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Firebird Color Chart

Russ

Member
Joined
May 11, 2004
Messages
311
I've had this Firebird color chart for a long time. I thought I would post a picture, and share it with the forum. Enjoy!
IMG_0124.jpg

IMG_0123.jpg
 

j45

Active member
Joined
Jun 14, 2002
Messages
9,081
Here are scans of some old original dealer spec sheets that I picked up at a show in the early 90's. Notice that the pictures are all taken of very early examples before Gibson began laminating the bodies. Also, no Firebird logo on the guards.

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fbVflyer.jpg


fbviiflyer.jpg
 

Cody

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 23, 2002
Messages
4,494
A Firebird V in Cardinal Red and a matching T-bird IV - that would be the dog's bollocks!

:headbange
 

andreja marovic

New member
Joined
Jun 1, 2004
Messages
2,688
+ additional 15 dollars for Ducco Custom colors in 63 - 64
How much in todays money?

.......... x 1.000 x 5000 = lot of bills
Great posts
Andreja
 

cfh

Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2004
Messages
895
my 1965 cardinal red, all original, reverse transition firebird3. This
is the best firebird variant i have ever played. The combination of
all mahogany reverse body, standard kluson tuners (instead of
those heavy banjo tuners), and p90 pickups rocks. i never really
liked the 'bite' of the metal covered firebird pickups. and damn
it's RED!

65_firebird3-red_1.jpg

65_firebird3-red_3.jpg
 

59gibson

Active member
Joined
Feb 3, 2002
Messages
1,710
my 1965 cardinal red, all original, reverse transition firebird3. This
is the best firebird variant i have ever played. The combination of
all mahogany reverse body, standard kluson tuners (instead of
those heavy banjo tuners), and p90 pickups rocks. i never really
liked the 'bite' of the metal covered firebird pickups. and damn
it's RED!

65_firebird3-red_1.jpg

65_firebird3-red_3.jpg

I really like that cfh:dude: I'm not real happy with my Firebird Vs bridge pickup
(Duncan Antiq). It's just to weak and tinny. How whould you say the the P-90 diifers compared to the standard Firebird bridge pickup.
 

rabbit

New member
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
400
I can't help but be curious when you say your Duncan Antiquity Firebird bridge pickup is weak and tinny. Mine is actually nothing like that. The tone is FAT. It's thick and far from tinny.

Forgive me if I'm just telling you something you already know, but it never hurts to ask ......... do you have the pickup height set high ? On these pups, it makes a big-time difference in tone. When I first installed mine, I had the pickup set fairly high, I thought. The tone was thin, not good at all.

I proceeded to raise the pup very high, to the point where when I hit a note on the first string up high on the fretboard, the string was almost touching the pickup. This made all the difference in the tone, which was now full and strong. I left the pup right there, and IMO it sounds great.

On his Firebird pickups, Lindy Fralin advises the buyer to do this very thing ---- raise 'em up high as you can.
 

59gibson

Active member
Joined
Feb 3, 2002
Messages
1,710
I can't help but be curious when you say your Duncan Antiquity Firebird bridge pickup is weak and tinny. Mine is actually nothing like that. The tone is FAT. It's thick and far from tinny.

Forgive me if I'm just telling you something you already know, but it never hurts to ask ......... do you have the pickup height set high ? On these pups, it makes a big-time difference in tone. When I first installed mine, I had the pickup set fairly high, I thought. The tone was thin, not good at all.

I proceeded to raise the pup very high, to the point where when I hit a note on the first string up high on the fretboard, the string was almost touching the pickup. This made all the difference in the tone, which was now full and strong. I left the pup right there, and IMO it sounds great.

On his Firebird pickups, Lindy Fralin advises the buyer to do this very thing ---- raise 'em up high as you can.

Yes Rabbit,

I already have the bridge pup set to max height and I agree with raising the pup as high as possible. Pup still lacks "balls". I called MJ at Duncan Custom shop and am having another pup made that should do the trick:2cool
 

rabbit

New member
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
400
That's great, man. Are they going to make you one with different specs than a regular Antiquity ?
 

j45

Active member
Joined
Jun 14, 2002
Messages
9,081
Yes Rabbit,

I already have the bridge pup set to max height and I agree with raising the pup as high as possible. Pup still lacks "balls". I called MJ at Duncan Custom shop and am having another pup made that should do the trick:2cool

You may want to keep an eye on ebay for an original '63 or '64 Firebird p/u. I've been playing my new vintage 1963 Firebird V on every amp in the house for the last couple of days and all I can do is shake my head. Why a vintage Strat is nearly double the price of these is hard to fathom. My bridge p/u is nothing short of a great Junior/Esquire ballsy tone with more blistering aggrssion. I don't know that I have a more aggressive guitar. The tone just reeks this cocky attitude. The neck p/u only gets better. Both of these original FB pickups read just a little over 6k which is a little hotter than a vintage Strat. I think you can get an original FB p/u reasonably priced when they come around on Ebay. As soon as my '64 Firebird "I" gets here I'm going to do some clips of the I, III, and V. Shocking is all I can say. I don't want to keep ranting but it just has to be the very limited availability that keeps the perception of these guitars in the dark. I don't think many get a chance to play an original reverse FB. Very few made, very hard to find. I'm high as a kite with this thing.
 

Plankspanker

New member
Joined
Jul 16, 2001
Messages
3,797
Kerry..... Congrats on your new acquisitions! You may have seen this pic before of my Guitar Trader '63 RFBV, it has a two piece neck supposedly like the original. Does you '63 have a contour cut on the back? This replica just has a straight edge, no contour,
The Bridge PU measures 6.12K and the Neck 6.10K, I'm trying to find out how you can tell if these are original PUs, as the folks at Guiitar Trader were claiming these RFBVs were made with leftover parts from the '60s.
Robert

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