ALD323

Simply stunning! Love the natural finish on yours too! Beautiful run out free top also! I also just bought a new Hummingbird just two months ago, a heritage cherry model. Gibson is really shining a bright light on an absolutely iconic guitar! Enjoy it, I can't put mine down either! And here it is!

I have noticed that people are still having trouble with lifting flubber guards and so have decided to post this procedure. It is a simple procedure and quite easy to do. Those who have used this procedure in the past, please let us know how it worked so that others can benefit from it. There is no need to buy a new pick guard. Follow this simple procedure and your lifting flubber guard will be fixed...permanently! ....Best wishes....Alan (ALD323) I fixed my badly lifting 2013 Hummingbird flubber guard years ago by developing the following exact procedure....and it worked. I could not stand the peeling corners, so I removed it, cleaned both it and the guitar top with naptha to remove all traces the old glue. Then I followed this procedure... #1 lay the pickguard flat on a clean dry counter top..... #2 use a hair dryer and blow it directly onto the hummingbird guard till it "softens just enough to relax. " #3 Flip the pickguard over from time to time as you heat it with the hair dryer. It wil need to get just hot enough to cause the curl to drop and begin to lay flat. #4 Do not heat it to melting...It may need to be heated a few times and a little patience. Move the hair dryer evenly all around the entire pick guard heating it evenly, particularly on the curled up areas, the whole pick guard needs to relax and delflex from the even moving swirling heat of the dryer. .....and after the curl is FLAT, you apply the 3M sticker, it will say on and never peel off. Take special note that you do not melt it in any area. It will get very warm, if you need to stop to let it cool down do so...then reheat it again. I held the top of the hair dryer about an inch to two inches away, ...use plenty of light as you do this so you can monitor that it does not melt. As I said, when it begins to get hot enough to deflex....it will actually flatten before your eyes. Keep the hair dryer moving and not focused in a beam of heat, this will avoid all melting and make it just hot enough to flatten. #5 Immediately after heating it flat, (you will actually be able to see it deflex under the heat, and before it cools, place a heavy book on top of it. It will cool slowly and remain permanently flat. It will then be ready to re-install on your guitar. ...it will then STAY on the guitar permanently without curling or pulling off. ****Please note that If you decide to re-apply the pickguard without DEFLEXING it with the hair dryer first, it will pull up again from the guitar. The hair dryer WILL cause it to deflex flat the instant it reaches the temperature to do so. Immediately after heating it flat, and before it cools entirely, and do let it cool a bit, then place a heavy book on top of it for a while till it completely cools. It will cool slowly and remain permanently flat. It will then be ready to re-install on your guitar. Done correctly it will never curl again or pull up. Good luck..if u wish to reinstall your hummingbird pick guard..this is a guarenteed way to do so. I ordered a new one and it came with the same curls so....I returned that one as it was a curled as the old one I took off and yet it was beand new. and then reinstalled the old one after de-flexing it...very easy to do...and it lasted for years and never pulled up again. Good luck. Let us know how it went!

Virtuoso. Clean cotton guitar polish cloth. I personally never use a mictofiber cloth. ...I find they work great when brand new as they have no particles imbedded in them...as microfiber ages however, and collects the smallest of particles, those tiny partilcles get caught deep inside microfiber, where they often remain locked and can not be shook out, and often are not even removed easily by washing. I use a flannel cotton cloth which can be shook to disperse the partilcles, and the particles washed out in the washer as the material is not as thick, so the particles are removed. ...these invisible tiny particles are the enemy of a nitro finish.

My 2015 AJ-45ME is short scale, 24.75 ....and it is one great round shoulder guitar for the price. Solid woods, bone nut and saddle, and just 1/4 the price of a Gibson J-45. !!! I quickly bonded with mine! Enjoy it!

I think lubing strings is a slick idea!!😇

Sounds like a beautiful guitar! Virtuoso as others have mentioned..particularly for Gibsons. But wait several months to a year so the finish can cure as mentioned above. If it gets really sticky use it lightly in the mean time. I use absolutely nothing but Virtuoso on all my Gibsons. And use it sparingly, it does not need to be cleaned and polished often. ..maybe once a year with light touch ups in between. It restores the nitro finish to a sheer glass finish, removing all smudges from arm contact, and on the neck when applied and used as directed. Use the cleaner first..then the polish. You will need both. Amazon sells it and here is the virtuoso web site which also sells it. It's expensive. ...The really good things usually are lol! And Virtuoso is good...really really good for restoring and maintaining a nitro finish. Good luck with that fabulous guitar, it will sound even better when it breaks in and ages a bit! An added note..Virtuoso is for gloss finishes not matte finishes. ...Al https://virtuosopolish.com/

You are very welcome! Just glad I could help. There is now finally a real fix for lifting flubberware guards.

Follow my description above and your lift guard will be fixed better than if you order a new one. As I stated, I ordered a brand new Gibson Hummingbird pick guard from a company who carried them...it cost $150.00...and it arrived more curled than the one I took off...sent it back for refund..then used the old curled pick guard and applied the method described above.....it workedperfectly and held for many years before I traded it for a new Hummingbird...which will likely peel off also..at least I know how to fix this permanently now....it is not hard to do, and the guard picture will not fade or warp if done carefully. Below is a picture of the restored pick guard on my old 2013 Hummingbird...the only reason I traded it was because I wanted the Heritage cherry red color which was what I wanted instead of the honey color....non the less I re-installed the non curled pick guard and traded it, the buyer had not the fainted idea the guard had come off and was reinstalled..it looked just like new...just be careful to reinstall it exactly over the faded shadow of where it came off, and it will be..and remain perfect.

I fixed my lifting 2013 Hummingbird guard in the following manner...and it worked. Like you I could not stand the peeling corners, so I removed it, cleaned it and the guitar top with naptha to remove all the old glue. Then I followed this procedure... #1 lay the pickguard flat on a clean dry counter top..... #2 use a hair dryer and blow it directly onto the hummingbird guard till it "softens just enough to relax. " #3 Flip the pickguard over from time to time as you heat it with the hair dryer. It wil need to get just hot enough to cause the curl to drop and begin to lay flat. #4 Do not heat it to melting...It may need to be heated a few times and a little patience. Move the hair dryer evenly all around the entire pick guard heating it evenly, particularly on the curled up areas, the whole pick guard needs to relax and delflex from the even moving swirling heat of the dryer. .....and after the curl is FLAT, you apply the 3M sticker, it will say on and never peel off. Take special note that you do not melt it in any area. It will get very warm, if you need to stop to let it cool down do so...then reheat it again. I held the top of the hair dryer about an inch to two inches away, ...use plenty of light as you do this so you can monitor that it does not melt. As I said, when it begins to get hot enough to deflex....it will actually flatten before your eyes. Keep the hair dryer moving and not focused in a beam of heat, this will avoid all melting and make it just hot enough to flatten. #5 Immediately after heating it flat, (you will actually be able to see it deflex under the heat, and before it cools, place a heavy book on top of it. It will cool slowly and remain permanently flat. It will then be ready to re-install on your guitar. ...it will then STAY on the guitar permanently without curling or pulling off. ****Please note that If you decide to re-apply the pickguard without DEFLEXING it with the hair dryer first, it will pull up again from the guitar. The hair dryer WILL cause it to deflex flat the instant it reaches the temperature to do so. Immediately after heating it flat, and before it cools entirely, and do let it cool a bit, then place a heavy book on top of it for a while till it completely cools. It will cool slowly and remain permanently flat. It will then be ready to re-install on your guitar. Done correctly it will never curl again or pull up. Good luck..if u wish to reinstall your hummingbird pick guard..this is a guarenteed way to do so. I ordered a new one and it came with the same curls so....I returned that one as it was a curled as the old one I took off and yet it was beand new. and then reinstalled the old one after de-flexing it...very easy to do...and it lasted for years and never pulled up again. Good luck. Let us know how it went!

...or any other acoustic guitar that you own! I found it to be a great one hour refresher coarse here when you have the time to watch! ...per Acoustic Guitar magazine. https://acousticguitar.com/how-do-you-get-good-tone-30-ways-to-improve-your-acoustic-guitar-tone/

Last month I bought a 2020 Hummigbird Standard from AMS (American Musical Supply)..they gave a great discount and delivered it within 24 hours and it's a real beauty. There is only one Hummingbird in the entire world...and Gibson has it! Mine is immaculate, perfect fit and finish, exquisite Heritage cherry burst that is smooth and perfect and run out free. A delight, and the cornerstone of my collection! This is it! It looks even better in person!..they also accept returns for refund like GC and many others.

I would have to say it is not a Lemon! !...but a Walnut! ! ! ....I owned one and it was very nice but distinctly brighter than my Hog J-45 standard...a significant difference in tone is what I am saying. Mahogany has a warm rich thick tone...walnut is a bit brighter, lighter to my ear, and falls somewhere between mahogany and rosewood in terms of tone.

You can get a Custom Truss Rod cover in the link below. They are not cheap but they are precision and exactly done as Gibson does them. They can scribe them with with whatever you want and they are really good quality. I've bought a few of them. One for my Hummingbird and another with J-45 for my two Gibsons. Very good company and they deliver them fast. Here is the link below. Good luck! I am a fan of truss rod covers, and like them to be exactly as Gibson makes them. They will scribe Limited, or Custom, or Hummingbird, or J-45 ...or even your name ...whatever you wish. And they are two ply covers with the white perimeter just like Gibsons. Very high quality, as I would not put anything cheesy on my beloved Gibsons, and these did not dissapoint! https://www.philadelphialuthiertools.com/truss-rod-covers/

I use Elixir Nanoweb 80/20 lights (.12-.53) exclusively ....on my Epiphone Hummingbird, My Gibson Hummingbird Standard, My Gibson J-45 Standard, as well as my Epiphone Masterbilt AJ-45. Love them. I have used Elixirs for over 20 years on every guitar I own. They sound beautiful and last five times as long as any other string I've tried. The 80/20's are bright at first..give them a few hours of play..they will mellow to a richer tone..and stay there for a year and well beyond that depending on how often you play it. Good luck!

Hi Ollie, I have a 2015 J-45 standard (bought it used) ...it had the plastic all white pins when it came in, and I wanted the white tusk pins because thats what now comes with J-45's, and they seem to sound great. So I ordered a set from this web site... they are the Graphtech ( PP-1100-01 Tusk Traditional with no dot) ..that is what it will say when you find it on the site. They fit my J-45 perfect with no modifications. You will find the head a tiny bit smaller and set deeper in if you wish, they can be a bit harder to get out as the pin head is slightly smaller, I use a small butter knife to get them out easily, and put cloth between the knife and pin as I remove it. These are the exact type Gibson now uses, and you will see that the head on top is just a bit flatter than the old plastic pins...but they look very Gibson, and sound just wonderful. Here is the web site...but you can probably find these on many web sites if you google the part number above (PP-1100-01) These should be the exact pin you need for Gibson specifications! Hope this helps you! Gibson now uses these tusk pins on the new model J-45's and aslo Hummingbirds,...and they will fit the 2014 and 15 models..at least they do on mine. https://graphtech.com/collections/tusq-bridge-pins-traditional/products/tusq-bridge-pins-white-with-no-dot

Yes Patriot, I heard Townsend and Neil Young as well..both used this pick.! I love the Hummingbird nectar so much that I actually just SOLD my 2013 Hummingbird and bought a brand new Vintage Cherry 2020 Hummingbird Standard!!! ( I prefer standard models on Gibsons)....but Wow...😬these picks really cost me!!!🤑 lol.... I'm sure a new or used Hummingbird would go great with your SJ-200!!! Mine sits along side my J-45 standard. Gibsons are just sheer magic.

UPDATE: I ordered these Herco Flex 50 picks for the Hummingbird to see if they would help bring out the so called nectar tone so often talked about. They did and they work well, and I like the gold bronze color and feel and tone of the Herco! I also like the Dunlop light grey .60 picks for this as well as the Fender thins. All three seem to work well with the Herco having just a tad deeper tone overall...the Fender thins a lighter tone, and the Dunlop .60 falls somewhere in between my ears tell me....but honey with all three in varying degrees. And so all three seem to produce the honey pretty well when held and used correctly. Holding but not squeezing the pick helps...a lighter strike attack helps greatly also letting the pick tip brush and glide over the strings vs the slightly harder attack I was using on the J-45. All in all I have indeed discovered that tone I had been craving from my bird but was just not getting. I had been using a harder pick, and striking too hard, and not remembering to use the picks nearer toward the bridge when I want these tones. I had also been using Dunlop Ultex .73, and also Fender Mediums. Those will still likely be my go to pics on the J-45, while the Hummingbird, I will stay with the nylons or the thin fender as they all sound really nice. Thanks all for your help!

I wonder how people feel about those tulip tuners on a J-45. I've never seen or heard of this. I thought those tulip tuners looked best on Hummingbirds. Seems to blur the lines of what a Gibson is. Maybe it's just me.

Just out of this world! Nothing like a Hummingbird. It's in a class all its own..thank you for posting it. Utterly intoxicating HB and tone. I really cherish mine. More honey glaze please!!!

Patriot....I describe the nectar tone as ....sweet, clear but not shrill, almost electric, resinating, delicate, not basey. Not deep sounding, but not tinny, not deep, but light and airy, whispy, alluring, almost tempting, even daring you to listen closer as it pulls you in. Here is one of the best examples of that sound...the rolling stones..Angie...done with humming birds. Listen closely to the intro and beginning of the song as Mick begins to sing "angie"....the hummingbirds chime it. you will find it particularly at precisely 0.23 in the video.

Ahhhh! E-minor I was hoping you would respond! What you say seems so true for that nectar tone. The harder medium pick does indeed seem to be too loud and not delicate compared to the thinner lightly held pick but only on my Hummingbird!!!! So then the Herco pick is 50mm I'm assuming, and the Nylon..I have some of those grey nylons in thin and medium, I'll have to try those, I haven't done so yet! Thank you! I'm really craving the discovery of the nectar tone on the HB. I've had it several years but always used a medium pick, it sounded nice but the nectar was missing. This is a discovery for me!

Thanks Patriot, I tried the ultex .73 the sharp pointed ones and the regular, I like them a lot. Its just that the fender thins seem to give more chime and honey nectar, but I'm not sure if I'm imagining it. lol! I love a deeper warmer sound on most of my guitars, but the hummingbird, I want the sweet nectar, so I'll keep trying!

I've been experimenting with thin, medium and hard picks on my Gibson bird. I'm finding that medium and hard picks give it a richer deeper tone, but missing a bit ot the sweet nectar tone. But when I switch to a light/thin pick the nectar come through, but the depth of tone does not. Perhaps I'm not attacking the strings correctly? So I ask, which pick thickness do other Hummingbird owners use to accentuate that sweet nectar tone which these guitars are so famous for. And is my situation considered the norm for these Hummingbird guitars. Either way my Hummingbird is a gem, just wanting to get the most control out of it...I use .12-.53 strings, 80/20 if that matters, which is the thickness this Gibson came with. What is the best means to get that nectar tone from a Hummingbird..that sound is just awesome!

I put a colossi bone saddle in my Gibson Hummingbird....HORRIBLE. It instantly sounded LOUD, unfocused, blurred. It no longer sounded like a Hummingbird..at all. I removed the Colossi bone saddle and put the original tusk saddle back in, same strings.....Wow. ...The beautiful Hummingbird sound was back instantly. The tusk was so much better. Lesson learned.

Does anyone know what the difference is? The new Gibson Hummingbird, with the red Vintage Cherry Sunburst...found in the sweetwater link below states that it has a.... "ROUND" neck shape. It gives no other detail. Considering how many different Gibson necks there are, and the frequency with which they change the names, I am wondering what this means. Does round mean thick and round..or thin and round? I am not a fan of thick necks and need to know before I buy one. Can any one give a more accurate description of a new "round" neck than the Gibson specs in Sweetwater gives? Swetwater link below> Thanks for your help! And so we have the new standard hummingbird with a "ROUND" neck And the new Vintage model Hummingbird describing its neck as " ROUNDED" !!! I am left scratching my head saying...WTF! lol! https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SSHBHCN19--gibson-acoustic-hummingbird-standard-vintage-cherry-sunburst