Gibson Acoustic

 Up for auction is this beautiful Gibson Custom Firebird Acoustic Guitar. 
This guitar is from an early run of these highly
collectible limited edition guitars and is serial number #02941087
This is a one owner guitar and has been gently played and carefully stored in a smoke free home.
The guitar is in perfect condition.
The Gibson Firebird Custom was created in memory of the forest fires
that ravaged Montana in 2000.
Gibson Acoustic was spared though the
flames did come close. It is based on the Gibson J-30 model and hand
built in the Montana Custom Shop.

More info:

Gold Grover Rotomatic Tuners
Grover’s original Rotomatic tuners are an engineering marvel, with
abundant style and performance exactly suited for the Firebird Custom.
With a gear ratio of 14:1, the Rotomatics deliver precision tuning in a
durable housing that provides maximum protection for the gear and string
post. All moving parts are cut for exact meshing, eliminating the
possibility of slippage. A countersunk tension screw lets players
regulate the tuning tension to any degree. A special lubricant inside
the gear box provides smooth and accurate tuning stability.

Pickguard
The tortoise pickguard on the Firebird Custom is patterned after the
shape of the pickguard on Gibson’s Hummingbird. As with all Gibson’s
pickguards, the coloring, inlay, binding, and engraving are all done by
hand.

Rosette
A rosette is the beautiful, hand-crafted circle around the soundhole,
and can be one of the most ornamental elements of any acoustic guitar.
It is also one of the most subtle and complicated woodworking
decorations on any acoustic guitar. The rosette on the Firebird Custom
is a double-ring rosette, with the main ring consisting of seven-ply
binding, and the second ring three-ply binding, adding a stylish,
understated elegance to the Firebird Custom.

Custom Designed Firebird Flames Peghead Inlay
The peghead of Gibson Acoustic’s Firebird Custom features a custom
designed, hand crafted Firebird Flames inlay logo made of genuine
abalone and mother of pearl. It is one of the most beautiful peghead
inlays ever put on a Gibson acoustic, and is exclusive to the Firebird
Custom.

Ebony Fingerboard with Rolled Edges and Flame InlaysThe
fingerboard of Gibson’s Firebird Custom is constructed from the highest
grade ebony on earth, which is personally inspected and qualified by
Gibson’s team of skilled experts before it enters the Gibson factories.
The resilience of this durable wood makes the fingerboard extremely
balanced and stable, and gives each chord and note unparalleled clarity
and bite. The Firebird Custom’s exclusive flame inlays are made from
genuine abalone and mother of pearl, and are inserted into the
fingerboard using a process that eliminates gaps and doesn’t require the
use of fillers. The fingerboard also sports a rolled edge—instead of
the usual right angle where the fingerboard surface meets the neck,
Gibson Acoustic’s rolled edges are slightly beveled for an extremely
smooth and comfortable feel, enhancing the playability of the Firebird
Custom.

Tapered Dovetail Neck Joint
The dovetail neck joint is one of the oldest—and best—ways of securely
joining the neck to the body of a guitar. It is also a complex and
expensive neck joint to build, but the result is a tight, locking
connection that supports the neck at the proper neck-pitch angle,
allowing the body and neck to become one solid piece of resonating wood,
with no metal to impede vibration. This process is done entirely by
hand, requiring patience and skill.

Body Tonewoods (back, sides and top)
The body of the Firebird Custom is similar to Gibson’s J-30 dreadnought
design, but with wider, square shoulder accents on the upper bouts. The
top is made from AAA-grade Sitka spruce, while the back and sides are
constructed from AAA-grade quilted Western maple, giving the Firebird
Custom enhanced treble registers and robust bass tones typical of the
dreadnought line. Selecting the right wood, and the formula to dry it
out, are two of the most central procedures to Gibson’s guitar-building
process. Beginning with its first catalog in 1903, Gibson has assured
its customers that every guitar would be built using woods with “the
most durable, elastic, and sonorous qualities,” and today’s guitars from
Gibson Acoustic are no different.

Bracing
Every acoustic guitar made by Gibson features hand-scalloped, radiused
top bracing inside the body, a feature normally found only in limited
run, hand-made guitars. By scalloping each brace by hand, the natural
sound of the acoustic is focused more toward the center of the body,
enhancing the instrument’s sound projection. The Firebird Custom from
Gibson Acoustic features a single “X” bracing pattern similar to the
design used in vintage Gibson J-30s. Combined with the Firebird Custom’s
unique tonewoods, this traditional bracing pattern delivers enhanced
treble registers and robust bass tones typical of the square-shoulder
dreadnought line, producing the warm, rich tones so typical of the
square-shoulder dreadnought line.

Features

Gibson Logo

The Gibson name has graced the most innovative and revolutionary
acoustic guitars of our time—the Super Jumbos, the J-45, the
Hummingbird, the Dove. There is no mistaking the classic,
mother-of-pearl logo, pressed onto the face of the headstock. It
represents more than a century of originality and excellence. There is
simply no equal.

• Gibson Logo

Gold Grover Rotomatic Tuners

Grover’s original Rotomatic tuners are an engineering marvel,
with abundant style and performance exactly suited for the Custom
Firebird. With a gear ratio of 14:1, the Rotomatics deliver precision
tuning in a durable housing that provides maximum protection for the
gear and string post. All moving parts are cut for exact meshing,
eliminating the possibility of slippage. A countersunk tension screw
lets players regulate the tuning tension to any degree. A special
lubricant inside the gear box provides smooth and accurate tuning
stability.

• Gold Grover Rotomatic Tuners

Custom Designed Firebird Flames
Peghead Inlay

The peghead of Gibson Acoustic’s Custom Firebird features a
custom designed, hand crafted Firebird Flames inlay logo made of genuine
abalone and mother of pearl. It is one of the most beautiful peghead
inlays ever put on a Gibson acoustic, and is exclusive to the Custom
Firebird.

• Custom Designed Firebird Flames Peghead
  Inlay

Ebony Fingerboard with Rolled Edges
and Flame Inlays

The fingerboard of Gibson’s Custom Firebird is constructed from
the highest grade ebony on earth, which is personally inspected and
qualified by Gibson’s team of skilled experts before it enters the
Gibson factories. The resilience of this durable wood makes the
fingerboard extremely balanced and stable, and gives each chord and note
unparalleled clarity and bite. The Custom Firebird’s exclusive flame
inlays are made from genuine abalone and mother of pearl, and are
inserted into the fingerboard using a process that eliminates gaps and
doesn’t require the use of fillers. The fingerboard also sports a rolled
edge—instead of the usual right angle where the fingerboard surface
meets the neck, Gibson Acoustic’s rolled edges are slightly beveled for
an extremely smooth and comfortable feel, enhancing the playability of
the Custom Firebird.

• Ebony Fingerboard with Rolled Edges and
  Flame Inlays

Tapered Dovetail Neck Joint

The dovetail neck joint is one of the oldest—and best—ways of
securely joining the neck to the body of a guitar. It is also a complex
and expensive neck joint to build, but the result is a tight, locking
connection that supports the neck at the proper neck-pitch angle,
allowing the body and neck to become one solid piece of resonating wood,
with no metal to impede vibration. This process is done entirely by
hand, requiring patience and skill.

• Tapered Dovetail Neck Joint

Body Tonewoods (back, sides and top)

The body of the Custom Firebird is similar to Gibson’s J-30
dreadnought design, but with wider, square shoulder accents on the upper
bouts. The top is made from AAA-grade Sitka spruce, while the back and
sides are constructed from AAA-grade quilted Western maple, giving the
Custom Firebird enhanced treble registers and robust bass tones typical
of the dreadnought line. Selecting the right wood, and the formula to
dry it out, are two of the most central procedures to Gibson’s
guitar-building process. Beginning with its first catalog in 1903,
Gibson has assured its customers that every guitar would be built using
woods with “the most durable, elastic, and sonorous qualities,” and
today’s guitars from Gibson Acoustic are no different.

• Body Tonewoods (back, sides and top)

Bracing

Every acoustic guitar made by Gibson features hand-scalloped,
radiused top bracing inside the body, a feature normally found only in
limited run, hand-made guitars. By scalloping each brace by hand, the
natural sound of the acoustic is focused more toward the center of the
body, enhancing the instrument’s sound projection. The Custom Firebird
from Gibson Acoustic features a single “X” bracing pattern similar to
the design used in vintage Gibson J-30s. Combined with the Custom
Firebird’s unique tonewoods, this traditional bracing pattern delivers
enhanced treble registers and robust bass tones typical of the
square-shoulder dreadnought line, producing the warm, rich tones so
typical of the square-shoulder dreadnought line.

• Bracing

Pickguard

The tortoise pickguard on the Custom Firebird is patterned after
the shape of the pickguard on Gibson’s Hummingbird. As with all Gibson’s
pickguards, the coloring, inlay, binding, and engraving are all done by
hand.

• Pickguard

Rosette

A rosette is the beautiful, hand-crafted circle around the
soundhole, and can be one of the most ornamental elements of any
acoustic guitar. It is also one of the most subtle and complicated
woodworking decorations on any acoustic guitar. The rosette on the
Custom Firebird is a double-ring rosette, with the main ring consisting
of seven-ply binding, and the second ring three-ply binding, adding a
stylish, understated elegance to the Custom Firebird.

• Rosette

Radius Top

The top of many “flat-top” guitars are under a lot of stress from
the pull of the strings, which can eventually compromise the top. So,
while most acoustic guitars are true “flat-top” guitars, all of the
acoustics produced by Gibson in Bozeman, Montana have a radiused, or
“tuned” top. Instead of being perfectly flat, a radiused or “tuned” top
is raised slightly, and a special instrument is used to shape the top
braces to the radius of the top. This process adds tension and
strengthens the top, creating a less stressful joint where the top meets
the sides and reducing the stresses of string pull. It also results in a
“speaker cone” effect that maximizes sound projection, adding a
significant boost to mid-range levels for a more balanced acoustic tone.

• Radius Top

Nitrocellulose Finish

Applying a nitrocellulose finish to any Gibson acoustic guitar —
including the Firebird Custom — is one of the most labor-intensive
elements of the guitar-making process. Unlike the polyurethane finishes
used by many guitar manufacturers, a nitrocellulose lacquer finish is
porous when cured, allowing the wood to naturally “breathe” and mature.
Microscopically thin, the finish on a Gibson acoustic guitar first
requires seven main coats of nitrocellulose lacquer. After drying
overnight, the initial seven coats are then level sanded and given two
additional coats. Left to dry for five additional days, the finish is
then wet sanded and buffed to its final glass-like sheen. The
time-consuming nature of applying a nitro finish has been employed ever
since the first Gibson guitar was swathed with lacquer back in 1894.
Why? For starters, a nitro finish means there is less interference with
the natural vibration of the instrument, allowing for a purer tone. It’s
also a softer finish, making it easily repairable. You can touch up a
scratch or ding on a nitro finish, but you can’t do the same on a poly
finish.

• Nitrocellulose Finish

Body Binding

In general, a guitar’s binding serves as a cosmetic feature,
adding a subtle elegance to any Gibson acoustic while hiding the joints
between the top, back, and sides, and helping to protect the guitar’s
body from any nicks or dings. But to see the process of putting the
binding on a Gibson acoustic is to really appreciate the effort and
attention put into each instrument. After the body has been glued
together, the excess from the top and back are trimmed off and a groove
is cut for the binding. The binding is then glued on and held on to the
body using tape, and hung to dry. When the tape comes off, any excess
glue is removed and the body is moved into the next phase of production.
It has been done the same way for over 100 years, and is a fundamental
part of Gibson Acoustic’s rich guitar-making history.

• Body Binding

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Thanks for looking.