I’ve been a big fan of Firefly Guitars for a few years now. When I was first starting to check items off of my guitar bucket list, Firefly was a great option because it allowed me to get a whole bunch of different looks and features and only spend about $200 each time. This can get quite dangerous, considering how my collection exploded since I found out about Firefly… But, the best part about the guitars from them are the ones where you can’t really get a similar version from one of the major manufacturers.

That brings us to my FF338, which is an ES-338 style semi-hollow guitar from Firefly that has a spalted maple top. I don’t believe this is something you can get from Gibson, so this is a pretty unique piece. Every top looks a little different and the one I have is really nice- it has a great color, some flame figuring and a cool wood grain design that I’ve dubbed The Elephant (which you may notice in the video!).

The one upgrade I made to this guitar (because I knew I was going to keep it and wanted it to be one that I could potentially record with) is to put in Epiphone ProBucker pickups in it. This was a great upgrade and this thing really sounds as good as it looks now. If you haven’t tried out Firefly, I’d suggest it! And yes, Firefly, you can contact me to have me review guitars…please!

The Demo

The Verdict

The FF338 is a unique piece — an ES-338 style semi-hollow with a spalted maple top you can’t get from the major manufacturers. With the Epiphone ProBucker upgrade, it sounds as good as it looks. If you haven’t tried Firefly, this one’s worth a look.

More Guitars Like This

Watch the full Firefly FF338 Spalted Maple demo on YouTube, and keep exploring with two more reviews: the Rickenbacker 360/12C63, another semi-hollow electric, and the Firefly FFLP P90 Electric Guitar from the same brand. You can also browse every review in the Guitar Reviews hub.