Jump to content
Gibson Brands Forums

Hummingbird Artist


Gilliangirl

Recommended Posts

What's a green tag sale?

Sorry I should not have been so cryptic Im a lazy typer, every year at this time in March Guitar Center has a big sale called the greentag sale it usually has some of the best prices ofthe year. they just sent the mailers out I got mine yesterday.

 

is everyone starting to errpr out when they post or is it me and my Mac again

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Maybe it has something to do with a certain additional layer of high-end sizzle that seems to come with most of their guitars. And to think they add octave strings on top of that to make a 12-string guitar ... ick.

 

I don't know Im not a big Taylor fan myself for acoustic (I really like the T5 and have the new solid body that is great also) but I just picked up a 810 in Brazilian rosewood and it's an amazing guitar some of the nicest wood ive seen in a couple of years

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Maybe it has something to do with a certain additional layer of high-end sizzle that seems to come with most of their guitars. And to think they add octave strings on top of that to make a 12-string guitar ... ick.

 

Right. Because, as a Gibson owner, I must be immune to "high-end sizzle."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gilliangirl...

 

Musicians friend has these on sale for 1799

 

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Gibson-Hummingbrid-Artist-Acoustic-Guitar?sku=512104

 

I've been watching them for a while. Seems like a good deal.

Thanks for the link, Jimtlin. This one in Guitarworks is $2000.00. I went in there yesterday and it was still there. I told the guy I wanted this guitar badly and he said 'you and everyone else'. LOL I won't be getting it now tho' as I just had to dish out over $300.00 for a veterinary bill. I think fate is trying to tell me to be happy with the guitars I already have. Let me know if you pick one of those up, I'd love to hear your review.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Actually, I didn't notice the above post -- 1599 -- that's a decent price! Since Musicians "Fiend" is owned by Guitar Center (or vise versa???) they'll probably lower the price. It's odd to see a hummingbird w/o the flashy pickguard -- but I prefer the plainer look myself.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Hello!

 

I contacted Gibson Customer Service regarding the specs of the Hummingbird Artist and, although at first place said it was the very same guitar with some minor differences ("The Hummingbird Artist is not displayed on our website because it is not a standard production model. The Hummingbird Artist is not available on all markets but only through certain dealers. The colour of the top, pickguard and tuners are the differences between this model and the Hummingbird Modern Classic. Pickups system, wood sorts used, bridge and other aspects of the construction do not differ."), on the second place, they sent the specs, which I quote: "It is a Song Writer Deluxe body with a Long scale neck. Has Mahogany back and sides, a belly bridge, parrallelograms inlays, gold hardware, Heritage Cherry Sunburst. Limited only to Guitar Centers."

 

What I don't understand is why they're calling it a "Hummingbird", if it's a "Song Writer Deluxe"... :)

 

Not that I have nothing agains the SWD, but I convinced a familiar to buy the HA for me and now he'll have to return it to Musician's Friend, because what I want is the Hummingbird square shape... :)

 

Just wanted to share it with you.

 

Best regards,

 

AL

Link to comment
Share on other sites

...Hummingbird Artist. The Dove was nice' date=' but the HA was absolutely

amazing! The sound was big, bright and jangly. It was everything a guitar should be.

I wish I was rich.....[/quote']

 

I couldn't have said it better. And Lawd knows I try.

 

Hummingbird: Quite possibly the most perfectest guit tar whatever a guit tar picker

ever picked.

 

--- Maybe that should be in my signature line.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

 

<snipped>

 

Once more (i apologize for the off-topic subject matter)' date=' how do the Hummingbird Classic and Hummingbird Artist compare tonally? Going to buy either one or the other and didnt have a chance to play a Hummingbird Modern Classic.[/quote']

 

Good question. I was going to ask the same thing, as well as the structural differences.

 

Edit: Well, I should have finished reading the thread before posting :-) Thanks, Al.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I know exactly what you mean Gilliangirl! The first time I picked up the HB-A I almost couldn't believe the big and wonderful tone that came out of it. I suspected my initial reaction was clouded by the possibility of a new Gibson purchase so I went back to the shop once or twice a week for about 6 weeks to play that guitar and hope it was still there. After so many weeks of playing the same guitar and risking a rental fee by the shop owner' date=' I knew I had to have it. Guess it's been well over a year and it still puts a big Gibson smile on my face everytime I pick it up.

 

I love the tone so much that I've even resisted the usual bone saddle "upgrade". The only change I've made is a beautiful set of "vintage dyed" bone bridge pins from Bob C. The vintage dyed bone really looks good with the color of the HB-A finish.

 

Here's my sweetie.

 

[img']http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m181/pitchm/Gibson%20Hummingbird%20Artist/gibby_bird2.jpg[/img]

 

Natty, that' one sweet looking guitar.

 

Have you measured the lower bout?

 

Your finish looks "redder" than the Heritage Cherry, but maybe that's just the lighting and inaccuracy of trying to convey colors through cameras and computer monitors?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On the topic of Larrivee!

 

Jean-Francois Larrivee made some awesome guitars by himself in Victoria, B.C., Canada. Check your labels. If you have a Victoria Larrivee, you have the real McCoy.

 

The guitars Larrivee make now are made by young workers in a factory setting. There is no limit on enthusiasm or effort, but the results are nothing like Larrivee himself produced at the height of his career. The most notable problem with factory Larrivees in affordable ranges is striking differences in string volume on the A, D and G strings. I played one Larrivee last year that had no D string whatsoever. It was absolutely dead. It was so bad I even took the string off and checked the bridge pin and the nut slot etc. -- but nothing could fix it.

 

It is a sad thing, really, to play a Victoria Larrivee and then sit down with a new one. I worry that Linda Manzer (one of JF's students and now a major luthier herself) will go into mainstream production and have the same problems Larrivee experiences now, but I digress.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

 

I know exactly what you mean Gilliangirl! The first time I picked up the HB-A I almost couldn't believe the big and wonderful tone that came out of it. I suspected my initial reaction was clouded by the possibility of a new Gibson purchase so I went back to the shop once or twice a week for about 6 weeks to play that guitar and hope it was still there. After so many weeks of playing the same guitar and risking a rental fee by the shop owner' date=' I knew I had to have it. Guess it's been well over a year and it still puts a big Gibson smile on my face everytime I pick it up.

 

I love the tone so much that I've even resisted the usual bone saddle "upgrade". The only change I've made is a beautiful set of "vintage dyed" bone bridge pins from Bob C. The vintage dyed bone really looks good with the color of the HB-A finish.

 

Here's my sweetie.

 

[img']http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m181/pitchm/Gibson%20Hummingbird%20Artist/gibby_bird2.jpg[/img]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When I bought my Gibson, they had an AJ , a J-45 and the Hummingbird artist. All of them were on sale. I played them all and ended up getting the AJ. They all had so-so strings but the AJ still sounded good so I bought it. I wonder how many sales they blow at GC by having old tired strings on the nice guitars?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest NattyBumppo
Natty I just got my Hummingbird Artist today and love everything about it (except the bridge pins) can you tell me the proper size to order from Bob C

 

Wow...I stop by the forum here for the first time in a long time and find this very old thread back at the top!

 

Anyway, congrats on the new HB-A....I hope you enjoy it as much as I've been enjoying mine. I wish I could remember what size pins I ordered, but I don't. I don't have the receipt or even the email from Bob C. to go by. Sorry I couldn't be more help there. Just give Bob C a ring and tell him what you've got and what style bridge. He may ask you to measure the pin length and if it the slot goes through the skirting.

 

The ones I got from Bob are skirted but the slot does not go through the skirt. They fit well though I did have to do a teeny bit of sanding with some 200 grit paper on the pins for the 5th and 6th strings. If you can score even one freebie plastic pin from the dealer where you just spent that hard earned money, then you can mail one pin to Bob and get a perfect fit.

 

BTW...over the last year I've trimmed down to one acoustic. The acoustics I sold are a Taylor GS RW/Sitka, a stunningly beautiful David Webber RW/Engleman Roundbody, triple bound in beautiful curly koa, and a Custom Shop Maple/Sitka AJ. I kept one acoustic ......the HB-A. It is the one that I've really connected with.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I bought my HA a few months ago and absolutely love it. I can't imagine not having it. That is my big problem at the moment after years of having one or 2 guitars I discovered Gibson and now I can't seem to imagine not having them all. There are worse problems to have I guess.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

I just got a HA on eBay for $1350. Seems like a really nice guitar. It will arrive on Wednesday It's been set-up and looks great and the seller has an extremely high approval rating so I'm just crossing my fingers. Being up here in Minnesota, I'm certainly gonna leave it in the case overnight to let it warm up.

 

Jim

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 8 months later...

I played an HB-A last night at GC and was it fun. An amazingly fun guitar with great sound and unparalleled fun to strum. I was about to let myself get REALLY excited about this guitar until I moved above the fifth fret. All the tone disappeared. The set up seemed pretty decent too. Is this an issue for any HB-A owners out there?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you remember somewhere in june I posted a thread about the first Gibson shop in Bulgaria.

Once a month I go there to look for a while "...just what is happening" (some easy GAS attacks).

I was there a week ago and what I saw - allmost all the Gibsons were not there...

The Huimmingbird was not there!!!

I asked the guy who is working there (he is a friend of mine) what happened so e told me:

"... well, a young russian lady comes into the shop ii september and asks about a guitar that will be a present for her boss. I start to talk about some Washburns, she looks at them and asks again - but do you have something better??? So I grab the Hummingbird and say: "WELL - THIS IS A LOT BETTER!!!" She asked me to play something and few ninutes after said: "O.K. I buy it" And she did...."

So we don't know where is the only Hummingbird sold in Bulgaria. Obviously in some russian hands...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 months later...

this my first post on this forum. And I just want to give my opinion on the hummingbird artist.

1. It is my 3rd gibson acoustic this month and the only one I have decided to hold on to. I got a j-100, traded it.. A blues king... Traded it... But the artist is incredible. Sounds better than the classic hummingbirds I have had in the past. I prefer the rounded shoulders of the HA, and never really liked the pickguard on the HB classic.

2. The slight differences in shape really make for a balanced tone. The bass is less muddy than the hb classic, the mids are clear, and the treble really does seem to sparkle.

I have heard people compare the artist the songwriter, and j45 in sound... I am curious to see what people who have played them all prefer

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome to the forum Mike! I have never owned a J45 but I have owned a standard Hummingbird prior and other than the tone woods, scale length and finish they are apples and oranges comparatively. It has more in common with a songwriter. IMHO it is a small dread that is well balanced with well defined mids. It finger picks very well with good note separation with a very sweet tone. It diffinitely has its own voice. I played the whole Gibson (and other) line up prior to playing the HA and was very focused on the SJ and Country Western. Congrads and enjoy your guitar.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi, firstly i would like to say hello to everybody as its my first post on the Gibson forum.

 

Im an Aussie living in Prague for a few years and recently became the proud owner of a 69 Country & Western which is godly.

 

However i played a number of Hummingbirds and love them also, hower this CW just felt and sounded spot on.

 

The question i have is whether there is any real differnece between the Hummingbird, Southern Jumbo and the Country & Western, apart from the different finish and bling ?

 

Im talking in particular since they both received the square sholder treatment in mid 60's, the specs seemed to be the same. sitka top, hog b/s short scale, dred.

 

Am i missing something here or am i right in that its same guitar, different finish ?

 

cheers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...