Anyone have one of the Inspired By Gibson, Hummingbird acoustics?

[6stringcowboy]

How are you getting on with it? Would you buy it again? If yes/no, why?

Currently I have the only acoustic I've ever owned, a Seagull S6+ (cedar top, cherry back/sides). I love it, but sometimes I'd like a little more spank (bright). The Seagull is one of the loudest acoustics I've ever heard. My buddy's both have Martin's and the Seagull blows them out volume wise but has a darker/warmer tone.

Thanks,

Jeff

 

[Bastion Highwalk]

I’ve got one and absolutely love it. Really solid build, great tone and a massive sound! Has far more in common with a Gibson than an epiphone. I’m sure other people that have one and are more gear/build knowledgable can elaborate, but it’s worth every penny to me, and yeah I’d definitely buy it again.

 

[Mike Eskimo]

Check Trey Hensley on Instagram .

He’s got one of the inspired by Frontiers , same general guitar really (scale length diff)

Scroll down on his page, you’ll find him playing it quite a bit. I commented that it sounded great and he messaged back that he really loves it.

Oh, here’s Gutherie Trapp playing a Frontier

 

[catdaddy]

I don't own one, but I had a chance to play one earlier this year and really liked it. It had a warm mahogany-backed tone, nice projection and a very playable neck. Having said that, I own a 1970 Gibson Hummingbird and the two are as different as chalk and cheese. My Gibson is sweeter in tone, quieter, and with a super-slim neck that measures less than 1 &11/16" which renders it virtually useless to me for finger style playing. But, it's a great strummer and is the bomb for recording purposes. The IBG Epi is more versatile, and to my ear has more in common with a Martin D-18, which is not a bad thing at all, especially for the price!

 

[elihu]

If you’re looking for more brightness and spank you should try a maple acoustic. I found a used Alvarez Jumbo listed for $400- I traded a 70’s laminate Yamaha and $200 and it’s amazingly focused and is great for cutting through when playing with other acoustic guitarists.

 

[elihu]

And wanted to add: the Inspired by Gibson Epiphone J-200 has maple back and sides and it gets good reviews too. It might be worth a strum or two!

 

[Midgetje94]

I’ve got one and absolutely love it. Really solid build, great tone and a massive sound! Has far more in common with a Gibson than an epiphone. I’m sure other people that have one and are more gear/build knowledgable can elaborate, but it’s worth every penny to me, and yeah I’d definitely buy it again.

I have an older Chinese dove that I absolutely adore. But I keep eyeing the nicer epi hummingbird. May very well be my next acoustic.

 

[JT Foote]

I bought one of the IBG Epiphone Hummingbirds in February of last year. This is that review of the guitar ...

"I just bought one new, sight unseen, from a reputable company I've dealt with in the past. I was looking for a good strumming guitar for recording without shelling out too much cash, and the online reviews and videos were all positive. I took it out of the box, put on a new set of John Pearse Bluegrass gauge strings, and tuned it up. Here’s the results …

Pros:
1.) It’s an attractive guitar. Pretty burst. No obvious defects and the inlays are nice.
2.) Clean trebles, a nice low end thump and note clarity.
3.) I like the semi-gloss finish.
4.) The neck profile is nicely shaped, and fuller than I had expected.

Cons:
1.) Badly cut nut. The B string slot is too low, and the trebles are too far from the edge of the fretboard. Considering the width of the nut, losing that much real estate is a problem.
2.) The break angle over the saddle is not good, I can slide around two of the strings on the saddle while up to pitch. The bridge pin holes would need to be ramped.
3.) The guitar is obviously overbuilt, and unusually heavy for a mahogany guitar (IMHO), with most of the weight coming from the top. So the guitar is pretty quiet, and doesn’t have much projection. I had to sit in my bathroom and aim the guitar at the tiles to really be able to hear it well. If I’m singing, it can’t keep up, volume-wise. It’s better with a pick, but not enough to matter, as I prefer to play with my fingers and nails.
4.). Unless you prefer a really narrow nut, first positions are very cramped. And so was my hand. An hour of playing, and I was sore.
5.) A lot of uneven scoop in the mids. Striking notes with the left hand didn’t produce much sound, especially around the A and D strings.
6.). Slow response time. I like a guitar to react quickly when chording or playing individual notes; there was an obvious delay on this instrument.
7.). Thin, low frets. While the fretwork seems OK, (no buzzing or muted notes), I prefer higher, wider frets. You’ve got to dig in with the fretting hand nearly down to the wood for notes to be clean.
8.) The saddle fits loosely in the slot.
9.) I did not like the sound of the pickup system. If it stuck around, I’d be taking the Fishman out and switching to a K&K mini.

Conclusion:
More or less, for me to consider keeping this, I’d need a new nut, saddle, ramp the bridge pin holes, and possibly a complete refret, right out of the box. And a new pickup system. Considering the nut width, the lack of projection, how uncomfortable it was to play, and the additional money I’d have to invest to get it up to speed, it’s going back."

Note: I really did want to like the guitar, and I had high hopes for it.

… JT