Gibson introduces the 2011 Firebird Studio Non-Reverse 14-Jul-11
Gibson has introduced the 2011 Firebird Studio Non-Reverse. Here's what they have to say about it...
For its superb marriage of tonal versatility and revolutionary style, the non-reverse Firebird of the mid-to-late 1960s has long been a favorite with rock, blues and fusion players looking for an alternative to the mighty triumvirate of Les Paul, SG and ES-335. Now Gibson USA introduces the Firebird Studio Non-Reverse, a guitar with all the eye-catching style and flair of the original 1965-69 non-reverse-bodied Firebird III, enhanced with added sonic versatility to bolster its vintage-certified tones. Crafted from Grade-A tonewoods, loaded with three of Gibson's amazing new Tapped P-90 pickups (for both original fat P-90 tones and brighter, snappier "narrow single-coil" tones), and upgraded with stunning new five-way pickup switching, push-pull tap and phase switching, and a Tune-o-matic bridge with stopbar tailpiece, this is arguably the fiercest Firebird ever created.
Mahogany has a long and storied history as a Gibson tonewood, and it forms the core of the Firebird Studio Non-Reverse from Gibson USA. The guitar's body is crafted from solid Grade-A mahogany, and dressed in an authentic high-gloss nitrocellulose finish in Vintage Sunburst. Its quarter-sawn, Grade-A mahogany neck is carved to an ultra thin (.800-.850) profile, glued in, and topped with a Grade-A rosewood fingerboard with 22 medium-jumbo frets and a 12" radius for smooth, choke-free bending. Beyond the PLEK-cut Corian nut, it carries a traditional "hawk's head" six-in-line headstock with high-quality Mini Grover kidney button tuners, while down at the body end a Tune-o-matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece--considerable upgrades from original components--help to ensure optimum resonance and sustain, while facilitating pinpoint intonation adjustments.
With such a solid foundation beneath it, the piece de resistance of the Firebird Studio Non-Reverse's tonal arsenal lies in its complement of three great new Gibson pickups and hotrodded electronics to make the most of their sonic potential. A trio of Gibson USA's revolutionary new Tapped P-90 pickups provides all the fat snarl, crunch and bite that vintage P-90s are known for, with the option of a the brighter, twangier sound of a thinner single-coil pickup accessed via the push-pull switch on each pickup's independent volume control. They don't feature "split coil" switching, as used on humbucking pickups. The switch on each of these single-coil Tap P-90 pickups accesses a genuine tap wired into the coil windings of each unit, grounding off part of its output to produce a brighter, more focused tone when the switch is pulled. Combine this with the push-pull switch on the master tone pot, which puts the middle pickup out of phase when combined with either the bridge or neck unit, and five-way switching to access bridge/bridge+middle/middle/neck+middle/neck pickup selections (either tapped or full), the Firebird Studio offers an unprecedented tonal range. Features
Solid Grade-A Mahogany, with high-gloss Vintage Sunburst nitrocellulose finish
Ultra thin (.800-.850) neck profile
Three revolutionary coil-tapped P-90 pickups
Legendary Tune-o-matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece
High-quality Mini Groverâ„¢ kidney button tuners
Pricing and Availability:
$2,129
More information: