You Hummingbird Guys...what strings you like best

[Freedbaby]

I have a 2016 all Ebony Hummingbird and just wondering what you guys like best for those that have tried different strings.

[dodge]

Got D'Addario EXP bronze lights on my bird currently. Bright sounding initially but once that wears off they sound pretty good. I will be trying some Gibson Masterbuilts next I use them on my J-185 and like them a lot.

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by Freedbaby

I have a 2016 all Ebony Hummingbird and just wondering what you guys like best for those that have tried different strings.

By "all ebony" I presume that you mean the guitar has a gloss black finish, not that it has genuine African ebony sides, top, back, neck and fingerboard....

If it did, man, that would be one HEAVY guitar, because the Hummingbird is a large instrument, larger even than the Martin D-28, and ebony is a truly heavy wood. It'd feel like you had a motel room refrigerator with a guitar neck on it whenever you picked up the guitar to play.

Seriously, each guitar is a little different, regardless of what woods it's made out of, so you're best off trying a few different brands and alloys of strings. Presuming that your guitar has the normal Hummingbird tonewoods of mahogany back and sides and spruce top, the first set of strings I would try on that guitar would be the John Pearse phosphor bronze strings in whatever gauge you prefer. Then, while those strings are still pretty fresh and sound good, I'd take them off and try some of the John Pearse 80/20's.

The reason I suggest taking the first set off while they still sound good is so you'll have a basis for comparison to the next set. If you wait until your first test set is dead before trying the next, anything will sound better.

So whatever brands and alloys you try out on the guitar, my strong recommendation is that you only keep the test sets on briefly during this research phase. Then once you you've figured out which strings you like the best, keep them on the guitar however long you like.

By the way, even though I've been playing guitar since the mid-1970's and have had literally dozens of fine guitars pass through my hands, sometimes I still get surprised by the string alloys that end up sounding better on some of these instruments. My general rule of thumb for the first set of strings I try is usually 80/20 strings on rosewood guitars and phosphor bronze on everything else, but at least one time out of five I've discovered that the first set I tried was not the best for that particular guitar.

So that's a 20% uncertainty factor, which is statistically significant enough to make me continue trying at least two different string alloys on every guitar that passes through my hands.

It's worth the slight expense and minor added effort, because I find I'm wrong just often enough....

Hope that makes sense.


Wade Hampton Miller

[GibbyPrague]

DR Sunbeams light sound delicious on my Hummingbird TV

[harmonics101]

PB Lights (not the Lifespan line) on my Sheryl Crow country western,

H

[SalFromChatham]

Gibson Masterbuilt 80/20 lights on mine... love em. Came with it. Haven't changed string yet though... daddario nickel bronze will go on this weekend, as its time. I'll report back!

[3woodengulls]

I have a 90's bird and use 80/20 bronze I hated the phosphor bronze.

[Fatstrat]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

" because the Hummingbird is a large instrument, larger even than the Martin D-28,".


Hope that makes sense.


Wade Hampton Miller

Interesting. I never knew that. I'm sure different manufacturers use different dimensions in their dreadnaught designs. Curious as to how much larger the Humminbird is? Can you elaborate?

[Zorker]

Pearse PB lights on my Fuller's Hummingbird TV.

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by Fatstrat

Interesting. I never knew that. I'm sure different manufacturers use different dimensions in their dreadnaught designs. Curious as to how much larger the Humminbird is? Can you elaborate?

Since I don't own a Hummingbird I've had to look up the specs, but I've found different dimensions for the Gibson Hummingbird online: some report its width as 16 1/4 inches wide at the lower bout, others cite it as being 16 inches wide.

This is as opposed to the Martin dreadnought lower bout width of 15 5/8 inches.

The Hummingbird might feel smaller because it does have a shorter scale length at 24 3/4 inches, as opposed to the Martin's 25.4 scale. But the Hummingbird is the physically larger of the two guitars, as anyone who's tried to fit one into a Martin dreadnought case can tell you.


Wade Hampton Miller

[GibbyPrague]

Interesting. I never knew that, always assumed its smaller due to the short scale, even though it doesnt feel small. Thanks for the note Wade.

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Since I don't own a Hummingbird I've had to look up the specs, but I've found different dimensions for the Gibson Hummingbird online: some report its width as 16 1/4 inches wide at the lower bout, others cite it as being 16 inches wide.

This is as opposed to the Martin dreadnought lower bout width of 15 5/8 inches.

The Hummingbird might feel smaller because it does have a shorter scale length at 24 3/4 inches, as opposed to the Martin's 25.4 scale. But the Hummingbird is the physically larger of the two guitars, as anyone who's tried to fit one into a Martin dreadnought case can tell you.


Wade Hampton Miller

[mrBlues]

hello!

I use DR .12-.54 Sunbeam strings . action 12th fret ( E6)= 3,2 mm ; E(1) = 2,7 mm
Neck relief at 8th fret with capo on 1st fret = 0.30 mm

This is practically original Gibson factory setup. However , they deliver with .13 -.56 strings of unknown producer (to me) with action on E(6) = 3,5 mm

Lot of work is required to set my action with desired strings because if you use piezzo under saddle ( I use Shadow 099) transducer with unbleached bone saddle ( Stew mac) you need to slowly adjust all parameters and that takes time.
Also , action on 1st fret needs to be .30 mm on the nut that I changed to unbleached bone (Stew mac) because I do not like Gibson tusk on nut and saddle.

Lot of work and be careful!
Regards!

[PajamasMusic]

The Elixir 80/20's (lights) I installed on mine at first string changeout sound excellent to me. Not too bright and a sweetness in the tone I really like.

Edit to read, I just saw the date. Oh well, carry on.

[Peter Z]

Gibson PB coated, 12-53.
I’m happy with them but will try 80/20 next time, just to know.

[gibpicker]

Am I the only one who is wondering why a 5 year old thread got put back on? My J-30 likes EB 80/20's and EJ 16's/17's.