For benecol and Gibson Firebird types

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Sat Jun 29, 2013 3:19 pm

I mentioned last week i had a repair to do on a 60's(?) Gibson Firebird.
The owner knows little about it and he received it as it is. Its a strange one as it has a bolt on neck and may be a copy, the pickups have been swapped from mini hums at some point but the rest of it looks original.
There is a serial stamp on the back of the headstock but i haven't checked it is legit.

I think the finish looks great, almost walnut, a bit like a classier version of the poo brown SG's. The trem is nice and smooth and it is a good player.

Here are some pics..

Iceybomb

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Gabriel · Post by **Gabriel** » Sat Jun 29, 2013 3:24 pm

The serial number is for a Gibson made at the kalamazoo factory in 1964 (according to the database). Although the bolt on neck is very bizarre.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Sat Jun 29, 2013 3:29 pm

Makes you wonder if it had a break and was repaired as a bolt-on. Not that i know much about Gibsons..

Noirie. · Post by **Noirie.** » Sat Jun 29, 2013 3:56 pm

Could be a seventies Ibanez Firebird copy. They had bolt on necks.

Noirie. · Post by **Noirie.** » Sat Jun 29, 2013 3:57 pm

Now I want a Firebird.

Gabriel · Post by **Gabriel** » Sat Jun 29, 2013 4:11 pm

Also the maestro vibrola doesn't look like it's engraved saying gibson which is a little odd too.

It does look just like an Ibanez firebird body but the neck isn't the same. Could it be some strange parts guitar? Ibanez body with a vintage gibson neck?

Ibanez:

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But it is also a possible neck repair? Could be worth comparing photos of the neck joint of this particular guitar with the ibanez and gibson models.

robert(original) · Post by **robert(original)** » Sat Jun 29, 2013 4:34 pm

that is wicked interesting..... huh.... I do know that they produced bolt ons at the kalamazoo factory, but they were epiphones, and most of them were the acoustics. but i do know, as we all do, that they made bolt on epis at the same factory. just never seen a gibby like that.....

benecol · Post by **benecol** » Sat Jun 29, 2013 5:31 pm

That's very odd - on the one hand, those tuners look spot on (there was only ever one machine that made them), but a lot of it looks very off. Is the neck and centre of the body a nine-ply fillet?

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Sat Jun 29, 2013 5:38 pm

I just realized, the headstock has a screw on black plate. Maybe that was added afterwards and underneath it says something like Ibanez?

It turned out today the neck pup is actually dead so i could not repait it. But i'll probably get the job to swap the pup out, if so i'll have a peep under that black plate *if it is removable*.

speedfish · Post by **speedfish** » Sun Jun 30, 2013 12:29 am

Fran wrote:I just realized, the headstock has a screw on black plate. Maybe that was added afterwards and underneath it says something like Ibanez?

It turned out today the neck pup is actually dead so i could not repait it. But i'll probably get the job to swap the pup out, if so i'll have a peep under that black plate *if it is removable*.

Itching to know what's under that plate.

paul_ · Post by **paul_** » Sun Jun 30, 2013 12:49 am

Love that tobacco burst.

timhulio · Post by **timhulio** » Sun Jun 30, 2013 9:16 am

Nothing's under the plate. Someone just removed the original one and replaced it with a Gibson plate.

My guess? It's a CSL.