Dazed & Confused

In this issue’s Dazed & Confused we take a look at Gibson’s second wave of Firebirds – the ‘non-reverse’ models…

Gibson Firebirds first appeared in 1963 in the form of four models: the single-pickup/dot-inlay I; dual-pickup/ dot-inlay III; dual-pickup/trapezoid-inlay V; and triplepickup/block-inlay VII. With their angular geometry and custom colours, the original line-up of Explorer-like ‘reverse’ Firebirds was intended to tap into the zeitgeist of the forward-thinking, automobile-obsessed younger generation and compete directly with Fender in the popular solidbody market. Unfortunately, the Firebird did not rise like the proverbial phoenix as hoped. Despite its flashy looks, it failed to catch on, and shipping figures show the early reverse Firebirds had only a fraction of the SG range’s success during their brief existence from ’63 to ’65.

To add insult to injury, the Firebird’s design was hotly contested by Fender as a mirror image of its patented offset Jazzmaster and Jaguar body shapes. Furthermore, its construction made them tricky to build, transport and handle. In a recent interview, Mat Koehler, Gibson’s head of product development, told us: “In ’63, after the first [Firebirds] were made, [Gibson president Ted McCarty] was probably thinking, ‘What did I get myself into here?!’ It was a difficult build – and still is for us now.”

Alas, in June 1965, a new breed of Firebirds was unveiled at the NAMM show – the non-reverse models. Although Gibson retained the same model names, these guitars were a world apart from their reverse-style counterparts…