A Classic Hummingbird Design with Modern Playability
If you've ever admired the look and sound of a Gibson Hummingbird but wanted easier access to the upper frets, this might be the guitar you've been waiting for. The Hummingbird Studio EC brings that iconic square-shoulder dreadnought shape into a more stage-ready package with a comfortable cutaway and solid onboard electronics. You get the recognizable Hummingbird aesthetic—the tortoiseshell pickguard with the famous graphics, the rich Heritage Cherry Sunburst finish, the classic binding—without giving up any playability or amplified performance.
This guitar sits in the Epiphone Studio Acoustic Collection, which reimagines Gibson's most famous acoustic designs with modern build techniques and accessible pricing. The Studio EC keeps the 24.75" scale length and square-shoulder body shape that made the original Hummingbird famous back in 1960, so you still get that bold, balanced tone. The cutaway design makes chord transitions and lead work up the neck feel natural, while the Fishman Presys II electronics give you plug-and-play stage capability with an onboard tuner and full EQ control. It's a versatile guitar that works just as well for first-position strumming as it does for exploring the dusty end of the fretboard.
Whether you're writing songs at home, playing open mics, or stepping onto bigger stages, the Hummingbird Studio EC gives you a lot of guitar for the investment. It's comfortable for newer players learning their way around the neck and capable enough to keep more experienced players happy.
Tone that Balances Punch and Warmth
The tonewoods here are straightforward and effective. You've got a solid spruce top paired with layered mahogany back and sides. The spruce top gives you clarity and projection—your chords will cut through a mix without sounding harsh, and your fingerpicking will have enough definition to keep every note distinct. The layered mahogany body adds warmth and balance to the midrange, giving you a full-bodied sound that works across genres, from folk and country to blues and rock.
Layered mahogany is not the same as solid mahogany, but it's a practical choice at this price point. It's durable, resistant to changes in humidity, and still delivers the warm, rounded tone mahogany is known for. The solid spruce top is where the tonal magic happens—it's the primary driver of the guitar's voice, and having a solid top at this level is a meaningful upgrade over all-laminate builds.
The square-shoulder dreadnought body shape is a big part of the Hummingbird's character. It's slightly different from a standard dreadnought—the shoulders are more angular, which gives the guitar a distinctive voice with strong bass response and present mids. It's a body shape that handles both aggressive strumming and delicate fingerpicking with equal ease, and it's loud enough to hold its own in a band setting without amplification.
Comfortable Playability and Classic Appointments
The mahogany neck has a Rounded C profile, which is a comfortable middle-ground shape that suits most players' hands. It's not too chunky, not too thin—just a familiar, easy-feeling neck that disappears under your fretting hand. The 1.69" nut width is right in the standard range, giving you enough string separation for clean chord work without making barre chords feel like a stretch.
The rosewood fretboard is topped with 20 frets and features the classic split parallelogram inlays that are a hallmark of the Hummingbird design. The cutaway gives you comfortable access to all 20 frets, which opens up a lot of playing possibilities you wouldn't have on a non-cutaway dreadnought. The fretboard has a bound edge and the same multi-ply binding you'll find on the body—six plies of antique ivory and black on the top, four plies on the back. It's a level of visual detail that gives the guitar a high-end appearance.
The bridge is a traditional belly-up rosewood design with a compensated plastic saddle and ivory-colored bridge pins. Grover Rotomatic tuners handle tuning duties with an 18:1 gear ratio, giving you precise, stable tuning that holds up well under string bends and alternate tunings. The headstock follows the 60s Kalamazoo style, with the Epiphone logo and Gibson Crown inlaid in mother of pearl.
Stage-Ready Fishman Electronics
The Hummingbird Studio EC comes equipped with a Fishman S-Core under-saddle pickup paired with a Fishman Presys II preamp. The S-Core pickup is known for delivering a natural, balanced amplified tone that maintains the guitar's acoustic character when you plug in. The Presys II preamp is side-mounted for easy access and includes volume, bass, treble, and phase controls, plus a built-in electronic tuner. The phase switch helps you combat feedback in louder stage environments, and the onboard tuner means you can tune up silently between songs.
The combination of cutaway access and solid electronics makes this guitar a practical choice for players who need to move between acoustic and amplified settings. You're not just getting a pretty guitar—you're getting a working instrument that can handle real-world performance situations. The output jack is integrated into the side-mounted battery box, which uses a standard 9-volt battery (not included).
Product Features:
- Body: Square-shoulder dreadnought with cutaway, layered mahogany back and sides, solid spruce top
- Finish: Gloss Heritage Cherry Sunburst
- Neck: Mahogany with Rounded C profile, 24.75" scale length, 1.69" nut width
- Fretboard: Rosewood with 20 frets and pearloid split parallelogram inlays
- Electronics: Fishman S-Core under-saddle pickup and Fishman Presys II preamp with volume, bass, treble, phase, and built-in tuner
- Bridge: Rosewood belly-up with compensated plastic saddle and ivory-colored bridge pins
- Tuners: Grover Rotomatic with 18:1 ratio and nickel finish
- Binding: 6-ply antique ivory and black on top, 4-ply on back, single-ply on fretboard
- Pickguard: Hummingbird tortoiseshell with iconic graphics
- Headstock: 60s Kalamazoo style with Epiphone logo and Gibson Crown in mother of pearl
Brand: Gibson
Model: Hummingbird Studio EC
SKU: MCSSHBECHCS
Condition: New
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