Gibson Hummingbird question

Zone47 · #1 05-14-2009, 04:56 AM

I have a 1997 Hummingbird and the orange oval tag inside says 'Early 60s Reissue' ... made in Montana. They no longer make that model or it possibly morphed into the Historic Hummingbird series? There is nothing in the price guide about the early 60s RI either. It has the nickel Grover tuners. Is it possible that Gibson just changed names on the same line of guitars?

ryanfender · #2 05-14-2009, 05:08 AM

You are welcome to post here but you might want to try the Gibson forum as well. They are very knowledgeable about Gibson models over there.

AndrewG · #3 05-14-2009, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zone47

I have a 1997 Hummingbird and the orange oval tag inside says 'Early 60s Reissue' ... made in Montana. They no longer make that model or it possibly morphed into the Historic Hummingbird series? There is nothing in the price guide about the early 60s RI either. It has the nickel Grover tuners. Is it possible that Gibson just changed names on the same line of guitars?

You'll soon learn that Gibson occupy a completely different universe where the words 'rhyme or reason' and 'without' have a very special significance. Trying to keep track of model designations, series and nomenclature is a task that Gibson has set the guitar-owning world.
There's a little office in Bozeman where a guy monitors forums such as this; such is his diligence that, as soon as he has an inkling that someone has figured out what Gibson are doing, instructions go out to the workforce to change a label, change a name or move a guitar into a different series.
And I must say he is doing a grand job.

Zone47 · #4 05-14-2009, 07:54 AM

I know they are a hard company to deal with as far as serial numbers and model designations on their older guitars, but thought they cleaned all that up. I'll see what I can find out on the Gibson forum ... never been there, but I'll find it.

Thanks.

Deadduck · #5 05-14-2009, 09:00 AM

http://forums.gibson.com/Default.aspx?g=topics&f=42

These guys can tell you a lot.

zombywoof · #6 05-14-2009, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andrewrg

There's a little office in Bozeman where a guy monitors forums such as this; such is his diligence that, as soon as he has an inkling that someone has figured out what Gibson are doing, instructions go out to the workforce to change a label, change a name or move a guitar into a different series.
And I must say he is doing a grand job.

Lordy, that is too funny.

zombywoof · #7 05-14-2009, 02:07 PM

Not sure about yours in particular but I do know Gibson released a '63 (or something) Hummingbird RI during the mid-1990s. It was a limited edition but I do not know much about it.

As has been pointed out so eloquently, there is no sense trying to figure out the various versions of this or that guitar. I have lost count of how many variations of the J-45 Bozeman has come up with. Got to be at least 30. Then add to that the special music store editions.

The vast majority of Gibson "reissues" are not spot on replicas of anything from past Gibson catalogs. They are more like representations of a certain guitar incorporating features from guitars both old and new.

J185-4Me · #8 05-14-2009, 03:04 PM

Your '97 is one of the first in a series of 'variants' of the Hummingbird that Bozeman played with, in my view, as attempts to recreate the "glory days" Hummingbird.

Prior to that period (that is, the latter 1990s), they had a bright almost fire-engine red cherryburst finish on the Hummingbird, and one of the things they tried to do was to try to get it to look a little 'aged'. In addition, they were striving to recreate the feel and sound of the early 60s 'Birds, which were considered to be the 'glory days', if I can put it that way.

The guitar you have is an example of that attempt. I had a '96 Hummingbird which predated the "Early 60s" Hummingbird by a few months, I believe, and it had that sort of muted almost ambery-type burst on it, which I am guessing yours may have too. It is quite distinct from the sort of shocking red burst they put on 'em before then.

Later on, they came up with "Authentic '60s Hummingbirds" in about 2003 or so, followed by or maybe preceded by Historic Hummingbirds, and now of course they have "True Vintage" 'Birds, etc., etc.

I see these various models more as 'attempts' or 'experiments' along the way towards some goal, that being to improve/modify/revise the model, along with a goodly dollop of marketing.

Overall, I think that a lot of the new Hummingbirds are probably way better sounding than the many of the originals ever were or will be, based upon my (fairly limited) sampling of those august instruments. (I actually have played a few of the originals, and some were pretty darned good, but many were not that great.)

That's my four cents' worth, at any rate.

Fred

Tony Burns · #9 05-14-2009, 06:12 PM

trying to figure out Gibsons will make a normal man insane - im a big fan of Gibsons hummingbirds ( my favorite gibson acoustic )

Zone47 · #10 05-15-2009, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zombywoof

Not sure about yours in particular but I do know Gibson released a '63 (or something) Hummingbird RI during the mid-1990s. It was a limited edition but I do not know much about it.

As has been pointed out so eloquently, there is no sense trying to figure out the various versions of this or that guitar. I have lost count of how many variations of the J-45 Bozeman has come up with. Got to be at least 30. Then add to that the special music store editions.

The vast majority of Gibson "reissues" are not spot on replicas of anything from past Gibson catalogs. They are more like representations of a certain guitar incorporating features from guitars both old and new.

Here is the actual tag. ... yeah, it's hard to figure Gibson out period!

Zone47 · #11 05-15-2009, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J185-4Me

Your '97 is one of the first in a series of 'variants' of the Hummingbird that Bozeman played with, in my view, as attempts to recreate the "glory days" Hummingbird.

Prior to that period (that is, the latter 1990s), they had a bright almost fire-engine red cherryburst finish on the Hummingbird, and one of the things they tried to do was to try to get it to look a little 'aged'. In addition, they were striving to recreate the feel and sound of the early 60s 'Birds, which were considered to be the 'glory days', if I can put it that way.

The guitar you have is an example of that attempt. I had a '96 Hummingbird which predated the "Early 60s" Hummingbird by a few months, I believe, and it had that sort of muted almost ambery-type burst on it, which I am guessing yours may have too. It is quite distinct from the sort of shocking red burst they put on 'em before then.

Later on, they came up with "Authentic '60s Hummingbirds" in about 2003 or so, followed by or maybe preceded by Historic Hummingbirds, and now of course they have "True Vintage" 'Birds, etc., etc.

I see these various models more as 'attempts' or 'experiments' along the way towards some goal, that being to improve/modify/revise the model, along with a goodly dollop of marketing.

Overall, I think that a lot of the new Hummingbirds are probably way better sounding than the many of the originals ever were or will be, based upon my (fairly limited) sampling of those august instruments. (I actually have played a few of the originals, and some were pretty darned good, but many were not that great.)

That's my four cents' worth, at any rate.

Fred

Thanks Fred for the good info. The early 60s actually does look like an older vintage type color. I also have a 2008 custom shop Hummingbird that is much more cherry red in color ( along with a unique quilted maple back and sides ) I kind of like the 97 the best, plus it's opened up and sounds great!

Here is a pic of both, the picture doesn't show how much brighter the 08 really is >