Gibson Firebird 2016 T

Revolutionary Bird with Traditional Features

The Firebird V 2016 T Traditional from Gibson USA captures the revolutionary style, tone and versatility of one of the world’s most groundbreaking electric guitar designs with features that are true to its early-’60s origins. Created by legendary automotive designer and visionary Ray Dietrich, the original 1963 Firebirds literally reversed conventional concepts for guitar bodies and headstocks, flipping more conservative designs upside down to create a bold new look. Heads turned when guitarists took the stage with these original new guitars strapped on, and players like Eric Clapton, Johnny Winter and Phil Manzanera (Roxy Music) made classic music with the Firebird’s combination of original looks and tones. The Firebird V 2016 T is a modern update of the original, boasting all the mojo with the addition of upgraded tuners, rocking Steinberger Gearless tuning keys to preserve the unique headstock shape. It uses Gibson’s original 1 11/16-inch neck width at the nut with a traditional Graph Tech nut, a thicker one-piece fingerboard with hand-rubbed oil finish, and other features common to the 2016 Traditional lineup. Still eye-catching, the Firebird V 2016 T packs all the sonic punch of the original with extras that elevate this guitar to the upper echelon of the guitar world.

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Body and neck The body of the Firebird V 2016 T is crafted lightweight solid mahogany ‘wings’ glued to the nine-ply through-neck center core in the classic ‘reverse-body’ Firebird style. The neck has the original width of 1 11/16-inch at the nut, with a thicker one-piece rosewood fingerboard with a hand-rubbed oil finish, vintage-style binding, and traditional acrylic trapezoid inlays.	Pickups and electronics A pair of Firebird Mini-Humbuckers nail the rich, clear, biting tone of the originals. They are routed through the classic complement of individual volume and tone controls and a three-way switch.	Hardware A Tune-o-matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece join ultra-efficient Steinberger Gearless tuners for traditional looks married to optimum performance.	Protective gigbag The guitar comes protected in a new High-Performance gigbag and includes an Owner’s Manual.

About Gibson USA

Gibson USA is inspired by a tradition of innovation that stretches back to the company’s origin in 1896. Since then, the contributions Gibson has made to the art of guitar making have been continuously impressive—the humbucking pickup, Tune-o-matic bridge, adjustable truss rod, triple-pickup guitar, semi-hollowbody guitar, P-90 pickup, cryogenically-treated frets, automatic tuning, the zero-fret adjustable nut and much more—including radical body shapes like the Flying V, Explorer and Thunderbird. Introduced in 1952, the Gibson Les Paul has become—and remains—the world’s most iconic guitar.

With every instrument proudly produced in Nashville, Tennessee, Gibson USA keeps two important traditions alive: the tradition of innovation, and the tradition of hand-crafted instruments that are ‘American Made, World Played.’ The Gibson team is driven by a passion for perfection—even the process of selecting, grading, and sorting wood for each specific guitar requires considerable expertise, as does the engineering research behind pickup design and selecting materials that strike the ideal blend of style, tone and durability.

What may be most recognizable about a Gibson USA guitar isn’t the distinctive shape, technical sophistication, or exceptional playability—it’s the magic. When people play a Gibson USA guitar, they experience the result of hundreds of human hands working to make the best guitar possible. Just by picking one up and holding it in your hands, you can share in the rich heritage that reaches back to the 19th century, the visual appeal of a work of art and the connection to the world’s greatest artists who have chosen to express themselves with guitars from Gibson USA.