How the Gibson Hummingbird Changed the World ★ Acoustic Tuesday

The Gibson Hummingbird is one of the most iconic guitars in the world. From it's breathtaking design to its innovative construction, there's an aesthetic and comfortable quality that is unmatched by other guitars. Find out why everyone from Billy Joe Armstrong to Keith Richards plays the Gibson Hummingbird.
This entire episode is dedicated to talking about the Gibson Hummingbird. I want to celebrate one of the most eye-catching guitars and talk about alternatives that still hold up to the Gibson Hummingbird.
To start this Hummingbird themed episode, I want to talk about the TOP 5 reasons why you should at least consider playing a Gibson Hummingbird.
Reason #1: All current Gibson Acoustics are made right here in Bozeman, MT
Now, I'm currently living in Bozeman, so there's a little bit of a bias, but I still think this is significant. The Bozeman factory has a very high standard for production, especially when making as many guitars as they do!
Supporting the local economy and builders/technicians in my community is always a plus. Be sure to watch the episode to see the inside look at Gibson's Bozeman factory!
Reason #2: Gibson's flagship square-shouldered dreadnought is the Gibson Hummingbird
Before 1960, there wasn't a Gibson square-shouldered dreadnought that was mass-produced. Martin seemed to dominate the market prior to 1960, but when the Gibson Hummingbird came out, it changed the market forever.
Differing from Martin's square-shouldered models, the Gibson Hummingbird had pizzazz and a completely different aesthetic look that has captured the hearts of guitarists for the last 50 years. When you pick up a Gibson Hummingbird, you're holding history...and I think that can't be ignored.
Reason #3: Aesthetics Trifecta
After talking about the square-shouldered design, I realized that the Gibson Hummingbird really captures an aesthetic trifecta. What do I mean by that?
The first thing that makes the Gibson Hummingbird a beautiful and balanced guitar in its looks is the split parallelogram inlays on the neck. The contrast between the classic, rigid lines of the inlay on the smooth rosewood neck is just awesome to look at.
The second notable visual quality on the Gibson Hummingbird is the cherry burst top. The color of the Hummingbird's top is unmistakable, copies widely, and is absolutely gorgeous.
The third quality that completes the trifecta is finely engraved pickguard. There's a little bit of a hippy-vibe, a country-vibe, and a nod to the beauty of the natural world. There are very few guitars that are so clean, classic, and iconic.
Reason #4: Comfort
You might have heard about the scale length of the Gibson Hummingbird, but if not, just now that this guitar is incredibly comfortable and suitable for players of all sizes.
The first thing that makes the Gibson Hummingbird is the scale length. The scale length is 24 3/4 inches as opposed to 25 1/2 inches on other dreadnoughts. The Gibson Hummingbird also a very slim nut-width. This allows the string spacing to be smaller, accomodating small hands and fingers.
The final thing that makes playing the Gibson Hummingbird incredibly comfortable to play is a slim, tapered neck profile. For a guitarist with smaller hands that wants the sound of a big-bodied dreadnought, you can't go wrong with the Hummingbird.
Reason #5: The Birth of a Gibson Series
Think of the Gibson Hummingbird as the lead domino in a trend of Gibson guitars. To me, the Hummingbird kicked off Gibson's dedication to birds.
It all started in 1960 with the Gibson Hummingbird. From there, we move to the Gibson Dove. After that, there was the Gibson Doves in Flight, the artistic take on the Gibson Dove. After that, we moved to the Gibson Firebird acoustic with phoenix engravings. Then, we move to the Eric Church Hummingbird model. And that's just the acoustic guitars dedicated to birds!
There's a lot more that I talk about on this special episode of Acoustic Tuesday dedicated to the Gibson Hummingbird, so be sure to watch the full video or catch the show notes on acousticlife.tv today!
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