Epiphone Hummingbird Studio EC Wine Red

The Hummingbird has never been a shy acoustic guitar, and giving it a Wine Red finish and a cutaway certainly isn't going to change that. The Epiphone Hummingbird Studio EC Wine Red takes the unmistakable square-shouldered Hummingbird formula and tweaks it for the working player, adding easier upper-fret access and onboard Fishman electronics without losing the gloriously decorative character that makes a Hummingbird immediately recognisable.

That EC is important here: this is the Electric Cutaway version. The dreadnought-style body features a cutaway that gives your fretting hand considerably more room when you're wandering beyond the comfortable end of cowboy-chord territory. It's a practical addition for lead playing, extended chord voicings and anybody who regards the dusty end of an acoustic fingerboard as somewhere you're actually allowed to go.

Construction pairs a solid Sitka spruce top with select mahogany back and sides, a classic acoustic combination that delivers a strong balance of projection, clarity and warmth. There's enough power here for enthusiastic strumming, but it remains responsive when you back off for fingerstyle playing, songwriting or quieter accompaniment.

The mahogany neck uses Epiphone's SlimTaper D profile, giving the Hummingbird Studio EC a comfortable, relatively streamlined feel beneath the hand. A 24.75" scale length keeps string tension pleasantly manageable, while the dark fingerboard and traditional Hummingbird decoration provide a lovely contrast against that deep Wine Red body.

And then there's the pickguard. You could technically make a Hummingbird without the famous hummingbird-and-floral graphic, but that would be rather like ordering a pint and asking them to leave out the pint. It's a huge part of the guitar's personality, and alongside the Wine Red finish it makes this particular version an absolute looker.

For live work, Epiphone fitted the guitar with a Fishman Sonicore under-saddle pickup and Sonitone preamp system. It's a deliberately unobtrusive arrangement that lets you plug directly into an acoustic amp, PA system or recording interface while keeping the guitar looking wonderfully traditional from the front.

Add the belly-up bridge, dependable machine heads and classic Hummingbird appointments and you've got an acoustic-electric that's clearly designed to do more than sit around looking handsome. It's equally at home accompanying vocals, handling rhythm duties in a full band or heading out to the gig with one cable and the optimistic belief that the sound engineer knows what they're doing.

The Hummingbird Studio EC Wine Red is ultimately a very practical spin on an iconic Epiphone design: big acoustic presence, Fishman electronics, useful upper-fret access and absolutely no shortage of personality.

Features

• Epiphone Hummingbird Studio EC

• Distinctive Wine Red finish

• Acoustic-electric guitar

• Classic Hummingbird-inspired styling

• Dreadnought cutaway body

• Cutaway provides easier access to the upper frets

• Solid Sitka spruce top

• Select mahogany back and sides

• Strong projection with a warm, balanced acoustic voice

• Mahogany neck

• Comfortable SlimTaper D neck profile

• Dark fingerboard

• Classic decorative fingerboard inlays

• 24.75" scale length

• Nut width: approximately 1.68"

• Iconic decorative Hummingbird pickguard

• Fishman Sonicore under-saddle pickup

• Fishman Sonitone preamp

• Ready for acoustic amplifiers, PA systems and direct recording

• Traditional belly-up bridge

• Deluxe machine heads

• Attractive traditional Hummingbird appointments