Red 333

Yes. My Legend has the two pearl dots.

Is it an Elitist or standard production model?

Made my morning, Sal. Love your harmonies, and the Epiphone IBG Himmingbird sounds terrific in your hands. Red 333

If I lived near Asbury Park I'd go see some solo Sal as often as I could. Red 333

Whether your new Epiphone Masterbilt Hummingbird satisfies is up to you, Sal, but if my past experience is any indication, I don't think you will find a Masterbilt not well made. I have several of the earliest incarnations, from 2004-2006, and they display excellent workmanship, are made with very good materials, sound and play great, and were a tremendous value (the early ones all included a terrific light weight case). If your bird is anything like those, I think you will be pleased. Maybe even happily surprised! I thought the guitar in the demo Em7 posted sounded pretty good. Warmer than the Gibson bird, but that could just be strings or even mic position. Anyway, let us know what you think once you've had some time with it. Red 333

Yeah, WTF is this guitar? I've never seen one with those inlays.

From what I have learned, the first year ES slimlines like the Gibson ES-335 (1957) were 3 layers. 1958ish and on were 4 layers. They bacame 3 layers at some point (maybe on the move from Kalamazoo, but I don't really know). I *think* Kakamazoo Epis were all 5 layer, as they were built separately from the Gibson ES guitars, though in the same physical complex. The Pac-Rim Epis all seem to be 5 layer, except for the Joe Bonamassa ES 335, which was 3 layer. Are you sure about the Elitist? I seem to remember looking at my John Lennon pair (the 65 and the Revolution) and if memory serves they were 5. I will go look at them and the Elitist this afternoon...). I also know counting the plys can be a little confusing because the top finish, especially if it's a color and not natural, can be mistaken for a ply. I guess none of this really matters because there are great sounding ES type guitars made in every era and with all different numbers of plys (just as long as the total thickness of the plys is not so great as to dampen the top too much)! What a trip to read through this zombie thread! We had some excellent exchanges back in the day! Red 333

For many years, and until the last four or five, most imported Epiphone acoustics were long-scale. Not only that, the bodies of the slope shoulder models (like the JL EJ-160e) were also differently proportioned to the Gibson originals. The Pac-Rim manufactures (who were contracted by Epiphone to make guitars for them) were adept making affordable Martin style and proportioned acoustics, and simply softened the shoulders of the long-scale dreads they made to produce an inexact Gibson slope shape. To change the body shape and scale length more would have required a bigger investment than they were willing to make, given how much the guitars sold for. If you compare waist of many such Epiphones to the equivalent Gibson model, you will see the Epiphone's is much wider, like a Martin dread (or a Gibson square-shoulder dread, like a Hummingbird, which itself is a copy of a Martin). In the early 2000's, Epiphone opened their own factories in China that they had full control of. While initial slope shoulder acoustic guitars that came out of those factories had the same hybrid Martin/Gibson dread shape they had for years, Epiphone slowly made changes to bring specs more in alignment with Gibson models. About four or five years ago, Epiphone did change the body proportions of the EJ-160e, making it much closer to the Gibson bell shape, and changing the scale to the traditional 24 3/4". Now Epiphone seems to be bringing the specs of their acoustic and electric guitars even closer to the Gibson models they emulate. While the guitars they made in the past are by no means bad and should be evaluated on their own merits, new models are more easily comparable to the Gibson models they emulate, and may usher in a new age of good quality and affordable instruments. Red 333

Your guitar neck is constructed with what is called a "stacked heel"--the heel is made of several pieces. It looks to me like the piece closest to the back of the body may not have been planed as to fit to the body just so, or perhaps the channel for the binding (the groove the white plastic stripe fits in) was imperfect, or the groove was ok but the width of the binding itself is not consistent there. Any of those things could account for that slight gap (given that it didn't just suddenly appear). It's also possible that that piece of the stacked heel shrunk slightly, resulting in some separation there. In any case, the neck is attached to the body with a v shaped dovetail joint. If that joint is good, it's relatively unimportant a bit of the perimeter of the neck has a slight gap. If the action of the guitar has changed and can't be remedied with a normal set up, and that gap is indeed a new phenomenon, then maybe a neck reset would be in order. In that case, get it checked out by a good local luthier who can evaluate it. If not, then it's likely more or less just a cosmetic rather than important structural flaw. Good luck. Red 333

I believe it's been gone for several years, at least. Red 333

Yup. I have a solid topped Standard and a Sixties spec model with laminated top and adjustable bridge. I play the Standard a lot. It's not the most resonant of my slopes, but it has a very tight, muscular sound. I believe the way the bridge is relocated closer to the soundhole due to the neck joining the body at the 15th fret (instead if 14th, like a J-45) accounts for that. And for that reason, too, I think it has the most Gibson Thunk of any of my guitars. And it's dang cool looking. I wouldn't call it the traditionally best sounding of my guitars, or even my favorite, but it is distinct. I can see how the Standard might be a great recording guitar (not solo guitar, but in a mix) since it's rhythmic qualities are pronounced and it doesn't have as much bottom or as many overtones that could compete with other instruments. A much undervalued and unappreciated member of the Gibson family. Red 333

Thanks to your post, I read up on them earlier. The Mean 90s do seem better suited to me. Thanks so much for your help and suggestions. Happy Thanksgiving.

Thanks so much! Thanks so much!

That looks fantastic. Very nice mods. Did those P-90s drop right in? I'd like to do that with an IBG ES-335. Red 333

It looks fake, but more photos would let us reach a more definitive conclusion.

When someone comes over and plays one of my guitars, I'm often astounded how much different it sounds from a listener's perspective than what I'm used to in the player's position. That said, I think these sound very nice, and represent a terrific value. They also sound different from the round and square shouldered all solid wood and similarly speced Masterbilts (which are also very pleasing sounding guitars). This leads me to think they are braced differently, and not simply the AJ500M and DR500M appointed with Gibson cosmetics. And though my experience with it was limited, this also seemed true of the Masterbilt J-45 (which the IBG J-45 seems near identical, save for the headstock design and rosette); it also sounded more Gibsony than the Masterbilt AJ500M. I'm looking forward to seeing and playing them in person to have a more informed opinion. But I don't see how anyone could go wrong with one of these. Nice job, Gibson and Epiphone.

Plus bird's beak on the fretboard, two-piece neck with mahogany stripe, and a much more modest rosette (a good thing in my opinion)!

The AMS printed catalog also shows an all solid wood Masterbilt Hummingbird. Red 333

So glad you found one and like it. It's good to learn how it compares to the excellent original Masterbilts. I hope you enjoy it for years Red 333

UK luthier, you are right. As you surely must know, it takes a lot of skill to work with hot hide glue, as there is actually less open time to get parts in place before it begins to bond and the parts can't be refit or rearranged as compared to synthetic wood glues. I was wrong to say to was more slow drying. It is less efficient in mass assembly though--especially when building a lower cost instrument, because not only would workers be required to be more skilled to use it, the entire building process would have to be more precise as well. Besides just being easier to work with (and less stinky!) some synthetic glues and even epoxies are used in factory-production guitar making because the builders can work faster and with less precision when cutting and joining parts. The synthetic glues and epoxies do a good job filling gaps without compromising the strength of the joint. Builders don't have to carefully sand braces to match tops, painstakingly fit necks to dovetail joints, etc. like they would when using hot hide glue. Joined surfaces have to be very precise for the thin hide glue to bond. Thicker synthetic glues bonds slightly irregular surfaces more easily so guitars can be built faster and for less less money. I guess in that regard, it's akin to using poly instead of shooting nitrocellulose to finish guitars; poly doesn't always require pore filling, is self-leveling, requires fewer coats, etc., so the guitar can be completed faster (and thus less expensively). Now, I'm not saying that all builders that use these kind of glues do so because they can take shortcuts and work with axes and butter knives. Not at all. Good builders like Martin and Gibson use it to gain additional open time to work on part positioning (as you pointed out) and more tonal consistency instrument to instrument due to well-joined parts without the incremental extra effort that hide glue would require. But you do see examples of synthetic glues used as gap filler on very low cost instruments, especially before the widespread use of CNC machines. When the modern Masterbilts were first introduced in the mid 2000's, they were advertised as having hot hide glue joined braces and necks. I don't know whether that is still the case. But Gibson certainly still uses hot hide glue for necks, and even braces and bridges on some models, and will occasionally build an entire guitar with it. Collings uses an "animal protein glue" (said to be fish glue) on some high-end models. Martin still uses it for the high-end Authentic series. Some smaller and boutique builders use it. But as you say, it's not often nowadays used, and when it is, it often comes at a premium. Red 333

Delrin is a synthetic material similar to the Nylon 6/6 material that Gibson and Epiphone used for nuts in the '50s and '60s. It imparts a unique tone different from bone, as it seems to make for a softer attack and more snarl (at least to my ears). Since George's guitar is of that vintage, it makes sense to use it in order to best try to reproduce hs guitar's characteristics. I have a delrin nut on my James Bay 1966 Century, John Lennon Revolution and 1965 Casinos, McCartney Texan, and Gibson John Lennon J-160e. I believe the high-end Gibson Historic Les Paul reissues like the R59s, etc. have delrin nuts too, for historical accuracy. So as you can see, it's very common to use delrin on reissues of historic models from the '50s and '60s. It is often used on modern guitars with trem systems, too, as it is very slippery so doesn't bind. Red 333

Yes indeed. I have mine. It's a fantastic guitar, and unique in the Gibson/Epiphone line up. Mine doesn't have a pick guard. I have a Gibson 12 fret Rosewood Stage Deluxe, too, and the cedar topped Epiphone holds its own with it. Enjoy yours! Red 333

The long scale of the Texan surely accounts for some of that difference. Congrats on obtaining such a fine new instrument. I hope you get many years of enjoyment from it. Red 333

Wow, Jeff! Your artwork is outstanding. I especially enjoyed the portraits and some of the scenes of everyday life in the town. Do you live in the Northeast on the coast somewhere? My favorites, though, was the series of the open windows with the curtains blowing. I would have liked them just on their own anyway, but they provided very fitting and effective visuals for the song. Your playing, of course, was excellent. What guitar are you using? It has such an interesting sound. Was it the archtop you painted? Whatever it was you made it sound great. Best, Red 333

Nice. Love the back on that one. I hope it brings you many happy hours of playing. Enjoy! Red 333