Dogwood Guitars

  • Home
  • About
  • Guitars
    • Dogwood Models
    • Guitar Galleries
    • Ordering your Dogwood Guitar
    • FAQ’s
  • Services
  • Lutherie Classes
  • Pictorials
    • Repairs
    • How to Correctly String a Guitar
    • Building A Monarch
    • Making a Spalted Maple Rosette
    • Pearl and Abalone Inlay
  • Articles
    • Technical
    • Viewpoint
  • Testimonials
  • YouTube
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Pictorials / Repairs / 1975 Gibson Hummingbird Restoration

1975 Gibson Hummingbird Restoration

While meeting with a customer and his daughter about designing a guitar for her, he showed me his Gibson Hummingbird that his daughter had been playing.

Using the serial number and other identifying characteristics, I was able to date the guitar as a 1975. This confirmed the owner’s recollection that the Hummingbird was a mid-70’s instrument which he had purchased used after graduating from high school in the early 1980’s.

The guitar was in pretty rough condition, mostly due to some poorly done older repairs. The bridge was not original and had been glued on in the wrong location causing the guitar to play out of tune. The bridge plate inside the guitar was damaged and the replacement bridge was shaved too thin and had cracked. The guitar also needed a neck reset and some cracks in the top repaired. I agreed to take on these repairs and to make the guitar playable for the daughter while her Dogwood Guitar was being made. Click the thumbnail image below for a photo essay detailing the repairs made to the guitar.

[Show as slideshow]
dogwoodguitars_gibsonrepair_01
dogwoodguitars_gibsonrepair_02
dogwoodguitars_gibsonrepair_03

dogwoodguitars_gibsonrepair_04
dogwoodguitars_gibsonrepair_05
dogwoodguitars_gibsonrepair_06

dogwoodguitars_gibsonrepair_07
dogwoodguitars_gibsonrepair_08
dogwoodguitars_gibsonrepair_09

dogwoodguitars_gibsonrepair_10
dogwoodguitars_gibsonrepair_11
dogwoodguitars_gibsonrepair_12

dogwoodguitars_gibsonrepair_13
dogwoodguitars_gibsonrepair_14
dogwoodguitars_gibsonrepair_15

dogwoodguitars_gibsonrepair_16
dogwoodguitars_gibsonrepair_17
dogwoodguitars_gibsonrepair_18

dogwoodguitars_gibsonrepair_19
dogwoodguitars_gibsonrepair_20
dogwoodguitars_gibsonrepair_21

1 2 ►
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • YouTube

Repair and Restoration

Greg's deep knowledge of guitar design and construction means your acoustic or electric guitar will play better after he has worked on it. As a graduate of the esteemed Galloup School of Lutherie, Greg studied under master repairman Bryan Galloup. … [Read More...]

Customer Testimonial: Gibson Setup

"I thought my new Gibson acoustic played pretty well until I had Greg set it up for me. Wow! I could tell a real difference in the action. Based on that experience I had him do a fret dress on an older Ibanez and again, I was surprised at how much … [Read More...]

Fine Handmade Guitars

  Hi, and welcome to Dogwood Guitars of Kansas City, MO. My goal is to provide you with the best sounding and playing guitar possible. Whether this means setting up your current guitars to play their best, or working with you to build your … [Read More...]

Customer Testimonials: Strat and Tele Setups

"I have 2 guitars and have been playing for over 20 years.  In that time I have had my instruments set-up by several different companies, some that have been in the business for longer than I have been playing.  I can honestly say that no one has … [Read More...]

Luthier Services & Labor Estimates for 2021

Dogwood Guitars is a full-service setup and repair shop. We are equipped to handle all of your acoustic and electric guitar adjustment and repair needs. The prices listed below are labor estimates and do not include parts such as new strings, bone … [Read More...]

Exploring Common Guitar Myths

I am going to divide this article into two sections: Myths and misunderstandings about playability and care; and myths about tone. We will take these two topics in order. Playability and Care So, your guitar is a little hard to play, the … [Read More...]

Visit us on YouTube…

Follow Dogwood Guitars

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Technical Articles

Why do old guitars sound better?

Why do some old guitars sound so good? Even inexpensive guitars can age into really good sounding instruments, and some old guitars attain legendary tone. Why is this? The answer can be found in one of three factors and the best … [Read More...]

More Technical Articles

Viewpoint Articles

The Three Elements of a Great Guitar

Guitar players and collectors have so many choices available to them. New, used, factory brands, custom hand built...how do you narrow down the choices to the best option for you? In my opinion, any guitar should be measured by three … [Read More...]

More Viewpoint Articles

Copyright © 2025 Dogwood Guitars