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Epiphone 1963 Firebird-VII
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Epiphone 1963 Firebird-VII

V/XPL/FB Shaped Guitar from Epiphone belonging to the Firebird series

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« Epiphone Firebird VII »

Published on 03/25/10 at 16:00
Bought a gold VII around 1999 from Musician's Friend as a close out. At the time I was not playing out and just wanted a different instrument. In the last year I have begun to take this out on gigs quite a bit. I am primarily a Les Paul player and usually took a Tele or Strat for alternate tones. I have been playing for about 30 years and have a room full of instruments. Our band plays primarily blues based southern rock and classic rock although we do not hesitate to step out to new horizons. Allman Brothers rule.

Musician's Friend as a close out in the late 90's. I beleive I paid about $400 w/case. Bought it because when I was young and dumb I had a 60's Gibson Firebird V I let go of. Could not afford to replace the original so I sought to find a suitable sub. Really not disappointed as the whole snob appeal aspect means nothing when you are talking about a tool.

<a href="Probably http//:www.musiciansfriend.com I believe">Probably http//:www.musiciansfriend.com I believe</a>

Like the feel after I did my own setup although the instrument was pretty good out of the box. Tone is nice and best of all more versatile than most would suspect. Of course there is the look. A Heritage Cherry Les Paul is my primary instrument so obviously asthetics are of some importance. A Firebird is a head turner. I get more comments about it than I do my LP.

I have had problems leveling the neck pickup. It's natural position is tilted toward the bridge. Unlike a Fender where one can remove pickguards and adapt, I was forced to insert shims on the bridge side of the pickup. Hey it works and if anyone gets that close they are a true fan.

The neck on mine is 50's large profile. Don't know about newer models. I have small hands including 1/3 of my fretting hand index finger missing. This neck is not too big though. I have always enjoyed the mass of a Gibson style neck. I did have to remove all covers and blow the dust out of the instrument to get rid of crackles. The neck inlays are as cloudy as my grandmother's cataracts but that is purely cosmetic and does not effect sound or playability. Honestly, my Tele gets pissed when I grab the Firebird.

While not a custom shop instrument and definitely not for fans of convention, the EPI Firebird VII is a very nice instrument. It offers anyone on a budget the opportunity to experience the eperimental side of Gibsonesque insturments beyond body shapes. The three mini humbuckers open a new world of sound. Mine is going with me tomorrow night w/ the Les Paul. I know I can rely on it.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com