I think I'm pretty much between these two guitars. Is the Hummingbird and Sheryl Crow sig similar in sound? I want a acoustic for playing mostly solo Tom Petty, Byrds, Ryan Adams, Uncle Tupelo; alt country type of stuff. Both of these guitars are around the same price used. Which one would you suggest? I'm also interested in the SJ-200, but I don't know if I want a jumbo as my main acoustic to carry around.
I am not familiar with the Crow sig. but a Hummingbird is a nice guitar for the solo acoustic type gig. I play a J-200 and absolutely love that guitar. It is the best acoustic guitar I have played for blending well with my voice. It has the piano like clarity and tone. Very different than a Hummingbird which seems a bit more mellow and smooth, less defined. Try them both out... the J-200 is big, but it sounds big too. FWIW: I am a tall guy with long arms, so a J-200 is pretty comfortable for me to play.
the J200 is very cool, but I think I'm gonna go with a Dread this time. I take there aren't alot of Gibson players here?
There isn't much action on the acoustic board in general from what I can tell... less related to any specific brand. I think the SC sig looks pretty cool. I checked it out after reading your post the other day... I like the looks of it and it seems to be pretty similar in construction to the HB. Does it have the 24 3/4" scale like the HB? I don't recall. I like to tune to Eb so I like the longer scale to keep the strings from getting too slinky. Good luck with your search. My next acoustic will also be a dread... probably a D-28 or similar.
i love gibby's! but not from gibson. have a slope shoulder maple back that i got from Huss & Dalton that rocks to no end. but with that said, i did like the Hummingbird i tried at GC a little while back. still a very fun guitar. i say stay individual, and go with that.
H&D make some very nice guitars. I think Gibson can still get it right. I feel like they are doing that more and more with their acoustics. Just like any company, they have bad ones, good ones, and great ones. If you find a great one, it's really top notch.
Depends on the individual guitar. Factory guitars, because the tops and sides are not individually voiced and matched up, are iffy. I've played Hummingbirds that rocked and some that were for sh*t. The Sheryl Crow model I played was very nice, but again it's a crapshoot. You really can't choose an acoustic by asking an internet forum "which is better?" You have to pick one that speaks to you when you play it. One of the nicest Gibby-style guitars I've played recently is a particular Santa Cruz Vintage Southerner. But I played another one, same model, and it didn't knock me out like the first one did.
I agree. When I searched for my acoustic. I was dead set on a D28 style... I played every Martin and others I could get my hands on... nothing really spoke to me. Although one particular HD-28V was exceptional. I didn't dig the neck profile. Then I played a used Gibson they had in the store... I was floored. I waited a couple of days, but then I went back, played it again... and I was hooked. Acoustics are great that way... if you find one that really fits you it's tough to beat.
All i can say is look at a LOT of hummingbirds if you can. I wanted one a while back too. But all of the 3 or 4 i found sounded dead. They had that great HB tonal signature, but just dead...no life. I know what a good NB sounds like and these weren't up to that standard by a mile. I don't know if this is common with this model latey, but i was very disappointed. I'm sure there are good ones out there but i would advise against buying online for sure. It may take playing several before you find a lively one.
True! That's the hard truth. There's a difference between each individual guitar. Out of the Hum and Crow I prefer the Crow. Ive tried two of them and although they were similar one was better than the other. At least for me. Rang like a grand piano. The other one was a bit bland. All in all they are very nice guitars but you have to check one out yourself. One that speaks to you...
I played a Crow that just rocked, but ended up ordering a J200 because the tone from the size and scale length was haunting me. I 'd love to add a Crow but it's not in the cards $$$-wise.
One thing you can be sure about regarding Gibsons is their inconsistency. More true for Gibson than just about any other maker. Seems like most are dogs...but every now and then, maybe one in fifty...you'll find one that is absolutely spectacular. Doesn't seem to be much middle ground for acoustics from that company. So whatever you do, if you have your heart set on a Gibson, play a shitload of them until you find "the one"... OTOH, Huss and Dalton are usually pretty spectacular regarding their slope dreads...I played a j45 clone the other day that just blew me away. And it's not that much more expensive than a Gibson...it out Gibsonned Gibson....
Also check out the Advanced Jumbo if you can. I tried all of the Gibsons under $2500 (store price) and the AJ looked the coolest and played and sounded the nicest. It is the perfect blend of a jumbo sound in a slope shoulder dred-style body. The tone is not quite as deep as a J-200, but I thought the balance was better and the sound projection clearer (i.e., less muddy). Like most other people, I recommend you PLAY the specific Gibson guitar before you buy it. Ordering a Gibson acoustic sight unseen is a risk, as consistency is an issue. But most are built well, and the "good" ones are magical.
thanks for the advice guys. I ended up, after playing lots of acoustics, going with a Martin HD-28V. It just had that certain something that reached out and grabbed me and made me take it home. It's a very sweet guitar. I think it's a perfect balance of lows, mids and highs. Not too boomy and not too bright.
If looks have anything to do with your purchase I love the Crow over the HB. I almost pulled the trigger on one but could never find one to play. I ended up with the J-100 xtra and will never look back. Just read the last entry. That is really interesting that you bought that guitar. Since I bought mine that is the only other acoustic that I have played that really moved me. I have been bugging the guy that plays with me to buy one. That vintage tint looks great on that HD-28.
I have a J-45 and a J-30 and I was blown away by the tone of the Sheryl Crow acoustic. It felt a lot like a Hummingbird but something was different. I have a J-30 which is pretty much a Hummingbird without the fancy inlays. You can find them for much cheaper than the Hummingbird or the Sheryl Crow. and I love mine. (oh, and I have both a sunrise and a fishman in mine, stereo cord to two di's)
Get a Zemaitias acoustic. check out www.makenmusic.com I should be getting mine from them in a couple of weeks. I ordered the big jumbo with the heart shaped sound hole.
