Gibson Hummingbirds - your experience recording them

[fps]

Morning all,
I'm looking for a new dreadnought to complement the Yamaha AC3R I have. It's for a new, more mellow album with my band. I tried a load of acoustics around London yesterday, some lovely ones - a 70s Guild D40, a 2003 Gibson Songwriter Deluxe, a Taylor 317, a True Vintage J45, new 60s J50, Atkin J43, Martin D18. There were some great ones, but justifying one when the Yamaha has so much tone in it wasn't quite possible.
None of them grabbed me like a Hummingbird Studio Rosewood model I tried further afield. I loved its mellow feel, and while I tried a lot of great guitars yesterday nothing felt so different from the Yamaha, or so addictive to play.
So I'm on a full fat Gibson Hummingbird hunt. Anyone here have experiences with playing them or recording them? How was your experience? Have you used a pickup with them or no? I'm especially interested in how you've gone with them once they're under the microphone, and the variability you've found with different ones.

 

[JSanta]

The Gibson Hummingbird is a classic for a reason. For me, it sounds exactly like a good dreadnought should. I think acoustic guitars, as well as archtops, continues to be an area where Gibson just gets it right. I think the best bet is to purchase one that you can play. Each piece of wood has a different response, and with an acoustic instrument, it becomes even more important to make sure you love the tone. For me, if you like a PRS CU24, you can basically just order one because they are pretty similar across the board. That's not true (at least in my experience) with acoustic instruments.

 

[fps]

The Gibson Hummingbird is a classic for a reason. For me, it sounds exactly like a good dreadnought should. I think acoustic guitars, as well as archtops, continues to be an area where Gibson just gets it right. I think the best bet is to purchase one that you can play. Each piece of wood has a different response, and with an acoustic instrument, it becomes even more important to make sure you love the tone. For me, if you like a PRS CU24, you can basically just order one because they are pretty similar across the board. That's not true (at least in my experience) with acoustic instruments.

Thank you. I'm aiming to try a few today to get a feel for the range of sound in the models. I may end up buying a new one, based on the lifetime warranty, which one doesn't get second hand. That's going to be a tough choice. I agree they get it right, the mellowness in the tone suits vocal accompaniment and creates an intimacy where a lot of acoustics are more strident.
Funny thing on CU24s, I tried one at GuitarGuitar once in a blue blackburst, and it was the best 6 string I've ever played. I know what you mean about the Customs but no other one has felt or sounded like that one!!