A rare and undeniably charismatic top-of-the-line example the Firebird VII is one of the most striking and desirable solid bodies Gibson produced in the 1960s. Introduced in late 1963 as the flagship of the new Firebird range, the VII sat at the very top of the line with deluxe appointments throughout. With only around 200 reverse-body VII examples produced between late ’63 and mid-’65, these remain among the rarest and most sought-after of all original Firebirds.

The appeal of the early reverse-body Firebirds goes far beyond rarity alone. Designed with its dramatic sweeping offset lines, sculpted “reverse” body shape and distinctive elongated headstock, the Firebird's neck-through-body construction with glued-on side wings gave them their unique resonance, sustain and unmistakable visual identity. The design proved expensive and time-consuming to manufacture, which is a large part of why Gibson replaced it with the simplified non-reverse version by 1965, making these early examples all the more special today.

As the flagship VII model, this guitar carries all the deluxe features that separate it from the Firebird V and lower models: a bound ebony fingerboard with block inlays, triple Firebird pickup layout, gold-plated hardware throughout,  ABR-1 bridge, banjo tuners, Lyre Vibrola tailpiece and a 3-ply white Firebird pickguard. It is the most lavish expression of the original Firebird concept, sharing some of the visual grandeur of a Les Paul Custom but with all the radical flair of Gibson’s most forward-thinking body design.

This is an excellent overall example. The frets appear original, with binding nibs still retained, and the neck has a very comfortable carve measuring with a 41.5mm nut, with a depth of 21mm at the 1st fret and 25.8mm at the 12th. The nut has been changed, and it's had a headstock repair, something not uncommon on Firebirds.

Electronically, it retains four CTS pots all dating to 1963, with one visible week of 36. The neck pickup has had its PVC lead changed, the middle pickup’s original braided wire has been cut and neatly spliced with PVC wire, while the bridge pickup appears original and undisturbed. Tonally, these guitars deliver exactly why the VII has become such a cult classic: clear, piano-like neck tones, articulate bite from the bridge, and that gloriously nasal, cutting middle-position that helped make the model famous in the hands of Brian Jones, whose use of the Firebird VII has become part of the model's mythology.

A bold design statement, a genuinely rare top-tier Gibson and one of the most visually dramatic instruments of the era, it's easy to see why the reverse Firebirds are held in such high regard today.