Gibson Firebird X
Gibson Firebird X
Owner’s Manual
Owner’s Manual
copyright 2011 Gibson Guitar Corp.
owner’s manual version 1.3h
Page 1
FCC and IC Compliance
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules and RSS-210 of Industry Canada. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful interference
2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
Le présent appareil est conforme aux CNR d'Industrie Canada applicables aux appareils radio exempts de licence.
L'exploitation est autorisée aux deux conditions suivantes :
(1) l'appareil ne doit pas produire de brouillage
(2) l'utilisateur de l'appareil doit accepter tout brouillage radioélectrique subi, même si le brouillage est susceptible
d'en compromettre le fonctionnement.
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the
FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential
installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in
accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no
guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference
to radio or television reception, which canbe determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to
try to correct the interference by 1 or more of the following measures:
Reorient or relocate the antenna
Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver
Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected
Consult the dealer or an experienced radio or television technician for help
Caution: Changes or modifications not expressly approved by Gibson could void the user’s authority to operate this
equipment.
Japanese Compliance
This device has been granted a designation number by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications according to
the Ordinance concerning the Technical Regulations Conformity Certification etc. of Specified Radio Equipment
(特定無線設備の技術基準適合証明等に関する規則)
Article 2 clause (1) Item (19) (1)
Approval nos: 202WWSM115690411, 202WWSM115690412, 202WWSM115690413, 202WWSM115690414
This device should not be modified (otherwise the granted designation number will become invalid)
Page 2
Chapter 1: Firebird X Essentials
Important: Register Your Firebird X
Important: Register Your Firebird X
Registration provides information for joining the Firebird X Visionaries Club, where you can:
Participate in the Firebird X forums
Maintain a blog
Share FBX patches
Download free software: Gibson FBX Editor, Native Instruments Guitar Rig 4 Pro (full
version), and Ableton Live Lite 8 Gibson Studio Edition
Post calendar events
Contact support
Additional benefits are planned for the future, so stay tuned.
How to Register
1. Use any internet browser to visit http://www.gibson.com/FirebirdX.
2. Click on the Registration link to submit your warranty information (see the Firebird X
Certificate of Authenticity included with your guitar).
3. After registering, you’ll receive licenses for the Firebird X software bundle, as well as a
username and password to access the Firebird X Visionaries Club site at http://fbx.gibson.com.
STOP! Update Your System
The software-based Firebird X system allows for product enhancements. After registering
your Firebird X, check the Firebird X Visionaries Club for new documentation, patches, and
system updates. If new system software or firmware is available, install the Mac or
Windows FBX Editor as described in the downloadable FBX Editor manual, then follow
the update procedure.
Page 3
Important Safety and Warranty Information
Important Safety and Warranty Information
We value you as a customer—and want our products to give you an inspiring, and gratifying,
experience. So, to insure your safety and protect your investment in Gibson’s Firebird X
guitar, please read and follow all safety warnings and operating instructions before using
this product, and keep all documentation for future reference.
Environmental Factors
Heat and moisture can harm your Gibson Firebird X. Please do not install or operate this
guitar near sources of moisture, such as sinks, damp basements, leaky roofs, etc. and never
store it near heat sources, such as heaters or radiators. Both you and your Firebird X will be
much happier if you store and operate this product under safe conditions.
Power Sources
Use only the power sources included in the Firebird X package. Make sure any power supply
cords are not located where they are likely to be safety hazards, such as on the floor where
people might walk, or in locations where they may receive pressure from items placed upon
or against them. Also, be very careful with any power source connections, such as where
the AC adapter connects to the wall outlet. If this is jostled loose, the G-Node USB 2.0
audio interface included with Firebird X may experience extreme power differentials,
which can potentially harm you and the product.
Service
Please do not attempt to service Firebird X or any of its accessories yourself—let our expert
technicians handle any repairs for you.
Speaking of experts, always send the Firebird X or G-Node USB 2.0 audio
interface to the factory for servicing if any of the following occurs:
Any foreign object (especially liquid) has gotten inside Firebird X or its accessories
Firebird X or its accessories have been exposed to water, dropped, or otherwise
damaged
A marked change in Firebird X’s performance
You hear anything rattling around inside if you shake the Firebird X gently
Page 4
Warranty Protection
It is extremely important to us that you are satisfied with Firebird X. Register it and
activate your warranty protection by mailing the warranty card included with Firebird X to
Gibson USA, Department W, P.O. Box 100087, Nashville, TN 37210-0087. If you encounter
any kind of problem, contact us as soon as possible so we can make things right.
Once you your warranty protection is active, Firebird X's electronic components are
warranted to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one (1)
year from the date of original purchase. Your warranty covers the cost of both labor and
materials on any repair deemed necessary by our Customer Service Representative for the
warranty period, subject to the limitations below. Please note that our warranty belongs to
the original retail purchaser only, and may not be transferred or assigned to subsequent
owners.
If Firebird X malfunctions as a result of faulty materials or workmanship, Gibson will
determine whether repair or replacement is more appropriate. In case the original
materials are no longer available for repair, Gibson reserves the right to use materials
regularly utilized at the time of repair.
If we determine that replacing Firebird X best serves your interests, or in the unlikely event
that it is destroyed, lost, or damaged beyond repair while in our possession for repairs, we
will replace the product. If it is no longer available, it will be replaced with the most
similar product whose value does not exceed your original product’s purchase price.
Remember—as a necessary condition to the warranty coverage described in this section, you
must activate your warranty by mailing the warranty card included with Firebird X to
Gibson USA, Department W, P.O. Box 100087, Nashville, TN 37210-0087.
Warranty Limitations
Unfortunately, your product warranty cannot cover :
Any product that has been altered or modified in any way, or upon which any serial
or registration number has been tampered with or altered in any way.
Any product whose warranty card has been altered or contains false information.
Any product that has been damaged due to misuse, negligence, accident or improper
operation or storage.
Any product damaged during shipment. Inspect the package immediately upon
receipt, and notify the carrier immediately if there is damage.
Any product damaged as a result of extreme temperature, humidity, or the use of an
improper power source.
Any product not purchased through an authorized dealer, or any product that has had
repairs, modifications or alterations made by an unauthorized service technician.
Page 5
Wear and tear based on normal usage.
Factory installed electronics after more than one year following the original date of
purchase.
Gibson makes no other express warranty of any kind. All implied warranties, including
warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose that exceed the specific
provisions of the warranty, are expressly and specifically disclaimed and excluded from the
warranty. Note, however, that some states and/or countries do not allow the exclusion or
limitation of implied warranties, so this paragraph may not apply to you. In particular, if
you purchased your product outside of the United States, contact your local distributor for
the handling and resolution of all warranty issues, as the warranty described here is not
always applicable.
And of course, Gibson shall not be liable for any special, indirect, consequential, incidental
or other similar damages to you or to any third party, including, without limitation,
damages for loss of profits or business, or damages resulting from use or performance of
the product, whether in contract or tort, even if Gibson or its authorized representative has
been advised of the possibility of such damages, and Gibson shall not be liable for any
expenses, claims or suits arising from or relating to any of the foregoing.
To obtain warranty service, please contact Gibson directly:
US (Toll Free) 1-800-4GIBSON
US (Local) 1-615-871-4500
Email - service@gibson.com
Never send a unit in for repair before contacting Gibson. You will be advised of the proper
procedure for a quick and efficient repair, as well as provide information on where and how
to send your Firebird X.
Gibson® is a trademark of the Gibson Guitar Corp.
Windows® and Windows 7® are registered trademarks of Microsoft, Inc.
Page 6
Introduction
Introduction
Congratulations on joining the select group of Firebird X visionaries.
Firebird X combines revolutionary features with Gibson’s traditional construction quality
and superior sound. It’s the most technologically-advanced guitar in the world—yet remains
familiar and playable. You don’t have to adapt to Firebird X; it adapts to you.
Tune your guitar strings automatically, including alternate tunings, in seconds
GoldTone
TM
pickup technology for the three mini-humbuckers emulates iconic guitar
sounds through switching of purely analog signals, not digital modeling
Over 2,000 pickup combinations are possible, including variations on single-coil,
humbucker, series, parallel, in-phase, out-of-phase, and many more
Play stunning acoustic guitar sounds from the separate piezo pickup—even layer
acoustic and electric sounds
Blue LightningTM Wireless Pedalboard and Switchboard floor pedals eliminate cable
clutter and allow rapid sound selection
The onboard Pure Analog
TM
upgradable audio engine provides anything from subtle
tone control to state-of-the-art processor, amp, and cabinet effects
Tweak sounds live or in the studio with innovative onboard control sliders
Customize the volume knob for any volume curve, and edit the Digital Varitone
TM
tone knob for virtually any tone control response
Send Firebird X outputs—including individual strings—to Mac/Windows recording
software, thanks to Gibson’s G-NodeTM USB 2.0 interface
Create your own signature sounds with the intuitive Mac/Windows FBX Editor
Gain exclusive access to the Firebird X Visionaries Club for trading and downloading
patches, learning new techniques, sharing experiences with other Firebird X owners,
and more
...and those are only the highlights. Welcome!
Page 7
Preparation
Preparation
Accessories Checklist
Your Firebird X is a complete system with all needed accessories. After removing the guitar
case from the shipping box, take out the Accessory Pack in the bottom of the box. Check
that between the Accessory Pack and guitar case pocket, the following are all included.
Notes:
All AC adapters are global and work with 100 to 240V, 50/60Hz.
Use only USB 2.0 high-speed cables with Firebird X USB peripherals.
The Certificate of Authenticity is an important part of the Firebird X package—it’s
your passport to continued support, free patches and software, special offers, and
access to the online Firebird X Visionaries Club. File it in a safe place.
Page 8
Firebird X’s ProX Guitar Case
The ProX case is made from advanced materials, and can survive a fall from a six-story
building. Gibson recommends taking guitars on airplanes as carry-on, but many guitar
players have checked their Firebird X as baggage using the ProX case.
Firebird X Controls
Please note the control names we’ll be using in this manual, and their locations.
About the Gear Shift Knob
The Gear Shift is a sophisticated “push-pull” knob with an illuminated interactive display. The
display shows Firebird X's status as you select tunings, sounds, and additional functions. It is
your primary way of interacting with Firebird X.
Pull the Gear Shift up (furthest from the guitar body) to apply power to Firebird X.
Push down on the Gear Shift knob (pushing toward the body until it clicks) to turn off
Firebird X. This stores the current tuning and sound for recall next time you power-up.
Page 9
The Battery
Firebird X must be turned on, with a charged battery, to work. Batteries can lose charge
over time, so please check the batteries when you receive Firebird X.
Pull up on the Gear Shift knob to turn on Firebird X. Within five seconds, a green circle
should appear momentarily in the middle of the knob to indicate the battery is charged.
If not, open the battery door on the back of the guitar, and remove the battery.
Place the battery in one of the supplied chargers. A full charge takes about 70 minutes.
The battery charger light will be red while charging, then turn green when the battery is
charged. Insert the charged battery in the guitar.
Check the charge of the other supplied batteries, and if necessary, charge them to capacity
as you explore Firebird X. If you need additional batteries, use Samsung IA-BP80W (or
equivalent) camcorder batteries.
Page 10
Low Battery Indications
Depending on how often you tune, the battery charge can last up to two hours of
continuous playing. The following indicators represent the battery status.
Gear Shift knob has green dot in center: Battery is charged, with at least 30
minutes charge remaining
Gear Shift knob flashes yellow: 10 to 30 minutes of charge left
Gear Shift knob flashes red: Less than 10 minutes left—replace battery. Low-level
white noise appears in the output to give audible confirmation of battery status.
Gear Shift knob flashes blue approximately every four seconds: After 10 minutes
without activity, Firebird X goes into “sleep” mode. (Sleep mode still drains the
battery somewhat; to prevent this, turn the guitar off completely.) Move the Gear
Shift knob to “wake up” Firebird X.
Connecting to Amplification
Firebird X’s unbalanced output can drive anything from a guitar amp, to a mixing board’s
low-impedance input, to a computer’s audio interface. Separate cables are included to
connect Firebird X to either 1/4” phone jacks (balanced or unbalanced, with ring not
connected) or XLR inputs (pin 2 hot, pin 1 ground, and pin 3 not connected). Note: Use only
the supplied stereo cable to connect Firebird X to the G-Node interface.
Caution! When patching Firebird X to a balanced XLR input, make sure the XLR input
does not have phantom power enabled. This could damage Firebird X’s output.
Firebird X’s output level is somewhat “hotter” than standard guitars. Start with the
amplifier volume at minimum, then turn up to a comfortable listening level. Note: Firebird
X produces no “thump” on power-up or power-down, so you may safely turn Firebird X on
or off even if your amp is set to high levels.
For a quick audio check, you can plug standard headphones directly into Firebird X’s
output. However levels will be low, and only in the left earphone.
Required String Gauges
For optimum Robo-Tuner tuning speed and reliability, please use the correct gauge strings.
Firebird X ships with the recommended string gauge set: High E = .010, B = .013, G = .017
(wound), D = .026, A = .036, low E = .046.
The heaviest gauge permissible string set is high E = .011, low E = .052
The lightest gauge permissible string set is high E = .009, low E = .042.
Page 11
Chapter 2: Select Tuning and Sound Presets
Select Tuning Presets
Select Tuning Presets
Note: The “down” tog-pot switch position means pointing at the floor, referenced to
holding the guitar in a normal playing position.
1. With the Gear Shift knob pulled up and the guitar on, push the silver tog-pot switch to
the down (Tuning) position. Note: This mutes the audio.
2. Rotate the Gear Shift knob fully counter-clockwise to select standard tuning. The knob’s
display shows “1.”
3. Strum each string distinctly, as when playing single notes—not rapidly, like strumming a
chord. The Robo-Tuners will turn as needed, and the string LEDs around the Gear Shift’s
edge will turn different colors to indicate tuning status. Several strums may be necessary;
the more you use the tuning function, the faster it tunes. Here’s what the colors indicate.
Red: String not in tune, or not yet tuned
Yellow: Robo-Tuners are turning to tune the string. If the corresponding Robo-Tuner
doesn’t turn when its LED flashes yellow, there is a physical or electrical problem.
Green: Individual string in tune
All string LEDs green: Tuning is complete
White: Short circuit detected. If any part of a string touches something metallic
that's not in the normal string path, that string will not tune. Check if a string
touches the tail piece, the bridge, a fret, or another string; make sure that strings
are cut close to the posts, and that all strings are in the bridge saddle's center.
4. When tuning is finished, Firebird X automatically exits tuning mode, unmutes the audio,
and returns to whatever patch was selected when you started tuning. A Gear Shift light
flashes green to confirm the guitar is tuned.
5. Return the silver tog-pot to mid-position.
To experiment with other tunings:
1. Push the silver tog-pot down to Tuning position.
2. Rotate the Gear Shift to the desired tuning. See the following Tuning chart for a listing
(Gear Shift Center is the character that appears in the center; the Gear Shift Symbol
flashes in blue briefly upon selecting a patch.)
3. Strum as described above.
4. Return the silver tog-pot to the middle position when tuning is done.
Page 12
Manual Tuning with the Robo-Tuners
Tuning
1 flat symbol Standard E A D G B e
2 arrow Dropped D D A D G B e
3 e Eb Eb Ab Db Gb Bb eb
4 B DADGAD D A D G A D
5 G Open G D G D G B D
6 D Open E E B E G# B e
7 A Low D D G C F A D
8 E Open A E A E A C# e
9 C Open Ab D# G# D# G# C D#
A pin Open G D G D G B D
B peg DblDrop D D A D G B D
Gear Shift
Center
Gear Shift
Symbol
Tuning (Low String
to High)
You can tune Firebird X’s Robo-Tuners by hand as an alternative to using Robot tuning
technology.
Caution! Never use a manual or mechanical string winding tool, or attempt to tune the
Robo-Tuners manually while they are operating robotically. Either one of these
operations could permanently damage the Robo-Tuners.
Unlike conventional tuning keys, Robo-Tuners all turn in the same direction. The Robo-Tuner
tuning posts have locking nuts to secure the end of each string during tuning operations.
Robot technology includes special functions for changing strings (starting on page 34), as
this is much faster than changing strings manually. Gibson strongly advises using these
functions when changing strings not only due to speed and convenience, but because they
minimize Robo-Tuner wear.
Page 13
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