New Hummingbird (to me) sounded dead but......

[KingJames78]

I recently purchased this bird from Reverb.   I've had the guitar for 8 days now.  When I received it, it had medium strings on it and it just sounded muffled to me.

I decided to change them to lights after a couple days ( i read online that the new Gibsons ship with lights and they are recommended). 

Still after changing them , the guitar still sounded dead.

The string action on the Low E was a bit high for my liking so I tightened the truss rod a bit.  Still sounded a bit dead though.

I recently changed picks from the purple Dunlops 1.14s and blue Dunlop 1.0s to the yellow Dunlops 0.73s and orange Dunlops 0.60s.   Was better but still not there.

Just today I took the guitar out of the case and WOW, it sounds so much better now.

Perhaps it needed a week to acclimate??

Morale of the story- If you dont like your tone, dont be afraid to change things up and try new stuff.  

Im happy with my bird now!  It sings!

 

 

Edited August 23, 2023 by KingJames78

[Pimouss]

May your ears have adapted to its sound ? 

[KingJames78]

22 minutes ago, Pimouss said:

May your ears have adapted to its sound ? 

No, it definitely resonates much more.

I have an old alvarez that was my prior acoustic and it was much louder.  Now its very close.   I still have them both to compare.

Edited August 23, 2023 by KingJames78

[E-minor7]

1 hour ago, Pimouss said:

May your ears have adapted to its sound ? 

Good and obvious Q, but apparently no.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Okay then - glad the guitar moved in KingJ's direction and would like to know if you KJ78 had played other examples of the model before receiving the one above. 

   Anyway, , , let's hear how it develops. If you met each other after 8 days you might merge into 1 after 8 months, , , not to mention years.   

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                           P.S. - Don't forget it actually take an acoustic guitar 8 years to open up - from there it begins. . . .

[Gasman]

Great looking Bird!

[zombywoof]

Or maybe it is Laws of Psychoacoustics.  

[Sgt. Pepper]

I just put a difference string brand on both of my 000’s and they sound horrible. I’m going back to the D’addario XS’s as soon as these wear out. 

[E-minor7]

 

2 hours ago, zombywoof said:

Or maybe it is Laws of Psychoacoustics.  

And that law-book itself is always pretty intereztinnggg. .  

[Murph]

One man's dead is another man's woody...

[E-minor7]

1 hour ago, Murph said:

One man's dead is another man's woody...

One man's Guthrie is another man's Allen. 

[zombywoof]

9 hours ago, E-minor7 said:

 

And that law-book itself is always pretty intereztinnggg. .  

All that needs to be written is the first of those Laws which is they affect everybody but you.

Edited August 24, 2023 by zombywoof

[Murph]

29 minutes ago, E-minor7 said:

One man's Guthrie is another man's Allen. 

 

And so it goes...

[the other side]

10 hours ago, E-minor7 said:

 

And that law-book itself is always pretty intereztinnggg. .  

That's the text one must read between the pages.

[DanvillRob]

I've changed the strings and changed picks hundreds of times over the years.....I still play crappily!    (is that even a word?)

[fortyearspickn]

1 hour ago, DanvillRob said:

I've changed the strings and changed picks hundreds of times over the years.....I still play crappily!    (is that even a word?)

Yep.  I can't say any brand of string or pick has ever 'inspired' me to play better.   A good guitar does though!

[PrairieDog]

I’m buying the acclimation thing.  Somebody mentioned in another thread that it takes a bit of playing for the top to flex up again after being shelved for a while.  Maybe it was a combo of adjusting to the new conditions and you played enough to finally work the kinks out… Now I kinda regret not giving more of a chance to the “dead” J 45 I tried at GC.  It might have been like a dog at the pound, just cowering in the corner depressed, until somebody chances giving it a new home.   Hope it continues the upward glide for you.  Have fun! 

Edited August 24, 2023 by PrairieDog

[fortyearspickn]

Em7,    that picture of the 'Open Book'...   if you stare at it long enough....    Well, never mind.