The latest collaboration between Epiphone and the Gibson Custom Shop has produced the Inspired by Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V, an authentic replica of the guitar designed by legendary automotive designer Ray Dietrich. When launched in 1963, the Firebird™ was Gibson’s first neck-through-body model and was played by guitarists across a wide range of genres—including blues legend Johnny Winter, Keith Richards and Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones, and Eric Clapton and Phil Manzanera of Roxy Music, to name a few.

The Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V delivers vintage Firebird features at an accessible price point, such as a 9-ply mahogany and walnut neck-through body with mahogany wings on either side. Kluson® "banjo-style" planetary tuners anchor the strings at the headstock, while an Epiphone ABR-1 bridge and the new Maestro™ Vibrola™—featuring an engraved Epiphone logo—secure them at the other end of the instrument. The electronics are also high-quality, featuring Gibson USA Firebird mini-humbucker™ pickups with Alnico 5 magnets, CTS® potentiometers, Mallory™ capacitors, a 3-way toggle switch, and a Switchcraft® 1/4" output jack—giving this remarkable reproduction not only the look but also the sound of a classic Firebird V. An Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom hardshell case is also included.

Body Type

Firebird

Body Shape

Firebird

Body Material

9-ply mahogany/walnut neck-through

Sides

Solid mahogany wings

Binding

Single-ply cream, on fretboard

Body Finish

Gloss

Profile

1963 Firebird

Scale Length

628.65 mm / 24.75 in

Fretboard Material

Indian Laurel

Fretboard Radius

304.8 mm / 12 in

Neck Material

9-ply mahogany/walnut

Fret Count

22

Frets

Medium Jumbo

Nut Material

Graph Tech

Nut Width

43 mm / 1.692 in

Inlays

Mother-of-pearl trapezoids

Joint

Neck-through-body construction

Finish

Nickel

Bridge

Epiphone ABR

Tailpiece

Maestro Vibrola

Tuning Machines

Kluson “Banjo-style” with planetary gears

Pickguard

3-ply white; hot-stamped red Firebird logo

Truss Rod

Dual-action

Truss Rod Cover

Black with gold Epiphone logo

Control Knobs

Gold with silver reflector (Frost Blue) or black with silver reflector (Ember Red)

Switch Tip

Ivory

Covers Control cover

Black with hot-stamped "Inspired by Gibson Custom" logo

Strap buttons

3 – bottom, shoulder, and neck heel; original Firebird strap button locations

Mounting rings

Nickel-plated

Neck pickup

Gibson USA Firebird Mini-Humbucker with Alnico 5 magnet

Bridge pickup

Gibson USA Firebird Mini-Humbucker with Alnico 5 magnet

Controls

2 volume controls, 2 tone controls; hand-wired with CTS potentiometers and Mallory capacitors

Pickup selector

Switchcraft 3-way switch

Output jack

Switchcraft 1/4”

String gauge

.010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046

Case

Hardshell case