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Epiphone launches “authentic” Inspired By Gibson Firebirds
As with other Gibson-inspired Epiphone products of recent months, these two Firebird guitars are priced over £1,000.
The headstock of a 2010 Gibson Firebird V. See below for the new Epiphone Firebirds. Credit: Joseph Branston/Guitarist Magazine/Future via Getty Images
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Epiphone and the Gibson Custom Shop have collaborated to revive a 1960s classic, the Firebird. Available in two variants – the 1963 Firebird I and Firebird V – the model comes in five “nostalgic” colourways .
The launch shortly follows on from Mat Koehler’s statement (Gibson Brands’ Vice President of Product), which revealed that the Epiphone and Gibson Custom Shop teams are “continually collaborating”. CEO Cesar Gueikian further confirmed this at the launch of London’s Gibson Garage last weekend too.
- READ MORE: Epiphone launches Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom Silverburst with Gibson-style open-book headstock
These new models have a traditional neck-through-body build, as this build was first implemented by Gibson on the original Firebird, and are made of mahogany and walnut, with mahogany body wings. They also have a reverse headstock design, and feature Indian laurel fingerboards with a 12” radius and a 24.75” scale length.
Both versions are fitted with Gibson USA Firebird Mini Humbuckers with Alnico 5 magnets, CTS potentiometers, and Mallory capacitors. The Firebird I hosts just one of these pickups in the bridge, while the Firebird V offers a pair, positioned at the bridge and neck.
There are further differences between the two, including a different price point for each. The Firebird I has dot inlays and a simple Wraparound Lightning Bar bridge, while the Firebird V has MOP trapezoids and an Epiphone ABR bridge and Maestro vibrola.
“When it was launched in 1963, the Firebird symbolised innovation and style, featuring Gibson’s first neck-through-body construction and the sleek contours that defined its distinctive aesthetic – a design crafted during the classic car era by renowned automotive designer Ray Dietrich,” explains Gibson online.
“Now, Epiphone and Gibson Custom have teamed up to create the Inspired by Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird I and 1963 Firebird V. Authentic replicas of the original design that went on to be used by some of your favourite players, including blues legend Johnny Winter, Keith Richards and Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, and Phil Manzanera of Roxy Music, to name only a few.”
The models are available now and as with other newly introduced Gibson Custom inspired Epi models, they come in at a high price. The Firebird I comes in Silver Mist, Heather Poly, and Inverness Green for £1,349.00. The Firebird V is available in Ember Red and Frost Blue for £1,699.00.
Find out more over at Epiphone.