Comparing the Hummingbird Modern Classic and True Vintage. Help please.

[Crazy Joe]

Hi all, I live in the UK (out in the sticks) and don't have the opportunity to play either version of this guitar. I have played Hummingbirds in the past (never owned my own though) and really need some advice on the different qualities of both instruments. I play a lot of acoustic gigs and ideally need a pick up so the Modern Classic seems like the sensible option but while my head leans in that direction my heart is leaning towards the True Vintage version. I strum, flatpick and fingerpick. I've heard that the MC is a more durable instrument for regular gigging but that the TV will age better than the MC. I'm absolutely torn and I could really do with some quality advice. Thanks in advance.

[Jinder]

They'll both age beautifully-whoever told you that the TV will age better or quicker than the MC is just plain wrong!

 

They do sound different, but not much. A friend and fellow working musician I know owns a TV, and, up until recently I owned an MC (sold due to shoulder injury necessitating a smaller guitar), and in the past we spent many a long and wine-fuelled night debating the differences and comparing the two, and there was never really much in it at all.

 

The MC is very slightly more heavily braced, but not much, and features Grover Rotomatic machineheads (heavy duty and very durable, I use them on all my touring instruments) a great pickup (LR Baggs Element Active), again which I use in my roadgoing guitars, a tougher scratchplate (the decals/design are printed UNDER the plastic rather than atop it as in the TV, which always leads to the TV guards losing their design after regular heavy use), and a more "businesslike" approach.

 

The TV is built as light as a feather, which is nice, has an old-school (and rather heavy, compared to the sturdy yet manageable TKL case that comes with the MC) case, Kluson style machineheads (which, in my experience, don't hold up to heavy touring-I wore out three entire sets on my SJ200 before I switched to Rotomatics), and a nice bone saddle (which you'd probably want to switch out for Tusq if you fit a UST).

 

For me, if you gig regularly, it's a no-brainer...the MC is the guitar for you. Being short-scale and slightly more beefily braced, you can whack a set of 13s on it, still have an eminently playable guitar with no structural worries and yet have monster tone on toast.

 

Good luck and let us know what you choose!