Description
Epiphone proudly presents the new Ltd. Ed. Joe Bonamassa “Treasure” Firebird-I Outfit, the fourth Joe Bonamassa signature model in Epiphone’s long friendship with the most critically acclaimed guitarist of our generation. Featuring the ProBucker™ FB720, a one-of-a-kind faithful recreation of the original early 60s Firebird pickup. Plus Kluson®’s superb re-issue of the original Firebird/Banjo style tuners! The “Treasure” Firebird-I comes in two color finishes, Polymist Gold and Tobacco Sunburst and includes a custom hard case (Polymist Gold) or custom gig bag (Tobacco Sunburst) and a Hand-Signed Certificate of Authenticity signed by Joe Bonamassa.
A “Treasured” Vintage Firebird Reborn: The new Epiphone Ltd. Ed. Joe Bonamassa “Treasure” Firebird-I Outfit was closely modeled after Joe’s original 1963 Firebird. Joe worked closely with Epiphone’s legendary luthiers in Nashville, Tennessee to recreate his rare single pickup Firebird that was made in the first year of the guitar’s production at the Epiphone & Gibson factory in Kalamazoo, Michigan. And according to Joe, the new Epiphone “Treasure” Firebird-I far exceeded his expectations. “The guitar is called ‘Treasure’ as it’s based on the ‘63 Firebird that was graciously gifted to me 4 years ago,” said Bonamassa. “We A/B’d the new Epiphone with my two original 63s. The Epi’s play and sound better! Ugh… I just paid $12,000 for one!”
Original Thru-Neck Construction
The new Epiphone Ltd. Ed. Joe Bonamassa “Treasure” Firebird-I Outfit features a Mahogany body with a 9-piece Laminated Mahogany/Walnut neck with a period-correct early 1960s Rounded “C” profile measured after Joe’s original. Epiphone improved on the vintage neck design by including a dual action adjustable truss rod. The Firebird was the first electric guitar to feature “thru-neck” construction along with the iconic Reverse Firebird™ body shape. The neck has a Rosewood fingerboard with a 14” radius, 22 medium jumbo frets, classic “Dot” inlays, and a 24.75” scale length. The “Treasure” Firebird-I comes in two color finishes, a classic Tobacco Sunburst and Polymist Gold exclusive to Joe’s Signature Firebird. The historic-styled white and black-layered pickguard has the classic “Firebird” logo.
Epiphone ProBucker™ FB720
The “Treasure” Firebird-I is powered by the new ProBucker™ FB720 pickup, reconstructed at Epiphone to the original specifications of Gibson Firebird pickups from the mid 60s. Accept no substitutes! The ProBucker™ FB720 has two Alnico II bar magnets used as blades in coils along with a steel reflector plate to achieve the classic Firebird tone of the 60s. Because the DC resistance is around 7.85Kohm, the ProBucker FB720 provides a clean, brighter output with incredible touch sensitivity and a warm low end compared to mini humbuckers, which are used in most Firebird reissues. Controls include Master Volume and Master Tone with Gold “Top Hat” knobs with metal inserts and pointers.
Epiphone All Metal Hardware
The “Treasure” Firebird-I features all-metal hardware including an Adjustable Wrap-around “Lightning Bar bridge and tailpiece and Epiphone’s Heavy-Duty 1/4” output jack. Plus, the “Treasure” comes with Kluson® Reissue Firebird/Banjo Tuners with a 12:1 ratio (14.6:1 winding rate), the best and most accurate reissue of the original Firebird tuners from the early 60s. The Kluson® Reissue Firebird/Banjo Tuners are mounted on a beveled Original FirebirdTM Headstock with a black truss rod cover with the Epiphone logo in gold.
JOE BONAMASSA
Joe Bonamassa (Joseph Leonard) is an American blues rock guitarist, singer and songwriter born in New Hartford, New York. When he was only 12 years old, Bonamassa opened for B.B. King. In the last 13 years Bonamassa has put out 15 solo albums through his independent record label J&R Adventures, of which 11 have reached number 1 on the Billboard Blues charts. Bonamassa has played alongside such artists as Stephen Stills, Eric Clapton, Blondie Chaplin, Foreigner, Buddy Guy, Steve Winwood, Warren Haynes, and Derek Trucks among others. His career highlights include performances at the Royal Albert Hall and a Grammy Award nomination in 2013. In addition to his music career, Joe Bonamassa runs a nonprofit organization called the Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation. The mission is to further music education by funding scholarships and providing music education resources to schools in need.
ABOUT EPIPHONE:
Epiphone is one of American’s oldest and most revered instrument makers. Since 1873, Epiphone has made instruments for every style of popular music and celebrated its 140th anniversary in 2013. The story of Epiphone begins in the mountains of Greece and threads its way to Turkey, across the Atlantic to the immigrant gateway of Ellis Island, and into the nightclubs, recording studios, and coast-to-coast radio broadcasts of Manhattan in the 1920s and 30s. www.epiphone.com
