Toasted Bird and RoseBird

[62burst]

There have been some answered (and appreciated) requests lately for a sound clips to accompany threads about certain guitars. In Jinder’s topic “Dove Love Story”, the talk got to wanting to hear guitars of different woods. And of course, the acoustically-curious Em7 finds himself wanting to hear a sample of the Hummingbird Rosewood I’ve been going on about. This request, he says, is #2 on his list of must-have forum guitar samples. We don’t need a profiler to imagine what, and from what HB era, #1 would be.

 

Clip: 2016 Hummingbird Vintage, and 2014 HB Rosewood. Both with 3+ wks on D'Addario Nickel Bronze 12-53 strings;

 

Trying some standard Hummingbird fare (YouTube no longer offers on-screen annotations-

The Vintage has the Vintage Cherry Sunburst. The Hummingbird Rosewood has the dark honeyburst, dark interior, and headless bird on the pickguard) :

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8dGlsU4zjM&feature=youtu.be

[fortyearspickn]

I like them Both ! Lean slightly towards the RoseWood. Might just be my ears and how they here certain ranges and tones. I wouldn't say "No" to either.

[flatbaroque]

Cool video! Yes I was surprised with the rosewood.Short favorite here too.And both Angie/Anjis!Are you trying to conjure up the ghost of that music producer who used to lecture us..can't remember his name?Remember his confusion of what key Angie/Anji was in.

[AnneS]

Cool video! Yes I was surprised with the rosewood.Short favorite here too.And both Angie/Anjis!Are you trying to conjure up the ghost of that music producer who used to lecture us..can't remember his name?Remember his confusion of what key Angie/Anji was in.

These are very close, to my ears, so I'll listen later with headphones and seek out the distinctions.

(FB, it was Anthony Something-Britishy. He may have tired of us thin-skinned, tin-earred hacks. Took a while for my scrolling finger to heal...)

[flatbaroque]

These are very close, to my ears, so I'll listen later with headphones and seek out the distinctions.

(FB, it was Anthony Something-Britishy. He may have tired of us thin-skinned, tin-earred hacks. Took a while for my scrolling finger to heal...)

 

ha..I remember now.He of the capitals and double spacing.

 

Anthony

 

Buckeridge

 

How

 

Soon

 

They

 

Forget.

[62burst]

Just don't say the name three times in a row.

[MorrisrownSal]

Man.

 

Excellent. I found the rosewood much more powerful and dark.... and then my senses did an about face as you played If It Makes You Happy at the end... where it was reversed.

 

Fantastic guitars. And I am an idiot.

[E-minor7]

What a splendid A/B – and yes, Ive been awaiting such show and receive it with glee.

Even after several runs in the cans it's hard to say which is preferred.

A bit like Sal, I first heard the rose as bloomier and predictable more potent than the hog - but in the later half it wasn't that obvious.

Must check again later.

 

 

Regarding the wetter quality of the rose, I clearly experienced the attractive splash in the start of the last round at 3:10. Seems very open and lush there.

A privilege to earn such two cousins and swing the pendulum between them. So much good fun and opportunity to test ones senses in that.

 

 

As a note I'd like to say that I think I re-found the voice that mezmerized me when getting my May 2012 Bird in '13.

 

Figured that the factory Masterbuilt 80/20 Bronze Lights must have had been on for a year when I brought it home, and therefor put 2 sets on my siblings by late October last year. Decided to play away and they're now fading to what I believe is the ideal Bird-sound.

Look forward to hear where they are in the fall.

 

So a recommendation : Let the steel stay on and see what happens.

Trust the guitars to reach a state where their true nature comes to the surface.

Allow the solid-tonal-core to develop that certain aura of grained smokey dryness and sweet dripping glaze, which points straight back to their 1960s-ancestors and keep fiddling.

You may be amazed.

[62burst]

Appreciate the comments and observations- Sal, your original perception of the Rosewood HB was true to what I’m hearing, however, the two-faced nature of the ‘Rose in the Sheryl Crow intro was mostly due to a thin sound on the rose model from me getting more thumb than nail in the first (bass) note, and catching the last chord strike in the wrong place on the upstroke. But it really does seem like that tune begs for a mahogany square.

 

To Em7; Regarding aging strings (déjà vu from some past thread, here), yes, this test should probably be repeated in 3 months, not just 3 weeks. Bear in mind, however, that some strings have different aging curves than others; the Mart SP’s being the most dramatic, maybe DR Sunbeams, too, but I’ve found the strings used here, the D’Addario Nickel Brz, to go thuddy after 4+ weeks(?). The 80/20’s on your HB siblings might be the correct string type for aging in a search for that "certain aura of smokey edged dryness and sweet dripping glaze” (wow, my goodness), as opposed to ph/brz. Also depends on the application: recording- wouldn’t you want fresher there? Next weekend, I’ll be playing where the acoustics resemble that of a mud hut. Would love to bring a maple bird, but none to be found at the big (guit) show today. Probably a good thing.

[MorrisrownSal]

I'l close out my addition by saying that this is an awesome thread. Great escape. Thanks 62

[E-minor7]

 

To Em7; Regarding aging strings (déjà vu from some past thread, here), yes, this test should probably be repeated in 3 months, not just 3 weeks. Bear in mind, however, that some strings have different aging curves than others; the Mart SP's being the most dramatic, maybe DR Sunbeams, too, but I've found the strings used here, the D'Addario Nickel Brz, to go thuddy after 4+ weeks(?). The 80/20's on your HB siblings might be the correct string type for aging in a search for that "certain aura of smokey edged dryness and sweet dripping glaze" (wow, my goodness), as opposed to ph/brz. Also depends on the application: recording- wouldn't you want fresher there? Next weekend, I'll be playing where the acoustics resemble that of a mud hut. Would love to bring a maple bird, but none to be found at the big (guit) show today. Probably a good thing.

 

You are right - I have to modify it. Hereby done.

 

Apart from that you're also right about the topic. We've been there before.

But the quality of the faded Gibson strings on these instruments just astounds me in this phase.

I'm so pleased to have found what I thought was somehow lost = The original sound from the 2013 summer-days when I got the Bird home.

Would like to try the Ph. Bronze version too and will at some point.

Even though it takes between 9 and 12 months to break them in, , , or down to where the guitar shines raw'n'naked.

Look forward to your next clip - whatever it may contain.

If recording I wouldn't necessarily go for newer string. Actually not at all.

Some exceptions here and there depending on the role, but nowadays I'd gladly get older steel on tape. Again for the sake of the genuine acoustic nature.

And let's not forget the third path, which I use anyway, recording or not.

Schhhyyyyy, , , don't tell anyone, they won't believe you, , , but the trick is second to none : . ., , , old boiled strings

[Jinder]

Man.

 

Excellent. I found the rosewood much more powerful and dark.... and then my senses did an about face as you played If It Makes You Happy at the end... where it was reversed.

 

Fantastic guitars. And I am an idiot.

 

EXACTLY my thoughts.

 

My second thought was to imagine both guitars with ten years of road miles on them, all that fresh-box zinginess played out of them and just warm wood coming through. A really well played-in Hummingbird sounds like Guy Clark in guitar form to my ears.

 

I had a standard Bird (Historic Collection as I recall) from around 2005-2011ish, which was the right-hand-man to my old '03 SJ200. Took that thing all over the world with me and played the heck out of it. It oozed the nectar that we all talk about. Warmer than wood itself and incredibly articulate and touch-sensitive, a truly great guitar.

 

I stupidly, stupidly let it go when I had shoulder problems (later largely cured by physiotherapy) for a Blues King L-00 which was decent but not anywhere near the sheer nectar of my Bird.

 

Thinking about it, I've had plenty of guitars open up nicely, but none as startlingly as the Bird. It was very good to start with but became incredible over a couple of years.

[62burst]

EXACTLY my thoughts.

 

My second thought was to imagine both guitars with ten years of road miles on them, all that fresh-box zinginess played out of them and just warm wood coming through. A really well played-in Hummingbird sounds like Guy Clark in guitar form to my ears.

 

I had a standard Bird (Historic Collection as I recall) from around 2005-2011ish, which was the right-hand-man to my old '03 SJ200. Took that thing all over the world with me and played the heck out of it. It oozed the nectar that we all talk about. Warmer than wood itself and incredibly articulate and touch-sensitive, a truly great guitar.

 

I stupidly, stupidly let it go when I had shoulder problems (later largely cured by physiotherapy) for a Blues King L-00 which was decent but not anywhere near the sheer nectar of my Bird.

 

Thinking about it, I've had plenty of guitars open up nicely, but none as startlingly as the Bird. It was very good to start with but became incredible over a couple of years.

A very good point, and one that I forgot to mention in the OP. Say the 2014 Rosebird is ~30+ months old- now, there is a 2008 (practically) NOS TV Hummingbird on Reverb, or was there when I'd just gotten the HB-V. I would've loved to hear that guitar against the freshly-minted Vintage model. Then some small amount of reality kicked in, saying "stop the insanity"; give the Hummingbird Vintage it's own 30+ months of good play-in time.

 

[EuroAussie]

I certainly preferred the mahogany example, for a specific reason. The Hummingbird can sound muddy wiht all that nectar around, especially with worn strings. With rosewood that muddiness doubles. In this sample I found the rosewood overall rather muddy, with little string seperation. I didnt feel the same way with the mahogany example, sounded more balanced, more Hummingbird like overall.

 

Burst ... how long are those fingers of yours, envious !

[62burst]

I certainly preferred the mahogany example, for a specific reason. The Hummingbird can sound muddy wiht all that nectar around, especially with worn strings. With rosewood that muddiness doubles. In this sample I found the rosewood overall rather muddy, with little string seperation. I didnt feel the same way with the mahogany example, sounded more balanced, more Hummingbird like overall.

 

 

The Rosewood Bird was the one that first sounded like it was time for a fresh set of strings, and I agree that the Hummingbird can get muddy with old strings, even though Em7 might say they’re not even getting settled in yet! Also- the gain on the mic had to be backed off a bit; the rosewood would clip at the close distance Apogee recommends for recording acoustic guitars.

 

I still really like the HB-R, even if it can tend to have a scooped eq; that can be worked around with playing style and string selection (and apparently, the age of strings).

[Jinder]

The ultimate upshot of this video and post is that I now absolutely require a Hummingbird in my life once more. Haunted by the nectar that drips in my dreams...

[rbpicker]

Excellent demo, 62. They both sound fantastic, and I can see having one of each just to satisfy different moods. 😜

 

Thanks for posting this demo. GAS is building. My local 5 Star dealer is throwing in the towel with Gibson, and he has a H-bird vintage left. Maybe I'll mosey in and give it another listen.

 

RB

[rbpicker]

Excellent demo, 62. They both sound fantastic, and I can see having one of each just to satisfy different moods. 😜

 

Thanks for posting this demo. GAS is building. My local 5 Star dealer is throwing in the towel with Gibson, and he has a H-bird vintage left. Maybe I'll mosey in and give it another listen.

 

RB

[E-minor7]

The ultimate upshot of this video and post is that I now absolutely require a Hummingbird in my life once more. Haunted by the nectar that drips in my dreams...

 

You should feel welcome returning to the voliere ^ as you know a supreme place to be

 

 

 

 

oouh, , , you're already here - the Dove

[blindboygrunt]

Someone throw a bucket of cold water over jinder 😂

[kelly campbell]

Ha Ha you guys are great. I really like both but since I have a Standar HB I would lean more to the Rosewood. But like others have stated I loved both.

[GuitarGeordie]

My ears prefer the first instrument, it has a lighter, fresher timbre.