Firebird Studio

Continuing the legendary Firebird series first introduced in the early 1960s, the Firebird Studio’s “reverse” body style stays true to the vision of renowned automotive designer Ray Dietrich (Lincoln, Packard), who based his legendary design on the famous automobile tailfins of the 1950s and the Gibson Explorer. Today’s Firebird Studio offers the best combination of features and value in the Firebird line. Unlike the neck-through-body construction of the other Firebirds, the Firebird Studio’s body is solid mahogany with a glued-in, set neck—also solid mahogany—with a ’60s slim-taper profile and mini Grover tuners. The neck is topped with a 22-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearloid dot inlays, while the edges of the body are tapered for comfort. The biggest difference, however, are the pickups. Instead of the traditional Firebird mini-humbuckers, the Firebird Studio is equipped with Gibson’s regular-sized humbuckers—a 490R in the neck, and 498T in the bridge, both of which have the traditional tonal characteristics of Gibson’s original PAF pickups, with a slight boost in upper-midrange response. Available only in Ebony finish.

Finishes

  

Hot Points

The Gibson Logo

Some of the greatest guitars in history have worn the name Gibson. This list is impressive—the Les Paul, the ES-335, the Explorer, the Flying V, the SG, the Firebird. The name “Gibson” on a headstock represents more than a century of originality and excellence. Pressed into the Firebird’s curvy truss rod cover using a gold or silver stamp, it is without question the most recognizable logo in all of music. There simply is no equal.

Angled Headstock

The Firebird’s distinct headstock stays true to Gibson’s industry-changing way of thinking. Like every Gibson headstock, the angled Firebird headstock is carved out of the same piece of mahogany as the neck. The angle is carefully set to 14 degrees—instead of the traditional 17 degrees—to accommodate the headstock’s radical contour and to keep pressure on the strings. The headstock’s form ensures straight string pull, which, when combined with the increased string pressure, means there is no loss of string vibration between the nut and the tuners, equaling better sustain. Banjo-styled tuners provide the necessary clearance between tuner buttons, allowing for comfortable access and uncomplicated tuning. This process takes craftsmanship, time, and effort, but the rewards are certainly worth the effort.

Adjustable Truss Rod

The adjustable truss rod is a Gibson innovation that revolutionized the guitar. Before this ground-breaking discovery in the early 1920s, the truss rod was used only to strengthen and stabilize the neck. By making it adjustable, the truss rod now allows a guitar to be set up using a variety of string gauges, as well as string heights. This easily accommodates any style of playing, and allows a limitless range of set-up options. And by placing it at the base of the headstock, the adjustable nut is easily accessible, even while the strings are still on the guitar.

The Firebird Studio Neck Profile

No guitar neck profiles are more distinguishable than the neck profiles employed on the Gibson models of today. The ’60s neck profile—found on the Firebird Studio—is considered the more modern, slim-tapered contour most commonly associated with the Gibson models of the early 1960s. As with all Gibson necks, it is machined in Gibson’s rough mill using wood shapers to make the initial cuts. Once the fingerboard gets glued on, the rest—including the final sanding—is done by hand. That means there are no two necks with the exact same dimensions. So while it still has the basic characteristics of ’60s slim-taper profile, each neck will be slightly different, with a distinct but traditional feel.

22-Fret Rosewood Fingerboard

Rosewood has always graced the fingerboards of the world’s finest stringed instruments, including today’s Firebird Studio. The fingerboard on the Gibson Firebird Studio is constructed from the highest grade rosewood on the planet. The wood is personally inspected and qualified by Gibson’s team of skilled wood experts before it enters the factories to be fitted onto the neck of the Firebird Studio. The resilience of this dense and durable wood makes each fingerboard extremely balanced and stable, and gives each chord and note unparalleled clarity and bite. The 12-inch radius of the fingerboard provides smooth note bending capabilities and eliminates “dead” or “choked out” notes, common occurrences on fingerboards with lesser radiuses.

Nickel and Silver Alloy Fret Wire

The fret wire on the Gibson models is a combination nickel and silver alloy (approximately 80 percent nickel and 20 percent silver) specifically designed for long life and superior wear. Gibson’s traditional “medium/jumbo” fret wire is first shaped by hand, then cut to an exact 12-inch radius. After hand pressing it into the fingerboard, a machine press finishes the job to eliminate the gap between the bottom of the fret wire and the fingerboard.

Classic Dot Inlays

The classic dot inlay is one of the most distinguishable features of many traditional Gibson models, including the Firebird Studio. A figured, swirl acrylic gives these inlays that classic “pearl” look. They are inserted into the fingerboard using a process that eliminates gaps and doesn’t require the use of fillers.

Solid Mahogany Body and Set-Neck Construction

Unlike the Firebird V and VII, the body of the Firebird Studio is one solid piece of mahogany, with slightly tapered edges for a sleeker look. The neck of the Firebird Studio is set into the body’s neck cavity using glue. The majority of Gibson’s classic guitars are constructed using this technique, which ensures a “wood-to-wood” contact, no air space in the neck cavity, and maximum contact between the neck and the body, thus allowing the neck and body to function as a single unit. The result? Better tone, better sustain, and no loose or misaligned necks. As with all Gibson woods, the regimen involved in selecting the right wood and the formula to dry it out is extensive. First, the wood is personally inspected and qualified by Gibson’s team of skilled wood experts before it enters the Gibson factories. These onsite inspectors also ensure that the plain maple comes from corporations adhering to the forest-saving standards of the Rainforest Alliance, of which Gibson is a proud member and sponsor. Inside the Gibson factories, humidity is maintained at 45 percent, and the temperature at 70 degrees. This ensures all woods are dried to a level of “equilibrium,” where the moisture content does not change during the manufacturing process. This guarantees tight-fitting joints and no expansion, and controls the shrinkage and warping of the woods, in addition to reducing the weight. It also improves the woods’ machinability and finishing properties, and adherence to glue. Consistent moisture content means that a Gibson Firebird Studio will respond evenly to temperature and humidity changes long after it leaves the factory.

Gibson’s 490R and 498T Pickups

The mid to late 1960s saw the emergence of a very different type of music coming from the clubs of England. It was an interpretation of the blues that hadn’t been heard before, and it was much harder, more rocking, and definitely louder than anything else before it. As such, this new genre’s players were demanding more powerful amplifiers with increased volume outputs to satisfy their sonic explorations. This led to a call for a more versatile pickup to split coils through a push/pull knob, and prevent the microphonic feedback that occurs when the volume is turned up to maximum levels. Gibson answered this call with the introduction of the revolutionary 490T and 490R pickups (“T” for treble, and “R” for rhythm), which has the traditional characteristics of the original “Patent Applied For” pickups, but with two key modifications. First, a four-conductor wiring scheme allows the 490s to be connected to any push/pull knob, which lets players split the coils and increase versatility. Gibson also introduced wax potting, which does away with any air space inside the pickup—thus lessening the chances of microphonic feedback. The result is a humbucker with the tonal characteristics of an original PAF, with a slight increase in upper mid-range response. The Gibson 498T bridge pickup is the 490’s ideal complement. Taking the 490 one step further, the 498 swaps the Alnico II magnet to an Alnico V, thus making it slightly hotter with emphasis on mid-ranges and highs. The pole pieces on the 498T are also aligned a little further apart to accommodate the spacing of the strings at the bridge, which is different than the spacing of the strings at the neck.

Tune-O-Matic Bridge

The Tune-o-matic bridge was the brainchild of legendary Gibson president Ted McCarty in 1954. At the time, it was a true revelation in intonation, and set a standard for simplicity and functionality that has never been bettered. This pioneering piece of hardware provides a firm seating for the strings, allowing the player to adjust and fine-tune the intonation and string height in a matter of minutes. It also yields a great union between the strings and body, which results in excellent tone and sustain. It is combined with a separate “stopbar” tailpiece, essentially a modified version of the earlier wraparound bridge. To this day, the Tune-o-matic remains the industry standard. It is the epitome of form and function in electric guitar bridge design, and is one of the most revered and copied pieces of guitar hardware ever developed.

Nitrocellulose Finish

Applying a nitrocellulose finish to any Gibson guitar is one of the most labor-intensive elements of the guitar-making process. A properly applied nitro finish requires extensive man hours, several evenly applied coats, and an exorbitant amount of drying time. But this fact has never swayed Gibson into changing this time-tested method, employed ever since the first guitar was swathed with lacquer back in 1894. Why? For starters, a nitro finish dries to a much thinner coat than a polyurethane finish, which means there is less interference with the natural vibration of the instrument, allowing for a purer tone. A nitro finish is also a softer finish, which makes it easily repairable. You can touch up a scratch or ding on a nitro finish, but you can’t do the same on a poly finish. In addition, a nitro finish is very porous in nature, and actually gets thinner over time. It does not “seal” wood in an airtight shell—as a poly finish does—and allows the wood to breathe and age properly.

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