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Always felt a bit of a comedic predicament. Through life pple keep commenting on the large size of my hands, and the length of my arms. Yet, every time I return to my beloved old Byrdland, after a long spell playing a Strat, for about 2 + months or so it feels like fighting a master of spatial distortion, that viciously creates an optical illusion making even the longest-limbed players feel cramped.
Each time, it is only after a couple of months of intense playing, that I succeed in finding a compromise seating posture allowing me to bring myself back in the tonal Nirvana I longed for.
I try to play standing but that i find also has its own challenges.
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12-08-2025 04:16 AM
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Pictures please..............maybe, a video of you playing the Byrdland.
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I’ve gigged with different era Byrdlands 1964 and 1970 versions. Lovely instruments but alas the 2 extremes being the shorter scale and feedback prone solid carved plates, proved to be the wrong fit for me.
Always love their thinner bodies and beautiful workmanship!
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I wanted to love these short scale guitars. Anthony Wilson gets an incredible sound from his. I actually bought one once, but it had way too many issues and I had to return it. Then I bought a 57 ES-350t, which is similar but laminate. I had it for about a year. The sound was amazing, but I just could never get used to the feel of the short scale length. It's not just because the finger board is tight, but also because the string tension felt so different. I could never feel like myself playing it. I ended up getting an L5CT Wes for that thin body carved archtop sound, and it's one of my favorite guitars ever. I like it so much that when Anthony put his own Byrdland up for sale, the very one that has inspired me for years, I didn't buy it.
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Back in the 60's - 80's, first-call session guitarist, David T. Walker played a Byrdland.
David T. Walker | Equipboard
His signature sound (bright, precise and in the pocket) can be heard on dozens of RnB and jazz recordings over the years.
David T. Walker - Wikipedia
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I have large hands and a playing a byrdland is like trying to put on a full tuxedo in phonebooth. It can be done but requires more than I want to get it done.
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I had one for a while. Liked the short scale, came to detest the narrow nut (on mine, I understand some were built with standard nut width).
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A bandmate of mine had a guitarlele (basically a ukulele sized version of a guitar). I was messing around with it for about 10 minutes before a rehearsal one day, having fun playing Bird tunes on such a tiny little thing. Man, that thing SERIOUSLY messed me up when I went to my Tele neck right afterwards. It felt a mile long!
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Freddie Stone played one in addition to L-5's
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My Byrdland isn't even the real thing. It's a 1973 or so Byrdland copy.
I manage somehow to cope with the narrow neck on the first fret. Wherever posiible I fret 2 strings with one finger. At times, it allows me to do more as I end up having one extra finger to play with. But it takes a while to get the hang of it.
I did have the opportunity to play a 60 something Gibson Byrdland for a while and the neck felt very much the same.
I think if I could afford it, I'd still get the real deal just for the hell of it.
I'll try an Epy Emperor Regent when in Japan next week.
Any view to share on that model?
Cheers!
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Hi!
The body and neck of my Epiphone Elite Byrdland are perfect for me.
No problem also for the short scale but I must admit that often I prefer the fingerboard of my 1979 Ibanez GB-10.
Speaking about the sound I am sure that a larger guitar like the ES-175, L-4, L-5, Tal Farlow, Johnny Smith etc., have a warmer and fuller sound......but unfortunately are too big for me.
The sound of the only vintage Gibson Byrdland that I have played (in a music shop, about 35 years ago), was wonderful but I suspect that a Thin-body guitar can't be compared to a Full-bodied hollow guitar.
You can see and hear my Epi Byrdland in this video:
Ciao!
Ettore
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I'll try. I'm hopeless with recording using an interface, recording software etc..
Originally Posted by GuyBoden
Pictures please..............maybe, a video of you playing the Byrdland.
I tried to capture some pure emotion with my phone, but the playback sounds like a distress signal. My beloved old Ibbie deserves a Grammy, but it seems the interface, software, and mic have formed a union and voted to produce only static and despair.
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Sounds awesome! Originally Posted by equenda
Hi!
The body and neck of my Epiphone Elite Byrdland are perfect for me.
No problem also for the short scale but I must admit that often I prefer the fingerboard of my 1979 Ibanez GB-10.
Speaking about the sound I am sure that a larger guitar like the ES-175, L-4, L-5, Tal Farlow, Johnny Smith etc., have a warmer and fuller sound......but unfortunately are too big for me.
The sound of the only vintage Gibson Byrdland that I have played (in a music shop, about 35 years ago), was wonderful but I suspect that a Thin-body guitar can't be compared to a Full-bodied hollow guitar.
You can see and hear my Epi Byrdland in this video:
Ciao!
Ettore
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Originally Posted by Zack
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Oh boy! So shiny and showy... Got to think hard over what I'll be wearing with it now. Originally Posted by Sleeko
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My very 1st archtop was a brand new 1977 Byrdland.
I also got the last Byrdland ever made last year right before Gibson halted all archtop production. I like Byrdland’s a lot. My brand new one sounds exactly like a L5CES with a little less sustain. It has a surprisingly dark tone.
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Off to Japan, waiting to embark.
Hope to find some replacement parts to fix a few little unnoying things on myvold Ibbie like that screw
And a few others interesting bits too.
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Great looking guitars. Have you ever taken the electronics of the 77 out? Wonder if you have the bumblebee black cap in the wiring. Originally Posted by vinnyv1k
My very 1st archtop was a brand new 1977 Byrdland.
I also got the last Byrdland ever made last year right before Gibson halted all archtop production. I like Byrdland’s a lot. My brand new one sounds exactly like a L5CES with a little less sustain. It has a surprisingly dark tone.
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