Besides being a beautiful guitar in the Les Paul tradition, the pickups on the Firefly are surprisingly good when played clean. And with a mild—to moderate crunch, they are still pretty good. They do squeal with high gain or metal tones. They are microphonic with high gain. But they are clean and crunch. They are not muddy and seem fine.
The bridge on the Firefly is in the Epiphone style, and the finish is stunning! There are some under/over-polished areas, but they are only visible with an up-close inspection. The binding is also quite good.
Manufacture, Things to Consider
The Firefly guitars are made in China, and the more recent ones are better quality than older models. One of the most significant drawbacks is that this guitar weighs a ton, well, actually, around 9.4 pounds, which is pretty heavy if you’re playing four sets a night. The guitar plays well, and a few upgrades were made, including the pickups that now provide an exceptional sound. The action is set low with no fret buzz or dead spots. Because of the weight, you’ll likely need to install new strap guard buttons, as you’ll be lucky to catch the guitar if the strap comes off while playing.
The Original Firefly FFLP Specs
Solid mahogany body with carved cap and single-ply binding on Classics, 7-ply on some Elites
Quality-enclosed die-cast tuning machines
Set mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard (some “rosewood” fretboards were substituted with Richlite during the CITES embargo)
Most have a 43 mm bone nut; some have a plastic nut
Most Classics have a 14-degree headstock angle. Some Elites have a 17-degree headstock angle
Some Classics have a single-ply bound neck and headstock; some Elites have multi-ply binding on the headstock
24.75″ scale
14″ fretboard radius, 20″ fretboard radius beginning 2021
60s style neck profile
Tune-o-Matic bridge and fixed stop tail
2 humbucking pickups, ceramic magnets
2 Volume knobs, 2 Tone knobs, 3-way switch
17 1⁄2” body length, 2” body thickness at edge, 9 1⁄2” upper bout, 7 1⁄2” waist, 13“ lower
About 39 1⁄2” overall length.
Access cut at the heel on a blue metallic top only.
My Firefly FFLP weighs in at 8.1 lbs.
Why Choose This Guitar
This guitar retails for around $200. However, if you’re above a beginner’s grade, add another $100-$150 for “enhancements”—starting with the pickups. Fine-tuning the action and adding strings that work for you is an investment even beginners should make. I use 8/38 strings on my guitars. I have smaller hands/fingers, which provides a better playing option.
Later, I’ll add a video so you can hear how the guitar sounds, both clean and using distortion.