(SOLD) Gibson Vintage 1964 Firebird III – Owned by Motown Guitar Legend Eddie Willis ! The Funk Brothers !

(SOLD) Gibson Vintage 1964 Firebird III – Owned by Motown Guitar Legend Eddie Willis ! The Funk Brothers !

$37,500.00

Out of stock

Here we have a real piece of history! Not only is this a rare 1964 Gibson Firebird III , this particular Firebird was owned by legendary 'Funk Brother' and Motown Session Legend EDDIE 'Chank' WILLIS ! Complete with letter of authentication signed by Eddie Willis himself (as shown in photos). Comes complete in Eddie's Case .....adorned with stickers/ backstage passes from previous tours with the Four Tops & Temptations....

Check out some of the iconic Motown Recording this guitar was used on ( see letter in photos ) Shotgun, I Heard It Through The Grapevine, Bernadette, My Cherie Amour, Ain't Too Proud To Beg, Second That Emotion, Jimmy Mack, Nowhere To Run, The Way You Do The Things....and more!!

This particular Firebird has various customizations such as an added vintage correct middle pickup , coil tap switches and the removal of the Vibrola Tail Piece.

Gibson Firebird III Overview ( from Reverb) :

   "Gibson launched the Firebird design in 1963 with four main models: the Firebird I, III, V, and VII. Each was distinguished by different pickup and hardware configurations, though they all shared thru-body construction and a unique "reversed" body shape with a large lower horn. The Firebird III was the top-of-the-line model and used gold hardware, a bound neck with block inlays on an ebony fretboard, a "long" Maestro vibrato tailpiece, and two Firebird pickups -- not to be confused with more standard "mini-humbuckers" that Gibson would use later on Les Paul Deluxe models. By mid-1965, Gibson changed the Firebird (as well as its counterpart Thunderbird bass) to a more traditional "non-reversed" body shape.  "

Other Notable Firebird Players: Johnny Winter, Allen Collins, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton