Epiphone Hummingbird and a string rabbit hole

[paulman]

Hey ya'll. I've been wanting to get a high end acoustic for a couple of years now. I wanted a Gibson Hummingbird, but I'm still paying on some other stuff and couldn't really take on that expense anytime soon. My dog passed away at the end of March, and the day after she passed I wrote a song for her. I had already decided I wasn't recording anything else on acoustic guitar until I got a new one, so a few days after losing my baby girl I got this Epiphone Hummingbird from their "Inspired By Gibson" line. I think that's a weird name for a line of Epiphone guitars, as it's not like copying Gibson is anything new for them. But it gets rave reviews, with everyone saying it's basically indistinguishable from a Gibson. I loved the sound of it right away, big and piano-like. The only issue was that (of course) it needed to be set up. So ever since it was set up properly, I've been chasing the sound of the stock strings. My initial thinking was of course I'm not going to buy Gibson strings. I'm going to get the best strings there are! I tried a couple of Stringjoy sets. Good, but not the sound. I tried Gibson Masterbuilt Phosphor Bronze. Great sound, pretty much what I'm looking for, but a couple of the strings seem to have some flaws (like rough patches) and after two weeks I can't keep the damn guitar in tune (didn't have that problem with the Stringjoys). I've now got two packs of John Pearse strings, a phosphor bronze set and an 80/20 set. We'll see how that goes. The thing is, you can't really put too much stock in online reviews, because strings sound different with different guitars. So I really have no idea if a set will sound good to me until I put it on my guitar. Hopefully this quest doesn't last too long.

I'm going to customize this guitar somewhat. I'm going to put a custom truss rod cover that has the marking from the back of Leia's neck that I call her "chess piece". We're planting flowers over her grave in the backyard, and I have a beekeeper friend who's going to help us put a beehive there. So the strap I got for this guitar is reminiscent of bees and flowers. I call the guitar "Peanut", as that was my most common nickname for her. It stays next to the bed and I play it all the time. I've been learning bluegrass rhythm guitar since I got it, and it shows in the song that I'm recording for her. Obviously this is all a way of dealing with grief, but it also keeps me practicing a lot. I'm pouring it all into music, and my writing and playing have been taking big steps forward since she passed. Something good out of something bad. And since it wasn't ridiculously expensive ($850) I won't have reservations about playing gigs with it. At least not financial reservations. If any drunk bastard at a bar touches it though, I will kill them.

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[Greg_L]

Damn I'm sorry about your dog.

[WhiskeyJack]

Dang buddy. sorry to hear about your pup. Losing a dog can be a bit more devastating than losing a family member. Been there it totally sucks. Your little mods are fitting tributes.

As for strings, I have a set of D'addario XT Phospher Bronze on my Taylor currently and i REALLY like them. They still sound as spanky and full as the day i put them on (last summer)!! incidentally i also picked up two different gauges of the new D'Addario XS Phospher Bronze i have yet to try out. I snagged those in an Xmas sale and haven't put them on yet becasue i really love the sound and throw of the XT's. I kind of don't want to take them off lol. I only make that a talking point as last week or maybe two weeks ago now Taylor announced that all guitars leaving their place of birth will now be strung with the D'Addario XS strings as they feel it is a match made in heaven.

Hard to say what they could do for your hummingbird but if you are kicking tires across many different sets might not hurt.

[paulman]

Dang buddy. sorry to hear about your pup. Losing a dog can be a bit more devastating than losing a family member. Been there it totally sucks. Your little mods are fitting tributes.

As for strings, I have a set of D'addario XT Phospher Bronze on my Taylor currently and i REALLY like them. They still sound as spanky and full as the day i put them on (last summer)!! incidentally i also picked up two different gauges of the new D'Addario XS Phospher Bronze i have yet to try out. I snagged those in an Xmas sale and haven't put them on yet becasue i really love the sound and throw of the XT's. I kind of don't want to take them off lol. I only make that a talking point as last week or maybe two weeks ago now Taylor announced that all guitars leaving their place of birth will now be strung with the D'Addario XS strings as they feel it is a match made in heaven.

Hard to say what they could do for your hummingbird but if you are kicking tires across many different sets might not hurt.

Thanks, I will try the XS, assuming one of these John Pearse sets doesn't win me over. I've been hesitant to try coated strings, aside from the first set I tried. That was Stringjoy's coated phosphor bronze, which is supposed to be the greatest thing ever to happen to coated strings. They did sound really good, and they didn't sound like they were coated, but it just wasn't the big sound that I was looking for. I looked up the XS strings just now, and it sounds like they're the latest greatest thing. Definitely next on the list.

Sometime fairly soon I should be posting the song about my dog. It's been rough recording it, as singing it and listening to it are excruciating. But it's getting there. I'm now trying to figure out how to get piano on it without spending another few weeks learning country piano.

[WhiskeyJack]

, but it just wasn't the big sound that I was looking for.

Ok, so the only way i could describe the XT's i have on here now is just exactly that. Big. they sound big. I have never ever played with my sound hole humidifier left in the sound hole as much as i have with the XT's on. It's freaking loud. It wasn't at all at first. It just sounded like what i was usually kind of used to but as the strings mellowed in they got that big tone to them.

Again, i can't speak to the XS's just yet but i am sure they are just coated versions of the XT's.

Sometime fairly soon I should be posting the song about my dog. It's been rough recording it, as singing it and listening to it are excruciating. But it's getting there. I'm now trying to figure out how to get piano on it without spending another few weeks learning country piano.

Looking very forward to hearing this.

[Armistice]

Enjoy your new axe Paulman... they're what, a third of the price of the Gibson? That seems to be the case here anyway. And probably 90%+ of the sound. Sounds like a good move.

Can't help you on strings - although I recorded lots of acoustic in the past I don't do it much anymore and it's never a feature, so it's whatever's on them at the time - usually Elixirs of unknown vintage.

[paulman]

Ok, so the only way i could describe the XT's i have on here now is just exactly that. Big. they sound big. I have never ever played with my sound hole humidifier left in the sound hole as much as i have with the XT's on. It's freaking loud. It wasn't at all at first. It just sounded like what i was usually kind of used to but as the strings mellowed in they got that big tone to them.

Again, i can't speak to the XS's just yet but i am sure they are just coated versions of the XT's.

Ok, I'll have to try both of them probably. Thank you.

[paulman]

Enjoy your new axe Paulman... they're what, a third of the price of the Gibson? That seems to be the case here anyway.

Something like that, yeah. I'm really glad I didn't dig the bigger hole.

[paulman]

Damn I'm sorry about your dog.

Thanks Greg, and @WhiskeyJack. She lived to be fourteen, so we had a good long time together.

[rayc]

I tracked with my wife's acoustic yesterday. The strings are probably 20 years old. sounds sweet to me.
It's sad new when a critter dies. Our elder cat is on the way out at present...liver disease of all things. She's in no pain, eating well so we persist until that point comes.
I offer empathy.

[Lt. Bob]

so sorry for your loss.

And I'm following this thread ..... I need some acoustic strings

[Armistice]

I tracked with my wife's acoustic yesterday. The strings are probably 20 years old. sounds sweet to me.
It's sad new when a critter dies. Our elder cat is on the way out at present...liver disease of all things. She's in no pain, eating well so we persist until that point comes.
I offer empathy.

Depending upon the sound you're after and the acoustic guitar you're playing, strings with a bit of age on them aren't necessarily a bad thing.

New strings can sound very shiny and bright, which, on particular guitars and for particular music, may not be what you want.

Perhaps @paulman, let them age a little before deciding. Extends the process, obviously...

[paulman]

Depending upon the sound you're after and the acoustic guitar you're playing, strings with a bit of age on them aren't necessarily a bad thing.

New strings can sound very shiny and bright, which, on particular guitars and for particular music, may not be what you want.

Perhaps @paulman, let them age a little before deciding. Extends the process, obviously...

I give each set a couple of weeks or so. As much as I play it, they get beat in pretty well in that time. The guy who did my setup told me you typically have to give new strings a week of playing to stop buzzing on the frets, so I do. In the case of the Gibson Masterbuilts, a week seems to be the entire lifespan of the strings.

[paulman]

so sorry for your loss.

And I'm following this thread ..... I need some acoustic strings

Thank you Steve.

What gauges do you use for acoustic?

[paulman]

I tracked with my wife's acoustic yesterday. The strings are probably 20 years old. sounds sweet to me.
It's sad new when a critter dies. Our elder cat is on the way out at present...liver disease of all things. She's in no pain, eating well so we persist until that point comes.
I offer empathy.

Thank you Ray. I'm sorry you're having to go through that. Leia had vestibular disease, where her equilibrium basically just shitted out. She wasn't really herself for the last couple of months, barely eating, and it was really just a matter of waiting until I knew it was time. We had her put to sleep at home so she could go out with the people she loves around her instead of at a vet's office. It was the hardest thing in the world for me, but it was the best way to go that I could give her.

[Lt. Bob]

so sorry for your loss.

And I'm following this thread ..... I need some acoustic strings

Thank you Steve.

What gauges do you use for acoustic?

no idea ..... light or extra light.
I play very little acoustic but I have a couple and need to restring them.
Last ones I used had the wrap end before it passes over the bridge so the core is all that passes over the bridge like a piano string does.
I kinda like that idea

[paulman]

Thank you Steve.

What gauges do you use for acoustic?

no idea ..... light or extra light.
I play very little acoustic but I have a couple and need to restring them.
Last ones I used had the wrap end before it passes over the bridge so the core is all that passes over the bridge like a piano string does.
I kinda like that idea

Well I don't know if you want to go this light, but I have a set of Stringjoy Foxwoods (their coated phosphor bronze strings) that are 10/50 gauge, extra light. I bought them to put on my old acoustic, but then I got the new acoustic and after going down the string rabbit hole decided I'm not using that light of a gauge on acoustic anymore (I use 12's now). So I have this unused set of strings. I know we've been talking for years now about meeting up. If we decide on a Tuesday or Wednesday night for me to come down there, you can have the strings if you want. They're supposed to be the best coated strings around, and I really haven't seen any negative reviews on them. I tried a light set of them on the Hummingbird. They are really good (though I haven't compared them to the uncoated version), just not the tone I'm looking for.

[Lt. Bob]

no idea ..... light or extra light.
I play very little acoustic but I have a couple and need to restring them.
Last ones I used had the wrap end before it passes over the bridge so the core is all that passes over the bridge like a piano string does.
I kinda like that idea

Well I don't know if you want to go this light, but I have a set of Stringjoy Foxwoods (their coated phosphor bronze strings) that are 10/50 gauge, extra light. I bought them to put on my old acoustic, but then I got the new acoustic and after going down the string rabbit hole decided I'm not using that light of a gauge on acoustic anymore (I use 12's now). So I have this unused set of strings. I know we've been talking for years now about meeting up. If we decide on a Tuesday or Wednesday night for me to come down there, you can have the strings if you want. They're supposed to be the best coated strings around, and I really haven't seen any negative reviews on them. I tried a light set of them on the Hummingbird. They are really good (though I haven't compared them to the uncoated version), just not the tone I'm looking for.

sure ...... I'd try 'em.
I like light .....
best thing to do is for me to PM ya' my ph. # ...... then you can call and we can find a day.
I play every Wed and , in fact ...... I don't have a single day off 'till the 26th and basically I'm gigging like that till around Sept so I'm easy to find

[vomitHatSteve]

Sorry about your dog.

Sounds like a nice tribute to her.

[paulman]

Well I don't know if you want to go this light, but I have a set of Stringjoy Foxwoods (their coated phosphor bronze strings) that are 10/50 gauge, extra light. I bought them to put on my old acoustic, but then I got the new acoustic and after going down the string rabbit hole decided I'm not using that light of a gauge on acoustic anymore (I use 12's now). So I have this unused set of strings. I know we've been talking for years now about meeting up. If we decide on a Tuesday or Wednesday night for me to come down there, you can have the strings if you want. They're supposed to be the best coated strings around, and I really haven't seen any negative reviews on them. I tried a light set of them on the Hummingbird. They are really good (though I haven't compared them to the uncoated version), just not the tone I'm looking for.

sure ...... I'd try 'em.
I like light .....
best thing to do is for me to PM ya' my ph. # ...... then you can call and we can find a day.
I play every Wed and , in fact ...... I don't have a single day off 'till the 26th and basically I'm gigging like that till around Sept so I'm easy to find

Ok, that sounds good. We only have one working vehicle at the moment, so I've got to fix the other one before I'll be able to make the trip. Today is string change and new radiator day.