“Heather Poly first appeared on Cadillacs in 1962, while in 1959, Silver Mist Poly could be found in several General Motors divisions under a variety of names”Ĭonstruction largely follows the classic blueprints. Heather Poly first appeared on Cadillacs in 1962, while in 1959, Silver Mist Poly could be found in several General Motors divisions under a variety of names, such as Grecian Gray (Chevrolet), Silver Birch (Buick), Silver Metallic (Cadillac) and Silver Mist Gray (Pontiac). Though the finishes here are listed as nitrocellulose lacquer VOS, both Heather Poly and Silver Mist Poly were originally Lucite with nitrocellulose clear coats (‘poly’ meaning metallic in 1960s Gibson-speak, rather than being an abbreviation for polyester or polyurethane). Like Fender’s, Gibson’s custom colours originated in the automotive industry. Nothing to hide: both Indian rosewood ’boards are fixed with hide glue Cosmetics aside, because our review models are equipped with the same pickups and Maestro vibrato units, it also provides a fascinating opportunity to compare the original reverse-body model with the simpler design that superseded it. Silver Mist Poly and Heather Poly are two of the rarest of all Gibson finishes and your chances of seeing a vintage Firebird in either of these colours, let alone tracking one down and buying one, are extremely slim. Unsurprisingly, they proved to be some of the most photographed and talked about guitars at the show, and courtesy of our friends at Coda Music in Stevenage, we’ve got our hands on a pair of them. “Like Fender’s, Gibson’s custom colours originated in the automotive industry” Behind the scenes, the company has also been embroiled in litigation with Warwick over the rights to the Firebird trademark in the EU, while back in January, Gibson’s Winter NAMM booth included a jaw-dropping wall of ultra-limited reverse and Non-Reverse Custom Shop Firebirds in an array of 1960s custom colours. Today, between Gibson, Gibson Custom and Epiphone, there are six different ’birds to choose from, with the most accessible being Epiphone’s Inspired By Gibson Firebird at £549. Paul McCartney is even thought to have recorded the Maybe I’m Amazed guitar solo using the left-handed Non-Reverse Firebird he played extensively during his early solo career. And who can forget Phil Manzanera’s Cardinal Red 1964 Firebird VII? Our own Firebird fascination came courtesy of seeing Noel Gallagher pictured in front of an Orange stack with a Non-Reverse model during the (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? sessions, not to mention grainy photographs of Keith Richards and Brian Jones with a magnificent Firebird VII. ![]() Firebirds helped write musical history in the hands of Johnny Winter, Gatemouth Brown, Allen Collins and, briefly, Eric Clapton. That’s not to say it hasn’t made its mark over the years. ![]() ![]() It’s in good company, of course – the sunburst Les Paul Standard, Explorer and Flying V being three other McCarty-era creations that weren’t exactly runaway successes on launch – but whereas Fender’s misunderstood and long-unfashionable Jazzmaster eventually became a mainstream proposition, in the wild, the Firebird is still a rarer creature to behold. The Gibson Firebird is one of several examples of an electric guitar design that was somewhat ahead of its time and only became truly iconic years after it had stopped rolling off the production line.
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