1964 Gibson Firebird I, Sunburst
Regular price
- Unit price
- / per
At a Glance:
Model: Firebird I
Year: 1964
Construction: Mahogany neck-through body
Finish: Original Sunburst finish. Headstock overspray
Fingerboard: Rosewood, dot inlays (unbound)
Nut Width: 42.4mm
Neck Depth (1st Fret): 21.7mm
Neck Depth (12th Fret): 25.2mm
Pickups: Correct Pat. No. - 6.15k
Tuners: Correct banjo tuners
Plastics: Repro pickguard fitted; original included; pot cavity cover replaced, Correct amber reflector knobs
Controls: CTS pots (137 63xx codes); correct Sprague capacitor
Repairs: Headstock repair/overspray
Modifications: Repro nickel compensating unit fitted; original included in case
Frets: Original
Weight: 3.31kg
Case: Case with original parts included
Notes: RARE! Short lived model, full nut width.
We are not box shifters, we take your packing and shipping very seriously..!
We have to. You're considering spending a lot of money with us and you would obviously like your valuable musical instrument to arrive at your door, without drama, fuss or damage.
We have many years (stretching way back in to the last century) of packing and shipping fragile musical items all over the world - in fact the number of sometimes priceless, vintage instruments we have shipped is in the thousands.
When you buy a vintage or second hand item from us, it will be hand packed by one or more of our specialist, in house staff and then shipped in our own custom made cardboard boxes (If applicable).
We normally ship via our preferred carriers UPS, DPD, Parcelforce and Royal Mail for smaller items such as straps and leads. Tracking numbers are always provided.
Shipping prices vary by item and by location, please see the individual products for details but as a guide, prices for a guitar is usually:
UK - £50
Mainland Europe - £75
USA - £200
Rest of World (rates can vary a lot depending on country) - £250
How can I pay?
All our base prices are in £GBP Sterling and exclude delivery.
Payments can be made by bank transfer (up to any amount) or credit/debit card through our website (up to £10,000.) Due to fraud risks we do not take payment by phone. We accept and use many online payment services that work by way of bank transfer and recommend Wise.com who will in generally offer far better exchange rates than banks.
Do your prices include VAT?
All prices include UK VAT but most used or vintage guitars are sold under the UK marginal scheme for secondhand goods which means you will not get an invoice with the VAT amount shown separately, neither will you be able to claim this VAT element back if you are VAT registered, and the VAT element cannot be deducted for export sales.
For new items such as some guitars, pedals, straps, cables etc 20% UK VAT is included and if you are in an export country, which since Brexit now includes Europe and of course the US, this 20% VAT will automatically be deducted at checkout for you. You may have to pay local taxes and duties when your goods arrive in your home country, we advise you to check with your local customs office to be sure.
Can I reserve or put an item on hold?
Yes you can. Items can be put on hold for a deposit payment of 10%. This will hold the item for up to 30 days but this deposit payment is non refundable in the event of the buyer failing to complete the sale.
A further 10% payment at the end of the initial 30 day period will extend this period for another 30 days and subject to individual approval, this arrangement can be extended at our discretion. ATB Guitars holds title to the goods until paid for in full and if the buyer should change his/her mind for any reason, a restocking fee equivalent to to 15% of the total purchase price will be deducted from any refund given.
Do you have a mailing list?
The best way to get on our mailing list is to submit the form at the bottom of every page on our website. Also follow us on Facebook and Instagram @ATBguitars as most new items are posted there as soon as we buy them and before they go on the website. If you are searching for a specific guitar then send us an email and we will attempt to alert you once one has been found.
1964 Gibson Firebird I, Sunburst
Regular price
- Unit price
- / per
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1964 Gibson Firebird I, Sunburst
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Description
This 1964 Gibson Firebird I is one of the rarest and most striking guitars of the original Firebird series, representing Gibson’s boldest design experiment of the early 1960s. Conceived as a starkly minimalist instrument, the Firebird I was issued with just a single bridge pickup and no vibrato. Sadly the model didn't sell in the numbers Gibson had hoped and the model was discontinued in 1965, replaced by the non-reverse Firebird at a cheaper price point. As a result the Firebird I stands as one of the scarcest of all original “reverse” Firebirds.
Introduced in late 1963 and discontinued shortly after the 1965 NAMM show, the original Firebird range had a remarkably short production life. Its futuristic body shape, neck-through construction and reversed headstock were unlike anything Gibson had produced before. While the design is now widely regarded as a classic, it proved complex and expensive to manufacture, particularly in the context of the Firebird I’s original price point. In 1964, a Firebird I listed at $215, with an additional $46 for the large hard case, placing it well above guitars like the SG Junior and ultimately limiting its appeal to younger players.
The Firebird I is defined by its uncluttered layout and elegant restraint. This example retains the core features that make the model so distinctive: the long laminated mahogany neck-through body with wings attached at the sides, the fluid offset shape with its elongated lower horn, and the unbound rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays. The neck is a comfortable rounded C profile that feels substantial without being unwieldy, and is topped by the iconic reverse headstock fitted with individual banjo tuners.
Electronics are deliberately simple, centred around a single Pat No. Firebird pickup in the bridge position. Measuring 6.15k, it delivers a cutting, focused voice with plenty of bite and clarity with that raw snarling Firebird character. Control cavity components include correct CTS pots dating to 1963 and the correct Sprague capacitor. All hardware follows the original nickel-plated specification, with a repro compensating bridge/tailpiece currently fitted for practicality, and the original bridge included in the case alongside the original pickguard.
As is often the case with early Firebirds, this guitar has suffered a break and repair at the headstock, an area well known for vulnerability on the model due to the angled headstock and protruding banjo tuners. The repair has been done well, it's been oversprayed and is stable. The large frets appear original as does the nut.
With only around 500 reverse Firebird I guitars shipped in 1964, and fewer than 1,000 produced in total before the model was reworked, surviving examples are increasingly scarce. The Firebird I also carries notable artist associations, most famously Eric Clapton during the latter days of Cream, as well as Steven Stills in the 1970s.
These rarely come up, especially in the UK. This is a fantastic example with original orange lined rectangular case.
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At a Glance:
Model: Firebird I
Year: 1964
Construction: Mahogany neck-through body
Finish: Original Sunburst finish. Headstock overspray
Fingerboard: Rosewood, dot inlays (unbound)
Nut Width: 42.4mm
Neck Depth (1st Fret): 21.7mm
Neck Depth (12th Fret): 25.2mm
Pickups: Correct Pat. No. - 6.15k
Tuners: Correct banjo tuners
Plastics: Repro pickguard fitted; original included; pot cavity cover replaced, Correct amber reflector knobs
Controls: CTS pots (137 63xx codes); correct Sprague capacitor
Repairs: Headstock repair/overspray
Modifications: Repro nickel compensating unit fitted; original included in case
Frets: Original
Weight: 3.31kg
Case: Case with original parts included
Notes: RARE! Short lived model, full nut width.
We are not box shifters, we take your packing and shipping very seriously..!
We have to. You're considering spending a lot of money with us and you would obviously like your valuable musical instrument to arrive at your door, without drama, fuss or damage.
We have many years (stretching way back in to the last century) of packing and shipping fragile musical items all over the world - in fact the number of sometimes priceless, vintage instruments we have shipped is in the thousands.
When you buy a vintage or second hand item from us, it will be hand packed by one or more of our specialist, in house staff and then shipped in our own custom made cardboard boxes (If applicable).
We normally ship via our preferred carriers UPS, DPD, Parcelforce and Royal Mail for smaller items such as straps and leads. Tracking numbers are always provided.
Shipping prices vary by item and by location, please see the individual products for details but as a guide, prices for a guitar is usually:
UK - £50
Mainland Europe - £75
USA - £200
Rest of World (rates can vary a lot depending on country) - £250
How can I pay?
All our base prices are in £GBP Sterling and exclude delivery.
Payments can be made by bank transfer (up to any amount) or credit/debit card through our website (up to £10,000.) Due to fraud risks we do not take payment by phone. We accept and use many online payment services that work by way of bank transfer and recommend Wise.com who will in generally offer far better exchange rates than banks.
Do your prices include VAT?
All prices include UK VAT but most used or vintage guitars are sold under the UK marginal scheme for secondhand goods which means you will not get an invoice with the VAT amount shown separately, neither will you be able to claim this VAT element back if you are VAT registered, and the VAT element cannot be deducted for export sales.
For new items such as some guitars, pedals, straps, cables etc 20% UK VAT is included and if you are in an export country, which since Brexit now includes Europe and of course the US, this 20% VAT will automatically be deducted at checkout for you. You may have to pay local taxes and duties when your goods arrive in your home country, we advise you to check with your local customs office to be sure.
Can I reserve or put an item on hold?
Yes you can. Items can be put on hold for a deposit payment of 10%. This will hold the item for up to 30 days but this deposit payment is non refundable in the event of the buyer failing to complete the sale.
A further 10% payment at the end of the initial 30 day period will extend this period for another 30 days and subject to individual approval, this arrangement can be extended at our discretion. ATB Guitars holds title to the goods until paid for in full and if the buyer should change his/her mind for any reason, a restocking fee equivalent to to 15% of the total purchase price will be deducted from any refund given.
Do you have a mailing list?
The best way to get on our mailing list is to submit the form at the bottom of every page on our website. Also follow us on Facebook and Instagram @ATBguitars as most new items are posted there as soon as we buy them and before they go on the website. If you are searching for a specific guitar then send us an email and we will attempt to alert you once one has been found.
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