Head to head
Epiphone USA Chris Stapleton Frontier, Frontier Burst vs Gibson Hummingbird Standard EC, Left-Handed, Heritage Cherry Sunburst
Acoustic$3,999
No ratings yet78Overall / 100
The verdict
The Gibson Hummingbird Standard EC, Left-Handed, Heritage Cherry Sunburst comes out ahead overall — 78 to 63 on our estimated score.
Estimated from specs & owner reviews — a starting point, not a substitute for playing both.
Epiphone USA Chris Stapleton Frontier, Frontier Burst wins on
No standout advantage.
Gibson Hummingbird Standard EC, Left-Handed, Heritage Cherry Sunburst wins on
- Better build (96 vs 65)
- Better sound (68 vs 60)
- Better value (68 vs 54)
- Lower price ($3,999 vs $4,999)
Scorecard
| Metric | USA Chris Stapleton Frontier, Frontier Burst | Hummingbird Standard EC, Left-Handed, Heritage Cherry Sunburst |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 63 | 78 |
| Build | 65 | 96 |
| Playability | 72 | 75 |
| Sound | 60 | 68 |
| Value | 54 | 68 |
Full specifications
| Spec | USA Chris Stapleton Frontier, Frontier Burst | Hummingbird Standard EC, Left-Handed, Heritage Cherry Sunburst |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Epiphone | Gibson |
| Type | Acoustic | Acoustic |
| Years | — | — |
| Country | — | US |
| Body wood | AA Figured Maple | Solid Mahogany |
| Neck wood | Mahogany | Mahogany |
| Fretboard | Indian Rosewood | Rosewood |
| Strings | 6 | 6 |
| Frets | 20 | 20 |
| Scale | 25.5" | 24.75" |
| Pickups | L.R. Baggs VTC | LR Baggs VTC |
| Rating | — | — |
| Price | $4,999 | $3,999 |
| Accessories | Certificate of Authenticity | — |
| Back | AA Figured Maple | Solid Mahogany |
| Binding | Multi-ply Top and Back, Single-ply Fretboard | 6-ply Top, 4-ply Back, Single Ply Fretboard |
| Body Finish | Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer | Gloss |
| Body shape | Frontier | Hummingbird EC |
| Body Styles | Square Shoulder | Square Shoulder |
| Bracing | Traditional Hand Scalloped X-bracing | — |
| Bridge | Traditional Belly Up, Indian Rosewood | Belly-up; Rosewood |
| Bridge Pins | TUSQ | Ivory Plastic |
| Case | Custom Hardshell Case with Pink Interior and Tooled Exterior | Hardshell |
| Controls | Soundhole Mounted Volume and Tone | — |
| Fretboard inlay | Mother of Pearl Slotted Rectangle | Mother of Pearl Split Parallelogram |
| Fretboard radius | 304.8mm / 12.0in | 304.8mm / 12.0in |
| Fret Count | 20 | 20 |
| Headstock | 1962 Epiphone Small Peghead | — |
| Headstock Inlay | Mother of Pearl 1962 Epiphone Logo and Beehive | Gibson Logo and Crown in Mother of Pearl |
| Joint | Compound Dovetail Neck-to-body Joint; Hot Hide Glue | Glued In, Set Neck; Tapered Dovetail |
| Model | AMSSSFFB | MCSSHBECHCSL |
| Nut | Bone | Bone |
| Nut width | 43.82mm / 1.73in | 43.0mm / 1.69in |
| Output Jack | 1/4" Endpin Jack | Combination Battery Box and 1/4" Output Jack |
| Pickguard | Dual Tortoise, Engraved with Frontier Lariat & Cactus Graphics | Tortoiseshell Hummingbird with Graphics |
| Preamp | L.R. Baggs VTC | — |
| Profile | Rounded C | Rounded C |
| Saddle Material | Bone | TUSQ |
| Scale length | 647.7mm / 25.5in | 628.65mm / 24.75in |
| Side | AA Figured Maple | Solid Mahogany |
| Strap Buttons | Cream - in Case | 2 - Battery Box/Output Jack and Back of Heel |
| String gauges | .012, .016, .024, .032, .042, .053 | .012, .016, .024, .032, .042, .053 |
| Top wood | Thermally Aged Sitka Spruce | Solid Sitka Spruce |
| Truss rod | Adjustable | Dual Action |
| Truss Rod Cover | 2-Screw White/Black Bullet | 2-ply Black Bell |
| Tuner Plating | Gold | Gold |
| Tuners | Gotoh Keystone | Grover Rotomatic |
| Under Saddle Pickup | L.R. Baggs VTC | LR Baggs VTC |
| Finish | — | Gold |
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