Gibson gives the insight into the world`s most technologically advanced guitar. It is due to hit the stores on September the 30th.
Gibson raise the bar once more, and proves again that they are still leading the game of innovation and pushing the limits of guitar design and features. An absolute knock-out this time comes in the shape of the Gibson Firebird X, an instrument so advanced that it is almost impossible to see and name all of the enhancements at once.
Gibson Firebird X is crafted around the principal idea of simplicity of use of all the features built in, and offers unprecedented options for sound modeling and manipulation with a minimal disruption from playing. Gibson Firebird X brings changes and improvements everywhere you look. Not only the electronic options, advanced software, presets and on-board effects, but also a radical three-minibucker configured pickup system which contains two separate sub-systems. The first one has one piezo, and the other two regular minibucker pickups. And these systems are easily manipulated and can be combined in many ways.
20 Revolutionary Features
Being a very strong word, "Revolution" must be used with caution and care. And, what Gibson Firebird X brings is one true revolution. The future of the guitar crafting will never be the same again.
Gibson decided to incorporate the effects signal path with the pickup signal, thus reducing the noise to almost zero. With the dynamic range well over 100dB, Gibson Firebird X is a really quiet guitar, even when played with high-gain distortion and compression.
Coils on every pickup can be turned off, on, or reverse polarity. In addition all three can be switched into single coils, as well as the parallel and series mode.
Gibson Firebird X has the option to emulate the sounds of some legendary guitars via pickup coil switching, and over 2000 pickup combinations are available due to numerous options available for each pickup.
Pure Analog Audio Engine is based on, but more advanced than Freescale multi processor used for Pro Tools. It is updateable and replaceable.
Two tog-pot switches serve the purpose of effortless skipping through the sounds, both processed and unprocessed.
The third tog-pot is also there. It allows easy manipulation of the piezo pickup. It can be blended into the sound of regular humbuckers, or used separately. It is designed to sound like Gibson`s J-45 acoustic guitar.
Piezo pickup includes hex outputs (every string can provide a separate output for computer or live performance setup) and that grants totally new sounds to the guitar. "Clean" distortion, synth-like sounds or atmospheric sounds.
Users can develop and add new applications to the Pure Analog Audio Engine, and create, share and download both their own and pre-designed patches.
Gibson Firebird X`s Robo-Tuner`s battery now has a longer life span, it lasts up to two hours of continuous use. When empty, it can be easily replaced by usual camcorder batteries.
Gibson goes even further in wireless technology with new wireless bluetooth footswitches which are included in the package.
The built in software gives some basic effects to work with: dynamic delay, spring reverb, analog chorus/delay and 10 second looper. Distortion is manipulated through McDSP`s Chrome Tone plug-in.
Pedals and footswitches are connected in a way that renders cables unnecessary and also saves energy and gives optimized wireless performance.
Gibson Firebird X comes with a cross-platform with 48k 24bit G-node interface. It gives professional audio-level interfacing and digitally connects the guitar for firmware updates.
Low impedance active output gives the most transparent-sounding audio available among guitar outputs.
Cross platform also features a digital ADAT output. Hex mode, piezo, and magnetics can be transmitted digitally over the light pipe.
Tone control on Gibson Firebird X allows you great tonal options. Turn it fully counter clockwise for a traditional high-end rolloff, and fully to the other side for the full guitar tone. In between there are six more tone options.
Revolutionary gig bag is included. It is designed to survive a six-story fall.
Six color coded sliders allow the customization and switching between settings without the use of footswitches, pedalboards and taking your hands off the guitar.
Live Performance Mode switch allows easy change between all 55 onboard patches. when activated, it locks out all onboard controls so it is impossible to change the sound accidentally. To switch back to live mode push the tone pot twice.
Gibson Firebird X comes with revolutionary Robo-Tuners. This is the fourth generation, and they are smaller, lighter, more durable and faster.
The Guitar
Gibson Firebird X offers great comfort and ease of play. Swamp ash body combined with rock maple neck and curly maple fingerboard make the guitar astonishingly light and provide magnificent tone and sustain. The guitar is weighing in at around six pounds. Special resonant chambers give acoustic-like tones and add sustain. Custom gauge strings are used with e being around "10", and low "E" around "52".
Smooth, cool and sleek loks on a hot guitar make one killer combination. Wood finish, curly maple fingerboard, black inlays, dove-wing headstock and elegant Firebird curves.
Gibson Firebird X has a thin "C" shaped neck with satin finish. Thin and smooth joint combined with deep lower cutaway gives fantastic accessibility to highest frets. Low profile frets have almost zero impact on pitch. 23 frets give full two-octave range with a bend.
The Gibson Firebird X is an active guitar using three minibuckers and an enhanced hexaphonic piezo bridge pickup with an improved low noise and high dynamic-range preamplifier. Each coil is individually controlled in series or parallel, and can be turned on, of, or reversed in polarity. Even the controls on this guitar look classy and smooth.
Robotic tuners featured on the Gibson Frebird X allow even faster tuning changes and much greater comfort and ease of use. Robo-Tuners can also be used manually.
The Engine
Gibson Firebird X is powered up by the latest Freescale multiprocessor. It is user replaceable, user upgradeable and gives numerous sounds and effects. Gibson`s secret ingredient is called Pure-Analog, and provides the player with professional analog sound.
The processor allows the player to quickly change through the effects and settings, even offering the possibility of easy replacement. Due to it`s metal casing, it can easily be built into another guitar, or replaced by a new processor.
Gibson Firebird X is purely analog guitar. To begin with, let`s examine tuning. Unlike the competition, this guitar tunes to very accurate pitches, instead of digital correction. That signal goes to a high quality preamp through shielded cables, metal enclosures and other special manufacturing methods eliminating all external noise and internal distortion. From there, the sound is transmitted to the engine which turns this signal into a digital with almost no latency or truncation errors, thus giving supreme output sound.
Built in effects aim to create unique voice for Gibson Firebird X, without trying to copy and imitate other manufacturer`s effects, or the intention of eliminating the outboard effects.
Built in tube distortion with compressor and eq eliminates the possibillity of tonal variations which can happen when regular tube amp is combined with the rest of the gear.
Goldtone FX allows the manipulation of the distortion sound properties: distortion, compression and eq. All three are real time controllable. Blue slider group controls mod, echo and reverb, and red slider group controls the distortion.
Overdrive level and bite can be controlled through a single three-position toggle switch. By rotating the switch the player can dose the gain and strength of the sound signal.
There are also many more effects that can be utilized and manipulated through the on board effects.
The default modus operandi of the Gibson Firebird X is the patch mode. It works in a very simple way, Gear shift Knob selects the bank of patches, and a five-position switch elects on of the five options. In the default mode these are the only active on board controls. Plus, the footswitches are active all the time.
Another mode is Live Edit Mode, and it is activated by twice pressing the Gear Shift Knob. It will blink several times to signify the change to the Live Edit Mode. Footswitch will also indicate the change. Now, all controls are active. Position of the sliders, pots and switches may not correspond to sound properties, but once moved, they will update the sound to a value selected. To leave, just press the tone control three times in a row. To save voicing, rotate the Gear Shift Knob or the 5 position Patch selector. The last voice is saved automatically and replaces the default voicing. Returning to factory default is conducted through the Patch Play mode by depressing the tone knob thrice.
Piezo can also be blended and dosed by the tog pot 1. Through this pot the player can also enter the tuning mode by selecting the down position of the pot. The last tuning is stored as the default and when activated, Robo-Tuners adjust the pitch to that setting. Tuning is done by strumming the open strings to give the tuners the signal they need. Once the strings are in tune, the piezo blend mode is automatically reactivated and the switch should be moved to the middle position.
Gibson Firebird X can switch to the classical 5 position switch mode by pushing the toggle switch up, and reverted by pushing it back.
There is a flush mounted microphone under the tailpiece to avoid it being covered by the player`s hand and to protect it from the dirt.
Accessories
Gibson Firebird X comes in a structurally reinforced, very good looking, extremely protective case. Software package for the guitar includes Guitar Rig 3 and Gibson Ableton Live. The guitar, foot switches and G-Node use the same batteries. Four batteries in four devices. This guitar pack comes with eight of them.
3rd Party Apps
According to Gibson, the Pure Analog Engine is used at 20% of it`s actual potential, which leaves huge possibilities for future improvements without any hardware changes. They allow 3rd party development, for the Pure Analog Engine has become the new standard in Gibson guitar development and will be used on future models. Gibson will then sell these patches through an online store, similar to Apple`s method.
Check the stunning Firebird X on our details page or on Gibson official web page.
