i thought wrong

[pongki]

i thought wrong ! i thougt gibson hummingbird with $3000 tag price would sound better than my Taylor 310....well like i said..i was wrong..... i took my taylor to the store where i was planning to buy a hummingbird...so i compared each guitar carefully, just to know which one is better to my taste...and Mr Taylor won..even the sales guy, surprisingly agreed with me...the hummingbird was lack of bass, to much treble and uneasy to play...the bird pics are nice though...

so i went home and keep my money...

[babablowfish]

Your experience mirrors my own realization that "more expensive does not necessarly mean better." I have written here numerous times about "cheap" guitars that put out a sound that is at least equal to guitars that cost 2 or 3 times as much. Go with what sounds best and plays best, IMHO; not just with the "name."

[pongki]

damn right....

[johbren]

I went to a store once and played all the higher end Gibsons and they are sure not worth the price. There were lots of sub 1000 dollar guitars in the store that sounded as good if not better.

[Tony Burns]

So true so true ! why Gibson has the reputation they do surprises me , hate to admit it - but the price of a guitar does not determine its quality - thou there are a few I think are worth paying more for- there are none in the Gibson stable . Even when it comes to Martin - the middle priced models sound and play like the higher end models .( guess your just paying for the bling )

[drnihili]

The way I play a shoe box might sound better.

[fastvfr]

When I went in to buy my first acoustic, I tried some by Martin and Gibson that cost over $1000, and they were about as good, if not markedly worse, than the Takamine G340 I took home for just $220!!!

I don't pay more for a brand name unless the quality compels me to do so. In this case, I could have spent FIVE TIMES as much money only to get LESS guitar.

Yet another reason I'll never buy a guitar sight-unseen (and tone-unheard!) over the Web. I'd simply have to handle it and listen to it first.

There are too many horror stories of people who learned this lesson the hard way for me to do otherwise...

[bjorn-fjord]

It's true, there are some very inexpensive gems out there if you take the time to look for them.
But higher-end guitar manufacturers tend to set their quality control standards higher than those of cheaper makers.

All this really means is that out of 20 Martins or Taylors, 15 will sound good. And out of 20 (insert cheaper guitar manufacturer's name here) only a couple will sound good.

I do have to agree that there seems to be a disproportionate number of Gibson dogs out there considering their price. But the good ones are sure special.

[guitarcapo]

I have a mid 60's Harmony 000-18 copy that blows away every guitar I've ever played. I'd post clips but they wouldn't do it justice.

[Harmonycat]

There seems to be a trend with "The Birds" lately. I have played some truly inspiring pieces, but......

I haven't played a good one in a store in quite some time. Like two or three years.....

I have played S&P guitars in the same sitting that just bury them.
Funny thing is that the Masterbilts sound so much better too. Wish I could live with the Seagull neck profiles cause they too are impressive.

Never mind every Martin and those amazing Larrivees that just make you smile whenever you play one.

What's up with that? These are Gibsons and are supposed to be awesome.

Are there that many duds?

[Hudman]

Wow, Gibson is taking a beating in this thread.

I disagree 100%. I think Gibson makes some awesome guitars.

I find bad examples of Martins, Taylors and Gibsons at Guitar Center often. Poor humidity control, old strings, bad set up and abuse takes a toll on those guitars.

A $4000 Martin will sound like {censored} if it has bad strings, exposed to poor humidity control and has a poor setup.

There is NO way a $220 Tak is going to be better than anything Taylor, Martin and Gibson sells over $1000. That post made me spit my drink all over my keyboard.

[Harmonycat]

I have Gibson Guitars and have always thought of them in the highest regard. I have GAS everytime I see a J-200, let alone play one.

That said....the last half dozen Hummingbirds I have played had newer strings and all exhibited a boxy sound that lacked bass and were very treble emphasized.

A pretty looking piece of art that was woefull in it's ability to be a guitar. It simply does not make sense to me at all.

It has had me scratching my head for quite some time.

[Michael Martin]

Originally posted by bjorn-fjord I do have to agree that there seems to be a disproportionate number of Gibson dogs out there considering their price. But the good ones are sure special.

 

I know dats right. I don't know about new 'birds, although I am very infatuated with a brand new Songwriter that I played at the GC a few months ago. My 'bird is from early seventies. She is divine.

 

But 70s-era Gibsons are not highly regarded. Goes to show ya--guitars, like people, are individuals.

[guitarist21]

Originally posted by Hudman There is NO way a $220 Tak is going to be better than anything Taylor, Martin and Gibson sells over $1000. That post made me spit my drink all over my keyboard.

 

 

Right out of the box, I agree. But there's always the possibility of a gem of an inexpensive guitar beating out a bad apple of an expensive one. Like Michael said, they're all individual. Overall though, I think a batch of $1000 Gibsons would have more good guitars than an equally sized batch of $220 Taks.

 

Baba is right on- go with what sounds best. Can't go wrong with a great sound.

 

Ellen

[AK47]

When I first started playing in the last century I played electric rock-n-roll and blues. At that time I played Gibson electrics so I naturally migrated to their acoustics. In those days Japan made junk. Korea didn't make guitars. Nixon had not yet opened the door to China. The choices were Gibson, Martin, and Sears. The only Martins I had played were dreds. They had that distinctive Bluegrass sound that I had not yet learned to appreciate. Did not like the Gibson experiment with the adjustable bridge. All that being said I think that each guitarist has a sound in their head and they go out to find a guitar that has that sound.
If you took 10 guitarist to GC one at time and turned them loose and ask them to pick out the best sounding acoustic. Do you think they'd all pick the same one or even the same brand? I bet not even the same body size. I've seen cheaper Gibsons that I prefered over more expensive models.This holds true for Martin. You pay for a guitar with money. You pick your guitar with your ears while playing it. Your eyes will only confuse you with name brands and bling. I like my Gibsons. I've played Gibsons I didn't like. I think it is unfair to judge a brand by a dog. Too many dogs and the name brand can get that rep.

Just my opinion for what it's worth.

[pongki]

wow...never thought it would get s much reactions from you guys...my point is..i'm not going to pay $3000 for a guitar if it sounds worst than my previous $1000 guitar..

[AK47]

Originally posted by pongki wow...never thought it would get s much reactions from you guys...my point is..i'm not going to pay $3000 for a guitar if it sounds worst than my previous $1000 guitar..

+1:thu:

Me neither. I always say choose your guitar with your ear while playing it. There are duds in all price ranges as well as jems. Price may be an indicater but never a constant.

[pongki]

i just installed a fishman pickup on my taylor 310, now it's my favourite to gig with...

[Bert]

I guess that its just what you're accustomed to....been playing guitar since the 50's, 12 string since the 60's, and in 2004 found myself needing a 6 string for teaching purposes. Went to the closest GC which had a Sam Ash accross the road (Raleigh NC) and spent the day in their acoustic rooms. I didn't try anything except the "big three" (Martin, Gibson and Taylor). I'v been affliated with many music stores in the past and I just didn't want to mess with the Taks, etc. After around 5 hours of playing I settled on three guitars: Taylor 815c...Martin D45...Martin HD28V. The Manager (GC) and two sales people kept switching the instruments and, after about an hour of this I took the HD28V home. My ear through the years now appreciates big bass..sweet mids..clear highs and in-your-face volume. I do occasionally play with bluegrass bands and this axe cuts through the other instruments quite well.....good hunting....bd

[Cldplytkmn]

hummingbirds don't cost $3000... you should've played more than one before issuing your edict. I've played a couple gibson dogs in the last year or so... strangely (not really) they've all been at GC... At the gibson showcase in nashville, they have just about every gibson model hangning up and also have SCGC and a couple other boutique brands... the majority of those gibsons held their own against those boutique brands.

[Hudman]

Originally posted by guitarist21 Right out of the box, I agree. But there's always the possibility of a gem of an inexpensive guitar beating out a bad apple of an expensive one. Like Michael said, they're all individual. Overall though, I think a batch of $1000 Gibsons would have more good guitars than an equally sized batch of $220 Taks. Ellen

 

 

That is a RARE exception. It would have to be a VERY bad Gibson.

[bbrunskill]

Not saying you can't get a great guitar at a good price, but a $220 Tak is just not going to be as a good as an average Gibson.
You can get decent budget instruments, but the budget has to start a bit above two hundred bucks.

[pongki]

Originally posted by Cldplytkmn hummingbirds don't cost $3000... you should've played more than one before issuing your edict. I've played a couple gibson dogs in the last year or so... strangely (not really) they've all been at GC... At the gibson showcase in nashville, they have just about every gibson model hangning up and also have SCGC and a couple other boutique brands... the majority of those gibsons held their own against those boutique brands.

 

well it is $3000 in indonesia ! well, i've been a pro for 10 years, and i think i've compared enough...i also have those epiphones acoustic (worth the price), ibanez j-45 copy from eightis (killer sound) and 1943 gibson j 45 ( the best of all so far..), i'd been involved with martin, takamine, ovation...still my taylor 310 and my gibson j 45 are the best...and hummingbird? not fall in love yet..

[Cldplytkmn]

as far as the price... i hadn't even looked at where you were... that makes sense...

birds have a pretty different tone... I don't think i've ever played one that i considered a 'cannon'... i think they're sweet and mellow and pretty balanced... mine is definitely not a boomer, but is helped by having a long scale vs. the standard short scale.

[pongki]

i would love to have hums but not with that price