The first Hummingbird, launched in 1960, was the first of Gibson’s square-shouldered acoustic guitars.

It had an exquisite pickguard inlay, designed by staffer Hartford Snyder. The company promoted the guitar as being the “big, round, and full…with the deep rumbly bass so prized by guitar players”. It had been specially tailored for vocal accompaniment, and promised prospective buyers that the Hummingbird could be relied upon to provide a combination of “resonant tone, carrying power ad striking beauty”.

The instrument lived up to expectations: folk and country pickers admired it’s mellow, rich timbre; pop and rock performers found it ideal for creating hard-driving rhythm.