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Suzuki Gibson Hummingbird copy


Ace5150

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I have a Suzuki built acoustic guitar that is a replica of the Gibson Hummingbird. Got it in 1977 and its pristine in looks and condition.

I see Suzuki has some excellent reviews, my question is, why did they stop making guitars, and what is mine valued at and the rarity of it?

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I used to have one of those Hummingbird guitars and they date from the same period as the original plywood Yamaha FG's with the orange labels. The Suzuki Hummingbird was made from solid timber which in my experience wasn't a good thing; the soundboard on mine warped very badly.

 

I'm fairly sure that Suzuki was originally a violin maker that branched out into pianos and then other instruments. Suzuki is still a very well respected piano maker; at least the equal of Yamaha. My daughters have Suzuki branded violins which were bought less than two years ago. They're still made in Japan and very high quality for instruments intended for students.

 

 

http://www.suzukimusic.co.uk/GUITAR/acoustic-guitars.htm

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right, they`ve been building violins for ages. the first Yairi left Suzuki in 1935 to branch out on his own...which begat Sadao Yairi...dead now... and Kazuo Yairi...still making guitars...I just got a 1950 Kiso-Suzuki this month at a local antique shop, guess youse missed my thread on it here...a real beauty, so I`ll post another pic just for shitsandgiggles and because I just love the guitar. I now own 3 Suzukis...a 1948 nylon string thats all solid wood, even the binding...and another classical type that I think is all solid wood...all 3 of mine have different labels, and I`ve seen MANY other Suzuki labels on line here...it appears they made solid wood guitars and laminates too so one has to be careful, but anyways, they just don`t seem to fetch as much as say older K.Yairis do though mine are beauties and I wouldn`t dream of selling them.

 

suzuki111.jpg

 

If you`re referring to the Yamaha red labels, I think those first went on sale mid/late 60`s after the two original FG light green label models, the FG-150 and FG-180 in October 1966. The laminates were Yamaha`s answer to the cracked tops they were getting complaints of on their export models, which go as far back as the 50s...the #s 30, 50 and 70. I own a #30 and a #50 with no cracked top problems not neck issues at all, in fact all my Yamaha Dynamics are outstanding...but regular members here have heard me say that many times before.

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t310468_STA60084.jpg


Thanks for the replies. Here is a pic of it, but I'll get some better ones later including the Suzuki documentation in the guitar body.

 

I think yours is a later model than the one I owned. It's got a deeper wider bridge that looks like it's made of rosewood and was probably intended to spread the stress from the string tension more.

 

Mine had a narrow ebony bridge exactly the same size as a Gibson one and eventually pulled the soundboard up into a hump.

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  • 2 weeks later...
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I recently purcased a few 70's made in Japan acoustids. All were disappointments. Of course todays guitar are much better. Although all that I read stated the 70 acoustics made in Japan were oh so good. Not in my opinion. I bought a gibson Today. I will have it in about 2 weeks. I need to finish paying for it before it comes home with me. Good luck and congrats on the Suzuki's. I have never seen one. Didn't know Suzuki made anything but motorcycles and cars...

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I bought in 1971 a Hummingbird knockoff from Lyle...They were an Oregon importer and put their name on them...mine didn't get played much after I bought it...then it got passed on to one of my daughters...then some of her friends learned to play on it...then it got passed to another daughter and recently it has come back to me...the sound board now has some surface cracks in the finish and the bridge area of the top is lifted up...it has one of those adjustable bridges that I am having a tech work on to get it back in better condition...paid like 89.00 for that git in 71...still sounds good and is kind of a showy guitar with the red colors and pick guard with the art work...have no idea if it has any real value today but it doesn't matter...it is kind of a family piece now...if I figure out how to add pics here I will put one up...:)

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ROTFLMAO....Ain't that the truth?

 

LOL

 

Interestingly, I did indeed say that to some pesky asshole the other night. :evil:

 

All I wanted was a quiet pint at my fav watering hole and the stupid sh**head couldn't figure out what the word "no" meant. So, I finally told him to drop dead......

 

 

.....and now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

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I bought in 1971 a Hummingbird knockoff from Lyle...They were an Oregon importer and put their name on them...mine didn't get played much after I bought it...then it got passed on to one of my daughters...then some of her friends learned to play on it...then it got passed to another daughter and recently it has come back to me...the sound board now has some surface cracks in the finish and the bridge area of the top is lifted up...it has one of those adjustable bridges that I am having a tech work on to get it back in better condition...paid like 89.00 for that git in 71...still sounds good and is kind of a showy guitar with the red colors and pick guard with the art work...have no idea if it has any real value today but it doesn't matter...it is kind of a family piece now...if I figure out how to add pics here I will put one up...
:)

 

Had a Lyle in the '70s, good beater/starter guitar. Adjustable bridge was cool. Glad you're keeping yours. Mine is long gone.

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sometimes in Japan we gaijins can be acting asshole-ish without even realizing we are. As one Canadian carpenter told me a few years ago, the reason why he wasn`t returning after Christmas was because there was..." too much bull{censored} " here. It`s taken me a LOT longer to figure that out than he.

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  • 12 years later...
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I have a beautiful Suzuki “hummingbird” acoustic.  My dad bought it for me in 1973, I was 10.  I have played it for 47 years now and although it’s worn and dented and dinged, it sounds great.  I just added a pickup to it because I play a one man show.  I am truly proud of it.  I just had it adjusted recently for the first time.  I have no problem or fault in this guitar.  I think it’s a beautiful piece of work.

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