MusicRadar Verdict
The Epiphone Inspired By Gibson Custom Hummingbird Deluxe EC hits bullseye in so many respects. Not only is it one of the handsomest guitars around, it plays great, and punches well above its weight in the tone stakes. It’s loud, punchy, and sounds like an instrument of genuine quality.
Pros
- +
Fabulous looks and commanding stage presence.
- +
Cutaway provides extended playability.
- +
Quality of build and tone belies price point.
Cons
- -
Factory strings are a touch heavy for lead playing, if that's your application for this acoustic.
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What is it?
The Hummingbird model dates back to 1960, when Gibson introduced this big, bold flat-top as its first square-shouldered acoustic guitar.
It found instant success, with famous users over the years numbering Rolling Stones Keith Richards and Mick Jagger, Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl, Chris Cornell of Soundgarden, Sheryl Crow, and Taylor Swift.
Sporting a mahogany back and sides with Sitka spruce top the Hummingbird made a fabulous strummer, and its strikingly engraved ‘hummingbird’ pickguard, double parallelogram fret markers, and cherry sunburst finish lent the guitar almost unmatched stage presence.
In some respects Epiphone’s Inspired By Gibson Custom EC version modernises and moves the Hummingbird on. So, here, instead of mahogany, I find perhaps the most classic wood combo of solid rosewood back and sides topped with X-braced spruce.
The spruce has been thermally treated, or torrefied, to open up the tone and give the impression of decades of natural ageing. Like the original though it features a comfortable C-profile, one-piece mahogany neck.
The ‘E’ in our Hummingbird Deluxe EC’s title signifies that it comes loaded with LR Baggs’ trusty Element Bronze pickup/preamp with soundhole-mounted volume and tone controls. So the guitar is stage-ready right out of its superb Epiphone Protector Ultralite gigbag.
To top things off it also boasts the legendary Gibson ‘open book’ headstock, with Epiphone logo and crown inlay in genuine mother-of-pearl, plus gold plated Grover Rotomatic tuners, and Deluxe logo truss rod cover.
Specs
- Launch price: $1,299 £1,099 €1,299
- Type: Six-string electro-acoustic with cutaway
- Made: China
- Top: Thermally aged spruce with quarter sawn spruce X bracing
- Back & Sides: Solid rosewood
- Neck: Solid mahogany
- Fingerboard/Radius: Ebony with mother of pearl split parallelogram markers/304.8mm /12.0”
- Scale length: 628.65mm/24.75in
- Nut/width: Bone/43.82mm / 1.73in
- Frets: 20, fine to medium
- Bridge: Gibson style reverse belly, ebony
- Weight: 2.35kg/5.180lbs
- Left-handed options: No
- Finishes: Autumn Burst (as reviewed), Natural
- Case/gig bag: Epiphone Protector Ultralite
- Contact: Epiphone
Build quality
Build quality rating: ★★★★★
A thorough inspection of the Epiphone reveals an instrument that’s been beautifully put together, inside and out. Build, fit and finish are flawless, even though the frets might benefit from a light polish after the instrument’s journey from Qingdao in Eastern China, all the way to our shores.
Fretting is otherwise exemplary, and all the binding and inlays, including the elegant abalone soundhole rosette, are perfectly executed. The polyester finish is not ultra-glossy but redolent of Gibson’s own VOS process that gives the guitar a slightly matte sheen.
It’s a pleasing effect, and overall the impression is of a guitar that’s been put together with proper care and attention. Epiphone’s collaboration with Gibson’s Acoustic Custom Shop in Bozeman, Montana, will no doubt have been a big factor in this.
The inclusion LR Baggs’ ever dependable Element Bronze pickup system, the use of bone nut and compensated bone saddle, and even the gentle rolled edges of the gold-etched faux tortoise pickguard, all add to this sense that Epiphone is serious about the quality of this guitar.
Playability
Playability rating: ★★★★★
If acoustic lead guitar is your main purpose for buying a cutaway electro, you might want to come down a string gauge, which in turn would lower the action slightly for a smoother, faster response
Strung with 12-53 gauge phosphor bronze acoustic guitar strings and with an action that’s set for comfort but not so low as to buzz or rattle, the Hummingbird Deluxe feels like an instant pal.
The deep cutaway means that top-end forays are available should you wish to venture there. But if acoustic lead guitar is your main purpose for buying a cutaway electro, you might want to come down a string gauge, which in turn would lower the action slightly for a smoother, faster response.
But strumming, fingerpicking, licks and fills all fall comfortably under the fingers on this guitar.
Sounds
Sounds rating: ★★★★★
Words like ‘balanced’, 'strident’, or ‘clear’ could all describe the Hummingbird Deluxe EC’s unamplified tone. To that you could add ‘crisp’, ‘full’, ‘projecting’, and ‘classy’. It certainly sounds a whole lot more expensive than its very reasonable price tag would suggest.
With a Martin OM-28 and vintage Taylor Jumbo on hand for comparison, the Epiphone gives them both a serious run for their money – and their money is about four times that of this review guitar.
LR Baggs’ Element Bronze is a tried and trusted system that’s balanced across the spectrum, not spiky like some piezo systems can be.
And through an acoustic guitar amp, small PA or full front-of-house system will prove itself a reliable ally. I usually find that knocking the soundhole tone control back a touch is enough to hit the sweet spot. Through my Yamaha THR-10 its voice rings sweet, clear and satisfying.
Verdict
This Epiphone didn’t disgrace itself even next to instruments costing several times more. It looks fabulous in the Autumn Burst finish, plays like a quality acoustic should, and sounds top class.
This Epiphone didn’t disgrace itself even next to instruments costing several times more
So, whether you’re seeking a smart sofa noodler, a dependable open night companion, or a fully professional stage instrument, the Hummingbird Deluxe EC fits every bill.
MusicRadar verdict: Verdict The Epiphone Hummingbird Deluxe EC hits bullseye in so many respects. Not only is it one of the handsomest guitars around, it plays great, and punches well above its weight in the tone stakes. It’s loud, punchy, and sounds like an instrument of genuine quality.
Test | Results | Score |
|---|---|---|
Build quality | Frets could use a little polish but the build and spec choices are immaculate. | ★★★★★ |
Playability | A lot of players of different styles will get on with this, with the cutaway opening up the fingerboard for leads. | ★★★★½ |
Sounds | Holds its own in more expensive company. It's classy. Nice amplified voice too. | ★★★★★ |
Overall | It is hard to find fault on a guitar that translates the traditional high-end sound and feel to a more affordable instrument. | ★★★★★ |
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