#gibson firebird

[micktaylored]

MICK TAYLOR photographed with his Gibson Firebird on the set of Top of the Pops, July 3, 1969.

Just a couple of weeks after Mick Taylor had officially replaced original member Brian Jones, The Rolling Stones performed their latest single, Honky Tonk Women, which was their first single to feature Mick Taylor on guitar, set to be released the day after the band filmed their appearance. When this performance aired on July 10th, Honky Tonk Women had already debuted at number nine on the UK Singles Chart and reached number one just two weeks later. This Top of the Pops performance would be lost for decades before a rebroadcasted version of the footage that aired on the Swiss television program Hits a Go-Go resurfaced decades later.

[thepastprotracted]

Young Keith on the Firebird

[bluesrocknrollingstones]

Bent Rej's self portrait with Brian on the Gibson Firebird and Keith backstage in Hamburg, 1965

Michael Cooper's self portrait with Mick on the piano during recording sessions of Between The Buttons at Olympic studio, 1966

From sfae.com and bentrej.com

[ostensiblynone]

Noel Gallagher's 1967 Gibson Firebird III Non-Reverse

Used 1994-1997

featured in the videos of Cigarettes & Alcohol, Whatever and Live Forever (US version)

used during the recording sessions of the Some Might Say single

used during the recording sessions of the (What's the Story) Morning Glory? album

used during the recording sessions of the Be Here Now album

Noel probably acquired the guitar in Summer 1994: its mainstream debut was during the Top of the Pops performance of Rock 'n' Roll Star in September 1994, the band's third appearance on the show. The Firebird then featured in the video of Cigarettes & Alcohol, which had been previously filmed on 26 August 1994. Sometime between September and December 1994, the guitar was modified again: the three P-90 pickups were replaced with two Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates humbuckers. The first appearance of the modded guitar was the Whatever video shoot, on 5 December 1994.

source: [The Chief's Guitars]

So, this one and a number of other guitars famously owned by Noel, first came onto the market in August 1999, with provenance from Noel and Jason Rhodes, at the New King's Road Vintage Guitar Emporium.   Dave Brewis snapped up six of those guitars just 10 days later on 20 August 1999, listing it among the other gems at Rock Stars Guitars.  By today's standards, it was not quick to sell.  So, they also listed it on eBay, which was where I was lucky enough to find it in March 2002.  Sometimes, the slow and unsophisticated early days of the internet are a hidden blessing. The speculation.  When I first plugged this guitar, cranked up the volume, and kicked in the overdrive, the sound from this guitar was the absolute match for (It's Good) To Be Free.  A massive song released as one of the B-side tracks to Whatever, and then later on The Masterplan.  (It's Good) To Be Free was recorded on 7 October 1994, at The Congress House Studio, Austin, Texas - during a two-week break from  Oasis' first multi-city tour of the States.  That would narrow the date down for the change from P90s to these Pearly Gates to late-September/early-October.  And, if I'd just had these pick-ups installed, I couldn't think of a better way to unleash their power than on the overdriven feedback of (It's Good) To Be Free.

source (and the guitar's current owner as of 2025): [God's Own Guitars]

[freeasawildfire]

My babes

[eupat]

[theninjanavigator]

[ghaas]