That's beuitiful..I'm in the market for a les paul shaped guitar . I dig the Tobacco look it is cooler.. these are in my pricerange.. I have a jay turser sg clone and I realy want a lp. Bad. Its beautiful..I debt shop online but might have to try and get one..if you sell that I would be honored to own it and would keep it for life.. great vidio brother
Yes please continue with another video or two on getting this guitar up to par. I have the same guitar and may follow your lead based on what you do and how it goes. Great video by the way!
I have an FFLPS MG3 version coming Tuesday in Grey burst. The three pickups will be interesting. I've played a Dean configured with 3 and I liked it. Hopefully this one plays well. Great video Friend!
I'd like to see more Steve. I bought 2 of these for my grandsons and had o do some set up on both. No surprise there. On one, I changed out the pots to CTS and rewired it like a '59 because the PUPs sounded dark and muddy. That really cleared them up and my grandson was pleased. After my work on them, including lowering the action at the nut to proper specs, they both play really well.
@@joeking433 I don't think that the pots had much effect on the tone except the new pots had a steady taper which made them easier to set. I changed them out for that reason, as well as the caps. But the tone was a bit brighter after changing the wiring pattern to 50's style. You can see an explanation of this at Thomann's Guitars and Basses CZcams site. I also found the factory wiring on the Firefly LP a bit strange. I suppose it was their version of "modern" wiring, but It confounded me some.
💪😎👍 Bought eight Fireflies in two weeks & they're all golden! Some new, some used - four Les Pauls, three Flying V's and a crazy taxi yellow SG with triple hamburgers! OMG do I love these guitars, man! Probably the best of the bunch is Mrs. Butterworth... 🥞 spalted maple Les Paul -- I almost spalted when I saw it!! Tied for tops is cherry trans lacquer V with bat inlays (different stages of flight down the fretboard! 🦇). GREAT!!!
I love this thing, I’m going to upgrade the bridge and nut, tuners later, but the frets were really good for that price, had to lower one half of one fret and lower the nut slots, but no major structural problems and it looks like a beauty
Nice video Steve My 338 is very nice. Tweaked setup was all that was needed. Some complained about noise with bridge. Mine was fine but put roller style bridge on anyway. Tuners are okay but will probably change out in the future. Total investment $205 and 20 min of my time. Really a nice guitar! FFLP is also very nice. I had 1 high fret wasn't fully seated, 2 taps and hasn't moved since. Great fretwork and great neck. Pretty well intonated and playable out of box. Tuners feel better on this one. Jack socket maybe a touch loose. I prefer the feel and sound and playability of FF over the Epi Standard. Isn't your blue burst LP as good as this one Now that you have repaired set up correctly? Don't sand that neck down! Do you have them set up about the same? Both of them should be great players now.
Thanks Brad! The blue one is very good. I still need to perfect the nut on it and I would like a more solid solution to that shim issue in the studs. They are pretty different feeling les pauls for sure. May be that I am a sucker for double binding
I'm interested in the 338....so will check back demo's Beautiful guitar albeit a little bright sounding on the clean tone Great candidate for an Emerson harness upgrade Pick ups too Yes not a warm guitar...very spikey and harsh Electronics upgrade and you've got a winner
I just got a FFLP Elite (3 Humbuckers) and had it gone over by Sunland Guitars in Daytona Beach. They were VERY impressed with it straight outta the box. Very minor tweaks needed. I LOVE it! Crazy good for $220 delivered. Next is a 5 position switch.
Love the color, I have a honey colored one with ivory colored tuners. It came out great. I had a little buzzing around the same place, raised the bridge a smudge and it stopped buzzing. But, I love the color of yours. I'd buy another if that came out again.
Thanks Tracy! I am too much of a nit picker to settle for raising the bridge 🤣😅 i have to go all in and fix every issue or else I dont sleep. This ones shaping up great!
One of the more enjoyable reviews...while have seen these brand guitars on Guitar Max and Phil Knights channel...etc, after watching this I would actually buy this guitar.
@@SteveSterlacci I know that feeling. As someone who has had 3 monetized channels, it ain't easy if you aren't already famous. You have a great quality product from the 3 videos that I watched...but are in a competitive market. All great things take time but this channel shows promise.
I love that tobbacco burst Les paul I want one sooo BAD. I bought a blueberry purple burst. Its pretty nice I think I have not got it yet its still shipping just ordered it the other day. I hope these are as nice as Harley Benten guitars are.
Jin-Ho tuners are made in Korea. I've got Jin-Ho tuners on an Epiphone Les Paul Standard, it came stock like that. I'm a huge fan of Grover, personally they're my favorite type of tuners and have them on three of my guitars, but these Jin-Ho hold their own and may be even better!
I love Firefly guitars. I have a sky blue color that is gorgeous. Of course played against my Gibson's, the pickups are a bit weaker. But alone, a pretty solid guitar.
I bought the Desertburst FFLP for $189...as a former pro guitar tech it took quite a bit to make it really playable and I'm still wanting to swap PUs...leveled the frets ( one at 14 was really high) intonation was not even close, new locking tuners, truss adjustment, sanded the back of the neck ( the gloss finish sucks), removed the covers on the pickups ( messy with all the wax!), new strings, knobs, removed the poker chip as well...not loving the PUs but they're ok, but the neck was not flush with the body in the pocket...Firefly, when I pointed out the flaws and actually sent pictures of the neck and buffing wheel burns (minor) and small scratches, they gave me a credit ( small) towards a future 338 purchase ( because of your review, I'll give it a try) For the money, it really is astounding what you get, but as you say, beware...it IS a $189 electric guitar...thanks
You should check out my blueberry video! I had almost the same experience, only worse 🤣😅. And i got no reply! But did my first level crown polish so i chalked it up to a learning experience
BacKlineguy .. I had a bad experience also. It had a really large crack on the binding on the side of the neck and was missing gold paint on the top of the guitar. I emailed a complaint and they offered me less than $20 credit.
@@oelandc I guess I was 'lucky'...they issued me a $22 credit...in an effort to find a quality LP copy for significantly less than an actual LP, I bought a Sire L7 Gold top...it's great!
@@SteveSterlacci Perhaps the "heavily waxed underneath" of the pickup indicates that they didn't wax pot it properly. Maybe the wax was too hot, and settled on the bottom instead of coating the entire pickup. Just a thought. Looking forward to Part 2. Thanks
@@SteveSterlacci love that grain on cobra. Very unique. I have an ice tea 338 I bought back when I first heard of firefly Was impressed at quality for the $. Saw the lizard burst lp later on. Every time I went to look at gg they were sold out till finally lucked up one day and snagged one. Then local guy had one for sale that was dark burst and picked it up. Luckily I’ve been super blessed to have no major issues on the ones I have That could change on my next purchase but crossing fingers. Hoping to find an elite lp and pick one of them up Thanks for sharing your review.
Price change update: I bought the Cobra Burst FFLPS last week, and the price is now $219.00 at Guitar Garden. I agree with you, it looks a lot more like a Tobacco Burst and that suits me fine! 😀 I haven't received the guitar yet, but I'm hoping to get a sweet one!
If you pull out the pickups you can see the real veneer and just how thick it is, never seen a paper print on their guitars. I don’t know if the tuners are true Jin ho tuners by Wilkinson, they usually feel less quality then true Jin ho tuners, at least on the 338’s. I upgraded to true Jin ho locking tuners and there’s a huge difference. I will say they have been getting better with the fret work. The past two firefly’s I had needed a full fret level and dressing on the ends because they were pretty sharp and had about 3 raised frets. Picked up a cobra burst 338 recently that was $50 more and the frets were great. Still needed the fret ends backed off a bit but they are listening to their reviews and making adjustments within the price range. My onl real complaint is the plastic look of the lacquer but I’m gonna attempt a dulling process on my personal one.
This guitar has soul just the way it is. I'd leave the pickups, for a while at least. You might learn to live with or even like the microphonics. Sounds great really.
Do a review on the new firefly flying v with thier new rounded fret ends the model is FFFV THANKS!! want to see what you think because im thinking about buying one.
I can tell there is a cosmetic difference between the Classic and Elite versions. I would like to know if there is better quality and setup with the Elite.
Seems to be about the same IMO. Mileage varies with these for sure. One classic was a dog, the one i just posted is probably the best sounding one ive got
These are hard to get shipped to europe. Guitars garden do not ship to europe and amazon dosn’t seem to sell them anymore. To bad, i’d like to try one.
These are mass produced as far as body and finish. I believe you get a gem or a worst one depending on the person who fret and file, cut the nut, and adjust the truss rod and even up to applying the hardware. There are many videos out there on Firefly with many different opinions on quality of the hardware. But to me buying these are knowing you'll be upgrading at a 189.00 price.
@@SteveSterlacci if this guitar is that bad, consider cutting open. I’d like to see a video of the neck joint, how many pieces of wood make up the body, is it really a maple cap, veneer, or photo, is it really mahogany or even wood? I hate to see any guitar destroyed, but I’ve been watching Driftwood Guitars, and they have the acoustic guitar breakdown videos that are very informative. Keep us informed.
If you put the G string on backwards does the nut still slip? :D You got me laughing with that one. I had to go back 10 seconds just to make sure I heard it right :D
I bought a firefly lp guitar. Used several months ago. From a young dude that very rarely used it. For $130. Love it. Built well. Wont sell mine 👍💪💯🎸🎸. Play that country music white boy. 😂😂. Peace Bro 😎👌👌
Wax potting will stop the microphonics. It may be accepted that these Firefly have some baked-in issues and are a good platform for a "project guitar" but at the same time, if you can spare the expense of a pair of humbuckers, why not spend a Saturday afternoon making the stock pickups better? Wax potting how-to's are easily found. Anyway, I just got my 338 and am assessing what I need & want to do with it. It's so far gone way beyond my expectations!
The way that any builders make successful budget guitars like this is speed. they have to make them very quickly. you can only skimp so much from materials and electronics. the real savings is made in manufacturing time. also, don't look for the best metal plating on your hardware and such...but it's like they have created their own class with this quality level and pricing. I don't think it can be done without some hard work, and skilled dedicated workers. if it rivals an Epiphone then that's a problem...for Epiphone.
Obviously buyer beware here because you're not getting to test it before purchasing... however, I ordered a black beauty triple pup and it hasn't disappointed. Got lucky. All the electronics work, no damage, and it just sounds phenomenal. Microphonic pups which, actually sound really good. If you're looking for something to work on or mod, try these out. For the price, can't beat it.
I'm pretty sure no one deals with the frets. They just press them in and cut them off. Get a fret leveling bar and some sandpaper or even just a spot leveler to do individual frets.
Id probably buy one if they made a white Randy Rhoads replica of the Les Paul Randy played, you would think they would be smart enough to make one but i don't think they realize how good it would probably sell, just my opinion of course but i really do think they would sell a lot of them and if they had an issue with using Randys name then they could either not use his name or ask them if it would be ok.
I bought one too-and I DO HATE IT. Right out of the box the electronics didn’t work, the nut was cut waaaay too deep, the bridge was junk, and there was a crack in the finish (hopefully it was only in the finish!) near the neck heel. I wanted to love it, but nope, mine was a COMPLETE DUD.
I just ordered one of these from their website. A majority of the reviews have been really positive but as repair shop owner, I understand the risk ordering anything from China. Every once in a while you're going to get a "dud". Fingers crossed I get one as nice as this one.
Just a follow up for any viewers thinking about ordering one. I got my Firefly LP in September 2021 in the "Lizard Burst" color scheme and I'm happy with it. Minor issues included some slight fret buzz and the plastic tip on the end of the selector toggle was missing. Otherwise, it's pretty solid and plays as good or better than you can expect from a $200 guitar. I also noticed the grooves in the nut didn't quite look deep enough but on further inspection, it looks almost like they use some sort of coating on the nut that renders the grooves more shallow. It's really a nice guitar for a beginner or intermediate player trying to get some Les Paul sound without dropping $600 or more for an Epiphone model.
I don't get it dude; You are about the 3rd reviewer that said they wanted to hate their Firefly guitar. I'm not counting the other low dollar $$$ brands, Other channels said the same about. Why the perceived hate? Why not just go in with an open mind? It makes people wonder if you can be objective in your opinion. Just Say'in. Not trying to be a jerk or troll you. Just wondering why the hate? Peace Out and thanks for the review.
All good Randy! Its the same reason you only hear bad news on TV. Unfortunately, negativity sells better than positivity. So I flipped it on itself, making it seem negative, when its really a positive review. I use this theme for a few of my videos and they're also my most successful
I just ordered to LP gold top models with P-90 pickups from Guitars Garden, and they're coming this Friday. One has two pick ups and the other has THREE. I bought two SG models around Easter, and I love 'em to death, so I'm expecting great things from the LPs. Get 'em while you can, because they sell out fast. And fuck the ass hat who's selling his SG custom on Reverb for $400.00 (U.S.) Last time I went to Guitars Garden, they still had 'em in stock for about $200.00 so don't get ripped off! Buy directly from GG if it's in stock, and if it isn't BE PATIENT. They WIIL restock, but it does take a while.
Yeah I have the black beauty triple pup and it hasn't disappointed. Guitars garden is the place to order from. For the price, can not beat it. Who knows where these guitars will be years from now, regarding durability and tenure, but if they do stand the test of time, they could always go up in price. If you're paying more then 200 now, you're paying too much. Great guitars.
@@SteveSterlacci the dragonfire vintage buckers are great sounding paf style pups. I took the 490 498 pups out and put those vintage buckers in a mid 90s lp
hi sir i would like to ask for help name kupo is meljohn p deita from iloilo city philipines i really dream of having a guitar just in case we don't have the money to buy it because it's hard for us even if it's cheap musician soom, in case we don't have money to buy, please notice my comment, thank you
A little "inside baseball", if you will. Those classic tones that we all drool over, all came from microphonic, unbalanced, sloppy made at the cheapest cost possible, pickups. And many of the overpriced, boutique, pickups today, try to recreate that "oh God, I'm hungover and I get paid to make pickups by the bucket." process. Albeit on a consistent level. So it sounds like Firefly got it right on that account.
Makes sense! But hand made vs a factory made with crappy wires and materials of today is a diff story i think. Their worst and cheaper components are probably top of the line by todays standards
@@SteveSterlacci You'd be amazed...or disgusted.... Most of the time they'd use whatever was available. The larger companies could order in bulk, so they tended to get a more consistent components. "Tended", I say. In a pinch, they'd use whatever was close enough. Most of the components today are more consistent and durable. They're also wound to much greater tolerances. But in there also lies the problem. Consistency, is by _definition_ , mediocre. Pickups today are often wound too tight with too much uniformity in the coils. Then they tend to be massively over waxed. This takes away the rich harmonics and the dynamics as you play. So there's the tradeoff. But factory consistent and get a "good" pickup, everytime. Or find that one in a million sounding pickup through time consuming trial and error. The third option is to pay for a boutique pickup that offers you a sloppily made, yet consistent, pickup for premium money (only to find out that it may not sound that good in _your_ rig.). Trial and error. That's what it comes down to.
No, no, no, no, no... "Cobra-burst" is slang for "BROWN burst". What you're holding either has a tremendous amount of light on it or was made with a DECIDEDLY different color than their current "Cobra-burst" series, which more closely resembles the same type of finish on the ESP LTD EC-256 series - and they're BOTH nasty as f*ck and HIGHLY unattractive! A TRUE "Tobacco-bust" features more of an orange-ish prominence, not these grotesque colors.
These are very rare and hardly ever in stock, but I get them from www.GuitarsGarden.com and I am in no way affiliated with the brand.
That's beuitiful..I'm in the market for a les paul shaped guitar . I dig the Tobacco look it is cooler.. these are in my pricerange.. I have a jay turser sg clone and I realy want a lp. Bad. Its beautiful..I debt shop online but might have to try and get one..if you sell that I would be honored to own it and would keep it for life.. great vidio brother
¯\_ʘ‿ʘ_/¯ I have a Blueberry Burst 🎸
Me too!
Just got one from them in smoky finish great service and fast delivery.
@@j-capz1856 glad you got one!
Awesome Helix shirt and just purchased the transparent orange version. Can’t wait to receive and check it out
Yes please continue with another video or two on getting this guitar up to par. I have the same guitar and may follow your lead based on what you do and how it goes. Great video by the way!
Thanks for watching Rich! I am excited to get this one rolling
I have an FFLPS MG3 version coming Tuesday in Grey burst. The three pickups will be interesting. I've played a Dean configured with 3 and I liked it. Hopefully this one plays well. Great video Friend!
Yes, please, part II!
I'd like to see more Steve. I bought 2 of these for my grandsons and had o do some set up on both. No surprise there. On one, I changed out the pots to CTS and rewired it like a '59 because the PUPs sounded dark and muddy. That really cleared them up and my grandson was pleased. After my work on them, including lowering the action at the nut to proper specs, they both play really well.
Very nice! I have 2 other demos on the channel of the others I have before modifications. They are a great first and even intermediate guitar
You changed the pots to change the sound? Really? Never heard of that having any effect.
@@joeking433 I don't think that the pots had much effect on the tone except the new pots had a steady taper which made them easier to set. I changed them out for that reason, as well as the caps. But the tone was a bit brighter after changing the wiring pattern to 50's style. You can see an explanation of this at Thomann's Guitars and Basses CZcams site. I also found the factory wiring on the Firefly LP a bit strange. I suppose it was their version of "modern" wiring, but It confounded me some.
💪😎👍 Bought eight Fireflies in two weeks
& they're all golden! Some new, some used -
four Les Pauls, three Flying V's and a crazy
taxi yellow SG with triple hamburgers! OMG
do I love these guitars, man! Probably the
best of the bunch is Mrs. Butterworth... 🥞
spalted maple Les Paul -- I almost spalted
when I saw it!! Tied for tops is cherry trans
lacquer V with bat inlays (different stages
of flight down the fretboard! 🦇). GREAT!!!
Sounds good..I want one now
I love this thing, I’m going to upgrade the bridge and nut, tuners later, but the frets were really good for that price, had to lower one half of one fret and lower the nut slots, but no major structural problems and it looks like a beauty
Glad you got a good one too!!
Yes, I want to go on that ride to the gig!
Its pretty good!!
12:46 Dog was like, “c’mon man, I’m trying to take a nap here”. Way to establish yourself as the alpha Steve! 😂
This is MY dojo pupper!
lol He's wearing headphones, but funny comment!
Nice video Steve
My 338 is very nice. Tweaked setup was all that was needed. Some complained about noise with bridge. Mine was fine but put roller style bridge on anyway. Tuners are okay but will probably change out in the future. Total investment $205 and 20 min of my time. Really a nice guitar!
FFLP is also very nice. I had 1 high fret wasn't fully seated, 2 taps and hasn't moved since. Great fretwork and great neck. Pretty well intonated and playable out of box. Tuners feel better on this one. Jack socket maybe a touch loose. I prefer the feel and sound and playability of FF over the Epi Standard.
Isn't your blue burst LP as good as this one Now that you have repaired set up correctly? Don't sand that neck down! Do you have them set up about the same? Both of them should be great players now.
Thanks Brad! The blue one is very good. I still need to perfect the nut on it and I would like a more solid solution to that shim issue in the studs. They are pretty different feeling les pauls for sure. May be that I am a sucker for double binding
I'm interested in the 338....so will check back demo's Beautiful guitar albeit a little bright sounding on the clean tone Great candidate for an Emerson harness upgrade Pick ups too Yes not a warm guitar...very spikey and harsh Electronics upgrade and you've got a winner
*Cobra Burst, Cobra Burst, Cobra Kai!!*
Awesome guitar brother, smooth looking finish. Greetings.
I just got a FFLP Elite (3 Humbuckers) and had it gone over by Sunland Guitars in Daytona Beach. They were VERY impressed with it straight outta the box. Very minor tweaks needed. I LOVE it! Crazy good for $220 delivered. Next is a 5 position switch.
Nice! Glad you got a good one
Love the color, I have a honey colored one with ivory colored tuners. It came out great. I had a little buzzing around the same place, raised the bridge a smudge and it stopped buzzing. But, I love the color of yours. I'd buy another if that came out again.
Thanks Tracy! I am too much of a nit picker to settle for raising the bridge 🤣😅 i have to go all in and fix every issue or else I dont sleep. This ones shaping up great!
It’s available now
Part 2, yes!
It will be done!
One of the more enjoyable reviews...while have seen these brand guitars on Guitar Max and Phil Knights channel...etc, after watching this I would actually buy this guitar.
Thanks man! Means a lot. Wish I got as many views as theirs tho! Lol
@@SteveSterlacci I know that feeling. As someone who has had 3 monetized channels, it ain't easy if you aren't already famous. You have a great quality product from the 3 videos that I watched...but are in a competitive market. All great things take time but this channel shows promise.
I got the 338 last month. I got a gem. All I did was wax pot the pickups to eliminate the annoying squeal and I was golden.
Nice !! Glad you got a good one too. I love mine
I love that tobbacco burst Les paul I want one sooo BAD. I bought a blueberry purple burst. Its pretty nice I think I have not got it yet its still shipping just ordered it the other day. I hope these are as nice as Harley Benten guitars are.
Jin-Ho tuners are made in Korea. I've got Jin-Ho tuners on an Epiphone Les Paul Standard, it came stock like that. I'm a huge fan of Grover, personally they're my favorite type of tuners and have them on three of my guitars, but these Jin-Ho hold their own and may be even better!
Steve I think the Firefly is a good learning Guitar, What was great that your hat was on backwards the whole video (you had no idea).
I was wondering why there was sun in my eyes!
I love Firefly guitars. I have a sky blue color that is gorgeous. Of course played against my Gibson's, the pickups are a bit weaker. But alone, a pretty solid guitar.
I LOVE IT !
Its a great guitar!
I bought the Desertburst FFLP for $189...as a former pro guitar tech it took quite a bit to make it really playable and I'm still wanting to swap PUs...leveled the frets ( one at 14 was really high) intonation was not even close, new locking tuners, truss adjustment, sanded the back of the neck ( the gloss finish sucks), removed the covers on the pickups ( messy with all the wax!), new strings, knobs, removed the poker chip as well...not loving the PUs but they're ok, but the neck was not flush with the body in the pocket...Firefly, when I pointed out the flaws and actually sent pictures of the neck and buffing wheel burns (minor) and small scratches, they gave me a credit ( small) towards a future 338 purchase ( because of your review, I'll give it a try)
For the money, it really is astounding what you get, but as you say, beware...it IS a $189 electric guitar...thanks
You should check out my blueberry video! I had almost the same experience, only worse 🤣😅. And i got no reply! But did my first level crown polish so i chalked it up to a learning experience
BacKlineguy .. I had a bad experience also. It had a really large crack on the binding on the side of the neck and was missing gold paint on the top of the guitar. I emailed a complaint and they offered me less than $20 credit.
@@oelandc I guess I was 'lucky'...they issued me a $22 credit...in an effort to find a quality LP copy for significantly less than an actual LP, I bought a Sire L7 Gold top...it's great!
Dude I like that shirt 😂
That guitar is sick. I’ve wanted to try a Duesenberg guitar for a long time, but they aren’t super cheap..
Just bought one today. Hope it's a gem
Me too! Good luck!
I got an Elite and was choking out as well. Put on a new set of strings and the problem went away!
Pretty nice guitar, Part 2 yes. I'd suggest a little fret work, and a demo how you can just wax pot the pickups yourself at home.
They are heavily waxed underneath. I think its that theres a gap or something that makes the covers microphonic. Definitely gonna work on it
@@SteveSterlacci Perhaps the "heavily waxed underneath" of the pickup indicates that they didn't wax pot it properly. Maybe the wax was too hot, and settled on the bottom instead of coating the entire pickup. Just a thought. Looking forward to Part 2. Thanks
that top is gorgeous
Steve...I'm just discovering Firefly guitars now. The blueberry guitar - did you get the one with the 3 pickups? Thx.
Hey Greg! Ive got a whole vid on it. 2 pickups
In-depth would be beneficial to me man. Thank you.
Gonna work on it!
Thank you brother🎸👍🎶
Have three fireflys. Love them.
I love mine after the work. My 338 is outstanding and a pro level guitar. This cobra isnt far behind! My blueberry classic had major issues
@@SteveSterlacci love that grain on cobra. Very unique. I have an ice tea 338 I bought back when I first heard of firefly Was impressed at quality for the $. Saw the lizard burst lp later on. Every time I went to look at gg they were sold out till finally lucked up one day and snagged one. Then local guy had one for sale that was dark burst and picked it up. Luckily I’ve been super blessed to have no major issues on the ones I have That could change on my next purchase but crossing fingers. Hoping to find an elite lp and pick one of them up Thanks for sharing your review.
Local ones upcharge, but at least you can try before you buy is definitely worth it! Thank you for watching
Price change update: I bought the Cobra Burst FFLPS last week, and the price is now $219.00 at Guitar Garden. I agree with you, it looks a lot more like a Tobacco Burst and that suits me fine! 😀 I haven't received the guitar yet, but I'm hoping to get a sweet one!
If you pull out the pickups you can see the real veneer and just how thick it is, never seen a paper print on their guitars. I don’t know if the tuners are true Jin ho tuners by Wilkinson, they usually feel less quality then true Jin ho tuners, at least on the 338’s. I upgraded to true Jin ho locking tuners and there’s a huge difference. I will say they have been getting better with the fret work. The past two firefly’s I had needed a full fret level and dressing on the ends because they were pretty sharp and had about 3 raised frets. Picked up a cobra burst 338 recently that was $50 more and the frets were great. Still needed the fret ends backed off a bit but they are listening to their reviews and making adjustments within the price range. My onl real complaint is the plastic look of the lacquer but I’m gonna attempt a dulling process on my personal one.
Let me know how the dulling goes cause I would like to do the same!
This guitar has soul just the way it is. I'd leave the pickups, for a while at least. You might learn to live with or even like the microphonics. Sounds great really.
Do a review on the new firefly flying v with thier new rounded fret ends the model is FFFV THANKS!! want to see what you think because im thinking about buying one.
If they send one, definitely! I dont think I would personally buy a V 😅
I can tell there is a cosmetic difference between the Classic and Elite versions. I would like to know if there is better quality and setup with the Elite.
Seems to be about the same IMO. Mileage varies with these for sure. One classic was a dog, the one i just posted is probably the best sounding one ive got
These are hard to get shipped to europe. Guitars garden do not ship to europe and amazon dosn’t seem to sell them anymore. To bad, i’d like to try one.
Thanks..
Thanks for watching!
Jin Ho makes Shecters quality locking tuners 👍
These are mass produced as far as body and finish. I believe you get a gem or a worst one depending on the person who fret and file, cut the nut, and adjust the truss rod and even up to applying the hardware. There are many videos out there on Firefly with many different opinions on quality of the hardware. But to me buying these are knowing you'll be upgrading at a 189.00 price.
That was my thought process!
Please do another episode on this guitar.
Planning on it!
@@SteveSterlacci if this guitar is that bad, consider cutting open. I’d like to see a video of the neck joint, how many pieces of wood make up the body, is it really a maple cap, veneer, or photo, is it really mahogany or even wood? I hate to see any guitar destroyed, but I’ve been watching Driftwood Guitars, and they have the acoustic guitar breakdown videos that are very informative.
Keep us informed.
If you put the G string on backwards does the nut still slip? :D You got me laughing with that one. I had to go back 10 seconds just to make sure I heard it right :D
🤣😅 snuck that one in there. Good catch 😉
There have been some tails that had "flashing" in the holes, clean them out with a drill bit.
Will definitely check it out when I do some work on it
i had the same exact experience of the guitar...what did you do to correct the nut height?
I bought Music Nomad nut files and did it myself. Took about 30 minutes
I just bought one!
Hope you like it!
I bought a firefly lp guitar. Used several months ago. From a young dude that very rarely used it. For $130. Love it. Built well. Wont sell mine 👍💪💯🎸🎸. Play that country music white boy. 😂😂. Peace Bro 😎👌👌
Nice!!!
Wax potting will stop the microphonics. It may be accepted that these Firefly have some baked-in issues and are a good platform for a "project guitar" but at the same time, if you can spare the expense of a pair of humbuckers, why not spend a Saturday afternoon making the stock pickups better? Wax potting how-to's are easily found. Anyway, I just got my 338 and am assessing what I need & want to do with it. It's so far gone way beyond my expectations!
Check out my follow up of this vid where I upgrade it. Its gone on to be a favorite in the arsenal
The way that any builders make successful budget guitars like this is speed. they have to make them very quickly. you can only skimp so much from materials and electronics. the real savings is made in manufacturing time. also, don't look for the best metal plating on your hardware and such...but it's like they have created their own class with this quality level and pricing. I don't think it can be done without some hard work, and skilled dedicated workers. if it rivals an Epiphone then that's a problem...for Epiphone.
Obviously buyer beware here because you're not getting to test it before purchasing... however, I ordered a black beauty triple pup and it hasn't disappointed. Got lucky. All the electronics work, no damage, and it just sounds phenomenal. Microphonic pups which, actually sound really good. If you're looking for something to work on or mod, try these out. For the price, can't beat it.
I'm pretty sure no one deals with the frets. They just press them in and cut them off. Get a fret leveling bar and some sandpaper or even just a spot leveler to do individual frets.
Thats the best way to go about it!
what are you using for your effects multiple pedals?
All tones are the Line 6 Helix with various built in fx
The red "BAT" is the one that's rare but these are hard to get.
Well, Bat is offered as a limited edition. These sell out instantly every time
Id probably buy one if they made a white Randy Rhoads replica of the Les Paul Randy played, you would think they would be smart enough to make one but i don't think they realize how good it would probably sell, just my opinion of course but i really do think they would sell a lot of them and if they had an issue with using Randys name then they could either not use his name or ask them if it would be ok.
I bought one too-and I DO HATE IT. Right out of the box the electronics didn’t work, the nut was cut waaaay too deep, the bridge was junk, and there was a crack in the finish (hopefully it was only in the finish!) near the neck heel. I wanted to love it, but nope, mine was a COMPLETE DUD.
Did they give you a refund? Because I am consider of ordering one but I’m scared of that happening to me too
It's always the second fret from the body, high on the low side.its gotta be machine done, and just a little off.
Ive had different spots on 3 of the 4 I have. 1 was perfect though
Just got the T style, it's perfect except for intonation, ill deal.with that today, I just keep playing it, it's that much fun.
I want to see you play it at a gig that would be nice. Put some real Gibson pups in it.
All double pickup Les Paul copies are sold out at GG now.
They come and go daily. I think it has to do with the way the website works
What's it weigh? Medium Jumbo frets or bigger?
Id say medium frets and its about 8lbs
Hey, do you still have the guitar?
Yes and i just posted it for sale lol
@@SteveSterlacci LOL! Cool, let me ask you, what are you thoughts on P90 guitars. Are you a fan of those pickups?
I just ordered one of these from their website. A majority of the reviews have been really positive but as repair shop owner, I understand the risk ordering anything from China. Every once in a while you're going to get a "dud". Fingers crossed I get one as nice as this one.
I hope so for ya! This recent batch had some loose studs on the bridge and tailpiece apparently
Just a follow up for any viewers thinking about ordering one. I got my Firefly LP in September 2021 in the "Lizard Burst" color scheme and I'm happy with it. Minor issues included some slight fret buzz and the plastic tip on the end of the selector toggle was missing. Otherwise, it's pretty solid and plays as good or better than you can expect from a $200 guitar. I also noticed the grooves in the nut didn't quite look deep enough but on further inspection, it looks almost like they use some sort of coating on the nut that renders the grooves more shallow. It's really a nice guitar for a beginner or intermediate player trying to get some Les Paul sound without dropping $600 or more for an Epiphone model.
They put the switch tip in the baggy in the box! Seems like you got a good one
@@SteveSterlacci lol my dumb ass probably threw it away on accident. I was able to pick one up at my local shop for like $2 though.
Oil the fret board that can tighten up loose frets. Humidify your loved ones.
I use f-one. But it can also lower frets. Settle the wood in, then go to it.
How do you find a firefly?
Guitars garden website
I guess no follow-up with upgrades?
This one really hasnt needed it. I did a part 2 upgrading my 338 though
wow..sounds like an SD59 in the neck, which the pickup itself costs as much as the whole guitar
Yeah this is a good one! I am gonna put it up for sale if you are interested
Between Jin Ho and bone nut, there's a bad dad joke somewhere
if you drink enough for sure!
10:19 okay this has GOT to mean EMG’s
Ily Steve don’t ban me
It does!!!
@@SteveSterlacci get the Jim Root signatures and learn a slipknot riff 🥺👉🏼👈🏼
I was never into boyscouts
Loll a lot of nut slipage especially in the g string.!!! 😅😅😅 I bet that went over alot of peoples heads.!!!😅😅
Whoops!
I don't get it dude;
You are about the 3rd reviewer that said they wanted to hate their Firefly guitar.
I'm not counting the other low dollar $$$ brands, Other channels said the same about.
Why the perceived hate?
Why not just go in with an open mind? It makes people wonder if you can be objective in your opinion.
Just Say'in.
Not trying to be a jerk or troll you. Just wondering why the hate?
Peace Out and thanks for the review.
All good Randy! Its the same reason you only hear bad news on TV. Unfortunately, negativity sells better than positivity. So I flipped it on itself, making it seem negative, when its really a positive review. I use this theme for a few of my videos and they're also my most successful
@@SteveSterlacci Thanks for the reply back boss, Okay now" I get it" Makes prefect sense. Thanks again
I just ordered to LP gold top models with P-90 pickups from Guitars Garden, and they're coming this Friday. One has two pick ups and the other has THREE. I bought two SG models around Easter, and I love 'em to death, so I'm expecting great things from the LPs. Get 'em while you can, because they sell out fast. And fuck the ass hat who's selling his SG custom on Reverb for $400.00 (U.S.) Last time I went to Guitars Garden, they still had 'em in stock for about $200.00 so don't get ripped off! Buy directly from GG if it's in stock, and if it isn't BE PATIENT. They WIIL restock, but it does take a while.
Yeah I have the black beauty triple pup and it hasn't disappointed. Guitars garden is the place to order from. For the price, can not beat it. Who knows where these guitars will be years from now, regarding durability and tenure, but if they do stand the test of time, they could always go up in price. If you're paying more then 200 now, you're paying too much. Great guitars.
The ivy is better,but only comes in green
Way Better than an epi~Paul
Definitely better than the old ones. They seem to have stepped their game up
Fwiw , GFS pups are fine for that guitar
Absolutely! The GFS mean 90 one of my all time favorites. I wouldnt hesitate to put a GFS in this
@@SteveSterlacci the dragonfire vintage buckers are great sounding paf style pups. I took the 490 498 pups out and put those vintage buckers in a mid 90s lp
I bought one and wanted to love it but...
What happened to yours?
hi sir i would like to ask for help name kupo is meljohn p deita from iloilo city philipines i really dream of having a guitar just in case we don't have the money to buy it because it's hard for us even if it's cheap musician soom, in case we don't have money to buy, please notice my comment, thank you
These are probably really great for people that like to upgrade and modify guitars because it looks pretty cool but honestly it sounds like crap
Theyre great mod platforms. The latest LP style one i demo'd had the best pickups. This ones real stiff sounding
Ha! Not bad at all for the money. You said this was a “ good one”.
Realistically, how shitty was the other blue model?
Its got its own video. Fret work was inexcusable, the shim issue is inexcusable too. Other than those enormous issues, it isn't bad
@@SteveSterlacci , too funny. Make sure you feature this one when you’re playing live.
Definitely would play it out once I set it up nice
A little "inside baseball", if you will.
Those classic tones that we all drool over, all came from microphonic, unbalanced, sloppy made at the cheapest cost possible, pickups. And many of the overpriced, boutique, pickups today, try to recreate that "oh God, I'm hungover and I get paid to make pickups by the bucket." process. Albeit on a consistent level.
So it sounds like Firefly got it right on that account.
Makes sense! But hand made vs a factory made with crappy wires and materials of today is a diff story i think. Their worst and cheaper components are probably top of the line by todays standards
@@SteveSterlacci You'd be amazed...or disgusted....
Most of the time they'd use whatever was available. The larger companies could order in bulk, so they tended to get a more consistent components. "Tended", I say. In a pinch, they'd use whatever was close enough. Most of the components today are more consistent and durable. They're also wound to much greater tolerances. But in there also lies the problem. Consistency, is by _definition_ , mediocre. Pickups today are often wound too tight with too much uniformity in the coils. Then they tend to be massively over waxed. This takes away the rich harmonics and the dynamics as you play. So there's the tradeoff. But factory consistent and get a "good" pickup, everytime. Or find that one in a million sounding pickup through time consuming trial and error. The third option is to pay for a boutique pickup that offers you a sloppily made, yet consistent, pickup for premium money (only to find out that it may not sound that good in _your_ rig.).
Trial and error. That's what it comes down to.
my 179 buck baretta special had great fretwork and action- cheap tuners and bridge but def better than these china guitars
Do you have one of these as well?
Pick ups suck. they are microphonic.
Do you have one?
No, no, no, no, no...
"Cobra-burst" is slang for "BROWN burst".
What you're holding either has a tremendous amount of light on it or was made with a DECIDEDLY different color than their current "Cobra-burst" series, which more closely resembles the same type of finish on the ESP LTD EC-256 series - and they're BOTH nasty as f*ck and HIGHLY unattractive!
A TRUE "Tobacco-bust" features more of an orange-ish prominence, not these grotesque colors.
Okay