Gibson Firebird III NV, vintage sunburst, made in USA 2011. What a cool shape! All Firebirds have a sleek aesthetic, but the unusual non-reverse body is a quirky and classy piece of design. It feels good in the hands: well balanced, not too heavy, lively to the touch, cooperative neck profile, sturdy hardware... it all just works. P-90 pickups always deliver a big, thick, immediate and juicy take on the single-coil tone, so this has all sorts of creamy, growly, snappy tones on board. Each pickup has a push/pull switch on their individual volume knobs to go to a brighter, snappier, lower output tone that gets closer to Strat or Tele territory, which combined with the five-way switch and the push/pull phase-reverser for the middle pickup on the master tone knob, there's a approximately a million different tones on deck to choose from. The gloss nitro vintage sunburst is a great look, it lets the tight mahogany grain and the sixties curves do all the talking and adds a little understated suavity to the mix. These are long discontinued and tricky to find in these parts, so don't deliberate too long if you're tickled.

Model: Gibson Firebird V
Made: 2011, USA (serial 127810493)
Finish: vintage sunburst, gloss nitro
Body: mahogany, 3-piece
Neck: mahogany, rosewood board, slim taper profile, 12" radius, 24.75" scale
Weight: 4.045kg
Mods: none
Pickups: Gibson P-90 single coil x3, each coil-tapped for a brighter tone option
Case: original Gibson deluxe black snakeskin-style hard case

Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. The headstock has some minor marks on the end and bottom edge. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, minor dimples only. The back has a couple of little chips on the bottom edge on the bottom horn and on the back edge of the cavity, as well as widespread but very light surface scratches and scuffs. The sides have a few minor dimples on both horns, the elbow area and near the jack, no major marks. The front has a handful of dimples behind the bridge and in the elbow area as well as some standard light scuffs from play on the guard and horns. Overall: very good condition (8/10).

Playing condition notes: Neck is straight, action is low, intonation is good, truss rod works. All electrics tested and working properly. Frets have minor wear only, 8/10 for fret life left. No headstock breaks. Wearing fresh 10/52 Moonshiners strings.