epi/gibby hummingbird

[tartanbeastie]

just a quick question to those who have played both the epiphon and gibson hummingbirds. did you notice a significant difference in sound? build quality and overall playability?

[TheLastCrowOnTheWire]

nope.

[cunningham26]

i've played gibsons and own an epi. obviously the finish on the gibson is a lot nicer, but that's just the surface of things ( ba dum dum)

 

i think the gibson IIRC is actually a little smaller than the epi version. the epi is a little brighter with some tingyness if you get what I'm saying. my epi out of the box didn't sound all that great, but going on 2 years with some pretty good gauge strings (martins) it's warmed up and the mids are coming through a little better. whereas the gibson sounds good in many different places, I've found my epi version sounds good in some but not others. I think with these solid top mid level acoustics, strings, picks picking etc have a lot to do with either pushing it over the top towards a rich sound or keeping it just below with a sort of flat sound.

 

if that makes any sense. play em side by side. the finish on the gibson one though can't be beat by an epi factory

[Guest icantbuyafender]

the gibby will be warm out of the box, the epi will take some warming up to get there.

 

the finish on the epi is heavier, and not as pricey.... it wont age as well as the gibby.

 

all in all... Ive played both side by side, and unless you have amazing ears, you cant tell tooo much difference... and youll save like $3000. Plus, once you mic the thing with a soundhole pickup, you cant tell the difference.

[meanstreak1281734111]

the gibby will be warm out of the box' date=' the epi will take some warming up to get there.

 

the finish on the epi is heavier, and not as pricey.... it wont age as well as the gibby.

 

all in all... Ive played both side by side, and unless you have amazing ears, you cant tell tooo much difference... and youll save like $3000. Plus, once you mic the thing with a soundhole pickup, you cant tell the difference.[/quote']

 

I'd have to disagree! I love my Epi Hummingbird like crazy, and it's an awesome guitar, but even when miked up with the soundhole pickup it just not as amazing as the Gibson. But for the money it's a total steal, no doubt about that. If you are looking for an Epi that is in league with a Gibson sound it's gotta be the masterbilt line IMHO.

[cunningham26]

I'd have to disagree! I love my Epi Hummingbird like crazy' date=' and it's an awesome guitar, but even when miked up with the soundhole pickup it just not as amazing as the Gibson. But for the money it's a total steal, no doubt about that. If you are looking for an Epi that is in league with a Gibson sound it's gotta be the masterbilt line IMHO. [/quote']

 

i agree with you, much as i'd love to say that the epi is on par with it (the way I do with all epi electrics for the most part) you can't say it with the acoustics. the epi hbird is a great guitar and a great deal, and maybe miked up or pickup installed or whatever you can change the tone, but acoustically, gibson still has em beat.

 

on the point of the masterbilt, i walked into GC with the intention of getting the solid top, rosewood back and side slope shouldered masterbilt. well, they didn't have it, they had the dreadnaught with mahogany. ok, i'll give it a swing. finish is really light, which is cool, but overall the whole thing felt really thin. it had a better range of sound than the hbird, higher highs and lower lows, but just wasn't all that great a tone and really unbalanced with almost no midsection. granted it was in GC with epi strings, so who knows, but i walked out with an hbird and haven't regretted it. it's got a jarring cherryburst that's gobbed on in heaps, but after pounding on it for 6 months to break it in, I'm actually surprised how good it sounds, and I love going in GC now and playing a new one to hear the difference two years makes.

[deflepfan]

Not to throw a wrench in the conversation, but, when I was looking for an acoustic, I found that the Epi Dove got far better reviews than the Epi Bird. A lot of these reviews where also written by people who were comparing the Epi Bird to the Gibby Bird, and they said to go witht he Epi Dove.

 

Just saying.

Sheila

[meanstreak1281734111]

i agree with you' date=' much as i'd love to say that the epi is on par with it (the way I do with all epi electrics for the most part) you can't say it with the acoustics. the epi hbird is a great guitar and a great deal, and maybe miked up or pickup installed or whatever you can change the tone, but acoustically, gibson still has em beat.

 

on the point of the masterbilt, i walked into GC with the intention of getting the solid top, rosewood back and side slope shouldered masterbilt. well, they didn't have it, they had the dreadnaught with mahogany. ok, i'll give it a swing. finish is really light, which is cool, but overall the whole thing felt really thin. it had a better range of sound than the hbird, higher highs and lower lows, but just wasn't all that great a tone and really unbalanced with almost no midsection. granted it was in GC with epi strings, so who knows, but i walked out with an hbird and haven't regretted it. it's got a jarring cherryburst that's gobbed on in heaps, but after pounding on it for 6 months to break it in, I'm actually surprised how good it sounds, and I love going in GC now and playing a new one to hear the difference two years makes.[/quote']

 

 

Ya I wish you could try out my 94 H-Bird, it sounds sssooooo much better than the new ones off the wall at GC. Surprised the masterbilt you played wasn't up to snuff though! I love my AJ-500M like crazy, but I will say it a very deep almost bassy sound (which I love) and is very different from the bird.

[meanstreak1281734111]

Not to throw a wrench in the conversation' date=' but, when I was looking for an acoustic, I found that the Epi Dove got far better reviews than the Epi Bird. A lot of these reviews where also written by people who were comparing the Epi Bird to the Gibby Bird, and they said to go witht he Epi Dove.

 

Just saying.

Sheila[/quote']

 

I'm going to print your comment off and leave it laying around for when I buy a new Dove and the wife moans about it! I've been seriously thinking about it lately. The Gibson fund is hovering around $800 so the new Dove would only bring it back down to around $500, which is still a good start towards a Gibson!

[AldoMcD1]

Ya I wish you could try out my 94 H-Bird' date=' it sounds sssooooo much better than the new ones off the wall at GC. Surprised the masterbilt you played wasn't up to snuff though! I love my AJ-500M like crazy, but I will say it a very deep almost bassy sound (which I love) and is very different from the bird. [/quote']

 

Agreed about the older Hummingbirds.

I have a 1996 Hummingbird - sounds (& looks) better than the current ones available.

 

The models from the mid 90s have a lot of features which differ to the current versions out on the market.

Mine has the Gibson-esq Ivory tuning pegs and not the cheaper looking chrome effect tuners. It also features the sharper looking Epiphone logo and not the blocky style font.

 

The Cherry Sunburst finish on the guitar reaches out to the shoulders which gives a fuller more complete look from the front like the Gibsons. In comparison, the current Hummingbirds finish around the strings pegs at the base of the guitar. 

 

With regards to the Epiphone Dove, I own an EJ200, Hummingbird and a Dove.

The Dove (in my opinion) is the weakest of the three.

[meanstreak1281734111]

Agreed about the older Hummingbirds.

I have a 1996 Hummingbird - sounds (& looks) better than the current ones available.

 

The models from the mid 90s have a lot of features which differ to the current versions out on the market.

Mine has the Gibson-esq Ivory tuning pegs and not the cheaper looking chrome effect tuners. It also features the sharper looking Epiphone logo and not the blocky style font.

 

The Cherry Sunburst finish on the guitar reaches out to the shoulders which gives a fuller more complete look from the front like the Gibsons. In comparison' date=' the current Hummingbirds finish around the strings pegs at the base of the guitar. 

 

With regards to the Epiphone Dove, I own an EJ200, Hummingbird and a Dove.

The Dove (in my opinion) is the weakest of the three.

 

 

[/quote']

 

ya they are so much better looking if you ask me! I like how the pickguard is a a bit larger too, more like theGibson.

 

I don't know if you remember but you posted up pics back in the summer of your bird for me, it convinced me to forget about buying a new one and look around for an older one instead. I found my 1994 in Essex for sale not long after (I was living in Hertfordshire the last three years.) It had a fishman pickup installed with plug at the end pin, a 3 inch padded gigbag, a DSL leather strap, 2 cables, a Tascam guitar trainer and an oasis chordbook for just £130. It did have some issue with the fretboard coming loose from the neck, so I took it to a luthier for that to get fixed plus get a bone nut and saddle installed all for £100. Not a bad package for an overall cost of £230! I bought an Epi E-Dread case and was able to carry it on board the plane with British Airways and store it in the flight attendant coat locker to bring it home to Texas in December.

[AldoMcD1]

ya they are so much better looking if you ask me! I like how the pickguard is a a bit larger too' date=' more like theGibson.

 

I don't know if you remember but you posted up pics back in the summer of your bird for me, it convinced me to forget about buying a new one and look around for an older one instead. I found my 1994 in Essex for sale not long after (I was living in Hertfordshire the last three years.) It had a fishman pickup installed with plug at the end pin, a 3 inch padded gigbag, a DSL leather strap, 2 cables, a Tascam guitar trainer and an oasis chordbook for just £130. It did have some issue with the fretboard coming loose from the neck, so I took it to a luthier for that to get fixed plus get a bone nut and saddle installed all for £100. Not a bad package for an overall cost of £230! I bought an Epi E-Dread case and was able to carry it on board the plane with British Airways and store it in the flight attendant coat locker to bring it home to Texas in December.[/quote']

 

Yeah, I remember those posts.

That was a great deal you got on the guitar.

 

I paid around £210 for mine back in 2006.

It came with a hard case and already had an under-saddle pickup installed with the jack plug at the bottom pin / strap button.

 

I actually saw a 1994 Hummingbird go for just under £400 on eBay recently.

[andy59]

I just bought a new Epi Hummingbird today for $350 at Best Buy as a starter guitar for my wife. The Gibson bird was hanging just above it but with a price tag of $2950 or so. Didn't try the Gibson since that is more than I paid for the rest of my guitars put together.

[Aster1]

I just bought a new Epi Hummingbird today for $350 at Best Buy ...

 

Don't tell me that they can sell Epiphone Guitars as well as being the experts on stoves' date=' dishwasher and washing machines. Not to even mention knowing everything and the last word on Home Theaters or Audio equipment.

Not !

 

I'm hoping you mean some place like GC or MFriend etc and not BEST BUY. Have mercy on the music business if they get into that. Maybe they can add grocery items and maybe socks and underwear too. ;)

 

I have to say of all my Epiphone Guitars, EJ-200CE, H Bird, Dove, and I.B. Texan, the Dove is by far my favorite to play. Nice clean, bright ring, excellent action, ( after I carved me a bone bridge and changed the pins). Not great like a Gibby Dove, but still my favorite of the gits under $1000. Took about 6 months of playing to really get to playing great. I just noticed it really starting to sound and play great after I took it out to play after it had about 2 weeks rest and it hasn't let up yet. I've had it a year now.

 

I just played at my dealer a Made in the USA (Bozeman MT) Real Hummingbird and it was, IMHO, Excellent in every detail to me. The fit and finish was beautiful, and felt great with the neck. The sound was much better, didn't hook up to an amp, than my MIC Epiphone Hummingbird. No doubt about it. Yes, it was ticketed for $2700 and I could buy it for maybe $2295. I'm giving some serious thought to selling several of my MIC gits and owning just the Gibson Bird and a Gibson Dove. I have a 1972 Guild F-47 that would round out the mix of those two. Don't know if I'll do it, but maybe. I'd keep those three the rest of my playing days.

 

Aster

[pohatu771]

Plus' date=' once you mic the thing with a soundhole pickup, you cant tell the difference.[/quote']

Personally, I find that once you use a soundhole pickup on any guitar you can't tell the difference. I'm not a fan.

 

Mics for the studio, combination of a mic and the undersaddle pickup for live work.

[nazereen]

what do you thnk about casino from unsung..

[jonny_2_owls]

I owned a 2006 Gibson Hummingbird and very very sadly had to sell it to pay for repairs on my car last year, so here's my opinion.

 

I think in terms of build quality, finish etc the Gibson was way way above the Epi. The pickguard was much nicer too.

 

The sound was great but I wouldn't have said it was £1200 better than the Epi. Mine sounded like it needed a little more time to "open up". But the basis of a great sound was there, and it would've only got better.

 

The Epis I've played have all been new models in shops and they have sounded ok but always a little lifeless, that could maybe be something to do with shop strings. I personally have found the finish too thick and plasticy! I tried a couple of Inspired By Macca Texan's last weekend and found them to be the same, a bit dull and lifeless with a thick poly finish. Good value though.

 

I wouldn't buy the Gibson standard H/bird again unless I got one for a good price, I'd consider saving for the "True Vintage" model which does sound/feel/look amazing but £2000 is a lot of money!!!

 

After all that I do think a good Epi is fantastic value for money.