They Say This Is The Best Guitar For Under $200?
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- čas přidán 7. 07. 2024
- #knowyourgear #sharpenmyaxe #mcknightrepair
Tools used in this video
Radius Gauge with slots
stewmac.sjv.io/15JN59
Fret Rocker
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Precision Notched Straightedge
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The Music Nomad gauge I use
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Digital Caliper
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Digital Multimeter
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Nyon test Socks
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Clip On Tuner in this video
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My Favorite set up tools
stewmac.sjv.io/RyQ2nX
Fender 65 Deluxe Reverb
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Friedman Dirty Shirley Mini head
sweetwater.sjv.io/2rGNnD
Engl Fireball 25 is now at Sweetwater
sweetwater.sjv.io/6bBN2N
Keeley Caverns Reverb Delay pedal
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Snark tuner
sweetwater.sjv.io/BXDMq9
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"Back in my day" if you brought a cheap guitar it was almost unplayable. This generation of beginners are so lucky! (We never had guitar tab either lol)
I think about that all the time. No way i could have learned without all the tabs online 😂
I feel your pain man but if I had CZcams in '75 I probably wouldn't have got to know some of the coolest people I've known
There were tabs in guitar magazines. But you got what they gave you like some obscure REM song, never something you wanted to learn
Amen brother. A parent with a kid dreaming of playing can go home with a lifetime guitar for $400 or less!
Yeah I started my guitar journey in 2012 and my first guitar was just awful. Super high action, not intonated at all, shitty build quality. Thing was 150 bucks too; you get something that’s 150-300 bucks and you get a guitar that more often than not is as good as higher priced stuff
A company who seeks constructive independent feedback on the quality of their products should be applauded.
... provided they send a typical sample, not a doctored up sample to make the guitar look better than those a regular buyer would get.
@@bubblehead78 He should be buying the guitars, just like anybody else, not having them send him one.
@@leatherchopper Unethical. Agreed.
@@leatherchopper You going to pay him to buy guitars?
@@johnarnold893 he bought this one on reverb
My firefly came absolutely flawless. I was incredibly impressed
Can you tell me who or where you bought it from?? What was the cost?? And what if anything did you do to it?? Thanks Rich
@@richardjones1975 Guitarsgarden is where i get mine,,,took 3 days and is great.
Except those really junk pickups
@@avgmaster1 yeah for sure they definitely need to go
Excellent review level. Lots of people are actually looking for THIS kind of feedback, especially not professionals. I do hope the companies provide you with real samples, as you said in your video, need to received further feedback from others who have actually paid for it. Keep up the good job
The “used” guitars are actually resellers who buy them from the main webpage, jack up the price and resell them. They do it because the guitars sell out so fast
Scalpers everywhere - sucks
Indeed.
I saw one on reverb for $450 today. I bought a Gretsch 5230…absolutely superior in every possible way…$349 used.
@@martin-1965 Try to buy some ammo. G luck
@@jburdsinfuse I have seen people do this with Harley Benton as well. You got a nice deal on the Gretsch. I have wanted one of their double cutaways for a while.
Pro player for years. Recently bought the FF338 model. The only thing it needed was a bit of nut slot cleanup. Not heavy like so many Gibsons I've played. The pickups sound great to me. It's the golden age of inexpensive guitars.
If you have 2 clean up a Nut Slot ...It might be cheating on you!
I *love* my 338 - but I think the tuners could use an upgrade...
oh, how I wish there was a laugh react.
I have 2 of em.. interesting differences in the headstock bodies are exactly the same .pups are vastly different tho.. 1st one I have is green quilted maple top and has 7k- 8k pups that sond pretty darn good... the spalted one has 11k-12k pups that sound pretty bad. The pups I got for the green one now will go into the spalted one...pretty solid guitars otherwise...worth more than they sell for imo
Sean Something :0)
I bought that exact model about a month ago and mine was exactly like yours. For $200 I couldn’t ask for anything more. You also nailed it on the pickups. They are microphonic and are, in my opinion, the only thing truly holding this guitar back. A good setup, quality strings, and maybe tuners if you’re picky and this rig will rock with its new pickups
Good to know
I actually bought the very model in this video too. UPS thought it would be fun to crush the box thus lifting the fret board at the headstock and cracking the finish. Wait it gets better - So I complain to the guitar maker and they asked me to pick another one. By that time mine was sold out. My only choice was to upgrade to a higher priced model. They did not charge me a cent and sent the second guitar to me in 3 days Also they NEVER asked for the other one back.
Now, the higher priced one is pretty but the black one has a slightly thicker body and actually sounds better. I haven't re-glued the fret board yet. I haven't changed the strings yet. I did not do a setup yet. I pulled it off the wall yesterday and it was in tune. My first comment was in Oct. It's now 7 months later. I bought mine in NOV. I dont care what anybody says.
FIREFLY ROCKS!!! Yes it's a little rough. Suck it up buttercup and play. As far as the fret board being dry just get Lizard spit or mineral oil on there and it will be fine. I oil the fret board regularly anyways cause it's cold where I live and the heater is on a lot which will dry out the wood.
I absolutely LOVE the black guitar.
I want to marry it.
JUST PLAY!!!
@@chascapark chinese baby hands made it.
@@BenState Chinese baby's are the greatest ever!!! Their little hands are very talented. You are an idiot. CNC machines crap these out and very accurately I might add.
FIRE FLY ROCKS!!! GLIBSON BLOWS!!!
@@BenState That's a parenting issue
Bought one about a month ago, I used it on a few gigs right out of the box without tweaking it. It did fine. Note that my style is clean/ overdrive and I didn't use any high gain.
Pickups are like you said, so I added sustain via compression. Other than that, a few tweaks and it will hit the stage proudly!! Thanks P!
speaks volumes when a guy who actually plays shows uses one. Kinda like everyone bags on the Epiphone LP Special, but Billy Joe Armstrong played em at shows and gave em away to fans afterwards because they are so cheap!
I really appreciate when you evaluate these low end guitars because they are the ones I can afford. Thanks Phil, for your videos on guitars and other equipment.
The guitar that Phil got is not representative of what you will get. Check out their Facebook groups to see how crappy they really are
@@smiling4206 thanks for the heads up.
I would just get a super cheap one then save up for a decent guitar
I have a Firefly FF338 (copy of Gibson 335). This is the level of quality control I have observed on mine.
Still I like for Phil to do the higher end stuff too
Would have loved a beginner guitar like this when I started playing.
Yup. I had to buy a used one for about 200. I still have it to this day and it plays good but.. come on, if you wanted a new guitar (15 years ago) you would get SHITE for that price
ya,beginners these day's have it made! with guitars and all the free lessons on here.
same I started on a horrible arbor jackson ripoff that wouldn't stay in tune for a minute of playing
they were called SILVERTONES and they are worth 5X what ya paid outta the Sears catalog!!!
I agree and a Vox Headphone amp
What an incredibly well put together video! You clearly take your time with these videos and put a lot of effort making them the way they are. I really appreciate you! \m/,
I bought one as a beginner guitar for my son. Had heard they had a shipping delay so I was ready to wait much longer than the promised 9 days. It showed up in 5 days, and was exactly what I wanted. It’s amazing that you can get a nice guitar for so cheap.
This is actually one the most meaningful reviews of a Firefly guitar I've ever seen and heard. I've caught some of the hype on the brand and really appreciate the review. Thanks!
Same Here I'm a Teen in the 70s and There was so Many Crap Guitars Out There.... Man How Times Have Changed.
Phil does good work! 👍
Ditto on the dittos!
@@beaumorris5289 even Les Paul epiphones can be very impressively constructed.,. However, they are absolutely not consistent! And as with every guitar no matter what brand or price range.. they are all going to produce a different tone! You can have 10 guitars of the same model made by the same company and maybe one of them is going to be extremely better in sound, tone, playability and constructed to precise specifications! There will be a few that are nearly worthless! Most of them average with a little variance.. and only one or two that blow the others away completely! That's why you should never buy a guitar over the mail or without inspecting it and plugging it into the app you're going to be playing it through! Unless you're buying a collector's item that belong to Hendrix, Clapton, or any other famous guitarist! But then again there are a lot of phonies! It's just like buying a diamond! Some want an outrageous price for it defective diamond...
@@tommysteele8590 Yes , I agree 👍
I've been to Guitar Center ( and other guitar stores also) many many times , and there's tons of poorly built guitars . It really blows my mind especially how much some of them cost !
G.C. doesn't inspect them or set them up at all . If you buy a brand new guitar say for $1,000 , you'd still have to pay them to adjust it which I think is Bs.
😎✌
I actually
They're just going by Gibson specs for those dry fretboards!
Hahahah
☠😂
Authentic indeed.
ded...lol
Ouch, shots fired
I bought one for a child. I was totally impressed. My first, at the same price point taking into account the inflation of many years, was not nearly as much guitar. Not nearly. This IS the best $200 guitar I have ever played. great vid
I've had a Walnut FF338 for 2 years, and I love it. Had a little bit of bridge rattle, but that was easily fixed. Sounds great, plays great, looks beautiful. If I needed a LP or SG-style guitar, I'd buy a Firefly in a second.
i bought one before i heard the name, i just wanted an lp jr copy that wasn’t burgundy/maroon. found on reverb for $150. super light weight, i love it. i enjoy reading the firefly fan facebook group and all the people fussing over the defects in their fireflies as though they’re talking about $3000 guitars
I also love my firefly LP Jr. Pickup has its own tonal charm
i feel that just reading some of these comments! (not you)
although, a guitar should never be 1000 or more. thats not rock n roll, that two months rent or a "new" car. 3000 and we all live like kings for a couple months, i will never understand guitars being more than $500 right out of the shop. I get better "action" out shitty old 5 and dime guitars with the brand info long rubbed off, I dont care where she came from but 50 or 500, shes gunna be played the same and still going to be named after sitcom women.
@@seansomething9779 theres some guitars around the 400/450$ mark that can go up in value and trade for 1500$ some years down the line, can sell it and get a fire fly use the rest of the money where it counts- A nice amp!!
Phillip, I really love your reviews!!! You’re always very thorough about all of the components, explaining everything in both layman’s and advanced user’s terms. Great channel, man!!!
that fender amp sounds so good . almost brings a tear to the eye
I bought a Firefly FFLPS...finish not bad out of the box, but...had to level the frets, replace the nut ( terrible cuts - all pointing to the left!) with a Zero Fret to eliminate tuning issues, replaced tuners with inexpensive locking tuners, replaced pickups - they squawked , replaced pots and caps - hum buckers came with 22uf caps, whereas Gibson usually uses 47uf caps, replaced all wiring and 3-way toggle switch, wire for neck pickup broke off the switch after 2 weeks...and I sanded the finish off the back of the neck...only way to eliminate the sticky feel.
Dude, you got a guitar that they set up before they sent it to you...the guitar you get for $189 from the factory is GOOD for the price point, but you got the one they WANTED you to get...I got the one EVERYBODY gets...
I'll keep it for a while, but I'm a little disappointed at how much work it needed to be really playable...Epiphones need a little help out of the box, but not like this...and I worked at Epiphone and handled thousands of guitars as an Inspector...I'm not a big fan of them, but they beat this - and I hate to say that!
I'm wanting to try the new Sire L7 endorsed by Larry Carlton...you get your hands on one yet?
What happens is that as soon as firefly gets some guitars in stock, a small handful of a-holes buy dozens of them each, then turn around and sell them on Reverb and eBay.
they dont sell though the same ones have been on reverb for many months now. they arent worth the money.
There’s a particular firearm I’d like to have and I can’t have it for the same reason.
Phil thank you for being you and doing this stuff. Great job you do with this channel.
Bought 3 Firefly Flying Vs. I changed the pickups out in all 3. They played perfect from the factory as far as setup goes. Now with the upgraded pickups I have awesome tone and tons of harmonics.
Glad to see that you give a rough critique of the guitar. I believe the incredible quality of inexpensive guitars today is due to CNC machines. I am still leery of reviews on items that were sent by a manufacturer or distributor to a critic for review. A friend of mine and I bought a product that was given an outstanding review on a magazine. Both of items were garbage and did not function. When we sent them back for warranty repair, they both came back and still did not function properly. It seems that most manufacturers who send their product for an evaluation by a magazine critic go over the product with a fine tooth comb before it is sent out.
Agreed. Much better to just pay the $200 and get what everybody else gets than to give the manufacturer a heads up. I mean, what's the point? You could just resell it afterwards if you're so worried about the money. It's not a true test if the manufacturer can choose the guitar that gets tested.
@martinking2900 If it is a piece of Junk, there is a point where one just get rid of i, as it is not cost effective.
As a moding platform they are great. I have two fireflies and both impressed me with build quality.
At that price point, strongly considering this guitar as a cheap back up and alternative to my acoustic. Seems like a little shielding and some better pickups and I'd be good to go.
Or you can use your accustic to be an expensive backup for this guitar.
I actually ordered this exact guitar after watching this video! Couldn’t be happier! $209. Delivered to my door in about a week! Just switched out the pickguard to a much nicer one that matched the guitar much better! Ordered some new Seymour Duncan P90’s!! Can not beat it at this price point!!
Isn't that set of pickups worth more than the guitar?
This is the first channel where I see such a complete examination of the gear, voltage measurement included. Every other channel I've seen seems to be opinion/taste based.
Subscribed!
He's actually checking the "resistance" in ohms. It's not voltage.
I had a Fender-style Yamaha at school in the 80s - dire but I had such fun. it's amazing what guitars are playing like nowadays, and this one looks absolutely fine for a teen's first 2 or 3 years.
I picked up the spalted maple one and thoroughly enjoy playing it. The pick guard didn't come attached and I left it that way, I liked the look better without it.
Me too
The thing I really like about your guitar review videos is your consistency and in-depth look and listen. Lot's of reviewers could learn from you, I know I do.
Just bought a FFTL Tele and it's my first FF, we'll see how it comes when it gets here
Thanks again for a great video
I bought two. One stayed stock and one for modding. The stock one needed some frets tapped down and a general setup. Went okay. The other one is getting new pickups, and I'm stoked for what it'll sound like.
Which pickups?
@@chucklefuck black winter/nazgul
Seems that lots of people are speculating on these, buying them at list and turning around to sell them at a scalper's markup.
that's what some people like to call capitalism
@@chrisclassical7 the capitalists are Firefly, competing to make a better product at a lower price. Scalpers are parasites on capitalism. At least that's what I like to call them.
What are they gold?
@@fredstevens799 so my local supermarket is a scalper not to mention guitar center. the only difference is scale.
@@scott6588 i suppose i have to apologize for using guitar center as an example of buying a guitar to sell on for a higher price. my original comment was that buying a guitar to sell was a form of capitalism and not the actions of a scalper.
if you want you can apologize for reacting without reading the whole thread just because gc was mentioned.
on another note unlike most online commenters i absolutely love guitar center.
I've bought 2 Firefly guitars in the past 2 months. Love them both.
Same here. Got 338 and this one with the 3 pick ups.
I might give those a try.
Man, this is the kind of info I look for. Really appreciate you work on the details. Thanks a lot
Hey Phil, I’ve been watching your videos for years and I gotta say out of all the CZcams channels I subscribe to which is probably 1000 I really enjoy yours the most. I’ve learned so much from your videos. And I’ve been cleaning station so I was 15 years old I’m in my mid 50s now and I’m still learning new stuff thanks to you. I think you’re great man. Maybe one day I’ll see you at Namm.
Thank you for the kind words. I will be at Namm friday hope to bump into you
Absolutely great company and people! Have watched them grow immensely last few years since I first got involved with them. Exciting new models on horizon as well, acoustic guitars soon too ! Great review !
Hi phil. I have one of these. I also have the gold top and the salted maple 338. I love them all. I am 69 years old at just learned how to play 8 months ago, but am making rapid progress. I also have 4 acoustics all for under $200 each and also a cheap Silverstone strat. I a am happy . I also have the Spark40 amp.and could be happier with my bargain gear.
Thanks.
Boy that's a lot of guitars for only 8 months of playing. 😁
you got the guitar buying addiction bug... I know this all too well :)
Yes. They call it GAS. Gear acquisition syndrome. But I don't regret it.
Yes. But I am tired with disaabllites and it keeps things interesting.
People buy multiple guitars when they are released and sell them on eBay for alot more. I got mine on a Wednesday night at midnight and they sold out quickly. Had a few issues with it, that my guitar guy fixed and it's been great
I have the FFLP Classic. I love it. I’m sure that there’s tiny blemishes on it but without my glasses 🤓 I’ll never find them. What’s important is it feels good in my hands and sounds good through a practice amp. I don’t gig and I’m not in a band so playing only for my enjoyment and I enjoy this guitar.
Nashville Hillbilly here,
I agree. I also play for my own enjoyment. Although I am not a Les Paul guy, I have 7 guitars, 4 of which are from Dean. My main player is an 07 Dime Razorback Flying V with a Flame top that I got from a friend 10 yes ago for $800. It's definitely my baby .
Same man, I don’t have the best amp the best guitar, but what’s important to me is how happy I feel when I play
Glad they changed the inlays on the headstock. Looks much better.
I mod my own guitars, I've used your channel for help in the past lol
I was considering getting one as a "mod platform" and your review has convinced me. That's in no small part to how in depth you go in your videos go. It says a lot when a company is confident enough in their product for a review like this. And I'm sure the companies who are afraid/unwilling to at least use the wood they claim 😆
Phil's diy videos are a template!!
I'm going to look for a new one straight away!! Great guitar really and beautifully made. Top notch review btw
Hey Phillip, I bought the Fire Fly LP after seeing your video on your review. The pickup were very microphonic and would feed back, even at low volume. I removed both pickups and double dipped in hot paraffin wax. Big difference and great sound too!👍🏼
Were they micro phonic after the wax ? or did that fix it ? did you take covers off ?
@@johnhowe4079 Hi John, after throughly dipping the pickups in wax, they were no longer microphonic. I did loosen the adjustable pick up screws. That seem to help get the waxing and the air bubbles out. No more feedback after that! That was the third guitar pickups I had to do that to but it works every time with microphonic pick ups
More data points for you... I ordered a spalted maple FFLP Elite from the May 2021 batch. My results were almost identical to yours:
- weight of mine is a whopping 9.4 Lbs
- frets are level and generally well dressed, but with a few snag areas past the 15th fret.
- setup was pretty good, needing only minor intonation adjustments after taking out a bit of neck relief
- the clear finish is a bit hazy in a few spots where it wasn't buffed enough. Not bad enough to send it back. Just enough to make the spalted grain look a little less crystal clear. It is a shame, as the spalted maple is stunning.
- Mine has the same pots as yours, but has orange capacitors
- the body cavity or cover are not shielded. However, I can see a few spots where they had to cut a bit more to fit the big pots and the grain revealed absolutely looks like mahogany.
- A common issue with FF LPs in the past few runs have been poorly drilled bridge post holes. Some so bad that they have to shim the holes with lots of little wood slivers and cover up the mess with washers at the body. Mine has no such washers.
- I think they made a good call shipping the spalted maple topped model with the pick guard in the box, but not installed. I prefer to see the whole guitar top.
I've been playing mine for a few months and I find it is probably the guitar I reach for the most. Next is my Gibson LP Future that has been customized ... I like the neck profile and lighter weight of the Gibson better... most of the time. Although, some days the chunkier feeling FFLP Elite neck actually seems to fit my hand better. After the Gibson, the FFLP Elite guitar that I have $220 dollars in ($200 + $20 shipping) is my favorite. I doubt I'd sell it for less than $350... and I'm not sure what I might replace it with for $350 that wouldn't feel like a big downgrade. I've thought about ordering another from FF to see how it is... but I worry that there are too many reports of things slipping past QC that really shouldn't. The $220 price is actually less of a concern than the time and hassle involved with dealing with returning a guitar.
Fancy seeing you here...RAWK!!
Phil, what a excellent review as always. For the people out there that want their first electric, or the real good player without the budget, you’ve proven they can rip on this.
Indio's are better, cost less, and offer a Strat, Tele, Semi hollow, Offsets, basses, and a "shredder type".
Thank you for using clean sound and open chords . This is the way you really tell the tone .
Nice guitar and thorough analysis! Kudos to the company who sent a copy to be scrutinized so hard.
Replaced everything in my Firefly as a learning lesson for myself and in the end I do enjoy my Firefly but new (EMG) pickups and locking tuners really did help out!
Huh, well, I genuinely learned something here.
I never thought about a powerful magnet taking away too much energy from the strings. When I heard those pickups at first I thought they sounded really weak, but it's actually because they're too powerful for their own good. Interesting, I will have to look more into that.
The way people talk about it, I thought it was essentially, "More powerful magnet = more powerful sound." lol
Well, and now that I think about it, maybe I'm having a bit of a misconception about how pickups work in general. I was thinking "overwinding" meant making the magnet more powerful. But now that I think about it, that's not necessarily the case, is it? Overwinding makes the pickup more sensitive, increasing signal gain, not magnet strength. That makes a lot more sense now that I really think it through...
Was able to get one before they sold out again. Can't find anything to complain about. Only needed slight string height adjustment and a bit of intonation work. I agree with your assessment of the pickups but for 200 bucks brought to my door I think it's fantastic. Thanks for another great video!
I have the identical setup in a real LP Custom (black) that I bought new in 2007. It's a sweet playing guitar, and it's kind of mind boggling to see how close Firefly has come in look to the real deal. It sounds good when you play it. One of these days I'll have to get my hands on one to see how it compares in feel and sound to my Gibson. Great review!
I bought two for at home beaters , but really ended up digging one of them a lot so I did sone mods . New tuners, lol wiring and pick ups . I'd feel totally confident using it as a back up guitar . They arrive fast and packed well .
I got one of their 335's in Spalted Maple. Surprisingly good. Decent setup, decent sound. I tend to grab it instead of my good stuff to avoid nicks, etc.... Kinda wimpy but I don't feel I'm suffering to plink on the Firefly.
Never heard of “Firefly Guitars”. However, with this review & that price point they’re 100% on my radar now. Take balls to send it to you to check underneath the hood. Thanks Phillip for all that you do for us & highlighting quality products that I might never had considered before. Bravo!
I ordered an FFLPS in Malibu sunburst 2 days ago after watching several review videos. Should arrive Wednesday. I will report back
That would be marvelous to read. Looking forward to it
@@Meyoutoo2222 Waiting for your report back, very interested in your experience
@@BensonOfD oh snap! I forgot! Very happy, bridge hole were a tad loose, wrapped a small piece of paper around the studs and all good. An annoyance, but nothing major. Frets were nicely polished with no grittiness, though a couple did need to be lightly hammered home as they were slightly raised. Pickups sound ok, but I intend to upgrade anyway. Overall, after a month or so, I am extremely impressed and frankly like this guitar more than a few of my name brand one in the 800-1000 dollar range. Is it better? Idk, but I like it more. Maybe it's the price, who knows, but frankly I love the thing!
I absolutely 100% appreciate the attention to detail, the brutal honesty and professionalism with which you do your reviews. I was on the fence a little. One question however, if you could get a Samick Artist series MIK from the 90's or a Firefly for the same relative cost, which way would you go?
Good question, mate, I would like to get an answer by anybody. I've got a Samick (Artist Series) with a broken neck, it has been a great guitar with amazing playability , but I am looking for a replacement now.
No brainer......Samick
Man I wish cheap guitars were that good when I was younger!
When I started in 1989 companies were just starting to make decent affordable guitars
ME TOO.
My thoughts exactly. I’m 66, been playing over 50 years.
silvertones, kay....which are now collectible, were cheapies in the 70s...anything Japanese was killer! "we walked to school uphill both ways....barefoot on fiery hot coals and broken glass...."
@@DaveAnchovies You built up callouses within a week on those “ baling wire” strings!🥵
For the price absolutely no hesitation in recommending I’ve played a friends he was impressed and I was also we both agreed to say “best bang for bucks” PS when bought his action was just a little bit high for him (personal preference).
the kid in Tennessee who stood to inherit millions of dollars from his family but only if he would learn to p[ay a complete song on a guitar, His father spent over 30,000 on guitars private lessons from the best players and music teachers in NASHVILLE, One less paul that his dad paid 6,000 and a Gibson that cost 2,000 were sitting in his garage collecting dust, The 16-year-old boy did try to learn cause he stood to lose the millions if he didn't, Just paying for online lessons ran into thousands and some of the ones who tried to teach him were in the music business and was doing it as a favor to his dad, One who tried teaching him is a sessions player but was in a band back in the day and had several hits, it just goes to say that if you can play it doesn't matter if its a 2.00$ or a 1,000$ guitar.
I am in 100% agreement with you.
I love how concise your review is, kudos to you, sir!
I recently purchased an epiphone les Paul! great deal at a pawn shop. I still don't have much knowledge of guitar quality/geeky fine details, so this video caught my attention. I never imagined myself watching any long review type videos on CZcams but here we are. What a time to be alive!
Great review, not a bad guitar overall. So many companies like Harley Benton making these low budget guitars, but making it great for starter musicians.
I bought my Firefly 338 directly from Guitar Garden at the beginning of the year. I played it as received, and my fingers were black afterwards. I then changed the strings and the nut fell out. I cleaned the frets with steal wool and it was a little better. It seems to have fret sprout, as I felt the frets while running my hand up and down. I took the guitar to a teck for a set up and asked him to glue the nut and file down the frets (I've been playing for 1 1/2 years). It now plays good, and I enjoy it when I use it. I compared the sound to an Epiphone 339 and an Ibanez semi-hollow. To my novice ears, it sounds very close. The sales person at the store suggested I continue with the guitar as is. I play through a Fender Mustang amp at home. Can't say I'm disappointed with it. It is the least expensive that I own( I now have GAS). I bought it based on positive reviews from Darrel Brauhn and Guitar Max.
Black fingers are a rite of passage for FF owners. It's just oxidation and passes in a day.
I've had to do minor set up on the two I've purchased. Still a great deal compared to what you could get even 10 years ago for $200.
I'm a local luthier in my area, and I have had a couple of these come through for setup. I agree with the issue about the pickups, (one semi-hollow actually had a feedback problem on my shop amp), but to be honest, they set up rather easily, and really low action could be achieved, better than the standard in this video. I use the Stewart Macdonald equipment, including their latest leveling jig. Fit and finish on them is very good to great, but not stellar. Overall, the Firefly brand brings a lot to the table for the money, IMHO. And they sell fast, save for the people trying to flip them for double on eBay, which is a shame.
Good to hear from a pro!
Do you have a CZcams channel? Thanks
Stu Mac? you must be rich their prices are outrageous.
I purchased a Firefly for my grandson as a starter guitar and he was hooked. After a year he was ready for an upgrade, so I went with an SE for him, BUT, he tells me he still goes back to that Firefly every now and then and that he will always keep it as his first guitar. Keep it up Firefly and nice review.
Philip, once again your level of knowledge is only surpassed by your level of integrity. Spot on review as always
The thing about gear lust imo and gear is that when you master what you have you bring the true life out of it. Imagine a 200 dollar guitar, some strange pedals, some strange process during the sound, and birthing an entirely new sound. Then when you make it people will go "I want a sound like them". That is how you get a unique sound.
I got my mine a week ago and it's surpassed my expectations, you're right about the pups, my Pariah's will be coming in soon and I'm debating changing the pots and tuners. When I'm done this will be a $500-$600 guitar depending on how far the upgrades go. I love it!
Fantastic! I ordered one from guitars garden a couple days ago based on the hype and was just starting to get nervous after watching a couple more sobering reviews. I already planned on throwing some SD pups in the thing eventually, so if the pups are the only issue, I'll be happy!
@@Meyoutoo2222 I'd love to hear what you think of it!
They are great for doing upgrades. But, equal to the price of the original guitar? I don't think I'd go that far. New Pups, maybe bridge, maybe tuning machines and nut. Closer to $100 would be my top line for upgrades to a $200 FF, unless I had one I just loves how it played.
Got the Gold top recently. Awesome guitar! Plays great right out of the box! Put a new pickup in the bridge. Much better than the last one I got, though, the frets need some TLC and dressing .Also, much 'quieter' than my other FFLP! No feed back issues. Nice vid Phillip!
I bought two of these that had the guts stripped out. Someone locally bought them, pulled the pickups, volume and tone out, then sold the remains. I still have no idea why he stripped them, but I bought them, put the guts back into them and really love them, One has three humbuckers, the other has two humbuckers ... but they feel great. They sound great. I am very impressed by them.
@@lostreb It's a set neck, so there can't be any parting out of a neck versus the body.
The "One" I've been able to lay my hands on here in Mo, was really nice, sounded great and played really well. Could have been improved, but totally playable out of the box
A brilliantly structured and executed review. Thank you for posting.
I ordered as I was watching this video. It arrived two weeks ago, I had a set up done on it, and for the price tag, I couldn't be happier.
This is a gem. Looks amazing, great pickups, stays in tune.
Amazing.
Why did you not lower the pickups? I think you are knocking down on what can be adjusted by the player.
I have that exact guitar. I gotta say for $200 it's beautiful. This is the 3rd Firefly LP. You can't go wrong. I used to have a Gibson LP gold top. I miss it, however for far less money these are more than worth the money. Some mods to come, like coil splitting tone pots and replace the pickups latter on.
I like ibanez necks, how thin is the firefly neck?
Thank you Phillip very much for all of your Guitar reviews and information, God Bless you and yours.
I bought one of these two years ago , a 338 . Been playing it ever since , small , light and easy to handle , a perfect beginner ✌️
Hey Phil, I have bought 5 Firefly guitars and every one has a great finish. The bindings have all been spot on and the fretwork was pretty good (nothing that I felt the need to take care of immediately). You are right about the pickups...but it is very little effort to swap them for something a little better. I have actually had good luck with the tuning machines although I did swap 2 of them out for locking tuners just for ease of use. So far I have been impressed with what Firefly has been able to deliver for the price. Thanks for the great content as always!
John, I purchased the Firefly 338 Spalted Maple top guitar and I simply can not believe the quality of the fit, the finish and the play ability of this budget guitar. It looks great first off, secondly, I bang the crap out of it and it stays in tune for at least 3 songs worth(the tuners aren't the best, but I knew this going into buying the guitar) is it the best guitar out there, NO, It's not. Is it worth the price of admission, 100%.
If you are a novice guitar player or just don't have the money to fork over, definitely consider this damn brand, I went over my guitar with a small flashlight looking for imperfections and found none. Two things, the tuners and the pickups aren't top shelf quality, but I have found them to be both serviceable and this guitar cuts thru a mix quite nicely. It's worth the money in my opinion.
@@ZitherBeast yup, I'm totally fine with the tuners. I think people replace tuners more often than they need to. In my 45 yrs of playing, I have only replaced the tuners on maybe three guitars - and that's out of at least 45-50 guitars. The tuners on mine are fine.
I actually bought a sunburst Les Paul fire fly about two months ago, even though it came out pretty nice right out of the box I went ahead and did a complete mod, brand new set of Grover tuners, shielded cavities and covers, dime bag Darrell Seymour Duncan pick ups neck and bridge and changed out all four pots with Emerson pro 500 K push/pull volume and 500 K Emerson pro taper tone pots, so I can split both neck and bridge pick ups and let me tell you something, this guitar now plays just as good if not better than my $3000 Gibson Les Paul goldtop Standard, my $2000 Gibson Les Paul classic and My $1500 Gibson Les Paul studio, extremely impressed with a guitar that only cost me $209 with shipping and an additional $300 in parts… basically a little over $500 I got a guitar that plays as good as something five times the cost.
I loved your presentation and the guitar. There is a lot that I do not know but I do know that I want one!
Great in depth review. I have tried everything to get one of these in the UK to no avail. Also it's worth noting that I have sent a couple of enquiry emails to the company which have been ignored.
Had a Lotus back in the late 70’s that would rival the firefly.wish I still had it.
I jumped on their second run of double cut junior style guitars with a single P90. The one's with a TOM style bridge over the standard wrap around. I immediately slapped some Grovers on it out of the box, and I honestly can't put it down!
Paid $130 shipped to my house. Absolutely insane!
from what you described i think i have the same guitar, though i didn’t change the tuners and it stays in tune well. i did eventually swap the pickup for a fralin noiseless p90 there’s a lot of interference where i am
Excellent review Phil, much appreciated.
The tonal difference between the neck and the bridge pickup is amazing! 80
Again great review Phil! I love these "modding platform guitars" that are built well but can use some xtra tlc on electronics and hardware. A nice dimarzio super distortion @ 80 bucks seems perfect in the bridge, not sure what to put in the neck tho. Anyway, add some locking tuners for ~50 bucks (got some Chinese on one of my guitars. They are brilliant) and your well underway to a great medium-end guitar for nearly nothing. Great! However.. Phil, can you please review a Levinson Blade RH4? For me the best strat out there..
Nice to see Phil doing the review from the inside of a hollow body guitar😂
Aces mate.
Man you have great insight. Awesome video
Hey, Phil. I bought the Firefly 338 (spelt top) for about the same price from the same website you show. The only real issue I found in the finishing (and I checked carefully) was that the binding inside the f-holes was a little rough. I took some fine sandpaper and smoothed it and that was that. The action was actually a little low out of the box so it fretted out a bit, so I raised it slightly and it's perfect (and I like my action super-low). It measures out at 12" radius, which is fine, and the nut action is perfect. I don't know if the nut is bone as advertised, but it's cut perfectly and actually angled similar to the angle the stings enter from the tuners (I've never noticed this before on any guitar). The fingerboard was dry like yours, but with a little walnut oil (what I use), it's fine now [someone made a comment about the dried out wood being "dead" - I've never heard of this before]. I swear this neck feels exactly like my friend's Gibson LP gold top. Mine had cheap dime-sized pots, and the pickups were kind of microphonic, but all worked perfectly, I replaced the pots and the pickups (with humbucker-mount knock-off P90s), as well as putting in a Pure Tone jack (just 'cause). I made some other cosmetic changes - clear speed knobs, chrome pickup rings, removed the poker chip. The stock pickups had no shielding on the wiring, the replacements took care of that. I also replaced the bridge with a roller bridge and the tailpiece with a knock off TP6. The most expensive change I made was a set of Hipshot locking tuners. All in all, I could have left it alone, but I fell in love with it, and now I have quite a remarkable one-of-a-kind guitar for under $350 that will rival guitars that are quite a bit pricier. Definitely a winner. And a fun project!
I just saw a used one on Craigslist and they were asking $300! I think people are trying to profit on the popularity of these guitars!
@Dizzy Duke thanks!
I have one available for $315, but I set it up, put real strings on it, Alnico 5s, and a $20 strap with strap locks. That's what I have in it...but I say so and that's its price.
@@LarryHovis yep
@@sjs793 yep...that's crazy!🥴
I can only speak to my own experience because I had never seen nor heard of Firefly before seeing the CZcams reviews. I bought the Firefly Resonator Guitar last year and was blown away by the quality. Impressive how they produce the high-quality level at the low price point. The only change that I made was change the string gauge and oil the dry fretboard. No complaints at all. It plays and sounds amazing. Kudos to Firefly and Phil for these intense and honest reviews.
I ordered a left handed FFLGS with Blueberry Burst finish for my husband from Guitars Garden. He's so excited to play it when it gets delivered.
A very complete, detailed review.
This is how much gibsons should cost considering how much is done with automation vs the human hand. They’re just selling you a name at this point.
lmao! man i played the 1500 dollar gibsons and got shanked by so many sharp fret ends. GARBAGE
@@christiancordaway2181 garbage. It’s so hot right now.
@@ohmann81 Ive got a Les Paul custom and a 1980 Yamaha sg1000, the build quality is far superior to the Gibson, I also own an ESP M-1000 Ltd which blows Gibson away completely
@@steverobinson9836 it’s really unfortunate people are led to believe that Gibson is the best you can get. My goal a while ago was for my guitars that I make in my garage to best a les Paul. Apparently I set the bar really low! 🤣
@@steverobinson9836 I played an ESP once in a guitar shop, it was slinky smooth , way better than any guitar I’ve ever owned , I play a fender Stratocaster and it’s not as well made or as playable as that ESP I played once , I should have bought it
For someone like me sitting around in their room playing with some MP3s, I couldn't ask for anything more than this. I'm ordering one.
I will tell you I bought one on a friend's advice. Was told to buy it just for the body quality and build it to what I want. I did. Mine is the hollow body. Got it, loved it. Put some Pearly Gates on it. That is all I did for changes. So much fun for so little money! I will probably get this one too.
Love your videos, very informative. Thanks
Actually, that's a pretty guitar...and the price is good. A great starter guitar.
Thanks for the vid. 👍
I have the Firefly sc and dc LP Junior models. Both excellent for the money! Don't buy these on EBay or Reverb. Scalpers buy them in bulk and re-sell for WAY above the worth. Wait until they come out on their Guitars Garden site and then jump on them quick.
Phil, great cast. Always have great info and honest reviews. TY
Have seen a few of these Fireflies but this has such an attractive finish, great beginners guitar. Many thanks, great review.