EuroAussie Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 I somehow missed this .. but wanted to say wow, what a great looking and sounding Bird. It truly does have a vintage vibe going in the tone, worth the extra cash ! Lovelly playing and touch also. With the humidifier question i keep mine on the wall in a music room but masure the humidity. It was fine all winter at around 40 RH then in past week it dropped down to as low as 25% and I got the humidifier going now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 Mine lives on a stand never had a humidifier near it Mind you , I live in Ireland Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 Mind you , I live in Ireland You probably need a dehumidifier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fullmental Alpinist Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 You probably need a dehumidifier. EA is right. Your guitar is fine. You need a dehumidifier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 Ha , tell me about Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 I keep my 3 hanging on an internal wall out of the sunlight. Very rarely in their cases. Have the luxury of a 'music room' where I check the humidity a couple of times a day. I keep it between 45% and 55%. Occasionally have to use a humidifier in winter if the heat has been on for more than 2 or 3 days. I live in South Texas. It hasn't really dipped below freezing this winter and I think we're out of the woods on that score. When it rains (also rare) humidity does go up and I run a small space heater in there to dry it out and bring it back down. Years ago, when I was not able to play daily - I kept my LG1 in it's case. The case was one of those cheap cardboard felt lined, simulated brown alligator things. It thrived. G'Luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 What's a guy to do when he takes it to a gig and it's roasting room and stuffy , and people are coming in out of the rain etc . Then have to put it into his car afterwards etc Look after them , don't baby them , it's not the Turin shroud Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BirdMan81 Posted March 11, 2016 Author Share Posted March 11, 2016 yeah its gets pretty dry up here during a cold Maine Winter....fortunately we had a mild winter this year and spring is here! Im headed to have a luthier look at the issue tomorrow (the guy that Don Ruffatto suggested) fingers crossed! Picked up a set of bone pins to put in too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissouriPicker Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 I keep watch on the humidity level in my music room. My guitars are mostly in their cases, but not always. I don't think I've ever used one of those in-case humidifiers. Years ago I had 10 gallon fish tank always bubbling. Now I use a humidifier. Literally always between 40-55. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BirdMan81 Posted March 11, 2016 Author Share Posted March 11, 2016 Back from the authorized gibson repair guy 2 hours from where I live...had to take the day off to get up there! He made an attempt to fix the gap in the fingerboard binding and the frets with superglue, and then filed/ buffed everything out. Its a little better, but not much. He didn't charge me and said he wasn't even going to try and get reimbursed by Gibson. Not sure how I'm feeling at this point...My 30 day return policy at guitar center will be coming to a close on April 4th. I also found this little number upon further investigation at the 7th fret: What do you guys think...i can't really feel it while I'm playing it...it seems superficial...but I'm not sure.... Also found a small cosmetic issue with the bridge. Here is the normal side: As you can see its glued on nicely and there is a nice flush joining of the bridge to the top....here is the other side: again, I'm sure structurally everything is ok, but come on: He said he tried to fix the fret buzz i was having and its better, but not fixed! and my action is pretty high (high enough that i shouldn't be getting ANY buzz): I really like the sound and looks of this guitar and I'm torn as to what to do...thoughts? I haven't called Don Ruffatto to fill him in yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 I really like the sound and looks of this guitar and I'm torn as to what to do...thoughts? I haven't called Don Ruffatto to fill him in yet. Send the new pictures to Don. This looks like a case of mediocre quality control to me, and I'm sorry to say that. All could be fixed, but I know it's getting a bit tiresome for you, and it shouldn't have happened. The issue on the fretboard looks like grain tearout from a planer. I'm not sure how they actually surface the fretboards. The problem on the side of the bridge is somewhat similar. The grain was probably torn on the bottom of the bridge, and when they glued it on, cleaning up the Titebond left a visible gap where some wood is missing on the underside of the bridge. All of these are really cosmetic issue, but they just shouldn't have happened on a guitar of this caliber. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BirdMan81 Posted March 11, 2016 Author Share Posted March 11, 2016 Don emailed me back right away! "Hello Mike: Not sure what to think about these pictures. Its not a normal thing. Would you like to get this back to Montana for an evaluation for repair/replacement? Let me know your thoughts. Thanks Don" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissouriPicker Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 Birdman, just speaking for myself, and I admit I'm sometimes short on patience-----BUT, I wouldn't wait another day on returning it to GC. Don't know what the causes of the issues are. Could be humidity, someone at the factory, incompetence by repair people, just a bad piece/pieces of wood. Could be all of the above. Whatever, they gave you a guitar you are not satisfied with.....Bottom line is you spent a lot of money on this guitar. Get your money back NOW, OR, have them order you a new guitar. You've got a hell-of-a-lot more patience than I do. I return guitars that are pretty-near perfect, but I just can't bond with them on some emotional level...lol....Go get your money or a new guitar and start really enjoying what a Hummingbird typically is. You should already be doing that. Other Hummingbirds sound every bit as good and perhaps even better. Go get one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BirdMan81 Posted March 11, 2016 Author Share Posted March 11, 2016 Im gonna wait to see what Don says....Im hoping he might hand pick a real nice one for me and replace mine.....the question is how will that transaction go down? Ill have to (pay for) and ship mine to Montana, they receive it and IF they decide to replace it they ship it to me. I may get shafted with a "we'll only repair it" and at that point I've missed my window with returning to GC. or I can just bring it back to GC tomorrow and hope for a good one to be sent out to me! Good thing i bought that Epiphone to hold me over during this debacle :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 If it was me, IF the guitar sounded great and played good, and all these elements are cosmetic then I absolutely would keep the guitar. Its going to get full of dings and love marks so cosmetic blemishes are not a big deal ....at least not to me. If you do replace it you can be sure it will sound a bit different, no two guitars sound exactly alike (OK, Taylors excepted) but Gibsons dont. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BirdMan81 Posted March 12, 2016 Author Share Posted March 12, 2016 Yes that's part of the dilemma! I like the sound and I'm not really sure if they really are just cosmetic issues...down the road will that fretboard continue to crack? Will the bride come loose? Will the binding and fingerboard continue to separate more? As it stands now, the only issues that is noticeable while playing is the fingerboard binding and fret gap on the treble side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 Im gonna wait to see what Don says....Im hoping he might hand pick a real nice one for me and replace mine.....the question is how will that transaction go down? Ill have to (pay for) and ship mine to Montana, they receive it and IF they decide to replace it they ship it to me. I may get shafted with a "we'll only repair it" and at that point I've missed my window with returning to GC. or I can just bring it back to GC tomorrow and hope for a good one to be sent out to me! Good thing i bought that Epiphone to hold me over during this debacle :) At this point, they aren't going to hold you to the timelines. You're covered under the Gibson warranty. Send it back to Bozeman (cost should be about $75). Get them to look at it, and either repair it or replace it. Forget about GC, and deal directly with Don at Gibson. GC didn't cause the problem. It's a Gibson warranty issue, assuming you still want a Gibson Hummingbird Vintage. Look on the bright side. If they give you the replacement option, it will probably be the most carefully-examined 'bird to go out of the factory this year. If they decide that fixing it properly is a viable proposition, you will end up with the tone you've come to love, and the guitar you already want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62burst Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 Look on the bright side. If they give you the replacement option, it will probably be the most carefully-examined 'bird to go out of the factory this year. Good one, Nick. Eight pages and counting on the Gibson Acoustic Forum, 3.3K views. . . it would be naive to think someone in marketing isn't watching these pages. That said, if you want perfect and sterile build quality, maybe you should buy a Martin. Many here own both. But apart from the more ornate models, there is something grounding about the nature of the more iconic Gibson acoustic guitars. A salt-of-the-earth factor, if you will. The short scale Gibsons even yield a more intimate, comfy playing experience. The fret buzz you describe shouldn't be happening. The cosmetic stuff could be dealt with. And the other issues that don't present a hazard to the fingers while playing could be lived with. Everyone here feels bad that your first nice Gibson acoustic is giving you some serious buyer's remorse. It's a large investment in putting music in your life, and now you question ever walking out of the store with this Hummingbird Vintage. All good advice has been given, and as has been mentioned by those who've replied "if it was me...", it really comes down to what direction you want to go with it. It is quite likely Bozeman will just send you a call tag for free shipping back to Montana, and it's getting into safe weather for shipping. Hopefully, the young child who plays with those toys scattered about on the carpet will some day be learning songs from Dad on the Hummingbird. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldCowboy Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 Good one, Nick. Eight pages and counting on the Gibson Acoustic Forum, 3.3K views. . . it would be naive to think someone in marketing isn't watching these pages. That said, if you want perfect and sterile build quality, maybe you should buy a Martin. Many here own both. But apart from the more ornate models, there is something grounding about the nature of the more iconic Gibson acoustic guitars. A salt-of-the-earth factor, if you will. The short scale Gibsons even yield a more intimate, comfy playing experience. The fret buzz you describe shouldn't be happening. The cosmetic stuff could be dealt with. And the other issues that don't present a hazard to the fingers while playing could be lived with. Everyone here feels bad that your first nice Gibson acoustic is giving you some serious buyer's remorse. It's a large investment in putting music in your life, and now you question ever walking out of the store with this Hummingbird Vintage. All good advice has been given, and as has been mentioned by those who've replied "if it was me...", it really comes down to what direction you want to go with it. It is quite likely Bozeman will just send you a call tag for free shipping back to Montana, and it's getting into safe weather for shipping. Hopefully, the young child who plays with those toys scattered about on the carpet will some day be learning songs from Dad on the Hummingbird. Now, the bad lad in the foregoing image is what it's really about! The folks who buy new guitars are, to me, a vital link in the development of the instrument's true potential - after all, the vintage guitars of today began life fresh from the factory. Honest wear isn't abuse or neglect, and playing the daylights out of the thing is a sort of responsibility. Real love tends to accumulate mileage that often shows: nothing wrong with that at all. Cherish 'em, maintain 'em, respect 'em, play 'em, but don't enshrine 'em. They're not meant to be furniture. Get the thing how you want it to begin, then help it evolve.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BirdMan81 Posted March 12, 2016 Author Share Posted March 12, 2016 Thanks guys! As for the cosmetic stuff (I'm fine as long as it's really just cosmetic)..I'm no expert so at this point I don't know if it's really cosmetic or could become structural issue down the road...either way Gibson would fix any future issues...the thing that concerns me most is the fingerboard binding issue as I mentioned before...this actually can be felt sometimes while playing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 Thanks guys! As for the cosmetic stuff (I'm fine as long as it's really just cosmetic)..I'm no expert so at this point I don't know if it's really cosmetic or could become structural issue down the road...either way Gibson would fix any future issues...the thing that concerns me most is the fingerboard binding issue as I mentioned before...this actually can be felt sometimes while playing... Birdman, I think this guitar needs to go back to Bozeman and into Don's good hands - he is well respected and is a very stand-up guy. I believe that if you simply just keep this guitar all of those little things you have noticed will eat away at you for years. Give Don and the factory folks the chance to take a look-see, and make you a happy Gibson Acoustic lover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 Birdman, I think this guitar needs to go back to Bozeman and into Don's good hands - he is well respected and is a very stand-up guy. I believe that if you simply just keep this guitar all of those little things you have noticed will eat away at you for years. Give Don and the factory folks the chance to take a look-see, and make you a happy Gibson Acoustic lover. Heard ^ You don't buy such a guitar to walk around with a stone in the shoe (and these issues are a whole other ballgame than a faded guard). This should bring your soul the opposite : A deep and peaceful feeling of something important falling into place. And remember another Bird - if that's how it ends - won't be bad. Probably different, but not like comin' from another planet. It might even be 'better'. Seems this thread will be longer than expected. We'll be with you till it ends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 So many options, so many guitars, so many cool people on the forums, and so many, many words. My favorite option, for guitars such as this, that exhibit flaws, not big enough to fix, but yet enough to not be what it should be, is DISCOUNT! There is always a number that makes worries go away, be it a number that fixes, a number that accounts for diminished re-sale, a number that is WORTH it. What is it? 800? 1000? 1500? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fullmental Alpinist Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 Yes that's part of the dilemma!.... will that fretboard continue to crack? Will the bride come loose? Ah, man! Don't tell me this guitar problem is affecting your marriage now!?!? The problem definitely needs to be addressed. There's very good advice in these pages. And as EM7 says, we'll be with you until this saga ends. Don't be shy about posting here. I'm sure that Gibson will take care of you. But if they don't, there's plenty of us here who have your back and will let Gibson know. FMA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 Hummingbird frets Then my Martin frets They seem to be finished different , is this normal ? Hey man I'm sorry that you're having issues , I really hope you get sorted one way or other . My pics don't means anything , just an aside to gain some knowledge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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