Mid 2000s hummingbird questions

[Rosinante]

Can anyone help me figure out  what year TV Hummingbirds were introduced?  I have seen a 2007 with an orange label and tulip tuners but am not sure if it is a historic, TV or just a regular  07 standard.  Anything specific to look for?  Thanks 

 

[Paul14]

1 hour ago, static111 said:

Can anyone help me figure out  what year TV Hummingbirds were introduced?  I have seen a 2007 with an orange label and tulip tuners but am not sure if it is a historic, TV or just a regular  07 standard.  Anything specific to look for?  Thanks 

 

I have a 2005 J-45 . The label is orange, & says Historic Collection. Also has a custom shop sticker on the back of the headstock that says the same.

i don’t know if this is consistent with all Historic's or not? 

[Jinder]

TVs have engraved pickguards, tulips, orange labels, no pickup and a more "hand rubbed" lacquer finish with a faded burst that's somewhere between a '60s cherry burst and the amberish honeyburst of the later Modern Classic/Standard Hummingbirds. 

The Historic Collection HBs have the same appointments but generally with a more vibrant cherry burst and high gloss lacquer. 

The Modern Classics (which the HCs became from around 2007 onwards, I had one of the very first ones) had white labels, the "flubber" pickguard with the motif printed underneath, a Baggs Element pickup as standard and chrome Rotomatic tuners, high gloss lacquer and the signature amber honeyburst.

[Rosinante]

16 hours ago, Jinder said:

TVs have engraved pickguards, tulips, orange labels, no pickup and a more "hand rubbed" lacquer finish with a faded burst that's somewhere between a '60s cherry burst and the amberish honeyburst of the later Modern Classic/Standard Hummingbirds. 

The Historic Collection HBs have the same appointments but generally with a more vibrant cherry burst and high gloss lacquer. 

The Modern Classics (which the HCs became from around 2007 onwards, I had one of the very first ones) had white labels, the "flubber" pickguard with the motif printed underneath, a Baggs Element pickup as standard and chrome Rotomatic tuners, high gloss lacquer and the signature amber honeyburst.

Jinder

thanks for the info would it be safe to say that the Historic and TV are basically the same aside from the finish?  Finally have the money for a nice acoustic and really want to figure all this out.  The next question for myself is, find a good used J-45 of which I have had several and loved through the years or bite the bullet and try something new that I’ve always wanted and get a good used Bird......

[Rosinante]

Some additional information on this guitar I’m looking at.    Has an Orange label, does not have custom shop or historic collection decal on the back of headstock, gold keystone tuners, serial number on back of headstock matches with 2007,  does not have a pickup, called Gibson but they have no additional info,  sold by a reputable dealer....I’m sure it’s a legit Gibson but just unsure of what actual model it is.

Edited July 31, 2019 by static111
Clarity

[Jinder]

On 7/31/2019 at 2:50 AM, static111 said:

Jinder

thanks for the info would it be safe to say that the Historic and TV are basically the same aside from the finish?  Finally have the money for a nice acoustic and really want to figure all this out.  The next question for myself is, find a good used J-45 of which I have had several and loved through the years or bite the bullet and try something new that I’ve always wanted and get a good used Bird......

 

I THINK (although I'm not sure) that the TV had forward shifted bracing as opposed to the standard bracing of the MC/Standard. Personally, I'm in two minds as to whether forward shifted bracing is necessarily BETTER than standard bracing, or just different. I like my AJ and D18GE well enough (both have forward shifted bracing) but I love my other normally braced acoustics just as much. I sometimes think that standard bracing is more even in terms of response and a bit more forgiving dynamically.

[fortyearspickn]

The H'bird TVs   have  "Hummingbird TV"   on the model line on the orange label,  no 'Custom Shop" anywhere and tulip  tuners. The pick guard is  translucent and you can feel the markings of the design - as Jinder said, it's engraved.   Mine is a 2010  FWIW. 

Edited August 5, 2019 by fortyearspickn
add info

[jchabalk]

I have a J-45 built to TV spec that preceded the TV series J-45 by a few months. there are a few other people on the forum that have ones similar to mine.

My guitar was built in late 2008 and i think the TV series came out the following year - 2009. I don't know if the J-45, HB, and SJ-200 all came out at the same time or not but it was pretty close. I'm no expert on the different runs they've done but i think the Historic Collection preceded TV, and then "Vintage" came after TV. 

From my looking around also I've found that the label color means something - but doesn't necessarily mean anything.

 

EDIT: On the orange label of my guitar is simply says, "J-45" It's got an Adi top, the same burst and coloring as the TV did a few months later, the vintage tuners and a factory bone nut. The headstock has the script logo and the "only a gibson is good enough" stamp. No custom shop logo on the back of the headstock - and it's a great guitar.

Edited August 6, 2019 by jchabalk