Gibson Limited Edition Firebird Acoustic
The combination of a traditional square-shoulder dreadnought body, coupled with the bright, crisp tone of quilt maple back and sides gives the Gibson Firebird a rich, balanced tone all its own. No less stunning in appearance, the maple back and sides are hand-rubbed with a cherry stain the MOP and abalone flame inlay in the bridge and fingerboard culminate in the headstock’s magnificent MOP and abalone phoenix rising from the flames. Finished with an engraved pickguard and an L.R. Baggs Element VTC.
Features:
Nickel Grover Rotomatic Tuners
Grover’s original Rotomatic tuners are an engineering marvel, with abundant style and performance exactly suited for the Firebird Custom. With a gear ratio of 14:1, the Rotomatics deliver precision tuning in a durable housing that provides maximum protection for the gear and string post. All moving parts are cut for exact meshing, eliminating the possibility of slippage. A countersunk tension screw lets players regulate the tuning tension to any degree. A special lubricant inside the gear box provides smooth and accurate tuning stability.
Pickguard
The tortoise pickguard on the Firebird Custom is patterned after the shape of the pickguard on Gibson’s Hummingbird. As with all Gibson’s pickguards, the coloring, inlay, binding, and engraving are all done by hand.
Rosette
A rosette is the beautiful, hand-crafted circle around the soundhole, and can be one of the most ornamental elements of any acoustic guitar. It is also one of the most subtle and complicated woodworking decorations on any acoustic guitar. The rosette on the Firebird Custom is a double-ring rosette, with the main ring consisting of seven-ply binding, and the second ring three-ply binding, adding a stylish, understated elegance to the Firebird Custom.
Custom Designed Firebird Flames Peghead Inlay
The peghead of Gibson Acoustic’s Firebird Custom features a custom designed, hand crafted Firebird Flames inlay logo made of genuine abalone and mother of pearl. It is one of the most beautiful peghead inlays ever put on a Gibson acoustic, and is exclusive to the Firebird Custom.
Ebony Fingerboard with Rolled Edges and Flame InlaysThe fingerboard of Gibson’s Firebird Custom is constructed from the highest grade ebony on earth, which is personally inspected and qualified by Gibson’s team of skilled experts before it enters the Gibson factories. The resilience of this durable wood makes the fingerboard extremely balanced and stable, and gives each chord and note unparalleled clarity and bite. The Firebird Custom’s exclusive flame inlays are made from genuine abalone and mother of pearl, and are inserted into the fingerboard using a process that eliminates gaps and doesn’t require the use of fillers. The fingerboard also sports a rolled edge—instead of the usual right angle where the fingerboard surface meets the neck, Gibson Acoustic’s rolled edges are slightly beveled for an extremely smooth and comfortable feel, enhancing the playability of the Firebird Custom.
Tapered Dovetail Neck Joint
The dovetail neck joint is one of the oldest—and best—ways of securely joining the neck to the body of a guitar. It is also a complex and expensive neck joint to build, but the result is a tight, locking connection that supports the neck at the proper neck-pitch angle, allowing the body and neck to become one solid piece of resonating wood, with no metal to impede vibration. This process is done entirely by hand, requiring patience and skill.
Body Tonewoods (back, sides and top)
The body of the Firebird Custom is similar to Gibson’s J-30 dreadnought design, but with wider, square shoulder accents on the upper bouts. The top is made from AAA-grade Sitka spruce, while the back and sides are constructed from AAA-grade quilted Western maple, giving the Firebird Custom enhanced treble registers and robust bass tones typical of the dreadnought line. Selecting the right wood, and the formula to dry it out, are two of the most central procedures to Gibson’s guitar-building process. Beginning with its first catalog in 1903, Gibson has assured its customers that every guitar would be built using woods with “the most durable, elastic, and sonorous qualities,” and today’s guitars from Gibson Acoustic are no different.
Bracing
Every acoustic guitar made by Gibson features hand-scalloped, radiused top bracing inside the body, a feature normally found only in limited run, hand-made guitars. By scalloping each brace by hand, the natural sound of the acoustic is focused more toward the center of the body, enhancing the instrument’s sound projection. The Firebird Custom from Gibson Acoustic features a single “X” bracing pattern similar to the design used in vintage Gibson J-30s. Combined with the Firebird Custom’s unique tonewoods, this traditional bracing pattern delivers enhanced treble registers and robust bass tones typical of the square-shoulder dreadnought line, producing the warm, rich tones so typical of of the square-shoulder dreadnought line.
Body
| Body Style | Square Shoulder |
| Top Species | Sitka Spruce |
| Back and Sides | Quilted Maple |
| Binding | Multi-ply Top and Back |
| Bracing | X-Bracing |
| Rosette | Double Ring |
Hardware
| Bridge | Belly Up |
| Bridge Inlay | Mother of Pearl Dots |
| Bridge Pins | White |
| Pickguard | Tortoise Dove Shape w/Flames |
| Tuners | Nickel Grover Keystone |
Neck
| Species | Maple |
| Profile | Traditional Round |
| Scale | 25 1/2″ |
| Angle | 3 Degrees |
| Peghead Angle | 17 Degrees |
| Peghead Inlay | MOP Logo w/MOP and Abalone Flames |
| Nut | Bone |
| Nut Width | 1.725″ |
| Joint | 14th Fret |
Fretboard
| Species | Ebony |
| Binding | Single Ply |
| Inlays | MOP and Abalone Flames |
| Number of Frets | 20 |
Case
| Case Exterior | Black Custom w/ Logo |
| Case Interior | Purple |
Finishes
| Antique Natural Top, Cherry Back and Sides
Electronics LR Baggs VTC pickup |