GuitarLight Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 I have an Epi AJ-220sce which I am very happy with, and lately I have been considering buying a new Epi Hummingbird Pro to add to my collection. My question is this..Since both guitars are made out of laminated mahogany bodies and both with solid spruce tops, both with Esonic pick ups.... wouldn't they both sound almost the same? If there is a significant difference in tonal qualities between the Drednaught Hummingbird and the AJ-220sce then I might consider getting one...but I definitely do NOT want two guitars that sound very similar. So just what specific tonal differences, if any, might I expect to find in the Epi Hummingbird verses the Epiphone AJ-220sce? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P90 Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 The best thing to do would be to go and play one and find out yourself. I own a Hummingbird and I would say the spiel about its tone complimenting the sound of the human voice is just marketing, the Gibson version maybe but not the epiphone - it just sounds like a £200 guitar. It is a nice guitar and I play it everyday but I would say its not going to sound a million miles away from what you have now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
engenheiro5 Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 Hy, I own a Epiphone Hummingbird and I hate it! I think I got a crappy one, the sound seems to be closed in a closet. The action is almost impossible to control, so impossible I use it only for slide. Besides that it constantly brakes strings. Despite all that, the constrction seems to be great and it looks good, maybe it's just not for me. Just my two cents... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P90 Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 Hy, I own a Epiphone Hummingbird and I hate it! I think I got a crappy one, the sound seems to be closed in a closet. The action is almost impossible to control, so impossible I use it only for slide. Besides that it constantly brakes strings. Despite all that, the constrction seems to be great and it looks good, maybe it's just not for me. Just my two cents... That sounds like it needs setting up, there is no reason it should be breaking strings, prehaps the nut is pinching them? Mine needed setting up badly from factory, truss rod was way out, I had to file the nut slots wider and a bit deeper to get the action right down at the lower frets. Once I set it up it was great and has been since, like I say it sounds like a £200 guitar but it is nice to play, lovely smooth low action. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
engenheiro5 Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 That sounds like it needs setting up, there is no reason it should be breaking strings, prehaps the nut is pinching them? Mine needed setting up badly from factory, truss rod was way out, I had to file the nut slots wider and a bit deeper to get the action right down at the lower frets. Once I set it up it was great and has been since, like I say it sounds like a £200 guitar but it is nice to play, lovely smooth low action. Mine even with the neck straight as a ridiculous high action. Mine came from the factory with a underbow!! Men that irritaded me to a point that I almost returned it. The feeling I get from the epi hum is that the strings in standard tuning have twice the pull that's normal, and I play 10's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
engenheiro5 Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 That sounds like it needs setting up, there is no reason it should be breaking strings, prehaps the nut is pinching them? Mine needed setting up badly from factory, truss rod was way out, I had to file the nut slots wider and a bit deeper to get the action right down at the lower frets. Once I set it up it was great and has been since, like I say it sounds like a £200 guitar but it is nice to play, lovely smooth low action. thats the action with the neck straight, any tips? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P90 Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 Yea thats well too high mate, whats the action like down at the nut? Do the strings buzz down there? If not and the neck is straight then you need to file the bridge saddle down to lower the action. If your not confident then get a guitar tech to do it for you mate! Im not at home until later but I will take some pics of mine for you and post them so you can see how low mine is, it is really low and plays nice Mine too came with a large bow in it, infact it needed so much adjustment I have cracked the neck binding where the neck meets the body on both sides! Ill show you later tonight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P90 Posted April 15, 2013 Share Posted April 15, 2013 Sorry about the delay, I got called into work and ive been too busy but ive got you some photos now Action at the top of the fret board Action at the nut I had to adust it so much the binding cracked where the neck meets the body Dispite the adjustments etc it is a beautiful guitar to play with a fast low action fretboard so its deffo worth sorting yours out. More pics to whore while im here To the OP, worth going and playing one to see if you like it but rememeber it is an entry level guitar and isn't going to set the world on fire - although they do make great living room adornments :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 Neither is a Gibson, of course, nor a Martin but... Frankly I think that any guitar will sound kinda like what's expected of it. Yeah, a Gibson AJ will sound better than the laminate Epi equivalent (the Masterbilt Epi sounds better than the lower-end slope shoulder, too) played by the same picker. But I'm sorry, I refuse to believe that Doc Watson couldn't make either Epi sound pure professional quality compared to what the average picker can manage. Also, the AE will sound quite nice properly adjusted through an amp. That's the disadvantage in a sense of the Epi bird in that what you get is what you get without the option of a bit of tweaking the sound from the preamp. That high action? As stated above, it's a need for a setup. I think the Epi if purchased in the US likely will need more setup than a Gib/Mar made on this continent, but any guitar will inevitably need, or at least should have, a setup appropriate to the player's style, string and action preferences. "Tone" is so terribly subjective in the sense that some of the technically lousy guitars of the 20s and 30s created the sounds that "we" now somehow wish to emulate if we play that sorta style - but then expect our $200-300 guitars to sound like a $4,000 guitar. The player can bring more than expected out of an inexpensive Epi. Or he can make it sound like trash. But then, I've heard my share of Martin pickers who may as well have been playing a well set up and strung Epi. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edb Posted April 21, 2013 Share Posted April 21, 2013 Sorry about the delay, I got called into work and ive been too busy but ive got you some photos now Action at the nut Did you have to dress the nut ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P90 Posted April 21, 2013 Share Posted April 21, 2013 Did you have to dress the nut ? Im not too sure what that means mate? I filed the slots lower and slightly wider to accomodate the strings and set the hight correct if thats what you mean? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edb Posted April 21, 2013 Share Posted April 21, 2013 Im not too sure what that means mate? I filed the slots lower and slightly wider to accomodate the strings and set the hight correct if thats what you mean? Yes thats what I meant. So whats the height at the nut ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P90 Posted April 21, 2013 Share Posted April 21, 2013 Yes thats what I meant. So whats the height at the nut ? I don't think I own a rule to measure it for you, I did it by eye and ear to be honest. I can try and measure it for you if you like tomorrow? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edb Posted April 22, 2013 Share Posted April 22, 2013 If you dont mind that would be great. I own an ej200ce that had a high action so I paid for a set up, if anything its worse now than when I took it in ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P90 Posted April 24, 2013 Share Posted April 24, 2013 If you dont mind that would be great. I own an ej200ce that had a high action so I paid for a set up, if anything its worse now than when I took it in ! Im sorry mate, ive tried but I just don't have an accurate way to measure it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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