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Head to head

Epiphone Hummingbird Tribute, Heritage Cherry Sunburst vs Gibson J-45 50s Original, Vintage Sunburst

Epiphone Hummingbird Tribute, Heritage Cherry Sunburst
Acoustic$229
No ratings yet
67Overall / 100
Gibson J-45 50s Original, Vintage Sunburst
Acoustic$3,199
No ratings yet
74Overall / 100

The verdict

The Gibson J-45 50s Original, Vintage Sunburst comes out ahead overall — 74 to 67 on our estimated score.

Estimated from specs & owner reviews — a starting point, not a substitute for playing both.

Epiphone Hummingbird Tribute, Heritage Cherry Sunburst wins on
  • Better value (77 vs 63)
  • Lower price ($229 vs $3,199)
Gibson J-45 50s Original, Vintage Sunburst wins on
  • Better build (91 vs 61)

Scorecard

Estimated scores
MetricHummingbird Tribute, Heritage Cherry SunburstJ-45 50s Original, Vintage Sunburst
Overall6774
Build6191
Playability7575
Sound6060
Value7763

Full specifications

Specification comparison
SpecHummingbird Tribute, Heritage Cherry SunburstJ-45 50s Original, Vintage Sunburst
BrandEpiphoneGibson
TypeAcousticAcoustic
Years——
Country—US
Body woodLayered mahoganyMahogany
Neck wood—Mahogany
FretboardLaurelRosewood
Strings66
Frets—20
Scale24.75"24.75"
Pickups—LR Baggs VTC
Rating——
Price$229$3,199
BackLayered mahoganyMahogany
BindingSingle-ply top and backMulti-ply top, single-ply back
Body FinishGlossGloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Body shapeHummingbirdJ-45
Body StylesSquare-shoulder dreadnoughtRound Shoulder
BridgeReverse belly, laurelTraditional belly up
FinishNickelNickel
Fretboard inlayDotMother-of-pearl dots
Fretboard radius12 in. | 304.8 mm304.8mm / 12.0in
HeadstockKalamazoo—
JointTapered dovetailCompound Dovetail Neck-to-body
ModelETHBHSNHOCRS4550VS
NutPlasticBone
PickguardHummingbird, tortoiseshell50's, Tortoise
ProfileRounded CRounded
Scale length628.7mm / 24.75in628.65mm / 24.75in
SideLayered mahoganyMahogany
String gauges.012, .016, .024, .032, .042, .0530.053, 0.042, 0.032, 0.024, 0.016, 0.012
Top woodLayered spruceSitka Spruce
TunersEpiphone DeluxeGrover Strap Cream Button
Accessories—Includes Gibson Accessory Kit
Bracing—Traditional hand scalloped X-bracing
Bridge Pins—Tusq
Case—Hardshell Case
Controls—Volume and Tone Controls
Fret Count—20
Nut width—43.81mm / 1.72in
Saddle Material—Bone
Truss Rod Cover—Black
Tuner Plating—Nickel
Under Saddle Pickup—LR Baggs VTC

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