Here we have an excellent example of a company that wants to improve their guitars and aren't afraid of shipping another guitar for review, knowing that previous reviews by the same person, didn't present a good image of their product . That is serious ambition and 'bolas de acero', Qi gong, yes, balls of steel. Well done Phil for giving Firefly yet another chance. Clever move from Firefly too. They know you're fair and don't hold back with either praise or criticism while testing a product. It's free impartial advertising for the brand paired with a huge risk if it backfires but they do it anyway. Obviously the route works, their guitars are improving constantly by rectifying the deficiencies found by reviewers like yourself. This guitar is real bang for your bucks.
I don't disagree with your thoughts here, but I do think that these types of brands operate differently than the recognized brands. These Amazon brands are almost solely dependent on social media and they tend to follow the "all press is good press" logic. Even if their guitars do not do well in a review, just getting their name out there results in more sales. These aren't guitars you're going to see advertisements for, these brands aren't going to pay for advertising aside from working with social media and TH-cam personalities. Even if the guitar gets a horrible review, the cost is so low and it shows buyers a guitar that they didn't know existed. Someone might decide that they'll give a guitar with a bad review a try if it's inexpensive enough, but no one is going to buy it if they don't know it exists.
@ByTheSpirit84 they are an Amazon brand. People buy them from Amazon, you can't buy them from major dealers like Sweetwater or GC. They don't really do advertising, they just rely on social media and TH-cam personalities to direct players to Amazon to check out their guitars. They don't have traditional distribution, Amazon is their distribution. You can like the guitars, but they're one of the many, constantly increasing, number of Amazon guitar brands.
And sending a notice to guitar assemblers, "Please do better - customers have supported your efforts in the past - get MORE customers by doing better!"
Phil's channel got me into buying tools and doing my own work. Once you have the skills these less expensive guitars are often a great way to go. Especially if you want to try a bunch of different guitars and not break the bank.
In "The Brave New Guitar World"--where MIC builds are quickly becoming a "mainstream thing"--it makes sense for buyers to embrace it by developing (@ least) a "semi-luthier skillset". Compared to some of the Vintage "fixer-uppers" I've been scoring lately, the issues with this Firefly appear to be minimal. Have fun learnin' stuff...save $$...ROCK ON!! 🤘😆
Thanks Phil. Gotta give cred to FF for using you and other YT guitar channels who aren't afraid to pick apart and point out flaws. It saves them a ton of $$ in QC!!
Great review, thank you! Had the same experience with a 338 a few years ago, they did send me back enough of a refund to make it worth it to keep and then I paid about the $200 you quoted from a great tech to fix the fret work and get it set up as good as possible (had the super microphonic pups too). Added locking tuners and ended up with a really nice light guitar that scratches my semi-hollow itch and friends enjoy playing too for the price of a great deal on a used Sheraton. I like that they added the locking tuners, sounds like its the same situation it was then: if you're willing to fix it yourself or have it fixed you can get a really cool looking guitar that plays great for ultimately less then comparable Epiphone.
I have 4 FF guitars. 3/4 have been flawless. Great mod platforms. The one that was “bad” was similar, it had a broken tuner and the tone knob just spun. Great value IMO
This guitar is a great first guitar that won't break the bank. It looks cool, sounds great, apparently is comfortable to play, and importantly: fits a demographic that is getting largely ignored as seemingly budget guitars are now kissing $1000 regularly. This was a great review: fair, candid, and thorough. I like it being nit-picky, I can decide for myself if the nits are deal-breakers or not, but I appreciate everything being highlighted, since it helps to make an informed decision. Thanks for putting in the effort to make this.
My FFTL (Tele) is great! Locking tuners, ss frets, roasted maple neck, insane sparkle finish. Waiting impatiently for them to drop a 7 string with those specs! They have plenty of other niche guitars like baritones and double neck so come on Fireflyyy do it
@@popsfereal i hadn't heard that but they have a few different ones like a 335 and SG baritone that seem to have a traditional stop bar tailpiece so I would imagine those should be able to be intonated
99% chance the guitar was NOT hand selected. They don't have a dedicated logistics solution. The fulfilment warehouse in So Cal serves other companies. They were told to send you a guitar (model and color) and some schmo went to the rack, pulled it, printed an address label, and put it on a UPS truck.
@@HALWASRIGHT I don't work for Firefly. Nothing I said is a secret. There are "sanctioned"/"official" social media groups where things like guitar designs, hardware selection etc. are discussed.
They're very bad at hand selecting, If that's the case. Why would they send him a guitar with high frets and especially a volume pot that was loose. That is one of the first things you would check if you were pre-selecting guitar for review.@@HALWASRIGHT
He's correct. I looked up the company that was indicated on the shipping information and it is indeed a logistics company in California. When I had to return a Firefly, however, it went to a pretty nice private residence somewhere in California (I forgot the city) [Not that this is really germane to the issue].
@@KsantipacatI’m not sure it would be “hand selected”, it’s probably more likely they said “send him one” and someone just grabbed one from the warehouse and sent it off without checking it. Personally, I prefer that because it’s a more fair reflection of the product. Something I never like is reviews by stores where the guitars have been checked before - I much prefer it when they’re essentially taken straight out of the box, tuned up and played
I see that they went back to the mouse ears instead of the pointy ears on my Firefly. I like them better. As you noted my pickups squeal when boosted and I had to file down the fret ends. Thanks Phil for showing me how to do that. Those fret markers are very nice also. If I didn’t already have one I would get that.
So, I purchased a Fire Fly FFLPS Elite in emerald with a quilted top three years ago. It had major issues. The post holes for the bridge and tail piece were drilled over sized. Causing both to be loose. The saddles for the bridge were cut wrong and way too deep. The nut was nut wrong and the string spacing for the D&G string were not spaced evenly. The D&G string were too close to each other. The tuners would slip and the neck had a back bow. The guitar guitar would not hold tune. The back bow was so bad that I had to crank the truss rod in the counter clockwise direction way past the zero slack point to bring the neck straight. So thankful it had a double action truss rod in it. There were dead spots along the fretboard as well. The woods were not as advertised. The neck and body is all maple. The guitar is heavy. I was able to fix all the issues but I would not purchase one ever again. I replaced the nut, tuners, bridge and tail piece and all the electronics. I doweled the post holes and drilled to the proper size. I did a level and crown on the frets too. The guitar is ok for what it is. After a proper set up, it stays in tune now and plays and sounds great after all the repairs. The guitar looks beautiful with the emerald quilted top too. I didn't even talk about the finish issues which I was able to fix as well. I recommend not purchasing if you do not know how to fix the issues yourself. It would not be worth paying someone to fix a guitar that cost you anywhere from $189 to $240. You are better off purchasing an Epiphone Les Paul, Michael Kelly Patriot, Vintage V100 or any ESP/LTD Eclipse models. Hell, I purchased a Les Paul husk from Guitar Fetish for $150 and it is one hell of a guitar. I got all the hardware from their site as well to build it. The only major thing I had to do to the neck was set the string height at the first fret and polish the frets. I put Dimarzio's in that bad boy!
I have 3 Firefly guitars 1.A 338 I bought on amazon about 3 years ago. The frets (non stainless) were perfect, the bridge was trash,tuners after a month seemed to wear out,the bone nut was not setup correctly. 2. A strat copy about 9 months ago. The frets ok (spot leveled a couple), then a month later frets started moving (had to glue them and level them), the tremolo bridge at first worked perfectly then about 6 months in started losing tune,removed it and was deformed/burrs on the knife edge(adjusted only with the springs relieved) can't find another with the same post spacing, the locking tuners are ok so far. 3. A tele copy about 8 months ago. There were 2 low frets in the middle of the fret board (had to level them all ) otherwise so far so good. Bought these to substitute out my american fender and gibson guitars at gigs.
Going on 3 years since I purchased my ff338 and still plays well! No fret or neck or blemish problems! But like you had squealing issues at high gain…. One of these days I’ll get them waxed!! Has a great feel!😊
Have their 338 for a year+ now. Only flaw on mine was the pickup pole pieces were just slugs not screws, even though they had the screwdriver slot. Discovered as tried to adjust pole height, they just spun and didn’t raise or lower. Further examination showed they weren’t even screws that went through the base plate. Couldn’t tell in your video if yours has the same issue. Please take a look and report back.
I give them a lot of credit for sending you one of their new guitars to show the improvements knowing you won't pull any punches. I actually bought one of these in the spalted maple finish just to see what it was and had very similar issues as you did. I did put a set of USA PAF-style epiphone pickups in mine that came out of another guitar, leveled/crowned/polished the frets, and did a full setup and set the action at 1.25mm ( low E ) to 1.1mm ( high E ) and it plays and sounds great ! It is hard to beat for the time and money invested.
Hey Phillip you’ve been an amazing indirect mentor for me when it comes to imports and branding and the modern electric guitar industry. Not to mention schooling me on Parker, Strandberg, Carvin, and some other brands I’ve been too insecure to dip my feet into. Now I have a Parker Fly Mojo USA Single Cut, and a Parker DF824 (made in 🇺🇸). The Dragonfly makes a Silversky look like a 90’s Mexican Strat. (Millennials that’s a figure of speech, we don’t literally mean “look like”) 🙏
Very cool Phil! It's amazing how companies like Firefly are producing quality guitars that sometimes rival major brands like Epiphone or surpass them in some cases. Definitely worth grabbing one for $200 maybe get 2 for the price of 1 more expensive guitar. Great review!👍😎
I bought a black sparkle Tele last year from them. I'v'e got no major complaints. What surprised me the most was how fast I got it. Ordered early in the morning and it arrived at my house in Vegas the next morning. I received the tracking number 2 daya after I received it.
All guitars are fun. I doubt “Firefly” will replace the brand recognition of “Epiphone” but, at impulse-buy prices, this is worth sticking in some pickups.
Phil, take a humbucker apart, you'll immediately see the issue: its a kludge with self spacing bobbins made for thick ceramic magnets with shimmed A5 magnets. The shim doesn't extend under the screw pole keeper so it floats around between the bobbin and the backing plate. The keeper vibrations create the feedback.
First, Good for Firefly in sending this guitar, the third one, for review! That speaks volumes about continuous improvement! This one hit close to home for me!! My #1 is a Gibson ES335, walnut color, with a '59 LPB neck profile!! It's not too far from this one, .96/1.01 to be exact. Of course mine has Burstbuckers, 50's wiring and premium Gibson parts. It also cost 15X what this Firefly did!! After seeing and hearing it, congrats to Firefly! This would be a great guitar for any beginner+. I'm not sure I would use that to gig with like my Gibson 335. But it seems fine to play and maybe jam with, and it could be upgraded. JMHO, Peace --gary
I don't think sending a 3rd "speaks volumes about continuous improvement! " They could setup their own QC and eliminate the game of trying to pass off troubled guitars in the first place. I think to them this is their 3rd free ad.
@@mknewlan67 😄13F, 88-92, 82d - my poor family endures "Hooahs" and "Airbornes", especially when I encounter another trooper in the wild. Take care out there, and again, thanks for being a digital mentor for my hobby all these years.
Great Review, Phil. My Firefly came perfect . No wiring problems, the fit and finish was very good. This is a great guitar for the $$ . I think it’s a good modding platform too. Obviously with Blackstock pickups it will sound fantastic! Maybe a giveaway Guitar with your pickups ! Yeah !!!❤
Those inlays are beautiful. For this price point, and the minimal amount of work you had to put into this one to make it; “right”. Think you’ve gotta winner here, PHIL. Firefly is becoming a contender in the budget guitar market.👍👍
Safe to say, Firefly will probably sell out of these by morning. I havent pulled the trigger to buy one yet, but they just released the Camo Bullseye ZW style LP last week and it sold out in about 2 days. I will definitely be buying one on the next release. Great video - thanks Phil!
that you can buy such a great looking guitar with such little issues for less than $200 is just impressive. I might just order one for fun and/or as a project guitar to put better pickups and what not in, play around with it. If the frets are the only issue, that's an easy fix even w/o an expensive hammer, I bet the cheap nylon hammer I got from the Container Store would do just fine here. And for a beginner to have such a rad looking guitar? That'll make them want to play with it so much more. Kinda funny, my most expensive guitar, a PRS 513, is the one I play and like the least and will sell or trade off soon and I will never buy a guitar that expensive again, there's no ROI there, just bragging rights. Then add the name Firefly, certainly one of the coolest guitar brand names I can think of, especially if I were a young beginner! Great vid, as always!
I got a natural style 338pro from Firefly and it had a beautiful finish but the frets had to be tapped down as well. After minor issues were fixed i cranked up my tube amp and the pickups were great. To get it to feedback i had to face the guitar right at the speaker. I am very impressed with what i got.
I just ordered my third Firefly. I grabbed another of their LP/Eclipse hybrids with the set-through neck joint and belly cut. It's supposed to have a solid ash top instead of a veneer. We shall see.
I got the buckethead looking les paul . I'm happy with it. I like the way it played so much I put some graph tech ratio tuners and a jb/ jazz set. It wasn't absolutely necessary. I just like working on my guitars
You make such terrific videos, Phillip. I really appreciate this Firefly review. Something we don't know about the guitar is its potential longevity. Will it hold up over time? I've heard people say that that earlier Firefly models have held up well.
I Love My 5 Firefly’s. And completely agree that they just keep improving. Although one of them has Wilkinson pups And another has used Fender Tele pups But My Spalted top ES is ALL Firefly. It was my first Firefly and Quite Possibly My Favorite.
Tuners sucked on mine had to replace them with Grover’s but the holes were off by a smidge but screws went in tight at a very slight angle. Wish I knew exactly which Tunamatic bridge to buy. Would love to put a Tonepros bridge on mine.
I own a bright purple FF, and have for a couple years. I love it and it's a blast to play. Having said that, it did take going down to my friend's shop so they could iron out some pretty serious fret problems and give it a proper setup...
I just got my black and red firefly in. I had bought one in 2020 and I had to replace the electronics bc the pickups were to microphonic. The new one is awesome. I found only one small issue with finish but it’s virtually unnoticeable unless you nit pick. Love the frets and the tuners are upgraded. I like the pickups and I think they sound great. I have two Les Paul’s, Telly, and fender American Strat and j find myself playing the firefly the most.
Hello Phil, another great overview. However, for reasonably-priced guitars, it would be GREAT to have an out-of-the-box playing review/demo. This range of players are probably folks new to the electric guitar world, and probably don't have fret rockers, etc.. A first assessment out-of-the-box would probably be more aligned with what folks buying these types of guitars would experience, and not a Phil-MckNight-Tuned playing experience. Just saying :)
Where did you find the DC Junior, if you don’t mind my asking? I see the DC special on Guitars Garden, but no JRs. I’ve been tempted several times over the past few years to pick up a JR, but every time I’m ready, I see another shi* review of Firefly.
Based on the cost of the comparable epiphone, if you paid $200 to fix the issues, you are still coming in slightly lower than the Epi... but if the Epi doesn't have those issues out of the box, maybe that extra money is worth it.
LOL, honestly Phil, I think they might be trolling you! We have AT LEAST FOUR, maybe five of these JSN (or is it JNS?) FIREFLY guitars. They are one of my favorite guitar brands. PERIOD! I think they are THE sleeper guitar, especially for anyone who wants a quality guitar without paying a MINT for it. There used to be a time when you had to keep tabs on their webpage for when they might finally have another batch for sale so that we could get one and try them out, this after hearing whispers about how great a deal these were. Then from the time we first got one and on to every suceeding model...we have been absolutely SATISFIED and PLEASED, and YES, including sound and playability, not just appearance. I think our first was a spalted maple FF338 with dual humbuckers maybe five years ago now (if it's a veneer it surely isn't obvious though I could swear we checked for this in the pickup opening at one point). Then we got an orange thinline Tele-type guitar, then next a gold top Les Paul type, and then recently I got the Buckethead themed Les Paul type with the red kill switches to boot. I love these and think they're one of the best secrets out there if anyone hasn't actually already heard of them...the JSN FireFly! PS: I am more a very occasional very limited small tiny collector but big appreciator of guitar and not a player. I dabbled on my Squier many years ago but my honey IS a musician who pretty much agrees on this.
Man- the budget market is getting insane. A decent guitar for the price of a good drive pedal- that's a trip. And HB just pu a couple tube amps- they sound pretty good, surprisingly good. At least I think they just put it out- could've been an old video I watched- Idk, it's new to me. They demoed a 30 watt but someone in the comments said they had a 15watt as well. It sounded really good to me- had a "reverb tone" knob that was actually just general tone knob for the whole amp- not just the reverb, that's a little odd but not a dela breaker or anything. And apparently Joyo jumped on the bandwagon as well- they have a couple models out- full tube amps, not hybrids this time. I think it's awesome- we need more budget tube amps- that's something we've never had before. Mono Price has been about it, as far as I know.
What is that tele-style green guitar to your left, viewers' right, behind you on the wall. As far as appearances go, I could stand to have that in my guitar room . . .
I've been playing my buddy's FF 338 for the last couple of years. Haven't played my LPs but a couple of times since I got my hands on his. I finally ordered me one in February when I got my first SSA check, and it's a really nice guitar. I'm considering buying one of their Teles and maybe even a Strat. Considering how good the quality usually is, at their prices, it's kinda hard to pass up. They are great guitars to take to an impromptu jam or an open mic. In the past, I've always been a little nervous when I've had to take my expensive equipment to something like that.
@@lorincowell6944 Oohh good to know, wish you said it in the first comment that you quit. :) Had a serious illness due to that... Keep it up with the guitar playing, have healthy days, cheers!
My wife bought me a brand new Gibson LP Studio. The switch tip was cracked. 🙄. The Epiphone she bought me had fret sprout so bad my finger bled and the PRS was returned because of unrepeatable quality issues.
Most people dont have the tools or the space to do those necessary repairs so you can add on another 50 dollars/pounds/euros for rectifying them. Surely that glue covered switch could have been changed within seconds too. I'd still be a bit peeved at those faults even for the price.
My Fireflies always have a little finish issue or something small. Once the pot was free spinning. For someone with even basic luthier skills, they are great for the money. Still, a beginner may have to spend money to make it right or have one replaced. For the money, with the specs and finishes (even with flaws), they have become decent guitars. A great mod platform.
Do you let the thing sit overnight and see if the frets rise back out ? Do you think the radius of the frets is the same as the fretboard ? And did you locate the neutral point of the trussrod ? If you did, whats it doing to the neck to make it straight without strings on it ? Do you think pressing the frets with a cul, having the fretwire radius match the fretboard radius and using wood thats below 6% humidity is possibly the key to building "pro" level guitars ? How do you feel about a machine that drives all the frets simultaneously ? I have found that these key things practically eliminate the need for leveling : cured wood, stainless steel German made frets, straight neck and board after ftetting with the rod at neutral, even pressure with a cul, frets fully seated(not overseated). You'd be surprised to see a complete ftet level in 3 or 4 strokes moderately light pressure. Get all that right and you're completely shocked by how easy the frets are to get perfect.
I think you are single-handedly improving guitar quality and value. Most of the things that separate an OK guitar from a great guitar are relatively easy to fix, if the manufacturers just pay attention. Kudos!
You take a fine sandpaper, grind off a little bit on the side of the nut, and then you pour a drop of acid on the dust of the nut. On real bone, you should get some bubbles, as acid dissolves bones, because Bones are mainly made of lime.
The Nut: How high are the strings a the first fret, especially when held down at the 21st fret? This is my big question about inexpensive (or really any) guitars. I've played so many Squiers and off-brand models that are crap just because of this. Cowboy chords and bar chords like F and Bb should be as easy to play as when you put a capo on the first fret. They're usually not, because the strings are too high at the nut, and it takes time and skill to make it right, and it's the last adjustment a beginner is going to think of or learn to do, or take into a shop to have them fix. But when it's done right and the neck and frets are right, it's easy enough to set the action low and make a good playing guitar.
Very true. If the basic cowboy chords are difficult to play it is very discouraging to new players because they think having to press hard is normal and they don’t know what they don’t know.
I have wanted a few Firefly models but they just wont ship to the UK, they just don't produce enough stock, they are sold out as soon as their batches drop on the site!
I went to the link provided to check it out and after digging through the website I finally found the the FFHB collection but the collection is empty. Is this guitar not for sale?
not anymore. Sold out some time in mid August. They had a Cherry one that was sold out in 4 or 5 days. You almost have to check the website daily. They don't have any 335s right now.
The bridge looks like an off the shelf TOM that would most likely have a Gibson radius. I wonder if they left it or cut the saddles for their radius. 🤔
Any chance you could do more videos on basses? Not asking you to drastically change your vids, but maybe in a KYG talk about bass amps or good basses at certain price points? Love your channel but I dont play regular guitar that much and not many good bass related channels in the same vain as yours.
Here we have an excellent example of a company that wants to improve their guitars and aren't afraid of shipping another guitar for review, knowing that previous reviews by the same person, didn't present a good image of their product . That is serious ambition and 'bolas de acero', Qi gong, yes, balls of steel. Well done Phil for giving Firefly yet another chance. Clever move from Firefly too. They know you're fair and don't hold back with either praise or criticism while testing a product. It's free impartial advertising for the brand paired with a huge risk if it backfires but they do it anyway. Obviously the route works, their guitars are improving constantly by rectifying the deficiencies found by reviewers like yourself. This guitar is real bang for your bucks.
I don't disagree with your thoughts here, but I do think that these types of brands operate differently than the recognized brands. These Amazon brands are almost solely dependent on social media and they tend to follow the "all press is good press" logic. Even if their guitars do not do well in a review, just getting their name out there results in more sales. These aren't guitars you're going to see advertisements for, these brands aren't going to pay for advertising aside from working with social media and TH-cam personalities. Even if the guitar gets a horrible review, the cost is so low and it shows buyers a guitar that they didn't know existed. Someone might decide that they'll give a guitar with a bad review a try if it's inexpensive enough, but no one is going to buy it if they don't know it exists.
@@ChrisEck13 except FireFly guitars aren't "Amazon brand" and have been sought after for quite some time now, especially the 335 versions
@ByTheSpirit84 they are an Amazon brand. People buy them from Amazon, you can't buy them from major dealers like Sweetwater or GC. They don't really do advertising, they just rely on social media and TH-cam personalities to direct players to Amazon to check out their guitars. They don't have traditional distribution, Amazon is their distribution. You can like the guitars, but they're one of the many, constantly increasing, number of Amazon guitar brands.
Firefly sucks & you know why.
@@ByTheSpirit84 Firefly absolutely is an Amazon brand. They're sold almost exclusively through Amazon.
Looks like the orginal Batmobile.
Couldn't agree more
Black and red is a winning color combo.
Needs pinstriping. But I love pinstriping so. lol
Agree 💯 👍👍
😂👏🏽
You aren't nitpicking you are protecting us, the consumers and your listeners. You rock Phillip
And sending a notice to guitar assemblers, "Please do better - customers have supported your efforts in the past - get MORE customers by doing better!"
@Cbcw76 hell yes so true
Thanks for the review Phil! $200 to tighten a loose pot and tap down a couple of frets is why we all need to learn how to do simple repairs ourselves.
Phil's channel got me into buying tools and doing my own work. Once you have the skills these less expensive guitars are often a great way to go. Especially if you want to try a bunch of different guitars and not break the bank.
In "The Brave New Guitar World"--where MIC builds are quickly becoming a "mainstream thing"--it makes sense for buyers to embrace it by developing (@ least) a "semi-luthier skillset". Compared to some of the Vintage "fixer-uppers" I've been scoring lately, the issues with this Firefly appear to be minimal. Have fun learnin' stuff...save $$...ROCK ON!! 🤘😆
@@-Thunder Same here. It also lets me feel more comfortable learning because I'm not as worried about possibly messing it up.
You're playing is really enjoyable.
Thanks Phil. Gotta give cred to FF for using you and other YT guitar channels who aren't afraid to pick apart and point out flaws. It saves them a ton of $$ in QC!!
Great review, thank you! Had the same experience with a 338 a few years ago, they did send me back enough of a refund to make it worth it to keep and then I paid about the $200 you quoted from a great tech to fix the fret work and get it set up as good as possible (had the super microphonic pups too). Added locking tuners and ended up with a really nice light guitar that scratches my semi-hollow itch and friends enjoy playing too for the price of a great deal on a used Sheraton. I like that they added the locking tuners, sounds like its the same situation it was then: if you're willing to fix it yourself or have it fixed you can get a really cool looking guitar that plays great for ultimately less then comparable Epiphone.
I have 4 FF guitars. 3/4 have been flawless. Great mod platforms. The one that was “bad” was similar, it had a broken tuner and the tone knob just spun. Great value IMO
Thanks for the review. I now own four Firefly guitars and am happy with all of them.
I bought a stratosonic based on your review and I couldn't be happier. Love your honest in-depth reviews
This guitar is a great first guitar that won't break the bank. It looks cool, sounds great, apparently is comfortable to play, and importantly: fits a demographic that is getting largely ignored as seemingly budget guitars are now kissing $1000 regularly. This was a great review: fair, candid, and thorough. I like it being nit-picky, I can decide for myself if the nits are deal-breakers or not, but I appreciate everything being highlighted, since it helps to make an informed decision. Thanks for putting in the effort to make this.
My FFTL (Tele) is great! Locking tuners, ss frets, roasted maple neck, insane sparkle finish. Waiting impatiently for them to drop a 7 string with those specs! They have plenty of other niche guitars like baritones and double neck so come on Fireflyyy do it
@@popsfereal i hadn't heard that but they have a few different ones like a 335 and SG baritone that seem to have a traditional stop bar tailpiece so I would imagine those should be able to be intonated
99% chance the guitar was NOT hand selected. They don't have a dedicated logistics solution. The fulfilment warehouse in So Cal serves other companies. They were told to send you a guitar (model and color) and some schmo went to the rack, pulled it, printed an address label, and put it on a UPS truck.
@@HALWASRIGHT I don't work for Firefly. Nothing I said is a secret. There are "sanctioned"/"official" social media groups where things like guitar designs, hardware selection etc. are discussed.
They're very bad at hand selecting, If that's the case. Why would they send him a guitar with high frets and especially a volume pot that was loose. That is one of the first things you would check if you were pre-selecting guitar for review.@@HALWASRIGHT
He's correct. I looked up the company that was indicated on the shipping information and it is indeed a logistics company in California. When I had to return a Firefly, however, it went to a pretty nice private residence somewhere in California (I forgot the city) [Not that this is really germane to the issue].
@@KsantipacatI’m not sure it would be “hand selected”, it’s probably more likely they said “send him one” and someone just grabbed one from the warehouse and sent it off without checking it.
Personally, I prefer that because it’s a more fair reflection of the product. Something I never like is reviews by stores where the guitars have been checked before - I much prefer it when they’re essentially taken straight out of the box, tuned up and played
ESP . if they KNEW who they were sending it to and why😊
Always press the like button. Always appreciate your passion, knowledge and attention to detail.
Next to Phil Collins... you're my favorite Phil
I see that they went back to the mouse ears instead of the pointy ears on my Firefly. I like them better. As you noted my pickups squeal when boosted and I had to file down the fret ends. Thanks Phil for showing me how to do that. Those fret markers are very nice also. If I didn’t already have one I would get that.
So, I purchased a Fire Fly FFLPS Elite in emerald with a quilted top three years ago. It had major issues. The post holes for the bridge and tail piece were drilled over sized. Causing both to be loose. The saddles for the bridge were cut wrong and way too deep. The nut was nut wrong and the string spacing for the D&G string were not spaced evenly. The D&G string were too close to each other. The tuners would slip and the neck had a back bow. The guitar guitar would not hold tune. The back bow was so bad that I had to crank the truss rod in the counter clockwise direction way past the zero slack point to bring the neck straight. So thankful it had a double action truss rod in it. There were dead spots along the fretboard as well. The woods were not as advertised. The neck and body is all maple. The guitar is heavy. I was able to fix all the issues but I would not purchase one ever again. I replaced the nut, tuners, bridge and tail piece and all the electronics. I doweled the post holes and drilled to the proper size. I did a level and crown on the frets too. The guitar is ok for what it is. After a proper set up, it stays in tune now and plays and sounds great after all the repairs. The guitar looks beautiful with the emerald quilted top too. I didn't even talk about the finish issues which I was able to fix as well. I recommend not purchasing if you do not know how to fix the issues yourself. It would not be worth paying someone to fix a guitar that cost you anywhere from $189 to $240. You are better off purchasing an Epiphone Les Paul, Michael Kelly Patriot, Vintage V100 or any ESP/LTD Eclipse models. Hell, I purchased a Les Paul husk from Guitar Fetish for $150 and it is one hell of a guitar. I got all the hardware from their site as well to build it. The only major thing I had to do to the neck was set the string height at the first fret and polish the frets. I put Dimarzio's in that bad boy!
That is a lot of guitar for $200. Sounds good, looks nice, some minor flaws. Firefly just needs to tap in/seat the frets a little better.
I have 3 Firefly guitars
1.A 338 I bought on amazon about 3 years ago. The frets (non stainless) were perfect, the bridge was trash,tuners after a month seemed to wear out,the bone nut was not setup correctly.
2. A strat copy about 9 months ago. The frets ok (spot leveled a couple), then a month later frets started moving (had to glue them and level them), the tremolo bridge at first worked perfectly then about 6 months in started losing tune,removed it and was deformed/burrs on the knife edge(adjusted only with the springs relieved) can't find another with the same post spacing, the locking tuners are ok so far.
3. A tele copy about 8 months ago. There were 2 low frets in the middle of the fret board (had to level them all ) otherwise so far so good.
Bought these to substitute out my american fender and gibson guitars at gigs.
you know phil is old school when he pulls out the zippo
Going on 3 years since I purchased my ff338 and still plays well! No fret or neck or blemish problems! But like you had squealing issues at high gain…. One of these days I’ll get them waxed!! Has a great feel!😊
Have their 338 for a year+ now. Only flaw on mine was the pickup pole pieces were just slugs not screws, even though they had the screwdriver slot. Discovered as tried to adjust pole height, they just spun and didn’t raise or lower. Further examination showed they weren’t even screws that went through the base plate. Couldn’t tell in your video if yours has the same issue. Please take a look and report back.
I gotta admit - the black with red binding is pretty cool
I give them a lot of credit for sending you one of their new guitars to show the improvements knowing you won't pull any punches. I actually bought one of these in the spalted maple finish just to see what it was and had very similar issues as you did. I did put a set of USA PAF-style epiphone pickups in mine that came out of another guitar, leveled/crowned/polished the frets, and did a full setup and set the action at 1.25mm ( low E ) to 1.1mm ( high E ) and it plays and sounds great ! It is hard to beat for the time and money invested.
I kinda dig the look and it sounds good.
Your playing always resonates with me! You’re known in the community for your wisdom, your playing is equally as impressive Phillip!
Hey Phillip you’ve been an amazing indirect mentor for me when it comes to imports and branding and the modern electric guitar industry. Not to mention schooling me on Parker, Strandberg, Carvin, and some other brands I’ve been too insecure to dip my feet into. Now I have a Parker Fly Mojo USA Single Cut, and a Parker DF824 (made in 🇺🇸). The Dragonfly makes a Silversky look like a 90’s Mexican Strat. (Millennials that’s a figure of speech, we don’t literally mean “look like”) 🙏
Great review, Phillip. I like that the upper bout doesn't have the weird angle it used to. There are more natural curves now.
Always look forward to your videos. Thanks for sharing.🎸
Great review Phil. It sounds good and if you have a small budget and are handy, to fix the issues its a ok guitar! Cheers
Nice review Phil. Would be nice to know the width and the heights of the frets though.
Very cool Phil! It's amazing how companies like Firefly are producing quality guitars that sometimes rival major brands like Epiphone or surpass them in some cases. Definitely worth grabbing one for $200 maybe get 2 for the price of 1 more expensive guitar. Great review!👍😎
Thanks for the good review
Nice Demo Phil - you make that bad boy sound good!
I bought a black sparkle Tele last year from them. I'v'e got no major complaints. What surprised me the most was how fast I got it. Ordered early in the morning and it arrived at my house in Vegas the next morning. I received the tracking number 2 daya after I received it.
All guitars are fun. I doubt “Firefly” will replace the brand recognition of “Epiphone” but, at impulse-buy prices, this is worth sticking in some pickups.
Phil, take a humbucker apart, you'll immediately see the issue: its a kludge with self spacing bobbins made for thick ceramic magnets with shimmed A5 magnets. The shim doesn't extend under the screw pole keeper so it floats around between the bobbin and the backing plate. The keeper vibrations create the feedback.
First, Good for Firefly in sending this guitar, the third one, for review! That speaks volumes about continuous improvement! This one hit close to home for me!! My #1 is a Gibson ES335, walnut color, with a '59 LPB neck profile!! It's not too far from this one, .96/1.01 to be exact. Of course mine has Burstbuckers, 50's wiring and premium Gibson parts. It also cost 15X what this Firefly did!! After seeing and hearing it, congrats to Firefly! This would be a great guitar for any beginner+. I'm not sure I would use that to gig with like my Gibson 335. But it seems fine to play and maybe jam with, and it could be upgraded. JMHO, Peace --gary
I don't think sending a 3rd "speaks volumes about continuous improvement! " They could setup their own QC and eliminate the game of trying to pass off troubled guitars in the first place. I think to them this is their 3rd free ad.
What size feeler gauge did you use to slide under the frets to check if they were lifted?
Brilliant way to check that is standardized!!
Thanks for another cool review Phillip.
2 FFs here - a P90/Pelham Blue Les Paul and a natural mahogany V. Both are holding up great, I still enjoy playing them the 2 years I've had them.
Thanks For Sharing Phillip & Happy Belated Birthday 🎈🧠 🎸🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶
I've dug your straightforward reviews for years. The Army logo zippo is the icing on the trust cake.
Hooa
@@PhillipMcKnightI’ve been out since 94. I still say that when my wife asks me to do something. Was in 1st infantry division and 10th mountain. 88m
@@mknewlan67 😄13F, 88-92, 82d - my poor family endures "Hooahs" and "Airbornes", especially when I encounter another trooper in the wild. Take care out there, and again, thanks for being a digital mentor for my hobby all these years.
Great Review, Phil. My Firefly came perfect . No wiring problems, the fit and finish was very good. This is a great guitar for the $$ . I think it’s a good modding platform too. Obviously with Blackstock pickups it will sound fantastic! Maybe a giveaway Guitar with your pickups ! Yeah !!!❤
These little things are stuff that I have to fix on used guitars I buy all the time so to get a guitar for this cheap of this quality is pretty crazy
Nice playing Phil 👍
7:03 What I want to know is does that "shielding paint" connect to the ring/ground of the output jack? THAT is what make the cavity shielded.
Those inlays are beautiful. For this price point, and the minimal amount of work you had to put into this one to make it; “right”. Think you’ve gotta winner here, PHIL. Firefly is becoming a contender in the budget guitar market.👍👍
I have a Grote, same make, 2 year in, still a solid bargain. Going to search your back catalogue to see if you've covered those.
On Amazon I've seen a Grote 335 that is purple w/a red pickguard. Really love how that looks and may pull teh trigger at some point.
Safe to say, Firefly will probably sell out of these by morning. I havent pulled the trigger to buy one yet, but they just released the Camo Bullseye ZW style LP last week and it sold out in about 2 days. I will definitely be buying one on the next release. Great video - thanks Phil!
that you can buy such a great looking guitar with such little issues for less than $200 is just impressive. I might just order one for fun and/or as a project guitar to put better pickups and what not in, play around with it. If the frets are the only issue, that's an easy fix even w/o an expensive hammer, I bet the cheap nylon hammer I got from the Container Store would do just fine here. And for a beginner to have such a rad looking guitar? That'll make them want to play with it so much more.
Kinda funny, my most expensive guitar, a PRS 513, is the one I play and like the least and will sell or trade off soon and I will never buy a guitar that expensive again, there's no ROI there, just bragging rights.
Then add the name Firefly, certainly one of the coolest guitar brand names I can think of, especially if I were a young beginner!
Great vid, as always!
I got a natural style 338pro from Firefly and it had a beautiful finish but the frets had to be tapped down as well. After minor issues were fixed i cranked up my tube amp and the pickups were great. To get it to feedback i had to face the guitar right at the speaker. I am very impressed with what i got.
I just ordered my third Firefly. I grabbed another of their LP/Eclipse hybrids with the set-through neck joint and belly cut. It's supposed to have a solid ash top instead of a veneer. We shall see.
I got the buckethead looking les paul . I'm happy with it. I like the way it played so much I put some graph tech ratio tuners and a jb/ jazz set. It wasn't absolutely necessary. I just like working on my guitars
I had a chance to play that model in the used section of my local Guitar Center. Fun instrument for sure!
You make such terrific videos, Phillip. I really appreciate this Firefly review. Something we don't know about the guitar is its potential longevity. Will it hold up over time? I've heard people say that that earlier Firefly models have held up well.
The inlays and dimensions of the neck are very much like my Sheraton of which I wouldn't trade for this Firefly ever.
I Love My 5 Firefly’s.
And completely agree that they just keep improving.
Although one of them has Wilkinson pups
And another has used Fender Tele pups
But
My Spalted top ES is ALL Firefly.
It was my first Firefly and
Quite Possibly
My Favorite.
I have the same inlays on my Austin single cut. I really dig them!
Tuners sucked on mine had to replace them with Grover’s but the holes were off by a smidge but screws went in tight at a very slight angle. Wish I knew exactly which Tunamatic bridge to buy. Would love to put a Tonepros bridge on mine.
I own a bright purple FF, and have for a couple years. I love it and it's a blast to play. Having said that, it did take going down to my friend's shop so they could iron out some pretty serious fret problems and give it a proper setup...
These stainless steel frets seem to have wear on them @4:29 A trick of the light maybe?
I just got my black and red firefly in. I had bought one in 2020 and I had to replace the electronics bc the pickups were to microphonic. The new one is awesome. I found only one small issue with finish but it’s virtually unnoticeable unless you nit pick. Love the frets and the tuners are upgraded. I like the pickups and I think they sound great. I have two Les Paul’s, Telly, and fender American Strat and j find myself playing the firefly the most.
Relic job on the switch looks really legit imo.
Hello Phil, another great overview. However, for reasonably-priced guitars, it would be GREAT to have an out-of-the-box playing review/demo. This range of players are probably folks new to the electric guitar world, and probably don't have fret rockers, etc.. A first assessment out-of-the-box would probably be more aligned with what folks buying these types of guitars would experience, and not a Phil-MckNight-Tuned playing experience. Just saying :)
Just ordered their double cut junior and the frets were terrible. Right back in the box and sent it back.
🤣
Where did you find the DC Junior, if you don’t mind my asking? I see the DC special on Guitars Garden, but no JRs. I’ve been tempted several times over the past few years to pick up a JR, but every time I’m ready, I see another shi* review of Firefly.
@@skeegets2 Actually, I just realized I was thinking of Harley Benton. Still let me know where you found the Firefly though… please.
The red binding is such a vibe
Based on the cost of the comparable epiphone, if you paid $200 to fix the issues, you are still coming in slightly lower than the Epi... but if the Epi doesn't have those issues out of the box, maybe that extra money is worth it.
LOL, honestly Phil, I think they might be trolling you! We have AT LEAST FOUR, maybe five of these JSN (or is it JNS?) FIREFLY guitars. They are one of my favorite guitar brands. PERIOD! I think they are THE sleeper guitar, especially for anyone who wants a quality guitar without paying a MINT for it. There used to be a time when you had to keep tabs on their webpage for when they might finally have another batch for sale so that we could get one and try them out, this after hearing whispers about how great a deal these were. Then from the time we first got one and on to every suceeding model...we have been absolutely SATISFIED and PLEASED, and YES, including sound and playability, not just appearance. I think our first was a spalted maple FF338 with dual humbuckers maybe five years ago now (if it's a veneer it surely isn't obvious though I could swear we checked for this in the pickup opening at one point). Then we got an orange thinline Tele-type guitar, then next a gold top Les Paul type, and then recently I got the Buckethead themed Les Paul type with the red kill switches to boot. I love these and think they're one of the best secrets out there if anyone hasn't actually already heard of them...the JSN FireFly! PS: I am more a very occasional very limited small tiny collector but big appreciator of guitar and not a player. I dabbled on my Squier many years ago but my honey IS a musician who pretty much agrees on this.
I love that red binding!!!! 😍
Man- the budget market is getting insane. A decent guitar for the price of a good drive pedal- that's a trip. And HB just pu a couple tube amps- they sound pretty good, surprisingly good. At least I think they just put it out- could've been an old video I watched- Idk, it's new to me. They demoed a 30 watt but someone in the comments said they had a 15watt as well. It sounded really good to me- had a "reverb tone" knob that was actually just general tone knob for the whole amp- not just the reverb, that's a little odd but not a dela breaker or anything. And apparently Joyo jumped on the bandwagon as well- they have a couple models out- full tube amps, not hybrids this time. I think it's awesome- we need more budget tube amps- that's something we've never had before. Mono Price has been about it, as far as I know.
My first guitar was a gold foil one pickup Zim-Gar with high action. It’s amazing what you can get for short money these days.
Great demo, unfortunately in Scotland we can’t get Firefly guitars on Amazon 🤷🏼♂️
What is that tele-style green guitar to your left, viewers' right, behind you on the wall. As far as appearances go, I could stand to have that in my guitar room . . .
I really want to get a firefly LP...I dont mind tinkering a little bit,i need to learn to do basics.🤙Thanks Phil!!!
I've been playing my buddy's FF 338 for the last couple of years. Haven't played my LPs but a couple of times since I got my hands on his. I finally ordered me one in February when I got my first SSA check, and it's a really nice guitar. I'm considering buying one of their Teles and maybe even a Strat. Considering how good the quality usually is, at their prices, it's kinda hard to pass up. They are great guitars to take to an impromptu jam or an open mic. In the past, I've always been a little nervous when I've had to take my expensive equipment to something like that.
My first Firefly is being delivered today. I’m excited
Zippo lighter. One ritual, especially in winter, that made it harder to quit smoking.
Then smoke some weed, your excuse really is so poor, and doesn't make sense, in exchange of your health, and life.
@@mylogify thank you for your concern: after a 46-year habit, I quit in 2009. But I still keep my old Zippos in a drawer, just in case.
@@lorincowell6944 Oohh good to know, wish you said it in the first comment that you quit. :) Had a serious illness due to that... Keep it up with the guitar playing, have healthy days, cheers!
@@mylogifydo not smoke weed Please.
My wife bought me a brand new Gibson LP Studio. The switch tip was cracked. 🙄. The Epiphone she bought me had fret sprout so bad my finger bled and the PRS was returned because of unrepeatable quality issues.
Most people dont have the tools or the space to do those necessary repairs so you can add on another 50 dollars/pounds/euros for rectifying them. Surely that glue covered switch could have been changed within seconds too. I'd still be a bit peeved at those faults even for the price.
My Fireflies always have a little finish issue or something small. Once the pot was free spinning. For someone with even basic luthier skills, they are great for the money. Still, a beginner may have to spend money to make it right or have one replaced. For the money, with the specs and finishes (even with flaws), they have become decent guitars. A great mod platform.
Do you let the thing sit overnight and see if the frets rise back out ? Do you think the radius of the frets is the same as the fretboard ?
And did you locate the neutral point of the trussrod ? If you did, whats it doing to the neck to make it straight without strings on it ?
Do you think pressing the frets with a cul, having the fretwire radius match the fretboard radius and using wood thats below 6% humidity is possibly the key to building "pro" level guitars ? How do you feel about a machine that drives all the frets simultaneously ?
I have found that these key things practically eliminate the need for leveling : cured wood, stainless steel German made frets, straight neck and board after ftetting with the rod at neutral, even pressure with a cul, frets fully seated(not overseated). You'd be surprised to see a complete ftet level in 3 or 4 strokes moderately light pressure. Get all that right and you're completely shocked by how easy the frets are to get perfect.
I apologize for editing out the part. It was a week from the repair to play demo. This video like all of them was over four weeks
Seems fine to me after you adjusted the frets.
Phil, You definitely need to check out Tease guitars!😮
I think you are single-handedly improving guitar quality and value. Most of the things that separate an OK guitar from a great guitar are relatively easy to fix, if the manufacturers just pay attention. Kudos!
Which would you recommend this or the HB 35 regular
Definitely a nice looking guitar with the red binding.
Wow, a Zippo! Never see those anymore! I would Arbor press the frets and glue them. Hammering them can make them pop up.
Grandson has a Firefly guitar and loves it , but the black one he's demoing now is already sold out
You take a fine sandpaper, grind off a little bit on the side of the nut, and then you pour a drop of acid on the dust of the nut. On real bone, you should get some bubbles, as acid dissolves bones, because Bones are mainly made of lime.
Those pickups are greatly improved over their older versions.
The Nut: How high are the strings a the first fret, especially when held down at the 21st fret? This is my big question about inexpensive (or really any) guitars. I've played so many Squiers and off-brand models that are crap just because of this. Cowboy chords and bar chords like F and Bb should be as easy to play as when you put a capo on the first fret. They're usually not, because the strings are too high at the nut, and it takes time and skill to make it right, and it's the last adjustment a beginner is going to think of or learn to do, or take into a shop to have them fix. But when it's done right and the neck and frets are right, it's easy enough to set the action low and make a good playing guitar.
Very true. If the basic cowboy chords are difficult to play it is very discouraging to new players because they think having to press hard is normal and they don’t know what they don’t know.
I have wanted a few Firefly models but they just wont ship to the UK, they just don't produce enough stock, they are sold out as soon as their batches drop on the site!
Hey Phil!
Would you be able to review their baritone! It’s a 30” scale bass 6 killer!
Hi Guitar 🎸 guy nice video 📹 and workmanship that Guitar 🎸 was cool do u got some 50 60 70 apperal. Clothes
Do IYV guitars! I keep waiting for this channel to cover them.
@@PatrickAshe41 he's done Wolf/AIO which is the same guitar just with a setup done prior to ship
Just ordered that one and the Strat style.
The new Pro 338’s are excellent. Much improved pickups.
Those inlays look A LOT like the inlays on the most recent Epiphone Prophecy line of guitars 🤔
As much as they do and i have an Extura, Epiphone didnt invent that
I went to the link provided to check it out and after digging through the website I finally found the the FFHB collection but the collection is empty. Is this guitar not for sale?
not anymore. Sold out some time in mid August. They had a Cherry one that was sold out in 4 or 5 days. You almost have to check the website daily. They don't have any 335s right now.
The bridge looks like an off the shelf TOM that would most likely have a Gibson radius. I wonder if they left it or cut the saddles for their radius. 🤔
Any chance you could do more videos on basses? Not asking you to drastically change your vids, but maybe in a KYG talk about bass amps or good basses at certain price points? Love your channel but I dont play regular guitar that much and not many good bass related channels in the same vain as yours.
Nice looking guitar but it would be way better without the red binding. White would make it look good. The red makes it look like a Batman guitar.