Up for sale, a 1981 Gibson Firebrand “The Paul” Deluxe finished in custom color Pelham Blue and complete with the original hardshell case. A straightforward Gibson model offered for only a few short years, “The Paul” Deluxe features mahogany body and neck construction with a slab ebony fretboard.

Weighing 7lbs 12oz, this guitar has a punchy and clear natural acoustic presence with an underlying fundamental warmth given the mahogany construction. The humbuckers are a transitional pair, with a Tim Shaw PAF humbucker at the neck and a T Top at the bridge. The Tim Shaw represents Gibson's first attempt at recreating the magic of their late '50s humbucker design. Offered for only a few short years, the Shaw features unoriented, rough cast Alnico V magnets, plastic spacers, and poly-coated wire, achieving the harmonic complexity, power, and tonal clarity of the original PAF. The T Top humbucker at the bridge offers plenty of growl and cut, pairing well with the Tim Shaw for a distinct sound in every pickup position. This Firebrand “The Paul” Deluxe benefits from a professional setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 10-46 strings, low action, and accurate intonation.

Neck Specs:

• Wood: Mahogany
• Shape: Medium C, measuring .855” 1st fret, 1.040” 12th fret
• Fretboard: Ebony, dot inlay
• Frets: Medium jumbo, moderate wear favoring the plain strings on frets 1-10
• Scale Length: 24 3/4”
• Nut: 1 11/16”
• Tuners: Grover Rotomatics (nickel-plated, tulip buttons)
• Serialization: Eight-digit stamp dates to 1981

Body Specs:

• Wood: Mahogany
• Pickups: Tim Shaw PAF (N, January, 1981 date stamp on baseplate), T Top humbucker (B, July 30, 1980 date stamp on baseplate)
• Controls: Volume x2, Tone x2, three-way pickup selector
• Harness: Untouched solder, CTS pots date to the 45th week of 1980
• Hardware: Nashville bridge, stopbar
• Plastics: Black speed knobs, pickup/switch surrounds, switch tip

The gloss greened-out Pelham Blue finish is 100% original with no touch-up or overspray, exhibiting broad horizontal checking. There is some light texturing in the clear coat on the lower bout of the back from prolonged contact with a strap, along with some light finish scratches and minor marks on the body as a whole. There is some palm wear central to the neck carve behind frets 3-5, and another area of wear on the treble side behind frets 10-12, all buffed smooth. A previous owner also scratched an ID number between the tuners on the back of the peghead.

The original Gibson-branded hardshell case is included. All but one of the latches is functional, the handle is intact, and the GIbson silkscreen is present on the case lid.