Firefly FFTL - Nashville Tele - Review and Demo

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  • Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024

Комментарии • 77

  • @TheTapeFarm
    @TheTapeFarm  2 года назад +4

    **NOTE** I misstated the neck pocket measurement. It is 2 3/16ths. Sorry for the error.

    • @chancemiller9340
      @chancemiller9340 2 года назад

      Was just coming to point that out.
      55.56 mm wide

  • @Bflatest
    @Bflatest Год назад +1

    love this finish

  • @oldasrocks9121
    @oldasrocks9121 8 месяцев назад +1

    Very interested in the new FFTL HH with the Tuneomatic bridge. I wonder if they made the fretboard radius 12" to match the bridge. (probably not...)

  • @MichaelVician
    @MichaelVician 2 года назад +3

    Another great review. I've got the regular 2 pickup one on the way. Top looks great in the video!

    • @mattc2674
      @mattc2674 2 года назад

      Just ordered that one too - how is it?

  • @leodanryan966
    @leodanryan966 2 года назад +1

    I have just watched two Fender Nashville Tele videos, and they both have a traditional 5 way switch like a Stratocaster. These were actual Fender Telecasters .

    • @TheTapeFarm
      @TheTapeFarm  2 года назад

      Yes, but one of those positions will be bridge/neck, which is not a voicing you get with Strat wiring. As I stated there are any number of ways and switches that can be used, but the main thing is you should have one voicing that is bridge/neck, which this one does not have.

  • @oldasrocks9121
    @oldasrocks9121 Год назад +1

    Neck and humbucker are alnico.
    Singles in parallel drop in output and singles in parallel & out of phase drop volume even further.
    I'd rather have a hardtail HSS Strat-shaped object with no trem route to tell the truth.
    Most Tele single bridges are going to be microphonic no matter what you do. If this is the usual Firefly lipstick neck they're usually underwhelming. A neck humbucker cleverly wired with both south and north coils split for position 2 and wherever neck-bridge is on this thig in correct respective phase could work as well as a humbucker in the middle. It needs the neck-on switch, put it an a push-pull.
    Repotting the Firefly lipstick doesn't change it, repotting their usual Tele bridge helps it some. But honestly, get a set of Bootstraps from Ryan in Ohio, best $50 you'll spend short of taking your kids out for tacos.
    Nashvilles have a 2 blade sidewinder single coil sized humbucker in the middle and one coil or the other is split to combine in phase with the bridge or neck and a neck-on toggle between knobs for the usual Tele middle position. 5 position 4 pole super switch with typical Strat selections. This one looks like a 2 pole.
    (Nashvilles also have a mechically complex single string bender operated by the upper bout strap button. Thank god they didnt try that...)
    There should be Korean equivalents for a hot single coil sized 2 blade humbucker so it's odd Firefly made the wiring decisions they did.
    Nobody can say Firefly isn't brave!! I dont know if the British tech youtuber guy has a Nashville wiring tutorial but it would be right up his alley. He does have an HSS Strat w/a 5 way super switch video where he splits the bridge humbucker in position 2 on the switch (bridge-middle) rather than a push-pull. There has to be a Nashville wiring video somewhere here. They're not complex but they are complicated and you need to know how to wire 4 pole switches.
    (I'd still rather have a hardtail HSS Strat.)
    I have to say but prolly shouldnt I dont understand some folks' fantastic expectations for any $200 guitar out of the box. A $900 MIM Fender is going to need about $200 worth of professional attention nearly everytime. Go to GC, play stuff in the store, drop cheddar on something you like that works, jeez.
    Firefly has a "Nashville" Tele Baritone right now with HSS, would make a great Super Baritone Tele HSH. Could be a sludge-rock sledgehammer! How many of those do you think there are?? LOL

  • @AndrewAHayes
    @AndrewAHayes Год назад +1

    Do you think the shape of the horn is out of whack or the pickguard?
    One thing that puts me off a guitar is a black printed logo, I feel the same way with printed Gibson logos as well, I much prefer mother of pearl or abalone

    • @TheTapeFarm
      @TheTapeFarm  Год назад

      I think it’s the horn. But I haven’t measured it to be sure.

  • @marcuslacovara6982
    @marcuslacovara6982 2 года назад +1

    What a great opening track. That gave me an idea of the type of music I play and I really dug the track. Love the difference in guitar lines. You really get a sense of what she can do with that track and the different guitar lines.

    • @TheTapeFarm
      @TheTapeFarm  8 месяцев назад

      That demo turned into an actual song that is going to part of a concept album I’m working on. The full song came out really good. Can’t wait to share it with the world at some point.

  • @gregsguitartone
    @gregsguitartone 2 года назад +2

    The bridge and neck pickups should be AlNiCo 5.

  • @briannelms158
    @briannelms158 2 года назад +1

    Great review! Definitely a great mod platform!

  • @msantos7948
    @msantos7948 2 года назад +1

    Great review as always. The neck and bridge pickups are endeed Alnico 5.

    • @TheTapeFarm
      @TheTapeFarm  2 года назад +1

      Cool. Thanks for the info!

  • @felixjordanguitar
    @felixjordanguitar 2 года назад +2

    I like the firefly FFTL, I don't believe they advertise it as a "Nashville Tele" just like Fender doesn't advertise their Nashville Tele as a Firefly FFTL. The Firefly is simply a Tele style with a five way switch which I think is pretty cool. It is its own thing, imo.

    • @TheTapeFarm
      @TheTapeFarm  2 года назад

      While not advertised as a Nashville Tele, in Facebook groups in which Firebird Music (the folks who make Firefly Guitars) control the content to a large extent they describe them a Nashville Teles. Technically they don’t “advertise” them a Teles either, but it is, let’s say, strongly implied.

  • @zuperdee
    @zuperdee 2 года назад +1

    Some thoughts:
    1) I absolutely love the way you cut your close-up shots together with just captions and background music-that is THE way to do a close up sequence like that, in my opinion.
    2) I’ve been considering this model myself, because I’ve been wanting a good GREEN Telecaster-those seem to be surprisingly hard to find for some reason. It looks like the fit and finish, the microphonic pickups, and the lack of traditional Nashville-style Tele pickup selection circuitry are all weak points on this guitar though. Fit and finish in particular looks like it is weaker on this guitar than some other recent Fireflys. (I’m thinking in particular of that pickguard.)

    • @TheTapeFarm
      @TheTapeFarm  2 года назад

      Thanks for the feedback. That closeup/caption thing has been something that has evolved. I’m always trying to come up with better ways of doing things, so thanks. Feedback that I have received (more than a few times) is that I talk to much. That feedback is not exclusive to RUclips videos. Thanks for letting me know that the new section works.

  • @vince8081
    @vince8081 2 года назад +1

    Only thing is shocking me is the scrachplate's edge not suit the edge of the guitar at the horn. Otherwise, great price/looking guitar.

  • @AhtoNajeebRashied
    @AhtoNajeebRashied 2 года назад +1

    Appreciate the thorough review. Thank you.
    Was wondering about the new batch of Firefly guitars. Have the semi hollow race stripe 338 and love it. Just grabbed the Pegasus hollowbody and I like it but dig the 338 more.
    Liked. Subscribed. Notifications on.
    Peace

    • @TheTapeFarm
      @TheTapeFarm  2 года назад +1

      Awesome. Thanks man. Now go make loud noises!

  • @birdman316
    @birdman316 2 года назад

    nice one bro!
    i noticed a shim in the neck pocket...i had to shim my glarry "tele" style guitar the same way...

  • @kendushane1039
    @kendushane1039 2 года назад

    Great review 👍👍

  • @hotcakesman
    @hotcakesman 2 года назад +1

    Great review. I would do the wiring upgrade and then wax pot the pickups. Why can't I just buy a guitar and leave it stock?

    • @TheTapeFarm
      @TheTapeFarm  2 года назад +1

      Well that wouldn’t be much fun 😜. I’ve got some new pickups that I want to try and the components for the rewire on the way. We’ll see how she turns out.

    • @markcunningham6086
      @markcunningham6086 2 года назад +2

      Im like you bro. Gota mess with um, "untill" I bought a new Epiphone Sheraton II. Holy molly, all the tweeks, all the greatness, 18- 1 tuners, push pulls, may be just me, but Im not changing a thing.....😁

    • @hotcakesman
      @hotcakesman 2 года назад

      @@markcunningham6086 I did buy a nice gretsch. Replaced the nut and swapped the broadtrons with filtertrons. But man I love that guitar

  • @alanswanson7515
    @alanswanson7515 2 года назад

    Only the latest Fender Nashville Telecaster has the mod that allows access to the neck and bridge or all pickups.

    • @TheTapeFarm
      @TheTapeFarm  2 года назад

      Most Nashville teles that I’ve seen and used were mostly custom made or modded stock teles. To my memory they all had the type of wiring I was talking about. Thanks for the info about the current Fender models.

  • @louisfryzel4618
    @louisfryzel4618 2 года назад +1

    Were you able to determine if the neck and bridge pickups are alnicos, as others have said, while the middle pickup is ceramic? Have you measured the resistance of the three pickups? I know a few stock guitars have a combination of alnico and ceramics but none that I have played.

    • @TheTapeFarm
      @TheTapeFarm  2 года назад

      My guess is yes they are Alnico… not good ones. Check out the next video. I swap them out with some very inexpensive Wilkinson pickups that in my opinion sound much better. I did measure the resistance on the stock pickups, that info is in the video.

  • @Ksantipacat
    @Ksantipacat 2 года назад +1

    Thanks as always for the review. I got the trans blue, and didn't feel the fret work was as good as previous models. How are the fret ends and general condition of your frets? Also, I'm pretty sure that the neck and the bridge pickups are Alnico and the middle is ceramic.

  • @mattbowser814
    @mattbowser814 2 года назад +1

    I really appreciate your channel - now, have measured the firefly neck radius against a standard tele radius? Also, Fralin pickups makes a nice work around for Nashville Tele's. . .

    • @TheTapeFarm
      @TheTapeFarm  2 года назад

      I have not but it seems flatter to me than other teles. I’m doing some reorganizing in my studio and shop and can’t seem to find radius gauge 🙄.

    • @oldasrocks9121
      @oldasrocks9121 Год назад

      Firefly's are 12", Jets are 9.25" Get a Jet from Kairon Guitar if you want an instrument that plays out of the box.

  • @pmmahone1
    @pmmahone1 2 года назад +2

    2 3/16 not 2 3/8, right?

    • @TheTapeFarm
      @TheTapeFarm  2 года назад

      Yes. Sorry for the miss.

    • @pmmahone1
      @pmmahone1 2 года назад

      @@TheTapeFarm No apology necessary. I do have a question- I am tempted to buy a Firefly guitar from time to time, but if you replace the pickups because the stock ones are subpar, why not just buy a better quality guitar for $300-$400? I did a Google search for tele pickups, and they run about $129-$179. The guitar is $169 + shipping...? I am trying to make sense of this...

  • @willardpritchard5186
    @willardpritchard5186 Год назад +1

    Hi ya. How's it going? I have two questions for you; 1. Did you do a rebuild on the Nashville telecaster? I can't find it. 2. This is for the FFTL, the neck is routed out for a humbucker, do you remember if the bridge is routed out for a humbucker? Thanks.

  • @minkorrh
    @minkorrh 2 года назад

    I bought a $125 Aierse Tele copy used in an Orange colour, and apart from the fact the previous owner took a flat-bastard file to the frets and left grooves that I had to massage out, it holds its tune almost better than the Yamaha RGX620DX with a locking trem that I paid $360 for, and plays really nice. It's literally stupid how much guitar you can get for so little money if you're willing to do a tad bit of work to them. They will play as good as a $700-$800 guitar all day long, and if you gig and break it, what's to lose?

  • @2bikemikesguitartopics145
    @2bikemikesguitartopics145 2 года назад +1

    I saw a shim in the neck pocket. Did you caliper it? Pocket was standard fender width 2 3/16ths wasn't it?

    • @TheTapeFarm
      @TheTapeFarm  2 года назад

      I read the measurement wrong, sorry.. but what’s a 1/16th of inch among friends 😜. I did mention the shim while shooting but that part didn’t make the edit. It was paper thin. I didn’t measure it. After I do my mods I’ll take a look at it. It might not even need it when all is said and done.

    • @2bikemikesguitartopics145
      @2bikemikesguitartopics145 2 года назад +1

      @@TheTapeFarm
      I also got a guitar recently that had a shim that look just like that paper thing. But I could not get it out because of absolutely needed it for proper setup and angle

  • @ctcards2636
    @ctcards2636 2 года назад

    Funny that Fire Fly started with a 3 pickup tele. I own a G&L 3 pickup Asat, AIO SM 3 pickup and a custom built 3 pickup. I dont like 2 pickup teles, I use my middle pickup a LOT.
    Ill have to look into one of these, cant beat the price. Just rewire it, but I actually like the strat setup on teles. I use the 2nd, 3rd and 4th positions 90% of the time.

  • @GamersWorld22
    @GamersWorld22 2 года назад

    Please do the strat

  • @joshuataylor672
    @joshuataylor672 2 года назад +1

    Michael Kelly has a Nashville style

    • @TheTapeFarm
      @TheTapeFarm  2 года назад

      I had one of their Teles for about 5 years. Overall very good guitar. Swapped the pickup in it trying get some more of that classic tele spank/twang out of it but never could get there. I have since gotten a few others (a G&L and a MIM Tele) that do the trick so I ended up selling the MK.

  • @klauswigsmith
    @klauswigsmith 2 года назад

    Nice review!
    I've been eyein' up Teles lately as a new addition to my arsenal. Any opinions on a Firefly vs a Squier Affinity?

  • @garydmercer
    @garydmercer 2 года назад

    Would wax potting the pickups help? I hate the pickups on my copy. Terrible. I don't know how to solder, so I have no idea how I'm going to change the pickups. I'm afraid of lead solder as I had to go through chelation therapy to lower the levels of lead in my body for two years as a huge cost that was not covered by my medical insurance. Any ideas?

    • @TheTapeFarm
      @TheTapeFarm  2 года назад

      Most solder is not made from lead these days. I’m working on a video right now that includes a section about was potting. However it would not have helped in this case. There is a part 2 of this video where I replaced the pick ups and showed why the current pick up was so microphonic. It was due to a really poorly made pick up.

    • @joeking433
      @joeking433 Год назад

      How did you get high lead levels?

  • @AhtoNajeebRashied
    @AhtoNajeebRashied 2 года назад +1

    And here, we, go...

  • @57stratkat
    @57stratkat 2 года назад

    I just bought one of these and the e and a strings fret out for the first half of the neck. contacted the company and they demonstrated that they don’t honor their “ no charge for return shipping for guitars with functionality issues” . - just the usual “thank you kind friend. we know you will love the great guitar” in broken english. “ Sorry, we don’t do exchange….” Spend a little more and buy an Eart. I have two and they both play brilliantly.

    • @TheTapeFarm
      @TheTapeFarm  2 года назад +1

      Sounds like a possible set up issue. I have an EART that had more fret issues than any guitar I ever bought. I did 2 videos on that guitar. One showing the issues and then another doing the work to get it up and running and turning it into a really great guitar. It can be hit and miss at these price points. That’s true of any manufacture. I’ve had some cheap Epiphones that were nightmares as well. But usually a good set up is all it takes to turn them into serviceable instruments.

    • @57stratkat
      @57stratkat 2 года назад

      @@TheTapeFarm Ive got 30 years experience doing set-ups and fretjobs. There was no set- up issue with nut cut, truss rod adj. or bridge. I wish I had taken photos when the neck was taped up and I had all of the high fret spots marked on the tape. It was quite a mess. Now leveled, crowned , and polished to 2000 grit- it plays great. I think these Chinese guitars are serious bang for the buck but quality control could be better. Unlike your experience with Eart, both my strat copy and the tele copy had perfect fretwork. I know some have had issues. I guess I just got lucky. I’m considering the 6 way harness myself- Id like to have the middle strat pickup alone as an option. considering a mini hum in the neck slot and a vintage real bill lawrence strat pickup in the middle. ( bought this guitar as a mod platform) I have so many pickups in my workshop, the possiblities are endless.

    • @TheTapeFarm
      @TheTapeFarm  2 года назад

      @@57stratkat agreed. Luck of the draw sometimes at certain price points. I’ve said in the past a lot of the cost differences between $200 and a $2000 is the tolerances. Just how far out of tolerance does something have to be before it’s scrapped or reworked.

    • @57stratkat
      @57stratkat 2 года назад +1

      @@TheTapeFarm Just watched your Pegasus review. Quite tempting. As you mentioned, some have commented on the switch placement. That does give me pause as I find re-routing the wiring on closed-back hollow bodies to be a real pain. Ha. (Do-able but it tries my patience.) But the close-ups you provided indicate a well-built guitar and I was surprised to see the fret ends getting the Eart treatment. (which I love) Can't be beat for the money.

    • @joeking433
      @joeking433 Год назад

      @@TheTapeFarm I bought an Ibanez hollow body and it's frets were far worse than the Monoprice guitars I've bought!

  • @phillipholt6005
    @phillipholt6005 2 года назад

    Thank you for sparing me the agony of watching you tear up a beautiful guitar. I buy from Sweetwater and I would've paid them 25 dollars plus the part and let them do it for me.

    • @phillipholt6005
      @phillipholt6005 2 года назад

      My bad I wasn't thinking that it's a Firefly.

  • @TobiasBray
    @TobiasBray 2 года назад

    I don't know. I'm in the crowd where mine was a dud and like others, my customer service emails are never returned. Nut fell off, frets are not polished, ground buzz when hands off. Return policy has me getting a refund of the cost of the guitar - what I paid to have them ship it to me - the shipping cost back to them--there is a reason why they are no longer sold on Amazon. Hassle-free returns and a full refund. Look like they send well-crafted FF's to popular Vloggers.

    • @joeking433
      @joeking433 Год назад

      I had good luck with both of my Fireflys, an SG and a LP. No problems at all, really. Frets are good, I swapped the pickups so they're good, no hum, etc. I did have problem with a Harley Benton SG, though. The string totally misses the pole piece! I've never seen that on any cheap guitars I have.

  • @blueeyedsoulman
    @blueeyedsoulman 2 года назад

    Weight? Belly cut?

    • @TheTapeFarm
      @TheTapeFarm  2 года назад

      No belly cut… with my belly I could have used it. Mine is 8.7lbs.

  • @garydmercer
    @garydmercer 2 года назад

    Disappointed with mine. The pickups are so microphonic, it is terrible.

    • @TheTapeFarm
      @TheTapeFarm  2 года назад

      Yeah. Check out my mod video. I found why they are so microphonic.

    • @TheTapeFarm
      @TheTapeFarm  2 года назад

      ruclips.net/video/cyXJYhX2j0E/видео.html

  • @poorbrokeguitarist
    @poorbrokeguitarist Год назад +1

    I want to order a firefly but the thought of supporting China directly does not sit well with me.

    • @TheTapeFarm
      @TheTapeFarm  Год назад +3

      I get that. But if you apply that thinking to all products, there might not be much left. But I do get it and understand.