Gibson Firebird III 1968 Frost Blue

This amazing light blue looking Gibson Firebird III 1968 is in its custom color that Gibson called "Frost Blue". Gibson's Firebird range of guitars was offered in the standard Sunburst finish or in a range of custom colors for a small upcharge. Many players found the Sunburst finish to be a nice looking color and didn't feel the need to pay extra for a different color. As a result, Gibson Firebirds in custom colors like this Frost Blue example are very rare. As a Gibson guitar collector, I'm on the hunt to acquire a 1960s Firebird in every available color. If you're interested in what a Gibson guitar buyer might pay for your 1960s Firebird then you can contact me here: Sell a Gibson guitar. 

The Gibson Firebird range included four different trim levels: Firebird I, Firebird III, Firebird V, and Firebird VII. The Firebird III initially featured two Firebird style mini humbucking pickups, dot fretboard markers, and a neck through body style that Gibson collectors call "Reverse" (check this one out: Gibson Firebird V 1964). By mid 1965, Gibson updated the entire range as a result of manufacturing difficulties and a threat of a lawsuit from Fender over its Jazzmaster design. The new body style featured a traditional neck to body joint and the body shape was sort of swapped so that the bass side horn is more elongated than the treble side. Gibson collectors call the second version "non-Reverse". This Firebird III 1968 Frost Blue is a good example of the classic non-Reverse body style. 

If you have a vintage Gibson Firebird guitar and are looking for a Gibson guitar buyer then you can contact me here: Gibson guitar buyer. I travel worldwide to acquire the guitars I'm looking for, so if you have a custom color Firebird, I may be the buyer you're looking for. Click the Contact Me button to get in touch. I'd be happy to take a look at your guitar. 

How to date a Gibson Firebird

Knowing how to date a Gibson Firebird is more than just checking the serial number since they're style specific, not necessarily consecutive, and they were repeated multiple times throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Still, it's important that the serial number falls within the proper range to match the potentiometer codes and general features. This Gibson Firebird III features a six digit serial number with no made in USA. For Gibson serial number pre-1975, that indicates that it was at least made between 1961 and 1970. The serial number begins with 504 which is in the range that Gibson used in 1965 and in 1968. 

We can also find the year of a Gibson Firebird by check the features. This Firebird III features the non-Reverse body style that Gibson used from 1965 until 1969. The knobs and tuners can be helpful for Gibson guitar dating, but the knobs and tuners on this guitar are a bit of an anomaly. The knobs are called reflector knobs because of the wide chrome reflector piece on the top. Gibson mostly phased them out in 1967 in favor of the witch hat shaped knobs, but I think that these knobs were left over until 1968. The tuners on many custom color Firebirds are a strange open back 6 on a strip style made in Japan. These are actually the original tuners. 

We would normally use the potentiometer codes for how to date a Gibson guitar, but I don't have a picture of the potentiometer codes on this guitar. Here are the potentiometer codes from another guitar for reference. I always check the potentiometer codes to see if the date codes support the expected year of manufacture indicated by the serial number. I don't have a picture of the potentiometer codes for this guitar, but here's another Gibson guitar with potentiometer codes we can check out: Gibson Les Paul Custom 1968. The codes on these potentiometers read "137 6745" which indicates that they were made during the 45th week of 1967. 

Sell A Gibson Firebird

As a Gibson guitar buyer, my goal is to find the nicest examples of all of the Gibson Firebird range. I'm primarily look for vintage Gibson Firebird guitar in custom colors like red, blue, white, green, gold, etc. If you have a vintage custom color Gibson Firebird then you can contact me here: Sell a Gibson. I may be able to come to you for an in-person transaction. I'm looking forward to checking out your guitar!