Swoop Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 I've got some cash in pocket after selling my Les Paul Custom, and am thinking of picking up a nice, but affordable acoustic. I've been playing more clean stuff on electric recently, especially since getting my Deluxe Mexican Stratocaster, which sounds quite acoustic-esque on the clean channel. And I do love the tone of a nice acoustic, and would like to play more acoustic songs. So I thought I'd pickup a Hummingbird. I played one a while back and loved it. It was beautifully made, beautifully finished, and sounded gorgeous. Just wondering though where I might be able to pick up a bone saddle for it that's made to fit, as well as some bone bridge pins, just to replace the stock plastic one and improve the tone that much more. StewMac? Allparts? Also, what are some good clip in pickups should I want to plug it in for a bit more volume? I've seen this Seymour Duncan one at StewMac that seems pretty good. Anyone had any experience or have any knowledge on these? http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Pickups:_Guitar,_acoustic/Seymour_Duncan_Acoustic_Tube_Pickup.html I'm quite looking forward to it, and might even swing by the store on Wednesday while I'm nearby and pick it up then. Will be one of very few brand new guitars I've ever bought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Buffalo Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 First thing I'd do is take a closer look - my new (MIC) Hummingbird appears to have a bone nut & (compensated) bone saddle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Buffalo Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 It needed a set-up - the action from the factory was really high - they set it up for me while I waited - it plays & sounds great. I don't regret buying it. I too am thinking of putting a pickup in mine, although I also have this: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meanstreak1281734111 Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 I bought a used Hummingbird a few weeks ago, it came with this Fishman pickup with the plug installed at the end pin. Sounds pretty good to me! This pic was taken the day I bought it, the guy had put it in upside down! I've turned it around and can't complain about the sound at all! I use Gibson Masterbuilt 12's BTW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swoop Posted October 6, 2009 Author Share Posted October 6, 2009 I seem to recall posts before about replacing the stock plastic saddle, pins and nut with bone ones. The natural finish would be a limited edition finish would it not? Perhaps that's also why it has bone parts as stock. I'll definitely check it out to make sure though, don't want to go replacing things unnecessarily. My local store no longer has these on sale for $499NZ. I emailed one of the managers about it, who is in charge of pricing it seems, and apparently that price was a bit of a blunder as it's not much more than what they get them in for! They're currently $699 on sale from $799, which is a bit hefty if you ask me. But I've negotiated and the guy is going to throw in a free Warwick acoustic Rockcase for it, which I had every intention of buying anyway if I was to get the guitar for $499, so it works out much the same. There are other places I could go to I suppose, such as online dealers, but I'd rather go through the proper channels, get a warranty and all of that. I've heard great things about the Fishman pickups. I might have to look into them. The Neo-D ones are pretty reasonably priced I think. I don't know much about acoustic pickups. What, if any, is the tonal difference between the single coil and humbucking Fishman Neo-D pickup, or acoustic pickups in general? I don't suppose it's anything like electric guitar pickups, where humbuckers tend to be hot and powerful, but single coils are more vintagey and rounded? EDIT: Well, that's pretty much how Fishman describe the difference in their single coil and humbucking Neo-D's. I think I'll go for the single coil for that more rounded tone. I think it will be more of an authentic reproduction of the acoustic sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EpiSheriMan Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 First thing I'd do is take a closer look - my new (MIC) Hummingbird appears to have a bone nut & (compensated) bone saddle. That doesn't look like a bone saddle to me Buffalo, it looks exactly like my plastic compensated saddle on my new hummingbird - before I replaced it. Bottom line is,....Epi don't sell these guitars with bone nuts/saddles so if yours was brand new and from a dealer, they will be plastic... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Buffalo Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 Conventional wisdom + simple economics says it's gotta be plastic. Thing is, it feels like bone (I have a bone saddle blank to compare it to). Bone or plastic, it plays & sounds great, so I won't be replacing it any time soon. As for pickups, I'm thinking of trying a Dean Markley ProMag Plus - I haven't tried one yet, but I do know you just put it in when you need it, and take it out when you don't, with no modifications to the guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwalin Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 anyone thinking of a soundhole pickup needs to try the LR Baggs M1. they have a passive model and an active model. Check out the videos on their website... Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ship of fools Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 No offence is meant to Stewmac, but if you are going to do it then at least do it right. http://www.guitarsaddles.com/gen_info.asp and get the right size Bob really knows his stuff and the correct size as he does this instead of everything in the world, not to say someone at Stewmac might not know.Ship Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueyonder Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 Glad I found this thread. I'm just getting back into playing and have my sights set on a Dot right now, but I intend to get a new acoustic shortly after. I'm looking at a Hummingbird right now 1) because I've always kind of had a yen for one and 2) I'd like to have something with a little deeper tone than the El Cheapo, hand-me-down Dean acoustic I currently own. Now I have a pretty good idea of what kind of upgrades it will need and how to get better sound out of it. You guys are awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freak show Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 No offence is meant to Stewmac' date=' but if you are going to do it then at least do it right. http://www.guitarsaddles.com/gen_info.asp and get the right size Bob really knows his stuff and the correct size as he does this instead of everything in the world, not to say someone at Stewmac might not know.Ship[/quote'] For what it's worth, I would go with Stewmac. I've actually tried both, and I wasn't really impressed with Colosi's work, especially considering the fact that he charges three or four times what Stewmac does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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