably got the same pickups I do in my 2017 T. They're great, I like them better than the Lollar mini humbuckers I have in my Gold Top LP. Those Firebird pickups have authority.
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Post by LT on Aug 22, 2019 19:46:34 GMT -7
I have the "banjo" tuners on mine and they can be finicky. Those mini-Grovers are probably a step up.
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Aug 23, 2019 5:56:48 GMT -7
I have the "banjo" tuners on mine and they can be finicky. Those mini-Grovers are probably a step up. Lou, I thought mine were funky too, but after I polished the nut grooves the problem disappeared. I love mine now. Every guitarist should have some of this: Mitchell Abrasive Cord I use it on all of my guitars and you can make the nut so stable with it that you can bend the string behind the nut to where the note is 1/4 step or so sharp, and it returns to perfect tuning when you release the bend. Cures 90% of tuning issues for me.
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Post by LT on Aug 23, 2019 6:39:23 GMT -7
I have the "banjo" tuners on mine and they can be finicky. Those mini-Grovers are probably a step up. Lou, I thought mine were funky too, but after I polished the nut grooves the problem disappeared. I love mine now. Every guitarist should have some of this: Mitchell Abrasive Cord I use it on all of my guitars and you can make the nut so stable with it that you can bend the string behind the nut to where the note is 1/4 step or so sharp, and it returns to perfect tuning when you release the bend. Cures 90% of tuning issues for me.
Thanks Dave! Never heard of this stuff. I'm going to place an order.
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Aug 23, 2019 11:55:29 GMT -7
So this specific guitar was a demo at Sweetwater. I got $200 off for taking the demo. I figured if they were using it, at least it should be reasonably playable. Yeah it had a mark on one spot and maybe some surface scratches, but to tell you the truth, I can't see any of that. It's in better shape than any of my other guitars. They all get marks over time.
That said, I think the high side strings need to drop a bit, but I noticed the bridge is screwed all the way down on that side, so it may take some head-scratching to get it just right for me. I also noticed the intonation hasn't been set up, but I'm still using the strings it got here with. I almost feel like taking it up to my guitar guy and having him do a full setup. Let him scratch his head a while... of course I'm too impatient for that.
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Aug 23, 2019 16:19:39 GMT -7
I always spend a few hours going over a new guitar, getting the setup just like I want it. I got a Faber locking bridge and tailpiece for my Firebird, and that way I can raise it up a little so the strings don't have such an extreme down angle on the bridge. They come with several spacers that you put under the tailpiece, then screw it down tight so it's got a solid anchor to the body but it's at the height you want. I like it like that, it makes the strings a little slinkier, sort of like a wraparound tailpiece would. Also the bridge height is very adjustable and you can lock it in place when it's set up. I really like the Faber system.
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Aug 23, 2019 16:38:39 GMT -7
I always spend a few hours going over a new guitar, getting the setup just like I want it. I got a Faber locking bridge and tailpiece for my Firebird, and that way I can raise it up a little so the strings don't have such an extreme down angle on the bridge. They come with several spacers that you put under the tailpiece, then screw it down tight so it's got a solid anchor to the body but it's at the height you want. I like it like that, it makes the strings a little slinkier, sort of like a wraparound tailpiece would. Also the bridge height is very adjustable and you can lock it in place when it's set up. I really like the Faber system. I used to do all of that. My last new instrument was like ten or twelve or fifteen years ago... some things have changed. The Faber stuff looks good, but I have no idea what I have and I guess it matters.
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Aug 25, 2019 6:49:45 GMT -7
Check the video in the video area, HERE.
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Post by runninwiththerevil (Matthew) on Sept 13, 2019 19:23:05 GMT -7
Nice video!
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Sept 15, 2019 7:54:42 GMT -7
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