The bird of my dreams - not totally in love with her yet.

[BewilderedPunkRabbit]

Thanks!

[Jerry K]

IMO the hummingbird model has a subtle sound quality which may not grab you by the throat at first but grows on you. For a Gibson acoustic, it's relatively sweet sounding, though not that glassy, refined, round, stately, elegant, rich-in-harmonics sweetness of a Martin. Hey it's a Gibson, so it's gonna be a bit more on the bluesy side, a little rougher edged... Nat Cole as opposed to Martin as Julie Andrews maybe... Hummingbirds have a crispy clarity - with the usual Gibson emphasis on mids - which is ideal for rhythm playing and cuts through other instruments to deliver the rhythm. It is also very complimentary used under vocals, I think. As with a J-45 you can make some great, very full sounding tones fretting near the center of the fretboard, and this clarinet-like quality in that center area will develop.

[BewilderedPunkRabbit]

Thanks Jerry. I've been playing with her a lot those past 2 days and though I miss the projection and harmonic sophistication I found it hard to put it down today - As if I'm mysteriously getting drawn to it its drier mellow tone. It's slowly starting to grow on me I guess.

 

All the opinions I've received so far have been invaluable. It helped me becoming aware of different subleties and learning what to expect from this particular model.

[EuroAussie]

Been away for afew days on Xmas duties so didnt get a chance to get back to this thread, however all the boys and girls have it pretty much covered all the key points.

 

I would just re-emphasisise two more - strings and humidity.

 

Humidity - if you live in Brazil Im guessing the relative humigity (RH) is rather high. If this is the case the high humidity will mellow out your Bird even more and provide more dampenig to an already dempened tone, so make sure you the guitar is not over humidified.

 

Strings - I recommend warm, yet bright strings, if that makes sense. As the Bird has a naturally dampened tone you want to counter this somewhat with strings which are on the brighter side, without being cold. For me Daddarion EXP PB's or Standards work well as they are quite birght for PB's. You can also try 80/20's. Keep you strings relatively fresh as when the bottom E and A start loozing theier sizzle things can get a bit mudddy.

 

And yes, Im the guy with the theory that the thick picguard is what dampens the birghtness to give the Bird the unique 'honey glaze' tone, and Im sticking to my argument ! ;-)

 

All the best, enjoy the most beautiful guitar on the planer and the Gibson Forum's December 'guitar of the month' winner !

[Guth]

Sorry if anyone else has inquired about this elsewhere in this thread and I've missed it...

 

Have you been able to listen to someone else play the guitar for you? For that matter have you yourself played it in front of a reflective surface such as facing a mirror or an unadorned wall? I ask because you keep mentioning projection which often is not directly related to perceived volume. Many times a guitar that sounds quite loud to the player doesn't project as much as one might think and of course the opposite is true as well.

 

Regardless, I'm glad to hear that you're finding qualities in your Hummingbird that are enjoyable to you.

[E-minor7]

When you describe the sound as subdued, I think you hit a nerve. That's exactly my impression and I'd like to hear other voices on the subject. I personally believe this

trait makes the guitar ideal for strumming, but asked the Q. before. How come a lightly braced, scalloped dreadnought guitar appears kind of held back.

The answer is still blowing. . .

 

Hello B. McMaster – are we communicating. . . . If yes, I'd like to hear your take on this. You are an experienced man, have been through a parade of acoustics in your life, can play (and hear) and always are good for an enlightening comment.

Since you have declared yours a definite keeper, I'm also curious about your long term Bird expectations.

 

Strum in fearlessly -

[music4love]

IMO the hummingbird model has a subtle sound quality which may not grab you by the throat at first but grows on you. For a Gibson acoustic, it's relatively sweet sounding, though not that glassy, refined, round, stately, elegant, rich-in-harmonics sweetness of a Martin. Hey it's a Gibson, so it's gonna be a bit more on the bluesy side, a little rougher edged... Nat Cole as opposed to Martin as Julie Andrews maybe... Hummingbirds have a crispy clarity - with the usual Gibson emphasis on mids - which is ideal for rhythm playing and cuts through other instruments to deliver the rhythm. It is also very complimentary used under vocals, I think. As with a J-45 you can make some great, very full sounding tones fretting near the center of the fretboard, and this clarinet-like quality in that center area will develop.

Excellent description. Mine is less than 2 weeks new. I've just spent the last2 hours with her. I find that after about 5 minutes of initial playing in, she really begins to sing those sweet melodies. I always start with heavy strumming to get the top moving and her wings flying. Then I ease into some fingerpicking to enjoy her gentle hum. Honey, as I like to call her responds to the capo like no other guitar that I have ever owned. And I have owned quite a few. These are rare birds indeed.

[Buc McMaster]

Hello B. McMaster – are we communicating. . . . If yes, I'd like to hear your take on this. You are an experienced man, have been through a parade of acoustics in your life, can play (and hear) and always are good for an enlightening comment.

Since you have declared yours a definite keeper, I'm also curious about your long term Bird expectations.

 

My take on my new H'Bird? Oh yeah, it's a keeper.....absolutely the best player I've owned. The fretboard is flat as a pancake and the action is spendid! For me, I think it's the mahogany. I've played rosewood guitars for many years now. Tayor 810, Martin 000-28, SJ200WC, CJ165 and assorted others I can't recall.....all rosewood. (Had a special ordered D-18S many, many years ago I should have kept....nut width was a bit much, though.) All were fine guitars, but the Hummingbird in mahogany has a clarity the others did not. I'm pretty heavy-handed with a guitar and play with a heavy, inflexible pick (not news to most of you). The H'Bird seems to relish this kind of play, and delivers a solid, rock n' roll kind of tone under heavy attack. In the higher registers it has a good midrange bite. From behind the guitar, when choked up with a capo it seems to lose a bit of punch, but recording the guitar says otherwise - the tone stays stong, the voice remains the same - clear and articulate. In sum, it just has that sound that I've heard on recordings all my life. Clear and sweet, not snarly at all. I still want to experiment with strings, and I have a nut/saddle combo I want to try yet, but it's pretty much "right" as it sits.....just the way it came off the wall at the shop. I love it.

[Guth]

Hello B. McMaster... Since you have declared yours a definite keeper, I'm also curious about your long term Bird expectations.

 

If Buc's Hummingbird improves beyond the fantastic sounding instrument that it already is, that's simply going to be icing on top of the icing already on the cake. It's safe to say that I'm highly anticipating more of Buc's video clips of him and his 'bird cranking out the tunes.

[music4love]

Im not sure if its just this past year or what but 2011seemsI to be a wonderful year for Hummingbirds. Both TV and MC models have been excellent straight from the factory. I think its safe to say that one day these current production birds will be spoken of fondly and perhaps even sought after on the vintage market.

 

I too have been playing and rosewood and maple guitars. But there is a woody airy quality to mahogany that you just don't get with rosewood or maple. Couple that with the short scale, warm, thick, sweet honey tone and Gibson signature sound and you have something special and unique.

 

Nothing else sounds like a Hummingbird. And no one seems to be able to duplicate that unique Gibson voice. I like that.

[EuroAussie]

Nothing else sounds like a Hummingbird. And no one seems to be able to duplicate that unique Gibson voice. I like that.

 

You certainly got that right !

 

Amazes me that while there are dozens of Martin imitators out there nobody has been able to copy or largely borrow from the Gibson voice. Now that is something, and Im also grateful for that !

[E-minor7]

I always start with heavy strumming to get the top moving and her wings flying. Then I ease into some fingerpicking to enjoy her gentle hum.

Sounds like a fine way to warm it up – admit I would like to see a clip of you goin' from the heavy strumming to softer notes.

100 % certain that sequence rocks quite a lot.

 

 

[BewilderedPunkRabbit]

Been away for afew days on Xmas duties so didnt get a chance to get back to this thread, however all the boys and girls have it pretty much covered all the key points.

 

I would just re-emphasisise two more - strings and humidity.

 

Humidity - if you live in Brazil Im guessing the relative humigity (RH) is rather high. If this is the case the high humidity will mellow out your Bird even more and provide more dampenig to an already dempened tone, so make sure you the guitar is not over humidified.

 

Strings - I recommend warm, yet bright strings, if that makes sense. As the Bird has a naturally dampened tone you want to counter this somewhat with strings which are on the brighter side, without being cold. For me Daddarion EXP PB's or Standards work well as they are quite bright for PB's. You can also try 80/20's. Keep you strings relatively fresh as when the bottom E and A start loozing theier sizzle things can get a bit mudddy.

 

And yes, Im the guy with the theory that the thick picguard is what dampens the birghtness to give the Bird the unique 'honey glaze' tone, and Im sticking to my argument ! ;-)

 

All the best, enjoy the most beautiful guitar on the planer and the Gibson Forum's December 'guitar of the month' winner !

 

The pickguard theory was indeed a magnificent insight. I tip my hat to you sir. I'm using Martin Marquis SP 80/20's. Usually I tend to dislike new strings because they're squeaky, ring too much and are too bright (and this because I usually play with fingers only - I strum with nails but pluck with the flesh of the fingertips). Now I find the Hummingbird rather muted without a pick... some snappy zing would be nice. What do you consider to be brighter, Bronze or PBs? I'm even considering trying 11's to get some 'snappiness' but I fear it would sound wimpy.

measure nor

As for the humidity it's often pretty high in Sao Paulo but lately it reached the lower 20's and the whole city was on alert. I never used anything to measure nor control the humidity of my guitar... this whole thing's getting more complex, whahah.

[BewilderedPunkRabbit]

 

Seems to have been a Hummingbird December this year...........

 

Im not sure if its just this past year or what but 2011seemsI to be a wonderful year for Hummingbirds. Both TV and MC models have been excellent straight from the factory. I think its safe to say that one day these current production birds will be spoken of fondly and perhaps even sought after on the vintage market.

 

I too have been playing and rosewood and maple guitars. But there is a woody airy quality to mahogany that you just don't get with rosewood or maple. Couple that with the short scale, warm, thick, sweet honey tone and Gibson signature sound and you have something special and unique.

 

Nothing else sounds like a Hummingbird. And no one seems to be able to duplicate that unique Gibson voice. I like that.

 

 

I think that means we all share a great taste in guitars, isn't it? I wonder how many people who decided on a bird were enticed by this forum... or perhaps it was just a collective conscience thing.

 

Congratulations on your new honeyburst Music4love!

[EuroAussie]

Aha, so youre primarily a picker, thats good to know as I found fingerpicking is the hardest style to really get out of the Bird as most pickers like a bit more of a fuller, brighter tone. I found the Bird' excels at strumming and flapicking, but needs to be coaxed a bit more when picking. (but then i dont have much authority here as im a rubbish fingerpicker ... for now)

 

OK, this is my serious suggestion with strings given your playing style. I hate to say this but try Elixir Nanoweb PB, 12's.

 

Im not really a fan of Elixirs as I find they deliver somewhat of a 'filtered' tone but where they really do excel is that they keep fresh string 'sizzle' for a bloody long time and are relatively bright for PB's. I use them on my Songwriter as i need long string sizzle as with the rosewood when the sizzle goes the sea of mud arrives. They work really well on that guitar. And given your finperpicking style I think you will really appreciate the Elxiris on the Bird. Pickers seems to really like Elixirs a lot.

 

Humidity - HUGELY IMPORTANT, is that clear enough .. ;-) It has massive impact both to whther you guitar will possibly have a crack or not one day, but a small change in humidity has a signficant impact on tone thats coming out of that box. Get yourself a humidity measurer and track daily RH. Should be between 45-50% You can go two ways with controlling the humidity. If you need to increase it you can get a room humidifier that realeases a warm mist, or the cheper and easier option is get a sounhold humidifier that cant both realease humidity into the soundhole or absorb it when there is too much humodity in the air. Here the one I use, a Kyser Lifeguard, works a treat. Either way, dont ignore it as its a serious issue.

 

Hope that helps !

 

 

The pickguard theory was indeed a magnificent insight. I tip my hat to you sir. I'm using Martin Marquis SP 80/20's. Usually I tend to dislike new strings because they're squeaky, ring too much and are too bright (and this because I usually play with fingers only - I strum with nails but pluck with the flesh of the fingertips). Now I find the Hummingbird rather muted without a pick... some snappy zing would be nice. What do you consider to be brighter, Bronze or PBs? I'm even considering trying 11's to get some 'snappiness' but I fear it would sound wimpy.

measure nor

As for the humidity it's often pretty high in Sao Paulo but lately it reached the lower 20's and the whole city was on alert. I never used anything to measure nor control the humidity of my guitar... this whole thing's getting more complex, whahah.

[Joe M]

 

OK, this is my serious suggestion with strings given your playing style. I hate to say this but try Elixir Nanoweb PB, 12's.

 

Im not really a fan of Elixirs as I find they deliver somewhat of a 'filtered' tone but where they really do excel is that they keep fresh string 'sizzle' for a bloody long time and are relatively bright for PB's.

 

Aussie,

I sure don't want to start another 80/20 vs PB debate, but are you saying that the Elixir PB's will be brighter than the 80/20's?? I always thought if you're going to use Elixirs that the 80/20's would give a brighter sound, regardless of the guitar they're put on.

 

Am I misunderstanding your post?

[EuroAussie]

Certinly not saying they are brighter than 80/20's definitely not. Maybe didnt say it correctly but I meant they are one of the brightest PB strings available. My point was that I think PB's make sense for the Bird, but you want to get a brither variety of PB's if possible. For example I love DR Sunbeam PB's but find them much warmer and mellower that Elxiris, infact a bit too mellow for my Bird.

 

I actually use Daddarion EXP PB's as to my ear and vocing on my Bird they strike the right balance between brightness and warmth.

 

Hope that a bit more clear Joe :-)

 

Aussie,

I sure don't want to start another 80/20 vs PB debate, but are you saying that the Elixir PB's will be brighter than the 80/20's?? I always thought if you're going to use Elixirs that the 80/20's would give a brighter sound, regardless of the guitar they're put on.

 

Am I misunderstanding your post?

[BewilderedPunkRabbit]

Aha, so youre primarily a picker, thats good to know as I found fingerpicking is the hardest style to really get out of the Bird as most pickers like a bit more of a fuller, brighter tone. I found the Bird' excels at strumming and flapicking, but needs to be coaxed a bit more when picking. (but then i dont have much authority here as im a rubbish fingerpicker ... for now)

 

OK, this is my serious suggestion with strings given your playing style. I hate to say this but try Elixir Nanoweb PB, 12's.

 

Im not really a fan of Elixirs as I find they deliver somewhat of a 'filtered' tone but where they really do excel is that they keep fresh string 'sizzle' for a bloody long time and are relatively bright for PB's. I use them on my Songwriter as i need long string sizzle as with the rosewood when the sizzle goes the sea of mud arrives. They work really well on that guitar. And given your finperpicking style I think you will really appreciate the Elxiris on the Bird. Pickers seems to really like Elixirs a lot.

 

Humidity - HUGELY IMPORTANT, is that clear enough .. ;-) It has massive impact both to whther you guitar will possibly have a crack or not one day, but a small change in humidity has a signficant impact on tone thats coming out of that box. Get yourself a humidity measurer and track daily RH. Should be between 45-50% You can go two ways with controlling the humidity. If you need to increase it you can get a room humidifier that realeases a warm mist, or the cheper and easier option is get a sounhold humidifier that cant both realease humidity into the soundhole or absorb it when there is too much humodity in the air. Here the one I use, a Kyser Lifeguard, works a treat. Either way, dont ignore it as its a serious issue.

 

Hope that helps !

 

 

 

I see what you mean. It seems the the Humminbird (mine at least) is a super mellow guitar. As I fingerpick with flesh instead of nails that mellows the tone even more - gotta get used to that.

I have to admit that the tone is pergect when I strum it with a flatpick - maybe that's a Gibson thing. However, I have to get used to that as well since I usually strum with nails (I found it I can mute the strings easier, and have much better control over rhythm not to mention I can switch to finger picking easier) Yeah, I'm strange... I know.

 

I just don't have the coordination to do all that string skipping with a flat pick.

 

Thanks for the humidity tips! I'll order one of those Lifeguards that you recommended.

[Joe M]

Certinly not saying they are brighter than 80/20's definitely not. Maybe didnt say it correctly but I meant they are one of the brightest PB strings available. My point was that I think PB's make sense for the Bird, but you want to get a brither variety of PB's if possible. For example I love DR Sunbeam PB's but find them much warmer and mellower that Elxiris, infact a bit too mellow for my Bird.

 

I actually use Daddarion EXP PB's as to my ear and vocing on my Bird they strike the right balance between brightness and warmth.

 

Hope that a bit more clear Joe :-)

 

 

Thanks, Aussie, that makes more sense to me now....

[fortyearspickn]

One observation - in your OP you mentioned you had narrowed your choice down to an H'bird or a Dove. Given the latter is maple - it would have sounded brighter than a mahogany b/s guitar, so possibly that is part of the intitial suprise you had with your H'birds sound. Definietely new strings, which I'm sure you've done by now. Put it in a stand next to some speakers turned up playing some nice music and it'll start opening up while you're at work. But, it's never gonna sound like a Dove. G'luck.

[BewilderedPunkRabbit]

Actually the thing I liked about the Dove was the finish (cherry back and sides + blonde top). I´ve never had the opportunity of playing one so I can comment on the sound. Sorry if I wasn´t clear.

 

By the way...

 

I´ve just arrived home in Brazil and had the chance to compare the Hbird not only to the D-18 but to the D-28 as well. While the last is still my prefered for fingerpicking I must say that the bird was singing really nicely. Is it trying to prove her value with the rest of the stable? Is it the humidity level? Was it the airplane trip or is it my ears that are getting used to the sound? The only thing I know is that it sounds noticibly better than yesterday which is great news!

[DanvillRob]

Actually the thing I liked about the Dove was the finish (cherry back and sides + blonde top). I´ve never had the opportunity of playing one so I can comment on the sound. Sorry if I wasn´t clear.

 

By the way...

 

I´ve just arrived home in Brazil and had the chance to compare the Hbird not only to the D-18 but to the D-28 as well. While the last is still my prefered for fingerpicking I must say that the bird was singing really nicely. Is it trying to prove her value with the rest of the stable? Is it the humidity level? Was it the airplane trip or is it my ears that are getting used to the sound? The only thing I know is that it sounds noticibly better than yesterday which is great news!

 

I got a brand-new 'Bird about 6 months ago.... I can't BELIEVE how much it's improved over those months.... I'm looking forward to getting it set up, and they playing the heck out of it!

[BewilderedPunkRabbit]

That´s great to know DanvillRob! My guess is that pretty soon I´ll have to start a new topic to rectify this one ´cause mine seems to be slowly awakening as well.

By the way, you seem to have quite a stable there. That HBird Custom and that Doves in Flight make a killer pair!

[DanvillRob]

That´s great to know DanvillRob! My guess is that pretty soon I´ll have to start a new topic to rectify this one ´cause mine seems to be slowly awakening as well.

By the way, you seem to have quite a stable there. That HBird Custom and that Doves in Flight make a killer pair!

 

 

Thaks..... I like 'em both..... and for different reasons....but my grandkids will REALLY like 'em! (IF I ever have any).