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_22
dogwoodguitars_gibsonrepair_23
dogwoodguitars_gibsonrepair_24

dogwoodguitars_gibsonrepair_25
dogwoodguitars_gibsonrepair_27
dogwoodguitars_gibsonrepair_29

dogwoodguitars_gibsonrepair_30
dogwoodguitars_gibsonrepair_31
dogwoodguitars_gibsonrepair_32

dogwoodguitars_gibsonrepair_33
◄ 1 2
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • YouTube

Gibson Side Crack

Gibson Artist Side Cracks This guitar was brought to me with some serious bass side damage- the owner had been keeping time on the side with his hand during a break and had cracked the side badly. The cracks ran from the shoulder all the way to … [Read More...]

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...]

Customer Testimonial: Taylor Custom setup and upgrades

Greg, when I met you and talked with you, it helped ease my apprehensions. You were very professional and explained in detail what, why, and how you would make my guitar play and sound better. You said that guitars sound what they sound like, but you … [Read More...]

Customer Testimonial:

"My stage guitar had buzzing strings and the sound from the pickup was unbalanced. Greg made me a new bone saddle to replace the poorly fitted plastic one and did a setup, now I have a guitar with no issues. His knowledge of guitar geometry is … [Read More...]

Blog: Spalted Maple Rosette

I love spalted wood, especially spalted Maple. My affection toward this unique combination of color and pattern goes back to the 1980's, when I became introduced to the work of James Krenov. In 1983 a friend and I discovered a huge spalted Maple … [Read More...]

Pearl and Abalone Inlay

One of the most beautiful customizations to a musical instrument is the addition of shell inlay. Typically this might include peghead decorations, fretboard position markers or more elaborate motifs such as vines and flowers, and body purflings. … [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