J-200 Koa Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 Any information on Tom Petty's Hummingbird that he used on the 2017 tour? The block inlays on the fretboard caught my eye. Did Gibson ever make a run with these inlays or is this custom? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 A truly unique neck on that old Bird. Block-inlays and bindings, but not around the head, which could be expected when seeing cupids bow after the 20th fret. A shame it's too late for Tom P. to tell us more. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliasphobias Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 1969-70 and on were the block inlays. My guess it was on the cusp of the change (belly up bridge but no splits) or re-necked to get away from the 1 5/8" or 1 9/16". It is the short scale though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 1969-70 and on were the block inlays. My guess it was on the cusp of the change (belly up bridge but no splits) or re-necked to get away from the 1 5/8" or 1 9/16". It is the short scale though. The block inlays started around 1971, by Fabulous Flat Tops. But those would have been long scale guitars, I believe. I don't know what he neck width would have been in that period. It was the dark ages for Gibson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 I have a friend who owns a 1970 HB with the block inlays so the change seems to have been effected some time during that year as both style inlays appear on the guitars. As to the nut width, I do not recall what the nut width was on his HB. I know guitars built in 1968 still had the skimpy nut while I have played instruments built in 1971 that had returned to the 1 11/16" nut. I do not have a clue though what year the nut change was made. 1969, however, was the year CMI merged with ECL so possibly there was some re-tooling going on which tended to result in changes in specs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-1854Me Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 I'm not so sure about the "1970s" date for this Hummingbird. I agree that the '70s saw a switch to small block inlays for Hummingbirds. Here's a nice illustration: But you'll notice that the inlays on the Petty Hummingbird are larger. To me it appears that his has something like an L-5 fingerboard on it: bound board, larger blocks, ebony (?) possibly, and the pointed fingerboard end. Don't know what the story is on this one, but it does not seem to conform to the typical specs for the 70s Birds. Perhaps someone else has the low-down on this guitar? Fred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Mike 118 Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 Look at the end of the neck by the sound hole. It has that little point in the middle like my SJ200. Don't think that was ever on a bird. The body binding also looks wider than stock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 Look at the end of the neck by the sound hole. It has that little point in the middle like my SJ200. Don't think that was ever on a bird. The body binding also looks wider than stock. Already mentioned in post #2 - I and perhaps others call it a cupids bow. Nice pic, , , of a probably nice guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olie Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 For whatever obscure reason, could someone have put a Hummingbird pick guard on another square shouldered Gibson? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 For whatever obscure reason, could someone have put a Hummingbird pick guard on another square shouldered Gibson? Don't think so - rather a new fretboard over what seems to be a genuine first-half-60's Bird. Gotta zoom in on those back-braces - they'll probably say 64/65/66/67. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 You guys are something else 😂😂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuanCarlosVejar Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 Someone could have ordered a Hummingbird w/ birds beak and L5 inlays back in the 60's ... Lenny Kravitz said Tom Petty would always be looking for vintage guitars while on tour and puchased only the finest stuff. JC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Mike 118 Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 Already mentioned in post #2 - I and perhaps others call it a cupids bow. Nice pic, , , of a probably nice guitar. I didn't know that is called a Cupid's Bow - now I don't have to call it a pointy thing :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Mike 118 Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 Don't think so - rather a new fretboard over what seems to be a genuine first-half-60's Bird. Gotta zoom in on those back-braces - they'll probably say 64/65/66/67. Yup you are almost certainly correct. - fretboard is ebony & the bridge is rosewood. Now I'm wondering which guitar that fretboard was meant to be on...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-1854Me Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 Yup you are almost certainly correct. - fretboard is ebony & the bridge is rosewood. Now I'm wondering which guitar that fretboard was meant to be on...... It's generally referred to as an L-5 fingerboard. Fred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Mike 118 Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 It's generally referred to as an L-5 fingerboard. Fred Thanks Fred - now I want an L-5 :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-1854Me Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 Thanks Fred - now I want an L-5 :( Glad to help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 It's generally referred to as an L-5 fingerboard. Fred But that headstock is not like an L-5, which would have a bound headstock and the fancier flowerpot inlay. It is certainly a conglomeration of features! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Mike 118 Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 But that headstock is not like an L-5, which would have a bound headstock and the fancier flowerpot inlay. It is certainly a conglomeration of features! I'll never be rich but there was a time when the only guitar I could afford came out of a bin behind Long & McQuade music store in Vancouver around 1970. I got two of them actually and had to strip the fingerboard from one to put on the other. All said and done I could play a few chords up to the 4th or 5th fret before intonation went way off track. Since I didn't do any barre chords at the time it all worked out fine. Fun times.... :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 You guys are something else 😂😂 They really are. I usually never have anything to add to these types of threads because the knowledge on this Forum is mind boggling. I do enjoy reading them though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Mike 118 Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 Ok funny thing happened while looking at ebay today... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliasphobias Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 I don't think that's Toms. As a matter of fact that sets off all kinds of alarms for me. Don't buy it, if you haven't already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Mike 118 Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 I don't think that's Toms. As a matter of fact that sets off all kinds of alarms for me. Don't buy it, if you haven't already. No, for sure it isn't Tom's and it looks suspicious to me as well. I thought it was interesting as it has the big block inlays but it looks like someone may have gone to a lot of trouble to fake one as it does look old. Not sure if it's ok to post a link but there are lots of other pics. One very concerning issue is they say they "can't find" a serial #. It does have Gibson Hummingbird label insideand maybe the experts can look it over ..... https://www.ebay.ca/itm/GIBSON-HUMMINGBIRD-VINTAGE-SUNBURST-ACOUSTIC-GUITAR-RARE-MAPLE-NO-RESERVE/202308358005?hash=item2f1a848f75:g:XNcAAOSwoT1a8l~t Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirNed Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 Wow...logo's wrong and so is the guard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyler A Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 Three screws on the truss rod cover, and the headstock is poorly shaped. That’s a bad fake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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