Hummingbirds, Doves and D28s

stickyfiddle · July 2014

Has anyone got experience of any or all of these?

I'm trying to find a "forever acoustic" for my birthday, and these are the main contenders. I played a Hummingbird, J45 and D18 in Dubai at the weekend and despite black strings (the Bird had a 2012 serial number..) the Hummingbird was my favourite by a fair chunk.

I'm off to New York in a fortnight and hoping to go shopping, but any more guidance from you lot would be appreciated in advance. Has anyone played this kinda stuff recently - ie Hummingbirds, Doves, D28s, HD28s, maybe even HD28Vs? Not really interested in anything else because, frankly, I'm a "logo licker" and I want something that'll still feel special after 30 years, and that means Gibson or Martin as far as I'm concerned.

There's also an option of wine red on the Hummingbirds, which is lovely, but Guitar Center say they'd have to order it ahead of time and I'd have to pay and get a refund if I didn't like it. I'm well aware that Gibsons can be hit and miss so don't want to go through all that only to find it's a lemon but the alternative is a drive out to Musiczoo, which while awesome fun, would be fairly dull for MsrF.

Am I making sense?

Who will be the first to tell me to try a Collings? (I can't afford a Collings!)

Will I end up buying a J185 intead?

These are the questions of the day!!

ICBM · July 2014

The problem with the Gibsons is that you have to try the exact one you want to buy because they're so variable. Martins less so.

The Dove and Hummingbird are surprisingly different. The Dove isn't just fancier, it's got a longer scale length and a maple body. As a result it has a much tighter, clearer and 'bigger' tone - the Hummingbird is warmer, softer and more midrangy… more the classic J45 tone, whereas the Dove is halfway to a J200.

I have a Dove (2008). I didn't expect to like a guitar that flashy, and I've played a couple of others that didn't do anything for me, but this one is just right. It's the most perfectly balanced acoustic I've ever played and sounds great for both fingerpicking and (non pick, I don't use one) strumming.

The Martins are probably a safer choice. The HD28 is lighter braced than the standard D28 and is more responsive. I tend to find the normal D28 solid-sounding, but just a little dull. That said, I've played an HD28 I found thin and lacking the "oomph" of the standard model too.

I don't like Collings or pretty much any other high-end acoustics I've played. They're beautifully-made, but too perfect soundwise and don't have any character in my opinion. (No offence intended to those who own them, you can probably play better than me so the guitar doesn't have to do all the work!). I prefer the roughness that you get with a Gibson, Martin, Guild etc.

I think you're going to have to find a way to take MrsF shopping somewhere she wants to go in return for her having to sit through you demo'ing loads of guitars, really - and it's important that she does listen if you can persuade her, because they sound different when you're in front of them from when you're behind them.

stickyfiddle · July 2014

Cheers, @ICBM

I knew you had a Dove and that's one of the reasons I'd consider one - I don't like the blingy red back on them much. Sadly the all-black Elvis ones aren't available at the moment.

I've already got MrsF sorted I think - she's paying!! It's just the road-trip I'm trying to avoid. Hopefully I can find something I like between the Manhattan shops without having to go further afield.

Or I just say fuck it and go to Guitar Village on my brief UK trip this weekend....

ESBlonde · July 2014

I have to agree with ICBM on his taste in modern acoustics and also the HD28 with it's scalloped lightweight bracing, but there are good and excellent examples even at this level and cost.

If you are looking at Gibson acoustics you would do well to try an AJ (Advanced Jumbo) model. They remain on my radar because they sound 'right' and they do fingerstyle and flat picking sounds. As stated above you have to try the actual example you are buying with Gibsons, but get a good one and be done with the search.

crunchman · July 2014

If you are looking at the Martins then you definitely want to try the HD28V. It has the "forward-shifted" bracing like the pre-war ones did. To my mind it's a massive step up from the normal D28 and significantly better than the HD28 as well.

For me it's the Vintage Series Martins with the pre-war style bracing that have the magic (HD28V, OM-28V, OOO28EC, D18V etc). I'd rather have a Furch/Stonebridge over the normal ones.

stickyfiddle · July 2014

Cheers chaps. Will definitely be trying both the AJ and HD28V if I can find them. HD28V should be easy enough at least.

The prevailing message seems to be a definite "get as many in many in my hands as possible"

ICBM · July 2014

stickyfiddle said:
I knew you had a Dove and that's one of the reasons I'd consider one - I don't like the blingy red back on them much. Sadly the all-black Elvis ones aren't available at the moment.

KT Tunstall has a black one as well. Although I think they really missed a trick with the white pickguard by not putting a raven on it instead.

I now what you mean about the red. If someone had told me five years ago I would be playing a red flame maple backed dreadnought with a silly oversized bridge, a paddle headstock and a pickguard that looks like Dolly Parton's handbag I would have laughed at them. It's everything I can't stand about acoustics… except that it isn't, somehow!

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Hummingbirds, Doves and D28s

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