Help with a Firebird, please and thanks!

[Rick W]

Hi guys,
I was hoping some of you bird experts could help me with this guitar I want to buy. It looks old, but there's some things I just don't understand with this guitar. They are:
Natural finish on front of the headstock (never seen that)?
No serial number?
Leads on pickups are plastic covered, not wire mesh?
Grovers?
Case looks close to an old one but has chrome strip around bottom?
Pots date to 1988?
Bathtub route instead of individual routes (I did see this on a '67)?
Pickups mount to pickguard, like a Strat?
So, whattya think this thing is? Old with replaced pickups and harness, reissue, Burny, Orville? The seller doesn't know anything about it. He's a great guy and I want to pay him fairly, but I don't want to over pay due to the current guitar market. The body crack at the jack concerns me some. Is this a big problem?
I'd mostly appreciate any thoughts on the value because I'd like to buy it.
Thanks in advance for any and all input, comments and opinions!

 

[Tommy Tourbus]

Buy it if it speaks to you, but don't pay a lot for it

 

[troyvod]

i cant get many of the photos to open for some reason. i think it's possibly a burny or a late 60's gibson with a lot of changed parts. The pickups would tell you more. they appear original.

 

[troyvod]

ok i got the pics to open, i haven't played one of these in years, something about the heel doesn't look right to me. Reneck??? Refinish. Headstock break?? Bridge looks weird. pickups and scratch plate look late 60's to me. and the case for that matter. i'm sure someone has more of a clue

 

[Rick W]

Thanks for the replies guys. I thought the pickups look like newer P-90s. The plastic sheathing on the leads, instead wire mesh, looked 80s, like the pots. I can't see it in person so I'm at a loss. Thanks again!

 

[1jamman]

1st. I'll say I'm no expert on FB's, or Vintage guitars,,, But some things stand out to me right away .

The Bridge looks to be non-standard for Gibson . The screw top in the post for the bridge, talks to me as a Japanese type .

The Tuners should be Banjo type , Yes ???? Gibson made these for many years up until 2008 IIRC and were Stock type used . After the Flood at Gibson, the machine that made them was no longer functional. (I had a 2008 FBVII)

The pups are not stock(me thinks) and it's easy to see the solder joints are not Original and not (IMO) well done . Not Gibson quality for sure ....
the 1 Pot 38th week ,1988
when is the guitar supposed to have been made ?? Sorry If I missed that.

Value I couldn't say .

 

[Rick W]

Thanks jamma, and good catch. I never noticed the slotted bridge posts. I have noticed all the other old ones have the bridge with "etched" saddles as opposed to an ABR type bridge. Weird...I have seen mid to late 60s Firebirds with tuners other than banjo type though. Thanks again, I appreciate the help!

 

[VamboRool]

A non-reverse FB III would not have a tune-o-matic bridge, should be a lightning bar bridge (wrap around).

 

[troyvod]

some Firebirds came without banjo tuners, and i had 68 SG that had a very similar case, and didn't SG's by the late 60's have swimming pool routes?

 

[Tommy Tourbus]

non reverse 'birds didn't have banjo tuners

 

[Robin B]

This old bird looks like a late 60s but has seen lots of mods over the years in my opinion