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Lookit my new songbird


Rich

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One wner. No fretwear, no dents, no paint crazing or finish sinking into the wood, and plays like it was set up by a good luthier. Best of all, It's from 1973/74. It weighs nothing next to my 70's westerly guilds. I really love it.

Here are some pics I took the day I found it at a local mom & pop's music store.

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2012-08-02_14-37-07_283.jpg
2012-08-02_14-36-58_926.jpg

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Can't go one day without learning something around here. I've always thought all Gibson Hummingbirds had the split trapezoid fret markers and two screws in the truss rod cover. I would've probably thought that one was a fake if I'd seen it hanging on the wall somewhere. Live and learn, I guess.

I actually "passed" on a Hummingbird clone that was immaculate (and dirt cheap) simply because it had rectangular fret markers. Saw it on craigslist just a couple of weeks ago. Now I know.....thanks for posting that. You got a great deal, BTW.

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Quote Originally Posted by Opa John View Post
Can't go one day without learning something around here. I've always thought all Gibson Hummingbirds had the split trapezoid fret markers and two screws in the truss rod cover. I would've probably thought that one was a fake if I'd seen it hanging on the wall somewhere. Live and learn, I guess.

I actually "passed" on a Hummingbird clone that was immaculate (and dirt cheap) simply because it had rectangular fret markers. Saw it on craigslist just a couple of weeks ago. Now I know.....thanks for posting that. You got a great deal, BTW.
Apparently Gibson did the rectangle inlays for awhile in or around the 70s, because 60s H-birds and later H-birds have the trapezoids. I actually prefer the rectangles, but maybe that's just what I'm used to. To me the trapezoids look out of place on an H-bird...a bit janky.

In other news, in Rome I just traded a cheap EKO dread for a 70s Suzuki H-bird copy. The Suzuki badly needs a neck re-set. So maybe I'll make it a slide guitar, 'cause it's as pretty as it is {censored}ty! BTW it does have trapezoids.
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Quote Originally Posted by kiowa1 View Post
Hi Rich.

The number of screws in the truss rod cover threw me too. I found a like guitar on this website. Check it out. This raises red flags for me. Click on the small image of the headstock and see what you think.

http://www.gibsonacoustic.net/for-sa...4-75-hard-case
I think Rich's is legit--my H-bird, which is positively the real thing, looks just like this one. Mine has three screws in the truss rod cover. Presumably you could check the serial #--on back of headstock, stamped into the wood. Mine is A406110--Rich's guitar would likely have a number close to that one.

BTW here's a photo of mine:
HummingbirdVert.jpg
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The dealer thought it might have been fake too, but he checked the number on the back of the headstock and it is a legitimate gibson. The first three frets are going to need reshaping, as the former owner seems to have masters G,C,D chords.biggrin.gif

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Quote Originally Posted by Rich View Post
The dealer thought it might have been fake too, but he checked the number on the back of the headstock and it is a legitimate gibson. The first three frets are going to need reshaping, as the former owner seems to have masters G,C,D chords.biggrin.gif
I'm original owner of mine, although it was an in-store demo for a year or two before my Mom bought it for me at a large discount off normal price. I had it re-fretted long ago, but miraculously (considering its age) it has no need of a neck re-set. There is some "crazing" in the finish and the red color on the top as well as the red-brown color on the hog back has faded slightly over the years, but overall it has aged very gracefully (unlike its owner smile.gif).

I too have always been amazed by how light this guitar is, as compared with other dreads. And I love its sweet dark tone, which has become more full and balanced over the years.

I'm sure you will fall deeply in love if you haven't already. Congrats on a great find.
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Quote Originally Posted by Opa John View Post
Can't go one day without learning something around here. I've always thought all Gibson Hummingbirds had the split trapezoid fret markers and two screws in the truss rod cover. I would've probably thought that one was a fake if I'd seen it hanging on the wall somewhere. Live and learn, I guess.

I actually "passed" on a Hummingbird clone that was immaculate (and dirt cheap) simply because it had rectangular fret markers. Saw it on craigslist just a couple of weeks ago. Now I know.....thanks for posting that. You got a great deal, BTW.
Correction.......I meant to say "parallelogram".....not "trapezoid", but I know you guys knew what I meant. So don't laugh at me. You'll be old someday yourself.......if you're lucky!!
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Was it double X braced that year?

 

 

Not sure. This guitar isn't particularly loud, but it sounds really pretty and the notes sustain really nice. I read somewhere that gibson changed the bracing in this particular model year and it adversely affected tone. I stuck a k&k pure western in it and plan on using it live, as it sound pretty good through our pa.

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