1971 Gibson Hummingbird Fair, Soft, $895.00
The iconic Gibson Hummingbird is essentially the same as the J-45 Deluxe except the cherry sunburst finish (or, rarely, natural finish), replaces the J-45’s darker sunburst finish. Like the J-45, it has a dreadnought body with a solid spruce top and mahogany back, sides, and neck. As of 1970, both had a non-adjustable rosewood belly-below bridge and double-X bracing, and a 14/20-fret rosewood finger board with a 25 ½” scale. The obvious distinctions between the Hummingbird and the J-45 were the pearl block fretboard inlay (as of 1971) vs. pearl dot inlay, the dramatic embossed hummingbird motif pick guard vs the 1971 J-45 black teardrop pick guard, and the bound fingerboard vs. the J-45’s unbound board—all visible upgrades. And of course it had the huge sound for which vintage Jumbo Gibsons have been famous for decades.
This guitar is serial number 640667 (not really legible in my picture of the back of the headstock), which with the “Made in USA” also on the headstock and the changing specs probably dates it as 1971—forty-five years of making music. As might be expected, there are some cosmetic concerns, including lots of finish crazing on all surfaces—unfortunately dealt with by a previous owner with some kind of clear overspray. There are, of course, also numerous dings and scratches, most of which are visible in the pictures. I guess cosmetics would also be the category for the rosewood arm rest (probably covering a repair) and the replacement pickguard.
More crucially, the structural issues it had have also been dealt with, presumably by the same well-intentioned amateur: there are four repaired cracks in the top (most visible in pictures 2, 3, and 4), three repaired cracks in the back, and what appears to be a repaired hairline crack starting on the treble side of the headstock (although the finish cracks are so pervasive it’s hard to tell).
These are not bad repairs; however, where this guy’s skill set—and mine--was inadequate was in dealing with what presumably was a poor neck angle—not unusual after a few decades of music. His response was to severely shave the bridge and saddle, leaving very little string angle over the saddle. This probably contributed to some slight bellying behind the bridge, which probably loosened one or more braces may need to be re-glued. The frets are in good shape, but there is some minimal wear on the finger board at the 2nd and 3rd frets. And of course he removed the tuners.
So: this is beyond me, and my luthier mumbled something like “Mebbe I could start on it by Christmas” when I showed it to him, which is way too long for my budget.
This ol’ guy looks like what it is: a great Gibson guitar which has been playing the hard-driving music for which it was made. And, of course, playing the music for forty-five years has made that Gibson sound potentially even better, more resonant, and more powerful. This guitar is never going to be for a collector to put in a museum; it’s got impressive credentials, but it will never again be cosmetically perfect or all “original.” This is a player’s guitar, and I sincerely hope that its next owner is someone who will restore it and will continue to play it hard, well, and often. This guitar will reward such a player with great performances, and this guitar deserves no less.
The case is a vintage chip board case and probably not original, either. Despite the usual few dings along the edges, it is in good shape, inside and out, and the hinges and latches all work perfectly. It offers adequate protection and is an excellent vintage complement to this vintage guitar. However, once this guitar is restored, I’m sure you will want a hard shell case.
Buyer pays a flat rate of $55 for insurance and shipping to the lower forty-eight states; shipping costs elsewhere will be negotiated as necessary. Payment by Paypal is preferred; cashiers and personal checks are acceptable, but checks must clear before the guitar will be shipped.
I have tried to be perfectly clear and accurate in describing this vintage instrument, but it is being sold explicitly sold as a project with issues, some of which I may not be expert enough to have recognized. Therefore, its return will not be accepted unless it can be shown that it was egregiously misrepresented in this listing. Please check out the pictures and ask any questions you might have before bidding.
Thank you for your interest in this potentially fine vintage instrument.
Payments by Paypal, cashier’s checks, money orders, or personal checks are acceptable, but all payments must clear my bank before the guitar will be shipped. I will CONSIDER reasonable offers, even including installment payments and trade-ins, but generally since I already attempt to price my guitars very competitively, unusual deals must be unusually sweet.
From henceforth [that's how retired English teachers talk], insurance and shipping to the lower 48 states is $55 due to constantly rising shipping costs unless a specific listing says otherwise; shipping costs elsewhere will be negotiated as necessary. I have sold guitars to Russia, Japan, Australia, and over 50 other countries, as well as almost every state in the USA. Since some of my guitars travel thousands of miles, I take care to use lots of packing materials, protect the neck inside the case, and of course de-tune the strings.
I make every effort to describe and illustrate each guitar and case with scrupulous accuracy. However, many of my instruments are well-played vintage items which are many years old, and I am not a luthier. One should assume that any guitar will require some set-up to satisfy your personal requirements, and that not every flaw or ding will be seen/recognized/described in the listing. Thus the return of an instrument will not be accepted unless it can be shown that it was egregiously misrepresented in this listing. Please read the listing carefully, check out the pictures, and ask any questions you might have before offering to buy.