Due to its relatively short lifespan (pre-reissue), Gibson’s iconic Firebird never achieved the saturation that models like the Les Paul, SG, and ES-335 enjoyed in rock and blues circles. This radical redraw of the electric guitar did find a handful of adventurous followers from the very start, however, players who — more often than not — had the vision and the courage to step way outside the mainstream, both in their music and their gear choices.
Only around 2,546 Firebird III guitars were produced between 1963-’65, and that total includes a few “non-reverse” Firebirds in the transition period that marked the demise of the rare, original “reverse-body” styling. Here’s eight of the best guitarists to ever sling a Firebird over their shoulder:
Johnny Winter
If there was ever a poster child for the underrated Firebird, it was Johnny Winter, so much so that it’s a rare thing to see the Texas blues legend photographed without a ’Bird in hand. Winter has owned and played a number of Firebirds, and throughout his career they have proved the perfect vehicle for his wiry, eviscerating slide work. This is the first stop if you want to hear a Firebird sing. Check this out …
Warren Haynes
More often noted as a Les Paul devotee, Warren Haynes has also frequently turned to both reverse- and non-reverse-body Firebirds for his work with Gov’t Mule and the Allman Brothers Band. While the ’Bird is most known for its bright, cutting tones, either model can sound delectably thick and creamy in Haynes’s hands. Check this out …
Allen Collins
Every night of every weekend of the year, in some rock bar in every town in the country, some card at the back of the bar with one too many pops in his belly will harangue the hardworking cover band with the cry, “Play ‘Free Bird’!” Well, the man who did did it on a Gibson Firebird. Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Allen Collins recorded his iconic “Free Bird” solo on an original reverse-body Firebird, and used it on just about everything else besides, before letting an Explorer share guitar duties later in his career. Check this out …
Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown
Covered in his own Legendary Guitars feature on Gibson.com, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown favored a non-reverse Firebird V with mini-humbuckers throughout his career, which he modified both cosmetically and tonally to suit his tastes. Gatemouth was an incomparably versatile musician, equally versed in country bends, fleet-fingered bebop excursions, and brooding blues, and with a Firebird in hand he sounded like no other player on the planet. Check this out …
Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney is more often pictured with an Epiphone Casino in hand — when he’s not playing bass — but much of his early solo work featured a right-handed Firebird which he played left-handed… making it, uh, a reversed reverse-body (or, in other words, a double-negative resulting in a non-reverse body)? However you slice it, Mac’s searing, edgy, emotive solo on “Maybe I’m Amazed” — played on said Firebird — earns him a spot on our list. And we couldn’t find a YouTube clip of him playing a Firebird, but enjoy this one anyway …
Eric Clapton
Les Paul, SG, ES-335, Explorer… the list of Eric Clapton’s early guitar choices reads like a tour through the Gibson catalogue. Even more so when you discover that Slow Hand also frequently played a single-pickup Firebird one during his time with Blind Faith, Delaney and Bonnie, and even Cream. Clapton with no neck-pickup woman tone at his disposal? Indeed, but the evidence is out there to prove it. Check this out …
Brian Jones
Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones — often an advocate of quirky guitars during his too-short stay on this planet — played both reverse and non-reverse body firebirds. Photos from the Beggar’s Banquet era in the mid ’60s, taken both live and in the studio, frequently show Jones cuddling a reverse-body Firebird V.
Phil Manzanera
Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera has always been considered more a sonic sculptor than a guitar hero per se, yet his name is an important addition to any list of notable Firebird players. His Cardinal Red ’64 Firebird VII with gold-plated hardware suited the glam image of the band perfectly, just as its unique tone complemented Roxy Music’s outré musical stylings. Check this out …