The Epiphone Masterbilt Series are all-solid flattop and archtop guitars. Epiphone acoustic guitars often come with a pickup making them a perfect guitar for live performance.ĭespite being known for their beginner acoustic guitars, Epiphone also make premium acoustic guitar models for the intermediate market. They sound powerful and commanding, particularly suiting players who strum with a pick. Who hasn’t grown up idolising the rock ‘n’ roll panache of the Gibson Hummingbird or the swagger of the SJ-200? The Epiphone versions of these iconic instruments have become classics in their own right. These acoustic guitars often replicate iconic Gibson guitars at an affordable price, Epiphone acoustic guitars are stylish, comfortable to play and sound great. If you can’t afford a $3,500 Gibson Hummingbird, this awesome Epiphone version is probably the next best thing.įor more info about the Epiphone Hummingbird PRO, click here.įor more acoustic guitars under $500, click here.Epiphone acoustic guitars are some of the most popular guitars in the world. Aside from those legendary looks, the rich tone and the slim, playable neck make this a real performer – perfect acoustic for rock and blues rhythm and lead. Great for beginners, great for practice, but also great for gigging. Reading this review should give you the impression that we really like the Hummingbird. Just like the rest of the guitar, it’s hard to fault the sound of the Hummingbird! The Shadow-designed preamp amplifies the acoustic tone very naturally, although is versatile enough thanks to the controls. It has a warm and rich tone, although remains well-balanced through the registers. The quality solid spruce top allows the guitar to resonate very well and, as a result, sounds big and bold. There’s plenty of tone on offer from this guitar, thanks to both the tonewoods and preamp system. Finally, fixed to the classic sloped dovewing headstock, you’ll find a set of good quality Grover tuners with a 14:1 gear ratio.
Aside from electronics, the Hummingbird PRO features a rosewood bridge, compensated imitation bone saddle, adjustable truss rod and D’Addario light strings. There’s no built-in tuner, which is a shame, otherwise this is an excellent system. This battery-powered system offers versatile controls, including master volume, bass and treble controls, as well as a handy mute button and a dynamics control slider.
In addition to iconic looks, Epiphone’s Hummingbird PRO features some impressive electronics, allowing you to plug in and gig – the Shadow ePerformer preamp and NanoFlex under-saddle pickup. As with the majority of Epiphone products – especially in this higher end of the affordable market – the guitar feels well built, shows good craftsmanship, and is a pleasure to play. With a scale length of 24.75”, the Hummingbird PRO features a select mahogany neck with Epiphone’s popular SlimTaper D-shaped profile, with a rosewood fretboard and 20 frets, marked with pearloid parallelogram inlays – another classic Hummingbird trademark. It comes in a delightful Faded Cherry Burst finish, although you can also find an equally stylish all-black model on some marketplaces. This model is made with a solid spruce top, with laminated select mahogany on the back and sides. The Hummingbird’s body shape should need little introduction, and this affordable Epiphone version retains the classic 1960s design points – big dreadnought body with square shoulders, and a big, elaborately-decorated imitation tortoiseshell pickguard that oozes vintage appeal. If it’s good enough for them, it’s worth your time to read on! This is an upgraded, electro-acoustic version of the classic steel-string Gibson Hummingbird made famous by players including Keith Richards, Lenny Kravitz, U2, Kid Rock, and Sheryl Crow.
You can always trust Epiphone to release an iconic guitar at an affordable price, and the Hummingbird PRO is a fine demonstration of what the Gibson subsidiary can do in the acoustic market for under $500.