There is an "acoustic in your head" perfect guitar after all...

[MissouriPicker]

On 1/24/2023 at 10:35 AM, tpbiii said:

In my experience, what constitutes an extraordinary guitar for an individual is subjective and is framed by musical goals and abilities.  But for many people, it is also framed by genre and the communities associated with those genres.  My late wife and I were very involved with the Georgia mountain bluegrass community (40 years), the "folk" revival community (60 years) and the singer songwriter community (less intensively, 20 years).  The first two at their core are acoustic music -- we almost never plugged in.  The first was the one is most intensively involved in old power guitars,  the second used generally much less powerful guitars, and the last like Taylors.  I don't have any Taylors.

After our mild folky beginnings, we struggled mightily for 35 + years the achieve the  power, speed, and "high lonesome" singing style of traditional bluegrass -- we never made it.  I don't have a lot of recording of our bluegrass stuff -- it was too hard to record it in my basement.  But I do have a few shows where a recording was made of the board.  Her is one from a jam show in 2012 in Lockeport Nova Scotia.

Not a broadly popular style.  We use a lot of folk materials in bluegrass, but with BG keys and speed.   Here is an example using 62 HB,  Also not a popular style.

It is not true that all of our 60s era Gibsons were mild and under-powered.  This weird 65 F-25 is really raw, in-you-face example with 30s power. 

Here is a folk song with the 65 Dove at a folk key

One more with the 62 HB and mountain harmony.

 

Best,

-Tom

I love this kind of stuff!  Thank you.

[babydaddymusic]

4 hours ago, rustystrings said:

The whole quest for Excalibur is a strange thing.  I think you chose the right guitar, and to my ears the HB was the best one - in your hands.  Though the standard J-45 ticked a lot of boxes with me, but that particular HB in your hands was lovely.

I spent years chasing the perfect guitar, first playing primal roots rock and rockabilly, then playing solo acoustic gigs.  I had a bunch of Telecasters of varying vintages, multiple Gretsches, assorted vintage Gibson flattops, several archtops, a steel-bodied National Duolian, both used and new Taylors, and lots and lots of Guilds.  In the end, it was while looking for a single-pickup archtop that I stumbled onto MY J-45, which announced itself as such the moment I touched it.  And 16 years later I still marvel at how it sounds under my hands, I still feel better every time I settle it against me to start playing, I still delay putting it away, and I still feel a little sad when I have to put it back in its case.

May you have the same enjoyment of your new Hummingbird!

Thank you! It's funny a few weeks ago my guy at the shop stopped what he was doing and came into the playing room and said "that's your guitar" when I started playing this. I guess he was onto something. I also love that standard J45- 

I didn't video capture this, but once the store thinned out a little, I went back and quietly sang some tunes on the HB and that's what really sealed the deal for me. As a singer-songwriter that was the big thing for me. I have a tenor(ish) voice and the HB clears the way for me. 

Great story here: way back when I got a 66 Cherry Red 1966 ES 335 for a crazy deal, then my dad left and I ultimately had to sell it. I never got over it. That guitar made anyone who picked up elevate to a new dimension. 

This last June I turned 50 and my closest friends threw a weekend at my buddy's mountain house. They surprised me with a 1966 ES 335 TD. I was so shocked that I couldn't speak, and even typing this now, I have tears in my eyes. When I picked it up for the first time I wrote one of the best songs I have ever written. 

I feel that way about the HB-

I have it on layaway - I told my wife I wasn't going to buy anything that day, but I did put money down on it. One of my two have sold and the other should be final tomorrow afternoon. Lord willing I will pick this baby up on Friday afternoon!

Edited January 25, 2023 by babydaddymusic

[Twang Gang]

I think you made the right choice based on what I heard in your recordings.  The Bird just sounded better in your hands than the other two.  I may be prejudiced as I have a Hummingbird Original myself, and loved it so much that when a maple version became available I snapped it up as well.  Now my problem is deciding which to pull out on any given day.

[babydaddymusic]

4 minutes ago, Twang Gang said:

I think you made the right choice based on what I heard in your recordings.  The Bird just sounded better in your hands than the other two.  I may be prejudiced as I have a Hummingbird Original myself, and loved it so much that when a maple version became available I snapped it up as well.  Now my problem is deciding which to pull out on any given day.

Thank you! Nice little duo you have there

[E-minor7]

3 very fine Gibsons. Though the 45 Std. is a bit mushy, that and the Bird are favorites here.  Not hard you understand you chose the latter. Sounds fantastico - what strings ?

The guy under the hat grooves with the guitar too. Everything he says lay in time with your playing, , , and 1 line even hits the tune/tone.  

[zombywoof]

All were very nice sounding guitars as I would expect from Gibson.   Admittedly though while I have played a ton of slope shoulder jumbos birthed during pretty much every decade of their existence, I have not spent near enough time with Hummingbirds to recognize a "best of the breed" instrument when I heard it.  

Filming yourself though was interesting.  I only fingerpick but never pay attention to what my right hand is doing.  But after watching the videos I decided to take a good look at it.  Apparently, I rarely anchor my pinky and play a bit more percussively while moving hand between the end of the fingerboard extension and the bridge which I figure along with how hard my fingers strike the strings plays a role in the attack I hear.  Where I learned all this stuff though I do not have  clue.  But has been said your style is as much a matter of your limitations as it is your strengths.  And Lawdy knows I got plenty of the former.

Edited January 27, 2023 by zombywoof

[Sgt. Pepper]

11 hours ago, E-minor7 said:

3 very fine Gibsons. Though the 45 Std. is a bit mushy, that and the Bird are favorites here.  Not hard you understand you chose the latter. Sounds fantastico - what strings ?

The guy under the hat grooves with the guitar too. Everything he says lay in time with your playing, , , and 1 line even hits the tune/tone.  

Can you explain to me why you want a guitar that sounds a bit mushy? I don't get it. With all the praise that is heaped on the J-45 and you describe the guitar like that? So is mushy what your going for?

Not trying to be a jerk, but mushy was your words.

Edited January 27, 2023 by Sgt. Pepper