String spacing at bridge?

[Jesse_Dylan]

Don't judge playability by a single short playing session. I don't know how others here are, but it takes me at least 15 solid minutes of playing to warm up, even on guitars I play almost every day. If it's a guitar for which I have no muscle memory, it will take longer.

 

Yeah, that might be it, that I can develop muscle memory for it. Maybe that's why I can switch between 2-1/4" and 2-3/16" without any problems. The odd thing is that it was never a problem for me, and I really didn't expect it to be a problem here either, especially considering that the 2014 Hummingbirds should be 2-7/32", which is even wider than 2-3/16"! I wonder if my left hand, which is used to 1-3/4", was giving me false signals due to not being used to the 1.725" nut. On the other hand, I have played guitars with 1-3/4" nuts that had 2-5/16" saddle spacing, and I did not like that (too wide).

 

We need the model type, specs and year! Large differences between them all!

 

 

BluesKing777.

 

It was definitely a Modern Classic. It had the Element with the soundhole volume knob (not sure how long they've been putting those in), nickel/chrome Grover tuners. It's possible it was not a 2014, though. It could have been a 2013 or 2012 for all I know. I'm not sure how fast they really move there.

 

Jesse the specs I gave you for the string spacing was from a 2014 Modern Classic which is of course mine. I would guess you were playig a new model also. I've really been getting adjusted to mine nicely . Playing it about 3 hours a day. I was sure from these posts you would like the Hummingbird I hope it works out for you and you get one.

 

I still think it'll work for me. I hope I can try the one locally here. Hope to today or tomorrow. That one might be older than 2014 for all I know though, too. Again, I can't imagine they move much here locally charging $3600!

 

Given your measurements, I should not really be having problems. A little bit of tightness at the nut is not really a big issue, and the spacing at the saddle should not be giving me the problems it was. It's entirely possible I was just nervous.

 

I have a dorky picture of me playing the Hummingbird that my fiance took to commemorate it. I wish I'd lost some weight for the photo. :) I would post it if so. While lighter-colored, it was really beautiful! I could write a lot about the sound, too. I think about it every day. Even if I can't play one locally and never get to play one again until I buy one, I will probably still buy one. Fiancee is pretty excited about our "guitar trip" to Montana in late July to trade in all my old gear for a Hummingbird, then go to Yellowstone. Hope we don't get in a crash and get killed by the 1000 lbs. Crate tube amp I want to trade in...

[Cibby53]

I have a dorky picture of me playing the Hummingbird that my fiance took to commemorate it. I wish I'd lost some weight for the photo. :) I would post it if so.

Jesse I've been trying to lose weight for 5 years don't let that bother you ..just like to see the fine Hummingbird you played.I just got a bunch of strings in the mail today so I'm going to try mediums on mine since that's all I play on the Martins. This is the most comfortable neck I have played so the mediums should play just fine.

[Jesse_Dylan]

I have a feeling they will play beautifully, especially with the shorter scale. I think the only question will be whether you prefer the sound of lights, light/meds or mediums on it.

 

I had a great experience today. I went to the local shop, and I found out why their Hummingbird was so costly. It is not the Modern Classic but is instead one of the 80 Hummingbird Quilt models from 2014. I played it and really enjoyed it. I had no problems at all with the string spacing. Other than the fact that it has gold-plated hardware (yuck!), quilted maple back and sides and a vintage cherry sunburst finish (instead of heritage cherry sunburst), I am not sure what actual differences there are. I think it has a "round" neck profile instead of "slim taper," but I don't know what, if anything, that means. String spacing should be identical. Anyway, it was incredibly comfortable, dare I say perfect. The sound was amazing. I am not normally a maple guy, and I have heard some maple dreads that sounded awful, but this sounded great. It has such raw, incredible power. It was neither too bright nor too dark and certainly not brittle. Everything I wanted to do with it, it did extremely well, no problem. I don't know if I would go for this, as I kind of have my heart set on the mahogany modern classic, but I really, really liked it. It is also a lot more expensive unless they'd be willing to discount more and take all my trade-ins.

 

I loved it, though! Wow! I wish I could A/B it with a mahogany Hummingbird Modern Classic. Other than the different woods used, I don't know if the bracing or scalloping differs. I think it should be the same, just different back/side wood (and apparently a different neck profile).

[Jesse_Dylan]

https://www.tfoa.eu/en/shop-product/1938/gibson-hummingbird-robotic-auto-tuning-hcs-2013-case-mint

 

Someone linked to this because they were incredulous over the robotic tuner on a Hummingbird.

 

What interests me more is that it lists the nut width as 1.725" (which we all already knew) and the string spacing at the bridge as 2-3/16"! Too bad I didn't see that when I started this thread. :)

 

It also lists the Hummingbird Modern Classic as having a "C" neck profile. The Gibson site lists it as "slim taper," and it lists the Hummingbird Quilt 2014 as "round." Confusing. I think the Quilt and the Modern Classic have the same, though, so I suspect the "slim taper" is an error.

 

I have now played at least three (I forgot) Gibson acoustics side by side, and all three had different neck profiles, confusingly enough. No idea which was which. I liked the Hummingbird Quilt 2014 best. I also found the string spacing to be about the same for them all (presumably all 2014 models), so maybe they all share the above width and spacing. But, oddly, all did in fact seem to have different neck profiles.