Taking Flight: History of the Firebird Pickup

The Firebird pickup is an unsung hero of Gibson’s lineup. Despite being used by countless guitar icons including Johnny Winter, Allen Collins, Neil Young, Eric Clapton, PJ Harvey, Pat Smear, and James Williamson, Firebird pickups just don’t receive the same acclaim and attention as other Gibson staples like the storied PAF.

Where did Firebird pickups come from? What makes them different from other pickups in the Gibson lineup? Why didn’t Firebird pickups catch on like PAFs did? We’ll answer all of those questions and more as we take a deeper look at the history of firebird pickups. 

A Departure from the Ordinary

The Firebird story begins in the early 1950s, when the Les Paul ruled the guitar world. However, when Fender's then futuristic Stratocaster hit the market in 1954, sales of Gibson's flagship model took a hit.

In response, Gibson began generating new, futuristic designs of their own, introducing the the Flying V and Explorer in 1958. However, sales of these models flagged and were discontinued by the early 60s.  

Gibson president Ted McCarty decided to try again and hired Ray Dietrich, a retired car designer who had worked for Packard, Franklin, Erskine, and Lincoln. McCarty encouraged Dietrich to work outside the traditional methods of guitar design and engineering, and the result of this collaboration was an iconic instrument. 

Birth of the Gibson Firebird

In 1963, Gibson released the Firebird. Compared to other guitars of the time, the Firebird was (and still is) incredibly unique. It came with a long list of changes, unique features, modifications, and more that set it apart from any other guitar on the market. 

The most obvious departure in the Firebird's design is its body shape, which resembles a rounded Explorer or a reverse Jazzmaster. It also features a distinct headstock that is reminiscent of a Fender headstock, but with sharper angles and inline tuners running on the bottom instead of the top. The tuners themselves were banjo-style planetary geared tuners, something Gibson has since changed on modern Firebirds.

The Firebird's neck was also a huge departure for Gibson. Instead of a set neck, the Firebird was the first Gibson to feature neck-through construction. This means that the neck's construction fully extends through the guitar's body, with complementary “wings” added to the upper and lower bout. 

Most importantly though, the Firebird came with a set of pickups designed specifically for the guitar—the now iconic Firebird pickups. Like the Firebird's physical design, Firebird pickups are imbued with unique qualities that continue to set them apart.

What Are Firebird Pickups?

Firebird pickups are different from both Gibson’s classic PAFs and Fender’s single coil pickups, falling somewhere in between the two thanks to their unique design. But Firebird pickups also differ from standard mini-humbuckers with which they have a strong physical resemblance.

Traditional mini-humbuckers are constructed just like a miniature PAF. They have one bar magnet under each coil, adjustable pole pieces, and a non-adjustable ferrous metal bar on the other coil. 

Firebird pickups deviate from this design. They have two bar style magnets, with each coil wrapped around a magnet. This design also limits the number of coil windings possible, resulting in a lower out-put pickup that has a more “vintage” tone. 

Gibson has changed the Firebird pickups numerous times over the years, updating them with ceramic magnets and increased windings to boost output. However, the iconic sound of the Firebird will always be associated with the original Firebird pickups from the early 1960s.

The Firebird Tone

What do the idiosyncracies of the Firebird pickup's design amount to in terms of tone? Firebird pickups sound as unique as the Firebird itself looks, and are sometimes described as a “kicked off tele” or “strat on steroids.” Sonically, they’re somewhere in between a humbucker and single coil, yet altogether distinct.

Gibson intended for Firebird pickups to be clear, clean, and crisp. They bring the snappiness and twang that is typically associated with Fender’s single coil guitars, but retain the rich power of a humbucker. 

Tonally, Firebird pickups are clear, bright, and defined. They have excellent string separation, meaning one can clearly hear every note within a chord or cluster. They also respond very well to dynamics and distortion, allowing for plenty of nuance from a light touch and overdrive from aggressive picking.

If there's a downside, it's that Firebird pickups are lower output and can sound thin. Many find Firebird pickups to be shrill and treble heavy, which is a large part of the reason that they never caught on to the same degree as PAFs or single coils. 

However, Firebird pickups have their own devoted following, and they’ve been used by countless iconic guitarists over the years. Let’s take a look at some examples of what Firebird pickups can sound like when used in context. 

Firebird Pickup Devotees

There is arguably no one more associated with the Firebird than Johnny Winter. Winter played Firebirds for most of his career and his sound was defined by the unique sound of Firebird pickups.

Johnny Winter's music, is studded with the Firebird’s snap, twang, and full-bodied clarity, and his playing style is perfectly matched with Firebird pickups' sensitivity to dynamics and smooth distortion. This live clip of Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo is a great example of the blues mojo Johnny Winter virtuosically drew from Firebird pickups.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2CQAwF874o

Neil Young never played a Firebird guitar, but Firebird pickups have been a key component of his sound since 1972 when he had one installed in the bridge position of his iconic Les Paul, “Old Black.”

Young has used Old Black on the majority of his recordings, and the voice of the Firebird can be heard anytime he switches to the bridge position. The Firebird pickup Young uses is hotter than most and particularly microphonic, meaning it can pick up sounds other than string vibrations and is prone to feedback. Young uses this to create a sharp and powerful snarling tone that cuts right through the mix and is a perfect fit for his sound and contrasts wonderfully with the sensitivity of his vocals. This live performance of Country Home is a perfect example of the bright, clear, and screeching tone Young gets out of his Firebird pickup. 

https://youtu.be/O3Ax9Z2-OgI

The Firebird Pickup Lives On

The Firebird emerged from Gibson’s attempts to keep-up with Fender, and while the model never matched the Stratocaster's popularity, its sound holds a special place in the annals of rock. For this reason Firebird pickups are still used by players seeking to emulate the classic sound of iconic players. For every guitarist who finds them too humbucker-y or too single-coil-y, there are dozens of others who think that Firebird pickups are just right.