62burst Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 The search continues for a nice Quilt Maple Hummingbird; it could add a nice crisp edge to the low/mid range to the venerable strummer that is the Hummingbird. One that's really got my attention is a limited run made for Guitar Center in/around 2007. What maple can do for a short scale square Gibson is rivaled by the drama a bursted back can do for it's visual appeal: The objective (this is not the guitar on eBay): However, this listing on eBay (see 2 photos below) has an entirely different vibe: Link. Messaging the seller, asking about the "Maple" part of the listing, as the graining, stain used typical of a mahogany guitar, and from much maple birdwatching for some time now, I'm led to wonder if this might possibly be a quilt mahogany guitar, which might be less common. The label only states "Hummingbird Quilt". Received a knowledgeable reply that sounds like a person fairly familiar with tone woods: New message from: superslap Top Rated Seller(458Turquoise Star) "You are right that mahogany does not quilt as commonly as maple. This guitar would be significantly under priced if that were the case. It is commonly assumed that Gibson used quilted mahogany because of their staining techniques (in order to match the mahogany neck) but there are significantly darker individual grains running between tan portions opposite the figuring that can be seen through the soundhole. Mahogany does not typically have features like this, rather is it reddish brown in hue with vertical pores, and is not as dark colored on the inside of the guitar as it may appear in photographs." Two different conversations with Gibson Customer Service resulted in the same advice: "We don't show any info on this serial number", and one reply that the serial starting with double zeros was something seen in the 1970's. Does this guitar look like quilt maple, or quilt mahogany, or . . . ? : Looks like a nice Gibson to me; just not what I'm looking for. Your thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldCowboy Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 The search continues for a nice Quilt Maple Hummingbird; it could add a nice crisp edge to the low/mid range to the venerable strummer that is the Hummingbird. One that's really got my attention is a limited run made for Guitar Center in/around 2007. What maple can do for a short scale square Gibson is rivaled by the drama a bursted back can do for it's visual appeal: The target: However, this listing on eBay (see 2 photos below) has an entirely different vibe: Link. Messaging the seller, asking about the "Maple" part of the listing, as the graining, stain used typical of a mahogany guitar, and from much maple birdwatching for some time now, I'm led to wonder if this might possibly be a quilt mahogany guitar, which might be less common. The label only states "Hummingbird Quilt". Received a knowledgeable reply that sounds like a person fairly familiar with tone woods: New message from: superslap Top Rated Seller(458Turquoise Star) "You are right that mahogany does not quilt as commonly as maple. This guitar would be significantly under priced if that were the case. It is commonly assumed that Gibson used quilted mahogany because of their staining techniques (in order to match the mahogany neck) but there are significantly darker individual grains running between tan portions opposite the figuring that can be seen through the soundhole. Mahogany does not typically have features like this, rather is it reddish brown in hue with vertical pores, and is not as dark colored on the inside of the guitar as it may appear in photographs." Two different conversations with Gibson Customer Service resulted in the same advice: "We don't show any info on this serial number", and one reply that the serial starting with double zeros was something seen in the 1970's. Looks like a nice Gibson to me; just not what I'm looking for. Your thoughts? I'd trust the look of the unstained wood inside before what's been stained - but if you have reservations, you might do well to heed your instincts.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62burst Posted April 12, 2017 Author Share Posted April 12, 2017 I'd trust the look of the unstained wood inside before what's been stained - but if you have reservations, you might do well to heed your instincts.... Yes. The Bird in question (pores): Vs: Hard, dense maple (quite white): Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dotneck Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 Looks like maple to me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 Looks like half way between quilted mahogany and quilted maple! Must be the photo. Quilted Mahogany J45: BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buc McMaster Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 I say maple. Though the photo of the "Hummingbird Quilt" label isn't too clear, it does not appear to show the tight vertical grain of mahogany. However, that it shows any vertical grain at all tilts the scale toward mahogany.......vertical grain in maple is not nearly as visible as that in the photo. And it is a bit darker color. Heck it might be mahogany. By the serial number it's a 2000 build if we apply the usual formula to 8-digit Gibson serial numbers........wonder why they have no info in Bozeman on this one. I'd press Bozeman on this issue. One other thing that makes me think "maple" is the model name: Hummingbird Quilt. Other Gibsons I've encountered labeled as "Quilt" were all maple. May be wrong to think if it was in fact mahogany it would named otherwise, perhaps "Hummingbird Mahogany Quilt", to be differentiated from the usual "Quilt" means maple. Guess it doesn't matter too much if you're not seriously considering the purchase............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 . IMO that fleaBay 'Quilt Bird' has figured (quilted) mahogany. Beautiful. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-200 Koa Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 I would say definitely mahogany. As earlier mentioned, when looking through the soundhole, the unfinished wood is brown (mahogany), not the white (maple) color you would see on either flamed or quilted maple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuanCarlosVejar Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 Quilted Mahogony ...For more referwnce see the Martin IZ tenor ukulele JC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliasphobias Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 Quilted mahogany and beautiful. The search continues eh? Good luck 62b. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hall Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 Hey 62, a reminder. The one I have left here at home is from that GC 2007 run. Remember, me saying they are flubber guards and sound like a Hummingbird still. That means not that crisp maple sound you seem to be looking to find. The label says Quilt and does not specify wood. The COA does say quilted maple in the print. *The one you're showing below the maple looks mahogany to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62burst Posted April 12, 2017 Author Share Posted April 12, 2017 Appreciate the replies, all. Yes, Buc, not too gassed over this one; just had never seen a Quilt maple with this sort of finish, and was interested to hear if anyone else had, and to hear any opinions of fellow forumites. BK^7- thanks for posting some other Gibson Quilt mahogany for reference; haven’t seen a Matt from Eddie's for a while, and the Muso’s Friend Private Rez quilt hog was displaying some of the “banding” that mahogany (but quite commonly seen on Sapele) can do. It also had some quilt hog tiger striping going on. Nice guitar, there. Mr. Hall- thanks for the reminder about the ’07 GC Quilts coming with the flubber guard; ‘suppose that could always be removed, rolled up and tucked away, after finding a thin substitute ‘guard. Yes, Alias’; the search continues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 Appreciate the replies, all. BK^7- thanks for posting some other Gibson Quilt mahogany for reference; haven’t seen a Matt from Eddie's for a while, and the Muso’s Friend Private Rez quilt hog was displaying some of the “banding” that mahogany (but quite commonly seen on Sapele) can do. It also had some quilt hog tiger striping going on. Nice guitar, there. As mentioned previously, I played a used maple quilt and a used plain jane (birds) that are for sale at the shop where I got my used Lowden LSE1 recently. They were both about double my Lowden price and I could import a new one for less! Lowden perfect for fingerpicking, bird not much though nice sounds for each. The owner of the shop was handing me guitars :unsure: then left me alone with a row of them on stands while he did some customerising When he came back he asked me which bird I preferred and I said - the standard for the sound, the quilt for the beautiful burst but apart from that is was as close as 2 guitars in a batch... maple a tad brighter, zingy. BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slimt Posted April 13, 2017 Share Posted April 13, 2017 John Walker told me a long time ago,... Top grade Blister Quilted mohagany is just so rare and hard to come by.. Both birds look maple.. quilted mohagany Martin. I knew I had one here some where.. :) Dont forget there are a couple varieties of Maple.. Silver maple which is white.. and a German tan Maple .. darker grain..( which I prefer for Blister quilts) Im sure there are other spieces out there.. but this is what Gibson has used for a long time.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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