NGD: 1980 Gibson 335-S Firebrand

5280 Views 24 Replies 16 Participants Last post by 55 Jr, Feb 27, 2017

JethroTech

Discussion Starter · Feb 22, 2017

Guitar String instrument Plucked string instruments String instrument Musical instrument

Guitar Wood String instrument String instrument Plucked string instruments

String instrument Guitar Plucked string instruments Musical instrument String instrument

Truth be told, I'd never heard of a Gibson Firebrand until I got this one in a trade yesterday. I actually thought the guy made a typo and meant Firebird when he texted to see if I was interested

This is a 1980 Gibson Firebrand 335-S "Custom" with Dirty Fingers pickups. These guitars were short-lived: 1980-1982. The name Firebrand comes from the fact that the Gibson logo is actually branded into the headstock. This one is completely stock with the exception of the addition of a wrap-around tail piece but the original is in the case.

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Lord-Humongous

· #2 · Feb 22, 2017

Cool guitar!

Reactions: 1

Lincoln

· #3 · Feb 22, 2017

You have the most awesome toys......wow

How does she sound?

Reactions: 1

bolero

· #4 · Feb 22, 2017

wow never heard of THAT model before

my friend's older brother had a firebrand LP though.

first electric guitar I ever saw, we were smitten by it, as kids!

congrats!

Reactions: 1

JethroTech

Discussion Starter · #5 · Feb 22, 2017

Lincoln said:
You have the most awesome toys......wow

How does she sound?

I'd describe the sound as kind of dirty bluesy in all the good ways. Think of Malcolm and Angus playing slow and low. As much as I love these pickups (I've never had a guitar with a set of Dirty Fingers in it) I can't imagine a time when I'd go, "You know what this guitar could use--to sound like a single-coil Tele," therefore I don't think I will ever use the coil-tap.

JethroTech

Discussion Starter · #6 · Feb 22, 2017

bolero said:
wow never heard of THAT model before

my friend's older brother had a firebrand LP though.

first electric guitar I ever saw, we were smitten by it, as kids!

congrats!

Here's what I've learned in the past 36 hours--they did three different models of Firebrands--a Les Paul ("The Paul"), an SG and this one that is supposed to be based on an ES-335 but a solid body version. I can see that the body shape might be somewhat similar to the ES-335 but that's where the similarities end.

5732

· #7 · Feb 22, 2017

Cool guitar...Whenever I come across something obscure, it seems that Guitar Point Sound have reviewed it:

Reactions: 2

cboutilier

· #8 · Feb 22, 2017

I've never heard of a 335S, but I like it. I prefer that to an LP really.

Reactions: 1

Scottone

· #9 · Feb 22, 2017

Cool series...have seen a few of the Les Paul and SG variants around, but not this one.

dcole

· #10 · Feb 22, 2017

That is right up my alley. I loves me some double-cuts!

Is that all mahogany and are the pores filled?

Hamstrung

· #11 · Feb 22, 2017

Looks potentially heavy. How much does it weigh?

JethroTech

Discussion Starter · #12 · Feb 22, 2017

Table Guitar Plucked string instruments Furniture String instrument

dcole said:
That is right up my alley. I loves me some double-cuts!

Is that all mahogany and are the pores filled?

You bet--all mahogany. Not sure if it's filled. Does this pic help? And yes, double thumbs up to double cuts. It almost has a bit of a Les Paul Jr vibe to it.

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JethroTech

Discussion Starter · #13 · Feb 22, 2017

Hamstrung said:
Looks potentially heavy. How much does it weigh?

It's surprisingly light weight. I'm guessing right around 8-lbs.

4345567

· #14 · Feb 22, 2017 (Edited)

__________

Swervin55

· #15 · Feb 22, 2017

That's a really cool guitar!

capnjim

· #16 · Feb 22, 2017

I had one that actually had left over T-tops in it. Sounded great, but it had the fattest neck I have ever felt. Does your have a fat neck??

JethroTech

Discussion Starter · #17 · Feb 22, 2017

capnjim said:
I had one that actually had left over T-tops in it. Sounded great, but it had the fattest neck I have ever felt. Does your have a fat neck??

Not a fat neck at all, but not skinny either--right in the middle.

dcole

· #18 · Feb 22, 2017

JethroTech said:
You bet--all mahogany. Not sure if it's filled. Does this pic help?

The darkness of the grain made me wonder. You can tell by running your finger along the finish. If its smooth, its probably filled but if it grabs your finger over and over then its not. Like Gibsons faded finish I believe it is?

sulphur

· #19 · Feb 22, 2017

Nice, congrats!

I thought that I was one of these on here a while ago, somebody had one.
Very short run on these, apparently. Unique guitar, for sure.

I had a Dirty Fingers in the bridge of an old Burny that I had, R&R!

JethroTech

Discussion Starter · #20 · Feb 23, 2017

Hamstrung said:
Looks potentially heavy. How much does it weigh?

Even lighter than I thought. It just weighed in a 7lbs-11oz.

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