Made in collaboration with Gibson Custom, now with a rosewood fretboard and a new Vintage Gloss finish
Epiphone and Gibson™ Custom have teamed up once again to create the updated Inspired by Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird I – an authentic replica of the guitar designed by legendary automotive designer Ray Dietrich. When it was launched in 1963, the Firebird™ was Gibson’s first neck-through-body model, and it went on to be used by players in a wide range of genres, including blues legend Johnny Winter, Keith Richards and Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, and Phil Manzanera of Roxy Music, to name a few.
The updated Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird I delivers vintage Firebird specifications at an accessible price, including a 9-ply neck-through-body made of mahogany and walnut with mahogany body wings to either side of the neck. This construction method results in the tuners, pickup, and bridge all being anchored into the same pieces of wood for exceptional resonance, sustain, and tonal transfer between them. The neck features a SlimTaper™ Rounded C profile with soft fretboard edges for a comfortable, played-in feel. The rosewood fretboard is adorned with mother-of-pearl dot inlays and equipped with 22 medium jumbo frets. Even the side dot position markers are the same size as on vintage Firebirds and placed in historically accurate locations. Kluson® planetary geared “banjo” tuners anchor the strings at the headstock and further add to the historic Firebird look, while a Wraparound Lightning Bar bridge holds things down at the other end and further reinforces the outstanding sustain. While in keeping with the vintage 1963 Firebird I’s stripped-down specifications, the electronics are also premium and include a Gibson USA Firebird mini humbucker™ pickup with Alnico 5 magnets. It is hand-wired to a pair of CTS® potentiometers, a Mallory™ tone capacitor, and a Switchcraft® 1/4” output jack, giving this remarkable recreation not only the look but the sound of a classic Firebird I. The new Vintage Gloss finish adds to the vintage appeal. An Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom hardshell case is also included.
