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Gibson Custom 1965 Non-Reverse Firebird V w/ Vibrola
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V
VS
Playability
72
Sound
72
Build
70
Value
56
Score
71
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Playability
75
Sound
72
Build
74
Value
59
Score
74
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Gibson Custom 1965 Non-Reverse Firebird V w/ Vibrola vs 1963 Firebird V

Reasons to Get
Gibson Custom 1965 Non-Reverse Firebird V w/ Vibrola over 1963 Firebird V

Reasons to Get
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V over 1965 Non-Reverse Firebird V w/ Vibrola

Neck Joint
Neck-Through vs Set
Stronger neck and easier access to upper frets
Value Score
59 vs 56
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Gibson Custom 1965 Non-Reverse Firebird V w/ Vibrola vs 1963 Firebird V

Headstock
6 vs R6
Different Headstock

Shared Features
Gibson Custom 1965 Non-Reverse Firebird V w/ Vibrola vs 1963 Firebird V

Bridge Pickup
Firebird Alnico V
Same Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Firebird Alnico V
Same Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Mahogany
Same Body Wood
Neck Wood
Mahogany
Same Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Rosewood
Same Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Nylon
Same Nut Material
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
2
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
2
Same tone control
Pickups
HH
High output without hum
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Nut Width
1.688'' (42.9mm)
Same string separation at the nut
Paint Finish
Nitro
Thin finish that creates aging marks faster
Bridge
Tremolo
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Weight Relief
  • Locking Tuners
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

Gibson Custom 1965 Non-Reverse Firebird V w/ Vibrola Prices

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V is probably the better product overall with its final score of 74 compared to the Gibson Custom 1965 Non-Reverse Firebird V w/ Vibrola's 71 score, although not by a lot.

The Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V wins when it comes to playability, build quality, value for the money. On the other hand, the Gibson Custom 1965 Non-Reverse Firebird V w/ Vibrola has the upper hand when it comes to.

If you got small hands, none of these instruments will make a big difference when it comes to comfortability.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

Both meet 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players. If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, you can't go wrong with either of them.

New Player Friendliness

Gibson Custom 1965 Non-Reverse Firebird V w/ Vibrola
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.

Gibson Custom 1965 Non-Reverse Firebird V w/ Vibrola Overview

  • From Gibson Custom's 2022 Historic Collection series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Mahogany body
  • Mahogany neck
  • Indian Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Firebird Alnico V (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Firebird Alnico V (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 2 volume and 2 tone Bell knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • ABR-1 Maestro Short Vibrola bridge
  • Traditional 1960s SlimTaper C Profile Set neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Vintage Closed Gear tuners
  • Weight around 8.6lbs (3.9kgs)
  • Compare Specs >

Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V Overview

  • From Gibson Custom's 2022 Historic Collection series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Layered Mahogany body
  • 9-ply Mahogany/Walnut neck
  • Indian Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Firebird Alnico V (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Firebird Alnico V (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 2 volume and 2 tone Bell knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • ABR-1 Maestro Short Vibrola bridge
  • Traditional 1960s SlimTaper C Profile Neck-Through neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Deluxe Banjo Tuners tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Sound Quality Comparison

The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.

Woods Used in Both

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany
Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood

Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.

Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.

Winner: Tie.

Pickup Configuration

Both pickup configurations are HH. Double Humbucker (HH) is the choice for people who want a fuller, more round sound with tons of mids and lows. Humbuckers also get rid of the hum noise that plague single-coil pickups. They can work out for almost any genre going from Djent to even Jazz.

Pickups Quality

Both come with very good pickups from at least one of the specialized brands in the market. With pickups like these, you probably won't need an upgrade anytime soon.

Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.

Winner: Tie.

Versatility Comparison

Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.

Switch Options

Both are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.

Neither of them come with some kind of coil split or pickup mod option. This makes both lacking in terms of versatility.

They both share the following switching options:

Gibson Custom 1965 Non-Reverse Firebird V w/ Vibrola and Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Gibson Custom 1965 Non-Reverse Firebird V w/ Vibrola and Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V's switch options

When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.

Winner: Tie.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Gibson Custom 1965 Non-Reverse Firebird V w/ Vibrola
Pickups 90
Sustain 70
Versatility 63
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 72
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V
Pickups 90
Sustain 70
Versatility 63
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 72

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Gibson Custom 1965 Non-Reverse Firebird V w/ Vibrola compares to the Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in United States.

The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.

Winner: Tie

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

In this case, both have Nylon nuts. It used to be one of the highest quality materials for nuts (and still is), but it's rare to find nowadays because it's hard to work with. It's a very resistant material with very low friction, so it will keep the guitar in tune and will last for a long time

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

Bridge

The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.

Both come with a similar bridge: Tremolo. Tremolo bridges give you more versatility than fixed bridges. They let you perform the intense vibrato effects that would be impossible with a fixed bridge. However, since the bridge floats and there's less contact with the body, the strings lose sustain slightly faster. They can also be a bit harder to restring and set up correctly than fixed bridges.

Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.

Winner: Tie.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Gibson Custom 1965 Non-Reverse Firebird V w/ Vibrola's are Vintage Closed Gear while the Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V's are Deluxe Banjo Tuners

Winner: Tie.

Neck Joint

Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.

The Gibson Custom 1965 Non-Reverse Firebird V w/ Vibrola has a Set neck joint. This neck is tightly glued to the body. They give you the least versatility because you can't swap them for a neck that fits your hand better if you want to, unlike bolt-on necks. Some people think this gives more resonance and sustain, but there's no real difference if the bolt-on joint is well built.

On the other hand, the Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V comes with Neck-Through neck joint. This neck is a lot more resistant and lets builders give the neck joint a more comfortable shape for soloing at the upper frets. The disadvantage is that they're more expensive and that if you damage your neck, you can't simply replace it like with bolt-on necks.

Winner: Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
Gibson Custom 1965 Non-Reverse Firebird V w/ Vibrola
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Nylon Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Nylon Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Neck-Through Build
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Gibson Custom 1965 Non-Reverse Firebird V w/ Vibrola
Quality of materials 56
Features 55
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 70
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V
Quality of materials 56
Features 65
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 74

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

Gibson Custom 1965 Non-Reverse Firebird V w/ Vibrola Nut Width
Both Guitars Have The Same Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, both have a nut width of 42.9mm (1.688'').

This is within the most common range of nut widths for a 6-string guitar. It offers a good balance of string separation at the nut. It's the size that most guitarists prefer as it gives them just enough space to play open chords without muting the strings, but without spreading the strings too wide and making bar chords difficult to perform.

Scale Length

Gibson Custom 1965 Non-Reverse Firebird V w/ Vibrola and Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V's Scale Length
Both have the same scale length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

In this case, both have a scale length of 24.75".

This is the scale length that Gibson uses for most of its Les Paul guitars. It's a smaller scale than the typical Stratocaster's 25.5''. Short scale lengths like this make it easier to bend the strings, which is pretty important if you have a fixed bridge. They also have a shorter fret separation, which makes it easier to change position fast at the fretboard.

On the other hand, a shorter scale like this one will make fret buzz more likely, which can affect you if you want to use thicker string gauges.

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

Gibson Custom 1965 Non-Reverse Firebird V w/ Vibrola Neck Profile
Both guitars have the same neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

Both the Gibson Custom 1965 Non-Reverse Firebird V w/ Vibrola and the Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

Fretboard Radius

Gibson Custom 1965 Non-Reverse Firebird V w/ Vibrola Fingerboard Radius
Both Guitars Have The Same Fretboard Radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

Both the Gibson Custom 1965 Non-Reverse Firebird V w/ Vibrola and the Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V have the same fretboard radius of 12". This is the radius used in most Gibson guitars. It gives you a good balance for playing chords without muting, but also good comfortability for playing single notes and bending.

Hand Size Comfortability

Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.

After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both in this comparison favor small hands .

Gibson Custom 1965 Non-Reverse Firebird V w/ Vibrola:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Gibson Custom 1965 Non-Reverse Firebird V w/ Vibrola and Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V Frets Size
Both have a similar Medium Jumbo fret size

Both have a Medium Jumbo fret size. These are slightly shorter than full Jumbo frets, so you'll still feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings. However, they interfere less with your fretting hand than medium-size frets. This is a good size if you like easy-to-press frets, but would still like to feel a bit of the fretboard when playing.

Final Playability Scores

Gibson Custom 1965 Non-Reverse Firebird V w/ Vibrola
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 70
Playability 72
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 75

Specs Side-by-Side

Gibson Custom 1965 Non-Reverse Firebird V w/ Vibrola vs 1963 Firebird V
General Gibson Custom 1965 Non-Reverse Firebird V w/ Vibrola 1963 Firebird V
Brand: Gibson Custom Gibson Custom
Year: 2022 2022
Configuration: HH HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: United States United States
Series: Historic Collection Historic Collection
Colors: Sunburst Sunburst
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Solid Mahogany Layered Mahogany
Bridge: ABR-1 Maestro Short Vibrola ABR-1 Maestro Short Vibrola
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Neck-Through
Tuners: Vintage Closed Gear Deluxe Banjo Tuners
Fretboard: Indian Rosewood Indian Rosewood
Neck Material: Mahogany 9-ply Mahogany/Walnut
Decoration: Pearloid Dot Aged Cellulose Nitrate Trapezoid
Scale Size: 24.75" 24.75"
Shape: Traditional 1960s SlimTaper C Profile Traditional 1960s SlimTaper C Profile
Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 12"
Nut: Nylon Nylon
Nut Width: 42.9mm (1.688'') 42.9mm (1.688'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Firebird Alnico V (Humbucker / Passive) Firebird Alnico V (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Firebird Alnico V (Humbucker / Passive) Firebird Alnico V (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Bell Bell
Pickup Mods: None None
Volume Controls: 2 2
Tone Controls: 2 2