A striking, all-original example of one of Gibson's most distinctive mid-1960s designs, finished in classic Sunburst and equipped with three original P-90 pickups.
The model
The Firebird first appeared in 1963 as Gibson's bold answer to the modern solidbody guitars coming from California. It was designed by Ray Dietrich, a celebrated automobile stylist who had worked for Lincoln, Chrysler and LeBaron before setting up his own coachbuilding firm. Hired by Gibson president Ted McCarty as a consultant, Dietrich brought a car designer's eye to the guitar, and the Firebird's offset, tail-finned silhouette — its body and headstock shaped like an abstracted bird in flight — is the clearest expression of that influence in Gibson's catalogue. It remains one of the few production electrics with a genuine, documented industrial-design authorship behind it.
The original "Reverse" Firebird featured an offset body, neck-through construction, banjo-style tuners and compact Firebird pickups — a radical departure for a company built on the Les Paul. The design never found the commercial footing Gibson hoped for, and in 1965 the range was completely reworked.
The resulting "Non-Reverse" Firebird reversed the body proportions, abandoned neck-through construction for a conventional set neck, and adopted a flat headstock with standard tuners. Although conceived partly to simplify production, the redesign created an instrument with its own visual identity and tonal character. Built from 1965 until the end of the decade, these Non-Reverse models were initially overshadowed by their predecessors but are now recognised as important and highly individual vintage Gibsons.
The Firebird III was especially unusual. Its three-P-90 configuration had not appeared on a Gibson production guitar since the ES-5 era, and it gave the model a broader tonal palette than the simpler Firebird I.
Construction and sound
This 1965 example has a solid mahogany body, a glued-in mahogany neck and an unbound fingerboard with dot position markers. Gibson's traditional 24.75-inch scale gives the guitar a familiar, supple feel, while the offset body remains comfortable and unmistakably Firebird. A short Vibrola tailpiece completes the classic mid-1960s specification.
Originality and condition
This guitar remains all original, including its Sunburst finish, three P-90 pickups, electronics, tuners, bridge, Vibrola and hardware.
The finish displays the depth and character associated with Gibson's period Sunburst, while the guitar retains the coherent look and feel that only an untouched vintage instrument can offer. It is supplied with a recent Gibson hard case, providing secure protection for storage and transport.