An exclusive patterned after a one-of-a-kind custom creation!
Visually stunning and acoustically amazing, the Gibson Hummingbird has always stood out. The first Hummingbirds were created in 1960. The body shape was unique; Gibson called it a "Square Shoulder" design. Gibson's design goal was easy on paper, but not easy to do that is, create a guitar specifically designed for vocal accompaniment. A guitar with a voice all its own, yet one that would complement the human voice, not overpower it. Gibson certainly achieved that lofty acoustic goal while making sure a Hummingbird looked distinctive and wouldn't be mistaken for any other guitar.
Today, The Gibson Hummingbird has a fanatical, almost religious following among acoustic guitar players. The particular model selected for inclusion in the Gibson Acoustic Icon series represents the Hummingbird as it would have appeared in the mid 1960s. To make it even more exclusive, Gibson didn't select just any mid-60's Hummingbird to re-create, but chose an apparent one-off custom Hummingbird of the era, recently discovered by an international guitar collector.
Back in the mid-sixties, dedicated Gibson Hummingbird fans wanted their Hummingbirds to really stand out. The custom order on which the Icon model is based called for block inlays (then found on the Gibson L-5 CES archtop jazz guitar). In addition, the customer ordered the guitar with a custom color combination with a natural-colored top and beautiful dark cherry red colored back and sides.
This mid-60's Hummingbird has solid Honduran Mahogany back and sides, along with an AAA-grade solid Sitka Spruce top . The body has 6-ply binding on the top and 4-ply binding on the back. The neck is one-piece Mahogany, graced with a fingerboard of hand-selected Indian Rosewood. The bound fingerboard also features the Gibson "birds-beak" design where it meets the body. The neck shape is the Gibson rounded style of the mid-60's, topped off with a bone nut that's 1.725" wide for added playing comfort. The bridge is Indian Rosewood as well, with a period-correct adjustable saddle. To make this guitar even more unique, the pickguard, featuring the original ornate hummingbird design is hand cast from the original mold used in the 60's. This guitar also includes a custom, form-fitting hardshell case, and signed certificate of authenticity from Gibson.
The Gibson Hummingbird has always stood above the crowd of lookalike acoustic guitars. The mid-60's Hummingbird is a step above all of the other "birds" with its' custom-ordered features. Its part of a limited availability series of Gibson acoustic guitars Gibson calls "Acoustic Icons," specially created for us by the luthiers at Gibson. You'll have to agree, the Mid-60's Gibson Hummingbird "Special" is an iconic guitar in every sense of the word.
