Hi. What is your experience with returning a firefly guitar. I ordered a FFLS. It arrived without the electronics installed. I am not receiving any response from their customer service email. How have you returned things to them?
I love these comments that seem to think it's a revelation that a $200 guitar isn't as good as a Gibson. Thanks for sorting that out for us. Not all heroes wear capes.
@@Tijuanabill that's the thing! I haven't done anything to mine, yet, because I'm pretty happy with them as they are, but if I went on stage, pretty sure I'd have to swap pickups, cause I can get the originals howling without being that loud :) but I love the sound when it's just on the edge. And the clean is clean.
I just received the Firefly 338 a week ago. I got it to hang in the studio because it is beautiful Spalted Maple. Due to an accident I can no longer play but I had a professional guitar player play it. He's 72 years old and well well seasoned. He said everything was set up perfectly the intonation the action and it stayed in tune. It has stainless steel frets with rounded fret ends that go all the way to the edge of the fret board. It has locking tuners. I asked him what we need to do for the setup and he said nothing. It seems Firefly has been listening to you guys and fixing all the bugs, before it leaves the factory.
I’ve been playing for 60 yrs. now, and I bought a Firefly 338, and I am amazed!!! Sounds great, a great stage guitar. You don’t have to have to worry about a nick here and there, and I can get the sounds I play. What a deal, I paid $189.00 new on e-bay.
I really enjoyed your demo on the Firefly I have a 338 myself and I absolutely love it bang for the buck it's really really enjoyable thank you for your piece it was fantastic I look forward to more in the future
I love these Firefly guitars! I have two FF338's, a FFLP and aFFLG all modded (gutted and replaced everything). If you take time to do the work they can play like butter. In fact I can't believe it's NOT butter. Must be Shred Spread!
I just bought two of them based on this and another video, an FF338 spalted maple top ($199.99) and an FFLG gold metallic ($179.99). I was expecting crap...as there is very little truth on the net these days. However, to say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. I honestly don't know how this company can put out this great a guitar for that little money, also the shipping is not that bad considering where it's coming from. I only found one flaw in the metallic paint job on the FFLG...the FF338 is flawless. These guitars are better than any of the low budget guitars out there i.e. Epiphone, Harley Benton, Slick SL55 through 60, Glarry, mitchell, Indio and monoprice. IMO, you get way more than your money's worth. I know as I have most of these. just my 2 cents worth. Peace.
@@koDaffi yeah , but I don’t like the modern v design. I’m more of a traditional V shape guy. I also got a credit , so it will be 170 total. I’m throwing a set of emg 81/85 in it that I have lying around for that 80s thrash tone.
I just received a Harley Benton TE-62DB, it is perfect. I am the guitar snob from the old days. This guitar has a perfect finish, perfect intonation, perfect components. $144 with shipping $210. Gorgeous guitar!
I just purchased a Firefly Pegasus because I liked how it looked and the fret ends were superbly polished ball-ends. The guitar overall as better than I expected and after a good set-up and some new strings it plays great. Mine also came with full size alpha pots.
I got one just like this, but green instead of red. Mine was cosmetically flawless, with none of the little nurnies you point out on yours. I got mine from Amazon, and it needed a new set of strings (of course) and I had to adjust the bridge, the truss rod and the intonation to get the action down to where I like it, but it was the best $180 I ever spent. It's easily worth five times what I paid.
Yet another excellent review Darrell. Your hard work and dedication to your craft is much appreciated. These Firefly guitars are sweet li'l gems. Plus at their selling price seems like a safe bet you'll get a pretty decent instrument. I always enjoy hearing and watching you play . Because of your suggestions I've picked up a few guitars and I haven't regretted the purchase of any of them. Especially the Schecter PT SPECIAL with that P90 neck and special switching. I love that guitar! Thanks for keeping us informed of what's out there and whether it's worth a hoot or not. Later Darrell !
I have a burgundy one from 2 years ago, great guitar. That means they must play and sound better than well. My frets are good, no issues. I've never cared about cosmetics. I have flaws in most of my 50+ guitars from 1958 through today. I don't see a reason to pay more for this style guitar. Thanks!
Love this guitar man, looks very cool, sounds nice when you are playing it. I have seen accomplished players make affordable guitars like that little Firefly beauty sound eternal with heaven in their melodies, and I have seen a deluge of cork niffing aficionados making a Murphy labs LP's and Fender CS's sound like a $100 guitar played by a learner. It is a bit of a conundrum, if it looks good and sounds good, then it probably looks good and sounds good. The main thing is, are you enjoying your journey and adventure in the realm of music and guitar happiness? Then keep enjoying and making good music, tell the world your story, light the place up with your happiness.
Got one a few months back (learning guitar in my late 40's), and it is cosmetically flawless. My 81 yr old dad, who's been playing for nearly 70 years, absolutely raved over it and wants one of his own. Is it perfect? No. But is the huge difference in $$$ between this and a Gibson worth it? For us mortals, also no.
it's prolly cos i'm just a week and a half into playing guitar but i'm claiming you as my guitar dad lol like thank you so much for these videos!! your vibes r just so choice, like you've invited us over to check out a bunch of guitars and you're honest about all of them (i ultimately picked up that glarry's that was i think $85 when you reviewed it (got her for 90 in green with a coupon)) and even though i'll be playing this one for as long as i possibly can, it's so nice to see all sorts of guitars in various budgets! (still dreaming of one day owning a mexi strat after your us vs mx comparison vids)
I wanted to add this comment to your newest video, so that you would most likely see it. I posted the same comment in a video you made in 2019, for the D'Angelico Bob Weir Premier guitar. Here's what I wrote: I can't believe this video popped up in my reccommened videos today. I just bought a new one of these Bob Weir guitars from Sweetwater yesterday. I am having it Plekked and adding a tusq nut. I should have it in less than 2 weeks. :)
If you do eBay or reverb just don't pay scalper prices, musicians friend/guitar center charge scalper prices for used as well. They always have them in stock on guitar garden their own store. The LPs are the ones that sell out quick and that's just so people can raise the price and sell on eBay/reverb.
Great video ! Wanted to mention a couple testers for Firefly, one being myself, just tested alnico pickups for these a month or so ago. Also will be used in the FFLP models, so even better tones on the horizon and no microphonics !
Buy some FRET ERASEERS and buff those fretts you can do it a evening while watching TV or your computer. Its the first thing I do to every guitar I get.
?? Darrell, I love the videos, and since I value your opinion I would like to see a couple Harley Bentons I’ve been looking at, along with lots of other’s that buy affordable gear. HB Fusion Tele, and the SC-550. They both come with Blacksmith Stainless frets, Roswell High output on tele, and a new brand on the SC. Tele comes with roasted maple neck, locking tuners, heel truss rod adjustment, and it’s a coil tapping dual humbucker with a Wilkinson Trem, or hard tail. It’s about $300-$350 depending on a new or B-stock model. The SC-550s look and sound great and is an improvement on there earlier LP copies. I can’t afford a legit Tele, unless it’s a Squire, and my HB T-style is made much better and sounds great. I’ve been going to GC every week looking to buy a Squire, but there awful, and cheap feeling.They even have a few HBs selling, so you can actually compare in the shop. Okay, I know this is long, but if you read it, please think about trying the Fusion HB T-style with trem, or any SC-550. You can probably get it sent free, as a RUclipsr, but if not, please think about it! Like this firefly! I might actually buy one!
Darrel,l you should consider reviewing one of the Vs or Explorer styles. Firefly is either getting them from a different manufacturer than the 338, or is specifying a different build. Those frets are polished to a rounded hot-dog end before they're installed into the fretboard, and they're beautifully polished with no grit. They're a massive improvement over the frets on the rest of the Firefly line. The EXs and Vs seem to be better built in general. I've had 8 or 9 Fireflies, and the Explorer is the best one I've had by a pretty wide margin.
That neck pickup tone is exactly what I hear in my head when I imagine myself playing guitar. For a learning instrument I think this should do me well. Any thoughts, guys?
Any of the Firefly guitars would be fine to learn on. I haven't watched this whole video yet so idk if it's mentioned but if you don't know how to setup a guitar you would benefit from having a local luthier set it up for you.
I am pretty much a newb in my guitar ability, but I have purchased 3 Firefly guitars. The 338 is good overall, but the tone pots do nothing until you drop it down to 2. The Aerosonic 12 I just had to buy! I can barely play a 6, but the price was a "no brainer!'. I am still trying to figure out how to play that, but the tone pots are an issue as well. I didn't intend to, because I am not a Les Paul fan, but I caught a "Bat" release, so I jumped on it. I am not a Gibson fan, but this gamble was totally worth it! Yes, I have to fix a few issues, but you can't go wrong with a Firefly. They are an incredible starting point and can be upgraded to whatever you want them to be.
I know some people like it but I don't like the racing stripe version with the clear guard. Hoping they go back to the old designs. That and make the F holes just a smidge bigger or put in an access route to do more modifications. I'm surprised they never sent the Aerosonic.
Awesome looking and sounding guitar! It really helps to have a phenomenal guitarist playing it. I do love firefly guitars. I have blood fade fflp with Jimmy Page wiring and Dimarzio 36th anniversary pickups!
Good review mate ....love a Gibson 335 but don't feel like taking a 2nd mortgage on my house. Plenty similar on the market these days. Epi be just as good and the quality control a little better. Nice 1...
For only $200, this would make a great gift for your children or grandchildren. If I were to get it, I'd switch out all the electronics (P90's maybe?) and upgrade the tuners. Like Darrell says, the frets can be worked on to remove the grittiness. That body is a good looking, inexpensive platform to build a guitar to your liking.
I’m actually really considering getting one of these as I like to work on my own guitars and it seems like with just a little tiny bit of love it can be a really really affordable guitar
Just becareful when you go to upgrade and try to put in full size, the F holes are really narrow so they barely squeeze through and there's no access cavity in the HB route. It can be done though, there's another guy on here who did a guide on upgrading all the electronics in it and was almost identical to his Gibson.
just received mine from guitar garden...ordered it to do full mods on...love the color and style, body had almost no flaws..1 small spec in the binding....would of sent it back due to other multiple issues...this one got past all QA and setup...but since moding it and they refunded $40.00..am keeping it...issues are..neck pickup only has 5 screws ...1 is a solid slug...cant adjust...other is when I cut the strings off the nut fell out...had maby 1 drop of glue...and the slot is cut about a 1/16 inch to wide...will have to shim it...or maby a gibson nut will fill it up..not big issues if you are doing a full mod anyway...and know how to do basic things...mods being done are fill gap in neck set (wood Filler) GFS humbucker bigmouth pickups, harness with split pickups, alpha pots, and gretsch stop tail ....all in all still cheaper then ordering something from Harley Benton (they are good) or GFS (have 1 of those modded) I love it...just needed some tender care
The functional problems I've seen most commonly with budget instruments have been cheap pot metal bridges, imprecise tuning machines and of course dull sounding pups. Even when all of these get addressed one of these can be brought up to rival mid-priced similar models for around $500 all in. With mid-price ranging now up to $1K these are probably great option especially for the younger players who are still figuring out their preferances and learning the basics of working on an instrument. Of course for a mature(retired) player with a better budget the best Gibson clones out there for the money with all premium materials and top end components are Eastman.
I think the pickguard is sexy. The other thing is, if you're brushing up your luthiery, it gives you a nice platform to practice on. Nice review, thanks man.
The biggest question I have is how to you get them in Canada? I've been all over the Firefly website, and I can't find a way to get them up here. I'm specifically trying to find that blueberry burst FFLV.
Quick note . I have this guitar with a near perfect finish and binding Also mine has full size pots. The frets on mine were well done but not ball ended . FF again all over the place with they way they are finished. However my new triple pickup FFLG (SG style) Has polished ball end frets full size pots and potted pickups. It seems ff is all over the place with what you get and the quality of finish. I have 5. My latest however is shear perfection. It even has shielding paint. Thanks for sharing and keeping it real.
@@QS-si3cq Nope I put it the way I meant. You see some of us older people use Shear and not Sheer to emphasize the sharpness, or definition of the item being observed. ( Like how shears cut Percisly ) Both sheer and shear can be used. But for my my intended relevant observation. It is exactly what I intended. I suppose I could have said " Made with the exact pinpoint tolerances as if cut by precision crafted and sharpened SHEARS." to get the point across. However I believe most got the point. Pun Intended. Thank you for word policing we don't know what we would do without you.
@@FultonStreetBeats 😂 One misspelled word out of the whole paragraph and someone has to point it out. I would have just assumed it was a typo, if I'd been proofreading, but, as is, I didn't even notice. Some folks just need to feel smart sometimes. The only time I proofread public posts are those of the proofreaders. Always fun to correct them when they're trying to lay into someone. 😜 Totally kills their vibe. Shears! 🍻 (for yet another pun)
My cherry-red FF338, what I bought last month, has the same noticeably askew fretboard inlays (nothing to be done about that) and a few spots where the cherry-red paint has bled onto the binding. I suppose I could scrape the paint off the binding like they do at the Gibson factory, but it's a cosmetic issue that doesn't really bother me. Even the wonky fretboard inlays give the guitar a certain quirky charm. What does matter to me is that the pickups exhibit much less microphony than those in the first FF338 you reviewed a while back.
These Chinese cnc made hollow bodies are insane values. I got a grote 335 , changed out the tuners and added some paf’s and I couldn’t tell you the difference between it and my pops old 80s 335. The neck was perfect and the fret work was great. For 166 bucks from Amazon, you can’t go wrong.
@Aaaron Higgs - I totally agree with you. I also have a Grote 335 and it is a great guitar! All maple construction. I changed the nut to a Graphtech and the tuners with Gotohs. I left the original pups in it because I don't use this guitar with overdrive. I only play it clean and the pups it came with sound alright for now. However, if I was going to play my Grote with overdrive, I would definitely replace the pups because they are very microphonic.
@@577mozart Yeap. I threw in some old Grover’s I had lying around. I only play with a slight crunch from a ts9 to overdrive a old 65’ Kay tube amp. It sings. Sure the finish on the back needed some polishing and I had to file the low e-string nut grove; but it’s really a great deal if you know how to do a basic setup. The crazy thing to me was how on the neck and frets were.
Hey!, the next time you build a guitar can you please do it without skipping the process, i want to build one but i dont really understand it, if you can't it's okay. Thanks!!
You didn’t say so, pretty hot PU’s from the sound of the double stops, it sounds like it as good as a Gibson to me, and your recorded tones, usually are articulate, Tele sounds like a Tele, strat like a strat, and this sounds like a higher end 335 guitar. Bone nut makes it, I took a dead sounding guitar added a bone but, incredible compared to plastic, suddenly you hear the wood, the clarity of tone
I have the racing stripe version too! My bridge buzzed badly, the jack started to cut out a few days in, and there is some glue on the fretboard. Not dealbreakers b/c I got it as a modding platform. I actually really like the stock pickups. I popped some guitar fetish dream 90s in, but I think I might go back to the originals. A replacement gotoh bridge was also pretty cheap.
@@normawinton6832 Yeah, it's all a matter of expectations I think. I would have been upset if it was $500. But at $200 I can throw $300 of mods at it and have a guitar that plays like $1000. So it is a great deal - but not for everybody.
Have you seen some of their wilder models? they have a seven string semi hollow LP with beautiful inlays on the fretboard. All of the tele’s have a middle pick up. They have this cool LP that has a weird acoustic type bridge. That being said I’m waiting for the right silver burst explorer type from them.
I bought a Firefly 338. It's a pretty good guitar ... for $200. You can tell its not an expensive instrument though. Frets are pretty uneven and will require a fret levelling at some stage. For now I can work around it by setting the action a little higher. Tuning machines are what you'd expect on a lower end Squier or Epiphone. Adequate, but not great. It's my first foray into the 335 style/semi-hollow body world, and I'm happy with it overall and have no regrets about getting it. But some people are overselling it a bit in my opinion.
Darrell, i picked up the Firefly (semi hollow) Pegasus. It's definitely inspired by Trey Anastasio's Languedoc, and it was perfect out the box, and has remained my favorite FF. I have the LP and the 338, both good guitars, but this is better imo.
Hey, there are some of us that prefer to save for one or more "good brand" guitar for: as an investment, brand, status, looks sound or tone. There are some of us that think that is better, regardless of the price, effort and more expenses in the long run, to have several affordable guitars, if that pleases you, or inspires you to play or expand playing different styles. But regardless, I don't think that "all" of the great music, has been done in the headstock, or in a "good brand" guitar, that even when done, it has been modified to suit the needs of the player, so lets play, practice and enjoy, in the way you can and like, and the good thing is that is a tool, and now days, there is an affordable good and beautiful tool in a $200.00 price. Thank you Darrell, and take care.
I’ve owned a couple of Fireflys and believe that old axe “ya get what ya pay for” applies. They’re ok as a platform for modding, but expect them to have issues. The fret spacing was out of whack on my first FF338, and the second one needed its frets leveled and crowned ($230 from my luthier). The electronics were fine on the second one, while the three way toggle switch was balky on the first. I’ll pass on Firefly in the future. YMMV.
Daaaamn, could have got a upper end Epiphone for that. Sorry to hear. That's my worry about ordering 1 as well. Be my luck I'd have to drop $200-300 on fixes.
My friend gave me his FF 338. OK...... I'm picky and I have been in this game for many years. The tuners were sloppy and had lots of 'play'. I replaced them. The bridge also did not have sufficient adjustment to properly intonate the G string. I replaced that bridge with a better one that had more adjustment for each string. The pickups sounded pretty good but were VERY microphonic. Upon me removing both pups I found their construction to be the most frail and cheapest I have ever come across. I replaced both of them. The frets were grainy and I had to polish them to get the machining grit eliminated. The fret ends were rough so I had to dress them down as well to smooth them out. You get what you pay for.
Since this video, their higher end "pro" models received even more improvements, like alnico pickups instead of the old microphonic ceramic pickups, it's worth an extra $30. My charcoal quilted maple 338 arrived ready to play, EXCEPT the nut grooves were way too high/shallow. The old ceramic pickup were too microphonic *at high amp/speaker volume levels. DI, you'll never hear much
Try the ESP LTD M-10 or EC-10 or MH-10. All of them are the same quality with different styles. The guitars go for around 200-250$. Would be a nice feature on the channel.
With really budget guitars you have to pick as manufacturers where to cut corners, and choosing to cut on aesthetics and spend all they can on playability is actually good news imo
The newest version of this model, the FIREFLY 338 PRO has Alnico 5 Humbuckers, full size pots, bone nut, stainless steel rounded end frets and locking tuners... price is $219.99 USD Sept. 2023
I have budget and 1000.00 plus guitars,I have giged for years from KY. to WVA , To NC. well alot of the south .using american standard strat ,tele and gib. explorer .I quit now ,not as many places to play anymore .But man these new budget guitars are great ,I couldhave used them ,Iplay alot still .Ive bought an Agile ,Wolf and an A I O lp styles.I never had to touch them ,They were set up and in tune out of the double boxes.Lookslike the Fire Fly might need a set up but Its all there ,Smoothe out the frets set intonation ,string hight and rock and roll! If you can find a place to play.
The Glarry version isn't as nice. They're made completely out of basswood which not only changes the tone quite a bit, but also makes the guitar a little more fragile. Basswood is an okay tone wood but really soft and not as sturdy as maple. I have a Grote 335 copy that is all maple construction like a Gibson or Epi, and it sounds incredible for also being a sub $200 guitar.
It is amazing what you can get nowadays for $200 bucks, but I feel the market is over saturated with the same 4 designs; LP, 335, ST & T style guitars. It became boring and uninspired, what about offset, small hollowed bodies, or a different combination of pickups, etc.? I can recommend you to check it out the IYV guitars, especially their hybrid acoustic jaguar style guitar. Keep the good work man, I always enjoy your videos.
I wish Amazon would stock more of IYVs models! I have the lp, two of the prs variety, tried the strat but didn't quite like it enough compared to the monoprice strat copy I have. Also bought and returned two of the issy 200s which was sooo disappointing, keep waiting for that to pop up on Amazon again I'd buy it a heartbeat. Not I'm up to taking the risk buying it from iyv off reverb and being stuck with it without a way to return it though.
My buddy has one. They are quite nice. Change the pickups, nut, and tuners you’re gold. My buddy got a set of used fishmans, graphtech nut and some cheap locking tuners for 120 bucks. 370 total and that guitar is a monster.
@@aaronhiggs Makes sense and yeah, they’re bone. Gonna be honest, not a big fan of bone, have bone on my PRS acoustic and it’s either too tight or just binds in general on the D string.
Hi Darrell 👋. Can you please give your assessment of a guitar from a UK manufacturer. The Tanglewood TBS 59. A Gibson ES 335 look alike. I have owned one for a couple of years. Buying it used. I like it. Was wondering what your opinion is ?
That racing stripe looks better than I thought possible - impressive guitar, sounds great. Any microphonics on the pickups? Does Firefly make a Firebird model?
It's Flametop Friday with an affordable twist - It's Firefly Friday!
Enjoy :)
Would love to see you take one of these and upgrade it with a Guitar Fetish wiring kit and pickups!!!
Sounds and looks really good!
@@TheMerc1950 I have done it. No wiring kit. I just hardwired with P/P for coil tap and series/parallel but now it moans, screams, sings and barks.
Hi. What is your experience with returning a firefly guitar. I ordered a FFLS. It arrived without the electronics installed. I am not receiving any response from their customer service email. How have you returned things to them?
Any idea how to buy these in Canada? The guitargardens website seems to only give options for US shipping!
I love these comments that seem to think it's a revelation that a $200 guitar isn't as good as a Gibson. Thanks for sorting that out for us. Not all heroes wear capes.
Solid gold.
They wear napkins & plastic pants!
🤣
@Lil Smoot In THAT respect, quite possibly!
I love my FF338, it's comparable to an Epiphone Dot, without being ~$500.
I can take an imperfection at this price when it plays and sounds good. Well done
These Firefly guitars are amazing, especially for the price. I just got the FFLG a couple weeks ago and I love it.
I rebuilt my FFLP but it was pretty decent to start, and the build quality was absolutely worth the electronics upgrades.
@@Tijuanabill that's the thing! I haven't done anything to mine, yet, because I'm pretty happy with them as they are, but if I went on stage, pretty sure I'd have to swap pickups, cause I can get the originals howling without being that loud :) but I love the sound when it's just on the edge. And the clean is clean.
I just received the Firefly 338 a week ago. I got it to hang in the studio because it is beautiful Spalted Maple. Due to an accident I can no longer play but I had a professional guitar player play it. He's 72 years old and well well seasoned. He said everything was set up perfectly the intonation the action and it stayed in tune. It has stainless steel frets with rounded fret ends that go all the way to the edge of the fret board. It has locking tuners. I asked him what we need to do for the setup and he said nothing. It seems Firefly has been listening to you guys and fixing all the bugs, before it leaves the factory.
I’ve been playing for 60 yrs. now, and I bought a Firefly 338, and I am amazed!!! Sounds great, a great stage guitar. You don’t have to have to worry about a nick here and there, and I can get the sounds I play. What a deal, I paid $189.00 new on e-bay.
I like when you use them as a microphone and give the crowd a shout out! ;-)
Thanks Darrell.
I really enjoyed your demo on the Firefly I have a 338 myself and I absolutely love it bang for the buck it's really really enjoyable thank you for your piece it was fantastic I look forward to more in the future
I love these Firefly guitars! I have two FF338's, a FFLP and aFFLG all modded (gutted and replaced everything). If you take time to do the work they can play like butter. In fact I can't believe it's NOT butter. Must be Shred Spread!
I like how you cover the whole range of guitars !! This brand would be a great beginner or gift gift guitar !! 🎸 .
Yes, but the caveat IS: to get it professionally set up 1st, before giving it!
I just bought two of them based on this and another video, an FF338 spalted maple top ($199.99) and an FFLG gold metallic ($179.99). I was expecting crap...as there is very little truth on the net these days. However, to say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. I honestly don't know how this company can put out this great a guitar for that little money, also the shipping is not that bad considering where it's coming from. I only found one flaw in the metallic paint job on the FFLG...the FF338 is flawless. These guitars are better than any of the low budget guitars out there i.e. Epiphone, Harley Benton, Slick SL55 through 60, Glarry, mitchell, Indio and monoprice. IMO, you get way more than your money's worth. I know as I have most of these. just my 2 cents worth. Peace.
I can't believe how many styles they're offering now. Thanks for showing the guitar.
I’m picking up a Flying V this week. For 249 bucks they are amazing
Gibson trolls are always terrified watching this video and trying to justify their $3.5k they paid for a complete piece of crap.
@@aaronhiggs You can get a Jackson V or Jackson Randy Rhoades for bout same price.
@@koDaffi yeah , but I don’t like the modern v design. I’m more of a traditional V shape guy. I also got a credit , so it will be 170 total. I’m throwing a set of emg 81/85 in it that I have lying around for that 80s thrash tone.
@@aaronhiggs Very nice. I like the old style V as well. Sounds like it'll be killer!
I just received a Harley Benton TE-62DB, it is perfect. I am the guitar snob from the old days. This guitar has a perfect finish, perfect intonation, perfect components. $144 with shipping $210. Gorgeous guitar!
I just purchased a Firefly Pegasus because I liked how it looked and the fret ends were superbly polished ball-ends. The guitar overall as better than I expected and after a good set-up and some new strings it plays great. Mine also came with full size alpha pots.
I got one just like this, but green instead of red. Mine was cosmetically flawless, with none of the little nurnies you point out on yours. I got mine from Amazon, and it needed a new set of strings (of course) and I had to adjust the bridge, the truss rod and the intonation to get the action down to where I like it, but it was the best $180 I ever spent. It's easily worth five times what I paid.
Yet another excellent review Darrell. Your hard work and dedication to your craft is much appreciated.
These Firefly guitars are sweet li'l gems. Plus at their selling price seems like a safe bet you'll get a pretty decent instrument.
I always enjoy hearing and watching you play . Because of your suggestions I've picked up a few guitars and I haven't regretted the purchase of any of them. Especially the Schecter PT SPECIAL with that P90 neck and special switching. I love that guitar!
Thanks for keeping us informed of what's out there and whether it's worth a hoot or not. Later Darrell !
Picked up a non flame top version used for $100. It needed a basic setup and a new set a strings, but for the price I absolutely love mine.
Absolutely awesome review!
Thanks for sharing,
James
Dammit... I didn't think I needed another guitar.... but that's gorgeous! And that neck pup clean was righteous!
Darrell, I appreciate you giving us the facts in a positive way.
As always, you put out an excellent review on this FF guitar! Thank you!! 🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸
I have a burgundy one from 2 years ago, great guitar. That means they must play and sound better than well.
My frets are good, no issues.
I've never cared about cosmetics. I have flaws in most of my 50+ guitars from 1958 through today.
I don't see a reason to pay more for this style guitar. Thanks!
I'm with you. It's the player not the instrument 👍
Love this guitar man, looks very cool, sounds nice when you are playing it. I have seen accomplished players make affordable guitars like that little Firefly beauty sound eternal with heaven in their melodies, and I have seen a deluge of cork niffing aficionados making a Murphy labs LP's and Fender CS's sound like a $100 guitar played by a learner. It is a bit of a conundrum, if it looks good and sounds good, then it probably looks good and sounds good. The main thing is, are you enjoying your journey and adventure in the realm of music and guitar happiness? Then keep enjoying and making good music, tell the world your story, light the place up with your happiness.
Got one a few months back (learning guitar in my late 40's), and it is cosmetically flawless. My 81 yr old dad, who's been playing for nearly 70 years, absolutely raved over it and wants one of his own. Is it perfect? No. But is the huge difference in $$$ between this and a Gibson worth it? For us mortals, also no.
it's prolly cos i'm just a week and a half into playing guitar but i'm claiming you as my guitar dad lol like thank you so much for these videos!! your vibes r just so choice, like you've invited us over to check out a bunch of guitars and you're honest about all of them (i ultimately picked up that glarry's that was i think $85 when you reviewed it (got her for 90 in green with a coupon)) and even though i'll be playing this one for as long as i possibly can, it's so nice to see all sorts of guitars in various budgets! (still dreaming of one day owning a mexi strat after your us vs mx comparison vids)
Check out reverb. I got a nice 90s Mexican fender for like 280
I wanted to add this comment to your newest video, so that you would most likely see it. I posted the same comment in a video you made in 2019, for the D'Angelico Bob Weir Premier guitar. Here's what I wrote: I can't believe this video popped up in my reccommened videos today. I just bought a new one of these Bob Weir guitars from Sweetwater yesterday. I am having it Plekked and adding a tusq nut. I should have it in less than 2 weeks. :)
have seen numerous vids of this but I respect your opinion and a working guitar needs sound, not a museum piece .. well done ,,,again !!!!
Considering you get these issues with Gibson for a lot more money, hard to be upset.
Facts
Bruh, my Gibson Gothic 335 came from the factory with a worse setup than this 200 dollar cnc Chinese guitar.
@@aaronhiggs goddamn what the hell is goin on in there
I gotta spend my money on this, this guitar is amazing. It's got a 1970s Matsumoku feel to it.
I like your phrasing
@@mlagathomason2555 thanks 😉
THIS is a complement I can appreciate 👍👌
My bassist buddy ordered an fflp & I cannot wait to check it out.
@@1ListerofSmeg You won't be disappointed 😃💕💝🤘🤟
Middle position sounds great . And these guitars sounds really great. Wish it available in my country.
Crazy good looking guitar and that price is crazy, great review darrell
Looks good, sounds good. I've never been able to find a Firefly - retailers are always out of them.
Check Ebay there's a few there
If you do eBay or reverb just don't pay scalper prices, musicians friend/guitar center charge scalper prices for used as well. They always have them in stock on guitar garden their own store. The LPs are the ones that sell out quick and that's just so people can raise the price and sell on eBay/reverb.
They are on e-bay if you are interested.
this would be a great first guitar! Unheard of when I was younger. a guitar like this wasn't even an option in 1990....
Great video ! Wanted to mention a couple testers for Firefly, one being myself, just tested alnico pickups for these a month or so ago. Also will be used in the FFLP models, so even better tones on the horizon and no microphonics !
I just bought a telecaster model and Im waiting for it to come in id love to see you do a video on that guitar
Buy some FRET ERASEERS and buff those fretts you can do it a evening while watching TV or your computer. Its the first thing I do to every guitar I get.
?? Darrell, I love the videos, and since I value your opinion I would like to see a couple Harley Bentons I’ve been looking at, along with lots of other’s that buy affordable gear. HB Fusion Tele, and the SC-550. They both come with Blacksmith Stainless frets, Roswell High output on tele, and a new brand on the SC. Tele comes with roasted maple neck, locking tuners, heel truss rod adjustment, and it’s a coil tapping dual humbucker with a Wilkinson Trem, or hard tail. It’s about $300-$350 depending on a new or B-stock model. The SC-550s look and sound great and is an improvement on there earlier LP copies. I can’t afford a legit Tele, unless it’s a Squire, and my HB T-style is made much better and sounds great. I’ve been going to GC every week looking to buy a Squire, but there awful, and cheap feeling.They even have a few HBs selling, so you can actually compare in the shop. Okay, I know this is long, but if you read it, please think about trying the Fusion HB T-style with trem, or any SC-550. You can probably get it sent free, as a RUclipsr, but if not, please think about it! Like this firefly! I might actually buy one!
Darrel,l you should consider reviewing one of the Vs or Explorer styles. Firefly is either getting them from a different manufacturer than the 338, or is specifying a different build. Those frets are polished to a rounded hot-dog end before they're installed into the fretboard, and they're beautifully polished with no grit. They're a massive improvement over the frets on the rest of the Firefly line. The EXs and Vs seem to be better built in general. I've had 8 or 9 Fireflies, and the Explorer is the best one I've had by a pretty wide margin.
Thats the best sounding one u
Demo’d- i like it. And i actually thinking biut buying one.
That neck pickup tone is exactly what I hear in my head when I imagine myself playing guitar. For a learning instrument I think this should do me well. Any thoughts, guys?
Any of the Firefly guitars would be fine to learn on. I haven't watched this whole video yet so idk if it's mentioned but if you don't know how to setup a guitar you would benefit from having a local luthier set it up for you.
@@ethanadjack5289 thanks for the advice, Ethan, that’s exactly what I needed to know. Really appreciate your time.
Waiting on mine to get here. I ordered the same one.
I am pretty much a newb in my guitar ability, but I have purchased 3 Firefly guitars. The 338 is good overall, but the tone pots do nothing until you drop it down to 2. The Aerosonic 12 I just had to buy! I can barely play a 6, but the price was a "no brainer!'. I am still trying to figure out how to play that, but the tone pots are an issue as well. I didn't intend to, because I am not a Les Paul fan, but I caught a "Bat" release, so I jumped on it. I am not a Gibson fan, but this gamble was totally worth it!
Yes, I have to fix a few issues, but you can't go wrong with a Firefly. They are an incredible starting point and can be upgraded to whatever you want them to be.
great demo Darrell
I know some people like it but I don't like the racing stripe version with the clear guard. Hoping they go back to the old designs. That and make the F holes just a smidge bigger or put in an access route to do more modifications. I'm surprised they never sent the Aerosonic.
Awesome looking and sounding guitar! It really helps to have a phenomenal guitarist playing it. I do love firefly guitars. I have blood fade fflp with Jimmy Page wiring and Dimarzio 36th anniversary pickups!
Another great review! Just one question though. Am I optically delusional or is there a lean between the stop tail and the bridge at 11:18?
Thanks for the great service you provide.
Just ordered a 12 string Firefly Aerosonic . . let's see how it arrives . . should get it by monday.
Good review mate ....love a Gibson 335 but don't feel like taking a 2nd mortgage on my house. Plenty similar on the market these days. Epi be just as good and the quality control a little better. Nice 1...
Got the 338 and put locking tuners on but didn't need to, it's good with no changes
For only $200, this would make a great gift for your children or grandchildren. If I were to get it, I'd switch out all the electronics (P90's maybe?) and upgrade the tuners. Like Darrell says, the frets can be worked on to remove the grittiness. That body is a good looking, inexpensive platform to build a guitar to your liking.
Dude I really like the sound of the 335..fire fly
That guitar looks and sounds great
I’m actually really considering getting one of these as I like to work on my own guitars and it seems like with just a little tiny bit of love it can be a really really affordable guitar
I love getting a guitar with fixable issues a perfect guitar is kind of boring to me.
Just becareful when you go to upgrade and try to put in full size, the F holes are really narrow so they barely squeeze through and there's no access cavity in the HB route. It can be done though, there's another guy on here who did a guide on upgrading all the electronics in it and was almost identical to his Gibson.
just received mine from guitar garden...ordered it to do full mods on...love the color and style, body had almost no flaws..1 small spec in the binding....would of sent it back due to other multiple issues...this one got past all QA and setup...but since moding it and they refunded $40.00..am keeping it...issues are..neck pickup only has 5 screws ...1 is a solid slug...cant adjust...other is when I cut the strings off the nut fell out...had maby 1 drop of glue...and the slot is cut about a 1/16 inch to wide...will have to shim it...or maby a gibson nut will fill it up..not big issues if you are doing a full mod anyway...and know how to do basic things...mods being done are fill gap in neck set (wood Filler) GFS humbucker bigmouth pickups, harness with split pickups, alpha pots, and gretsch stop tail ....all in all still cheaper then ordering something from Harley Benton (they are good) or GFS (have 1 of those modded) I love it...just needed some tender care
The functional problems I've seen most commonly with budget instruments have been cheap pot metal bridges, imprecise tuning machines and of course dull sounding pups. Even when all of these get addressed one of these can be brought up to rival mid-priced similar models for around $500 all in. With mid-price ranging now up to $1K these are probably great option especially for the younger players who are still figuring out their preferances and learning the basics of working on an instrument. Of course for a mature(retired) player with a better budget the best Gibson clones out there for the money with all premium materials and top end components are Eastman.
Please review the Ibanez LB1. Always great vids!
Checked out their website and I'm really tempted to buy this model in green
Something about the sound of these pickups with gain reminds me of the lead in Hagar's song Heavy Metal
Well, here we've got access to a strat and a tele, too, Darrell.
I think the pickguard is sexy. The other thing is, if you're brushing up your luthiery, it gives you a nice platform to practice on. Nice review, thanks man.
The biggest question I have is how to you get them in Canada? I've been all over the Firefly website, and I can't find a way to get them up here. I'm specifically trying to find that blueberry burst FFLV.
Quick note . I have this guitar with a near perfect finish and binding Also mine has full size pots. The frets on mine were well done but not ball ended . FF again all over the place with they way they are finished.
However my new triple pickup FFLG (SG style) Has polished ball end frets full size pots and potted pickups. It seems ff is all over the place with what you get and the quality of finish. I have 5. My latest however is shear perfection. It even has shielding paint. Thanks for sharing and keeping it real.
There's my guy! Fulton always bringing some good content! Highly recommend everyone checking him out.
@@koDaffi Thanks Brother!
*sheer
@@QS-si3cq Nope I put it the way I meant. You see some of us older people use Shear and not Sheer to emphasize the sharpness, or definition of the item being observed. ( Like how shears cut Percisly ) Both sheer and shear can be used. But for my my intended relevant observation. It is exactly what I intended. I suppose I could have said " Made with the exact pinpoint tolerances as if cut by precision crafted and sharpened SHEARS." to get the point across. However I believe most got the point. Pun Intended.
Thank you for word policing we don't know what we would do without you.
@@FultonStreetBeats 😂 One misspelled word out of the whole paragraph and someone has to point it out. I would have just assumed it was a typo, if I'd been proofreading, but, as is, I didn't even notice. Some folks just need to feel smart sometimes. The only time I proofread public posts are those of the proofreaders. Always fun to correct them when they're trying to lay into someone. 😜 Totally kills their vibe. Shears! 🍻 (for yet another pun)
My cherry-red FF338, what I bought last month, has the same noticeably askew fretboard inlays (nothing to be done about that) and a few spots where the cherry-red paint has bled onto the binding. I suppose I could scrape the paint off the binding like they do at the Gibson factory, but it's a cosmetic issue that doesn't really bother me. Even the wonky fretboard inlays give the guitar a certain quirky charm. What does matter to me is that the pickups exhibit much less microphony than those in the first FF338 you reviewed a while back.
These Chinese cnc made hollow bodies are insane values. I got a grote 335 , changed out the tuners and added some paf’s and I couldn’t tell you the difference between it and my pops old 80s 335. The neck was perfect and the fret work was great. For 166 bucks from Amazon, you can’t go wrong.
@Aaaron Higgs - I totally agree with you. I also have a Grote 335 and it is a great guitar! All maple construction. I changed the nut to a Graphtech and the tuners with Gotohs. I left the original pups in it because I don't use this guitar with overdrive. I only play it clean and the pups it came with sound alright for now. However, if I was going to play my Grote with overdrive, I would definitely replace the pups because they are very microphonic.
@@577mozart Yeap. I threw in some old Grover’s I had lying around. I only play with a slight crunch from a ts9 to overdrive a old 65’ Kay tube amp. It sings. Sure the finish on the back needed some polishing and I had to file the low e-string nut grove; but it’s really a great deal if you know how to do a basic setup. The crazy thing to me was how on the neck and frets were.
Good vid yet again. Thanks!
Hey!, the next time you build a guitar can you please do it without skipping the process, i want to build one but i dont really understand it, if you can't it's okay. Thanks!!
They do a strat and a tele as well. Tele is really flexible, so you move and its like you're bending the neck ")
You are going to have to do a video on best alternatives to a Gibson 335 under 500 dollars.
You didn’t say so, pretty hot PU’s
from the sound of the double stops, it sounds like it as good as a Gibson to me, and your recorded tones, usually are articulate, Tele sounds like a Tele, strat like a strat, and this sounds like a higher end 335 guitar.
Bone nut makes it, I took a dead sounding guitar added a bone but, incredible compared to plastic, suddenly you hear the wood, the clarity of tone
I have the racing stripe version too! My bridge buzzed badly, the jack started to cut out a few days in, and there is some glue on the fretboard. Not dealbreakers b/c I got it as a modding platform. I actually really like the stock pickups. I popped some guitar fetish dream 90s in, but I think I might go back to the originals. A replacement gotoh bridge was also pretty cheap.
Well that's not good😳I would have been a bit pissy about it because I don't know much about replacing items and installing lol. Glad you like it now
@@normawinton6832 Yeah, it's all a matter of expectations I think. I would have been upset if it was $500. But at $200 I can throw $300 of mods at it and have a guitar that plays like $1000. So it is a great deal - but not for everybody.
Have you seen some of their wilder models? they have a seven string semi hollow LP with beautiful inlays on the fretboard. All of the tele’s have a middle pick up. They have this cool LP that has a weird acoustic type bridge. That being said I’m waiting for the right silver burst explorer type from them.
Even the Epiphone versions are getting high!
I bought a Firefly 338. It's a pretty good guitar ... for $200. You can tell its not an expensive instrument though. Frets are pretty uneven and will require a fret levelling at some stage. For now I can work around it by setting the action a little higher. Tuning machines are what you'd expect on a lower end Squier or Epiphone. Adequate, but not great. It's my first foray into the 335 style/semi-hollow body world, and I'm happy with it overall and have no regrets about getting it. But some people are overselling it a bit in my opinion.
Darrell, i picked up the Firefly (semi hollow) Pegasus. It's definitely inspired by Trey Anastasio's Languedoc, and it was perfect out the box, and has remained my favorite FF. I have the LP and the 338, both good guitars, but this is better imo.
Hey, there are some of us that prefer to save for one or more "good brand" guitar for: as an investment, brand, status, looks sound or tone.
There are some of us that think that is better, regardless of the price, effort and more expenses in the long run, to have several affordable guitars, if that pleases you, or inspires you to play or expand playing different styles.
But regardless, I don't think that "all" of the great music, has been done in the headstock, or in a "good brand" guitar, that even when done, it has been modified to suit the needs of the player, so lets play, practice and enjoy, in the way you can and like, and the good thing is that is a tool, and now days, there is an affordable good and beautiful tool in a $200.00 price.
Thank you Darrell, and take care.
I’ve owned a couple of Fireflys and believe that old axe “ya get what ya pay for” applies. They’re ok as a platform for modding, but expect them to have issues. The fret spacing was out of whack on my first FF338, and the second one needed its frets leveled and crowned ($230 from my luthier). The electronics were fine on the second one, while the three way toggle switch was balky on the first. I’ll pass on Firefly in the future. YMMV.
Daaaamn, could have got a upper end Epiphone for that. Sorry to hear. That's my worry about ordering 1 as well. Be my luck I'd have to drop $200-300 on fixes.
My friend gave me his FF 338. OK...... I'm picky and I have been in this game for many years.
The tuners were sloppy and had lots of 'play'. I replaced them.
The bridge also did not have sufficient adjustment to properly intonate the G string. I replaced that bridge with a better one that had more adjustment for each string.
The pickups sounded pretty good but were VERY microphonic. Upon me removing both pups I found their construction to be the most frail and cheapest I have ever come across. I replaced both of them.
The frets were grainy and I had to polish them to get the machining grit eliminated. The fret ends were rough so I had to dress them down as well to smooth them out.
You get what you pay for.
Hey Darrell, How about a review of the low end PRS?
Since this video, their higher end "pro" models received even more improvements, like alnico pickups instead of the old microphonic ceramic pickups, it's worth an extra $30. My charcoal quilted maple 338 arrived ready to play, EXCEPT the nut grooves were way too high/shallow. The old ceramic pickup were too microphonic *at high amp/speaker volume levels. DI, you'll never hear much
I stuck a green crystal 4 leaf clover ear ring in the hole where pick guard was. On 2 guitars so didn't waste the set.
Sounds great to *my* ears! 😊👍 And it looks like it originally had a pickguard!? 🙂
Try the ESP LTD M-10 or EC-10 or MH-10. All of them are the same quality with different styles. The guitars go for around 200-250$. Would be a nice feature on the channel.
Cool but can't hack the bowling shirt/competition stripe look. just me.
SB Ibz AS73 here, thankfully.
After nearly 15 years, it's still a good guitar.
Bowling shirt? Haha, that's great!
With really budget guitars you have to pick as manufacturers where to cut corners, and choosing to cut on aesthetics and spend all they can on playability is actually good news imo
I mean , if you seen the new gibsons, it’s not much different.
@@aaronhiggs Yeah but they have no real excuse as their guitars literally cost 3-5 times more haha
@@WeyounSix I agree. Gibson is laughable. It’s sad when epiphone is putting out better and more affordable instruments; and that’s YOUR budget brand.
Nice!! ...appears they don't make guitars for south paws though
The newest version of this model, the FIREFLY 338 PRO has Alnico 5 Humbuckers, full size pots, bone nut, stainless steel rounded end frets and locking tuners... price is $219.99 USD Sept. 2023
I have budget and 1000.00 plus guitars,I have giged for years from KY. to WVA , To NC. well alot of the south .using american standard strat ,tele and gib. explorer .I quit now ,not as many places to play anymore .But man these new budget guitars are great ,I couldhave used them ,Iplay alot still .Ive bought an Agile ,Wolf and an A I O lp styles.I never had to touch them ,They were set up and in tune out of the double boxes.Lookslike the Fire Fly might need a set up but Its all there ,Smoothe out the frets set intonation ,string hight and rock and roll! If you can find a place to play.
You should check out the new glarry 335 style guitar. It’s under 200 dollars if I’m not wrong.
The Glarry version isn't as nice. They're made completely out of basswood which not only changes the tone quite a bit, but also makes the guitar a little more fragile. Basswood is an okay tone wood but really soft and not as sturdy as maple. I have a Grote 335 copy that is all maple construction like a Gibson or Epi, and it sounds incredible for also being a sub $200 guitar.
It is amazing what you can get nowadays for $200 bucks, but I feel the market is over saturated with the same 4 designs; LP, 335, ST & T style guitars. It became boring and uninspired, what about offset, small hollowed bodies, or a different combination of pickups, etc.? I can recommend you to check it out the IYV guitars, especially their hybrid acoustic jaguar style guitar.
Keep the good work man, I always enjoy your videos.
I wish Amazon would stock more of IYVs models! I have the lp, two of the prs variety, tried the strat but didn't quite like it enough compared to the monoprice strat copy I have. Also bought and returned two of the issy 200s which was sooo disappointing, keep waiting for that to pop up on Amazon again I'd buy it a heartbeat. Not I'm up to taking the risk buying it from iyv off reverb and being stuck with it without a way to return it though.
I wanna give the Explorer style a go, they look quite nice.
My buddy has one. They are quite nice. Change the pickups, nut, and tuners you’re gold. My buddy got a set of used fishmans, graphtech nut and some cheap locking tuners for 120 bucks. 370 total and that guitar is a monster.
@@aaronhiggs I’d probably go Graphtech tuners, cheap Epi electronics, and see if the nut is fixable with some slotting tools.
@@johnmaynes7142 yeah the nut is easy to file out. It’s actual bone I believe. He just changed it out because he planned to gig it.
@@aaronhiggs Makes sense and yeah, they’re bone. Gonna be honest, not a big fan of bone, have bone on my PRS acoustic and it’s either too tight or just binds in general on the D string.
Hi Darrell 👋. Can you please give your assessment of a guitar from a UK manufacturer. The Tanglewood TBS 59. A Gibson ES 335 look alike. I have owned one for a couple of years. Buying it used. I like it. Was wondering what your opinion is ?
Same price as 2 premium buckers and with that sound you cant go wrong there !
I picked up two used paf’s and good pots and mine sings.
Does Firefly ship to Canada now? I’ve been really wanting one, but I wasn’t able to get it shipped to Canada
Just a iyv 300 thin jazz body quality was outrageous for aub 200 dollar guitar
I just wish they would ship to Canada!
That racing stripe looks better than I thought possible - impressive guitar, sounds great. Any microphonics on the pickups? Does Firefly make a Firebird model?
It's amazing what you can get for 200 bucks these days.
Awesome stuff mate