Conceptualized by car designer Ray Dietrich, the original Firebirds had neck-through-body construction, fluid sculpture lines, a single-sided headstock, and special small humbucking pickups.
Being experienced with Gibson’s Thunderbird basses, this Firebird III felt like the right fit immediately and became an instant go-to recording and stage guitar for me. The wide-but-fast neck is superb, the neck-through construction feels more solid than any SG I’ve played, and the pickups nail the perfect blend of Fender bite and Gibson warmth. As a bonus, switching between this Firebird III and a Fender feels more natural than with other-numbered ’Birds.
The Firebird was conceived in 1962–’63, when Gibson president Ted McCarty hired automotive designer Ray Dietrich to come up with a concept to compete with Fender. Nearly everything about this model was new for Gibson: neck-through-body construction, fluid sculpture lines, a single-sided headstock, and special small humbucking pickups. Like the earlier Explorer, Firebirds “reverse” the Fender-style solidbody, with an extended bout below the neck intended more for visual flash than ergonomics. Dietrich even designed a nifty Firebird logo for the pickguard. This distinctive but unconventional instrument required extra factory effort, and quickly proved difficult to build cost-effectively, so Firebirds had to be priced above the SG series, and, more crucially, the Fenders they were intended to compete with.
“The neck-through construction feels more solid than any SG I’ve played, and the pickups nail the perfect blend of Fender bite and Gibson warmth.”
Like Les Pauls and SGs, there were four models of Firebirds, designated by Roman numerals I, III, V, and VII. (Thunderbirds were given numerals II and IV.) Each had a unique neck trim and/or pickup array. Gibson expected the cheapest model to be the best seller, but the Firebird I’s (priced at $215) single pickup and lack of a vibrato arm looked barren by early ’60s aesthetics, while the Firebird III (priced at $280), with two pickups and a vibrato, racked up the strongest sales. The flashier V, with trapezoid inlays and a Tune-o-matic bridge, cost $360, while the gold-plated, 3-pickup VII, priced at $500, was beyond any garage-band budget. Gibson’s oblong, yellow-lined case added another $42.
By late 1964, not only were Firebirds not selling as expected, but warranty repair was another problem. The heavy banjo tuners made their angled headstocks prone to breakage. Gibson decided to revamp the line with a more conventional design, later dubbed “non-reverse,” for the mid-1965 NAMM show. In the meantime, some I and III models were put together with evolved features to clear inventory of neck-body sections (the non-reverse line would have a glued-in neck). My III is one of those instruments. There was also a Firebird I with twin P-90 pickups, a flat headstock, and conventional tuners.
This single-sided headstock design was new to Gibson in the early ’60s.
Photo by George Aslaender
This Firebird III’s headstock has a carved ledge on the face and banjo tuners like earlier ’Birds, but is reversed, with the low E closest to the nut. (The original design made the high E closest to the nut.) Theories on why this was done range from addressing customer or dealer complaints to using up left-handed neck blanks that were prepared but never ordered. Whatever the reason, it resulted in what some find the most player-friendly of the reverse Firebirds, given the familiar string positioning. Another small oddity is the fancier, plastic-tipped, flat vibrato arm, usually found on higher-end guitars instead of the “spoon handles” used on earlier IIIs.
The other features remain unchanged: a multi-laminate, neck-through center section with mahogany wings glued to the sides, a bound, dot-inlaid neck with a 1 11/16" nut, and two mini-humbuckers mounted in metal surrounds with 4-knob, single-switch wiring. There are two forward strap buttons, one on the neck heel and a second on the upper bout, perfectly placed for the strap to slip off and send the guitar floorward. The laminated white pickguard bears the spiffy bird emblem.
It’s estimated that just over 1,000 Firebird III’s were shipped in 1965, but the proportion of reverse, non-reverse, and “Platypus” is unknown, as all were logged identically. While the exact number is lost, the number of Platypuses produced is in the dozens rather than hundreds, and today, they’re worth $15,000 to $20,000. From 1965 to ’66, Brian Jones was the most visible Firebird user, and Johnny Winter, Stephen Stills, Allen Collins, and Phil Manzanera all rocked them in the ’70s. “Reverse” Firebirds did end up returning to Gibson’s line in the ’70s, but this oddity has never been reissued.RatingsPros:Splendid neck. Many cool, unexpected tones. Excellent build quality. Cons: Expensive. Relic finish could be polarizing. Street: $3,200 Abernethy Sonic Empress abernethyguitars.com | Tones:  Playability:  Build/Design: Value:  |
The Fender Stratocaster was introduced in 1954 as the next step in solidbody evolution from the radical, revolutionary Telecaster. Ten years later, the 1963-’64 Fender catalog still described the same important characteristics of this breakthrough model: The many remarkable design features incorporated in the Stratocaster, including many “Fender Firsts,” have resulted in making it the choice of many of the world’s leading musicians. It features advanced neck design, the contoured curves of the body, the improved adjustable pickups, the method of tone control, the mechanical bridge, the surface-mounted plug receptacle, and one of the most outstanding Fender developments—the exclusive Fender built-in tremolo.
But while the basics remained the same, several changes were made in the Strat’s first decade. The standard body wood changed from ash to alder by 1956, and the neck profiles became gradually slimmer. The most noticeable alteration took place in 1959, when rosewood fretboards were added to the previously 1-piece maple necks. The rosewood board began as a fairly thick slab, but by 1964 had become a thin laminate.
Image 2 — This close-up displays the extras that arrived with this historic Stratocaster, as well as the headstock’s spaghetti-style logo, which would be replaced by July 1964.
This month’s 1964 Fender Stratocaster is finished in custom-color black, but otherwise has the typical features associated with the first half of that year. These include a maple neck with a separate rosewood fretboard, clay dot inlays (replaced later that year by slightly larger pearloid dots), and the small headstock employed until 1966, with the original “spaghetti” Fender logo. (That logo was replaced by a “transition” logo decal starting in July of ’64.)
Image 3 — Rosewood fretboards were added to Stratocasters in 1959—initially as a thick slab and, by ’64, a thinner laminate.
Also, 1964 was the last year to see a greenish celluloid pickguard, which was replaced with white plastic ones in 1965. This Strat also came with the original white Tolex case, which held the factory-issued strap, a polish cloth, and a 1963-’64 catalog. The original list price with custom finish was $303.97. The current value for one in excellent all-original condition is $20,000.
Image 4 — This guitar sports its original pickups and electronics, and it’s among the last to enjoy the light-green celluloid pickguard that was replaced by white plastic on Strats starting the next year.
The Fender Concert amp behind the Strat dates to September 1963. Two 6L6 power tubes push about 40 watts through four Jensen 10" speakers. The normal channel has a bright switch along with volume, treble, and bass knobs. The vibrato channel also has a bright switch, volume, bass, and treble knobs, but adds speed and intensity knobs to control the tremolo. The 1963-’64 list price was $359.50. The current value for the amp is $2,000.
Sources for this article include: The Fender Stratocaster: 1954–1984 by A.R. Duchossoir, The Stratocaster Chronicles: Celebrating 50 Years of the Fender Strat by Tom Wheeler, Fender: The Sound Heard ’Round the World by Richard R. Smith, and Fender Amps: The First 50 Years by John Teagle and John Sprung.