Get to know our team of experts! This article wasWritten By Our Product Research Team Get to know them! Inspired by the Gibson Firebird’s single-pickup variation first launched in 1963, the Epiphone 1963 Firebird I is a rock-ready 6-string that’s sure to set your playing alight with old-school attitude. In classic Firebird fashion, this guitar’s body boasts an incredibly resonant and sustain-packed 9-piece mahogany/walnut neck-through construction, along with lightweight mahogany wings. A fire-breathing Gibson USA-made Firebird pickup in the bridge position delivers a surprisingly versatile array of tones to explore thanks to its seamless cross of humbucking depth and single-coil articulation. And much in the same vein as Gibson’s legendary “Jr.” models of the 1950s and 1960s, the Firebird I’s unbound laurel fingerboard and 1-piece wraparound Lightning Bar bridge harbor a no-nonsense, utilitarian edge for plug-and-play simplicity. Lastly, vintage-correct Kluson banjo-style planetary tuners and a swooping matched and painted headstock (literally) top it all off. Take the Firebird’s most raw and ripping iteration into your own talons with unabashedly vintage-inspired Epiphone 1963 Firebird I!

Sustain-rich neck-through construction

While the Firebird is clearly inspired by Gibson’s early angular Explorer model, what truly sets the ’bird apart from the flock? Sure, the banjo tuners and stepped headstock design are unique among Gibson and Epiphone’s historic offerings, but the Firebird’s signature feature is found in its 9-piece laminate neck-through construction. Consisting of alternating mahogany and walnut stripes from the strap pin to the tip of the headstock, the Firebird’s neck-through construction delivers mammoth sustain and an exceptionally responsive, lively feel even when strummed unplugged. Coupled with two lightweight mahogany wings, the Epiphone 1963 Firebird I’s nearly never-ending cry is sure to please even the most sustain-obsessed guitarist!

Vintage-correct Firebird humbucker

Often mistaken for Gibson’s similar-looking mini humbuckers of the late 1960s and 1970s, the sleek pole piece-less pickups Gibson’s Firebird took flight with in 1963 are wholly original humbucking creations. The Epiphone 1963 Firebird I’s bridge-position Gibson USA-made Firebird pickup is a screaming tonal tribute to those very vintage pickups, re-creating the raw rock ’n’ roll vibe of the original single-pickup Firebird I. Truly an outlier in Gibson’s pickup pantheon, Firebird pickups are revered among Music Experience’s Firebird fans as perhaps the most successful marriage of humbucker depth and single-coil sparkle in Gibson history.

Stripped-down Firebird I style

Right out of the gate, Gibson’s original 1963 Firebird arrived with several distinct variations, from single-pickup stunners to triple-pickup powerhouses equipped with high-end vibrato units. This Epiphone 1963 Firebird I lies in the former camp, recreating the no-nonsense feel of what Gibson originally intended to be the extravagant Firebird’s most budget-oriented model. But like the legendary Les Paul Jr. that came before it, the Firebird I’s dead-simple setup of an unbound neck, 1-piece bridge, and solo bridge pickup has proven to be a mainstay among rockers and old-school blues guitarists, allowing it to soar high above its modest beginnings.

What Epiphone Says...

Epiphone and Gibson™ Custom have teamed up again to create the Inspired by Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird I – an authentic replica of the guitar designed by legendary automotive designer Ray Dietrich. When it was launched in 1963, the Firebird™ was Gibson’s first neck-through-body model, and it went on to be used by players in a wide range of genres, including blues legend Johnny Winter, Keith Richards and Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, and Phil Manzanera of Roxy Music, to name a few. The Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird I delivers vintage Firebird specifications at an accessible price, including a 9-ply neck-through-body made of mahogany and walnut with mahogany body wings to either side. Kluson® planetary geared “banjo” tuners anchor the strings at the headstock, while a Wraparound Lightning Bar bridge holds things down at the other end and ensures exceptional sustain. While in keeping with the vintage 1963 Firebird I’s stripped-down specifications, the electronics are also premium and include a Gibson USA Firebird mini humbucker™ pickup with Alnico 5 magnets, CTS® potentiometers, a Mallory™ capacitor, and a Switchcraft® 1/4” output jack, giving this remarkable recreation not only the look but the sound of a classic Firebird I. An Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom hardshell case is also included.