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SJ200, Dove or Hummingbird?


Jinder

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My Hummer (well, the Hummer I have on loan after I sold it) and SJ200 are fantastic, but I have played some splendid Doves recently, there's just something so usable about that big ol' tone and long scale, plus they look so delicious. I had one, which my band got as part of our endorsement deal, but in the band context it suited my bandmate's parts more, so I now use the Hummingbird and SJ200.

 

I miss the Dove though, and would love to have another one for my solo work. Such a fun guitar to play, too. Perhaps not as subtle and gentle as the Hummingbird, but bigger and more goodtime-y. If they were ladies (or men, depending on your preference), you'd have a poster of the Hummingbird on your bedroom wall, but you'd marry the Dove.

 

I should mention at this point that I really haven't had enough sleep!

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I voted for the Hummingbird. I had a Dove (since been sold), it was a great guitar but I had to scale down and the Dove was not being played regularly. In general I prefer mahogany or rosewood over maple, while the Dove had thunderous and sweet tones, I found the tone a little bit invisible for my taste. I should also add that my Hummingbird is a rare long-scale model - not sure how this improves the tone over a regular short-scale Bird, but it gave me a like-baseline to compare the Bird and Dove.

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The problem with this kind of a poll is that it is an "all things being equal" sort of question but all things are NEVER equal. All things are variable. So what is best is a moment to moment kind of things. A couple of years ago everybody was buying $50,000 SUV's using home equity loans. Then the housing market crashed and gas went to $5/gallon and Ford and Chrysler closed SUV/truck plants. Auto dealers went broke and closed too. Once upon a time the VW Beetle was a $1700 car that got 30 mpg and could hold 4 big people. Things change. Variables vary. Guitars come in many brands, many colors and many configurations and then you can continue to change them all the time you own them (after market add ons, etc).

 

One thing that is absolutely certain: a guitar is worth exactly what a willing seller will sell it for to a willing buyer. At that moment in time that is exactly what that guitar is worth. BUT IMMEDIATELY the value of the guitar changes and the new owner may have entirely different valuation and would not sell it for twice as much or may have to pawn it for grocery money. It is a moving target to say the least.

 

Generally speaking Gibsons, Martins, Taylors (and one or two other well known brands have consistently superior workmanship over decades (70-100-150 years) and so that translates into value (constantly changing value). Same for horns, cars, firearms, planes, boats ... and some cars.

 

How do you feel about your Gibson compared to what other guitars you won (or what you see in stores today)? is it worth MORE or LESS? Why? What factors go it to how you feel about your guitars?

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I have this kinda blingy SJ-200. Some of you have seen it before; i posted some pics after i got it. It was a warranty replacement of a fantastic instrument. I've only had it a few months but it's settled in quite nicely. Running 13s and after a professional setup it's like butter. I don't play it that much though, i'm kind of afraid of it. I have a J45 and that gets the time.

 

I had to vote for an SJ-200 for the best bling though, no question!

 

SJ-200.jpg

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If they were ladies (or men' date=' depending on your preference), you'd have a poster of the Hummingbird on your bedroom wall, but you'd marry the Dove.[/quote']

 

If I'm going to marry a guitar, it's going to be a Firebird Custom and by the looks of things, I'm not getting married anytime soon! In the meanwhile, I will be happy having torrid affairs with my Hummingbirds...

 

Just by the by, and apropos of nothing, "Hazel County" has made my list of one of my favorite 400 songs of all time. What instrument did you use to create that classic?

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Hard to answer for me. I love them all for different things. I've always loved big guitars and the SJ200 is the greatest big guitar. I've always wanted a Hummingbird since I was a kid and I saw a pic of Keith Richards with one, just looked awesome. But then, right now, I really want a Dove more than anything else. So I'm gonna go with the Dove.

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Oh my good god, those are some beautiful SJ200s! Jchabalk, was that pickguard a special order?

 

Matt, you can't go wrong with a Dove. Are you going Gibson or Epi? I owned one alongside my Hummingbird and SJ200 for a while, and it was a sweeeeeet combo. Each guitar filled in the gaps that the others left. I love how different Doves are. Such an alternative looking instrument. I love my Hummingbird, but they are a very popular guitar, whereas the Dove is that wee bit more cliquey and cool.

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Hey Jinder,

 

I know what you mean about the Dove. To me they seem to have something about them that says grrrrrr and yet purrrr at the same time!

It will be a Gibson when the time is right(£$£$£$£$£!). I'm happy with my Epi H'bird as a gigging guitar but the Epi Dove doesn't do it for me at all.

 

Matt

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Can't I crash land on the island on a transporter full of high-end Gibson's, which survive miraculously undamaged? or on an island where there is lots of tropical woods, and I can learn to build guitars?! Am I getting carried away here?

 

FWIW, I went with the SJ200...As a solo instrument, it's magical. But I think, that at this time, I'd wanna take a J45. I know they're blingless, but that's just the way I'm feeling at the mo'. Ask me again soon, and I'd have probably changed my mind...!

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hi there jinder - my guitar was built as a warranty replacement for a custom shop SJ-200. The story of the whole thing is buried somewhere here on the forums. The pickguard was a little something extra they came up with. When i opened the case i felt like a kid on christmas.

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I remember-yours was a Koa '200 that went back for a warranty repair and was damaged in the repair shop, am I right?

 

Looks like the replacement is "the goods" though...that pickguard is jaw-droppingly pretty.

 

I'm glad that the tale ended happily!

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I love 'em all and have one of each. Unfortunately they're all Epiphones, not Gibsons. I need electric guitars for my band and can' t justify the cost for expensive acoustics right now -- maybe when I win the lottery.

 

Hey, did you guys notice that this forum is censoring words like ridiculous and miraculous? Apparently you can't say "culo"! Culo, Culo, Culo!

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I love 'em all and have one of each. Unfortunately they're all Epiphones' date=' not Gibsons. I need electric guitars for my band and can' t justify the cost for expensive acoustics right now -- maybe when I win the lottery.

 

Hey, did you guys notice that this forum is censoring words like ridiculous and miraculous? Apparently you can't say "culo"! Culo, Culo, Culo![/quote']

 

What do you think of the Epi acoustics? I have been toying with getting my mitts on an Epi Dove as a knockabout guitar and one to use for outdoor/festival gigs in case of inclement weather etc. What is your favourite of the Epi acoustics you own?

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