New Gibson Faded Series - J-35, J-45, Hummingbird

Rabs

DavidR

J45 £2,199, J35 £1,899, Hummingbird £3,299.

Gibson introduces new Faded Series, with satin nitro finishes as standard for a classy retro look | MusicRadar

Significantly cheaper than comparable Martins. Apart, perhaps, from the latter.

And 'as-good' options from other makers available in current markets at much cheaper prices. But they won't be Hummingbirds!

Tannin

They look better and sound great. (Mind you, Quinton could make a fence post sound good if you nailed a wire to it.) No local pricing yet here in Oz, but I'm not holding out any real hope that it will be reasonable. 

Mellish

It'll take a while for 'em to trickle through to dear old Blighty, but I'll keep an eye on my local store.

I do like Hummingbirds. Not sure about this new finish, though, but may like it in-store

 

ICBM

There's one of those cheaper matt-finished J-45-type ones (can't remember the model number) in the shop I used to work for.

It looks, feels and sounds like a Seagull.

Which would be fine if it was the price of a Seagull...

Tannin

If you detect a trace of cynicism in my post above (maybe it's there, maybe it isn't), put that down to my disappointment with the last Gibson "innovation".  They brought out a new line (I forget the name now) promising that it would be much cheaper. Turned out that it is stripped to the bone - no bindings FFS! - and not remotely competitive with much-superior-spec guitars from Europe, Australia, or Japan, never mind the low-wage countries. 

(Make allowances for an even-more-than-usually-greedy local distributor here in Oz. Gibsons are shockingly expensive here. Luckily for me I don't generally like them much anyway. But - as I keep saying to Mellish - I've never played a Dove. Given that I hate short scales and love maple, playing a Dove could put a big nasty hole in the budget.)

Mellish

@Tannin ; try a Gibson Dove Original mate.

It's the guitar I've been searching for since 1960.

One downstrum in-store and I knew I had to have it. And I've had great, guitars. J45, Hummingbirds, HD35, HD28, D35, J200 but this Dove just does it all. Sure, I'll try other guitars but my looking - to - buy days are over. 

To have found your Holy Grail is a wonderful feeling. 



EDIT: the Serial Number of mine is 22671075 if that allows you to see it/read up about it.