This is a bit embarrassing…I’ve been a professional singer/songwriter for over 25 years, but I was never able to afford a decent guitar, or when I did, didn’t care enough.

I’ve had various Ovations over the years, which I still think are good value for money, but right now I have 3 (plus a Yamaha) none of which are good enough for live concerts. I love how I can change strings fast on stage when something goes wrong, the problem was that in the last few months things with my main Ovation seemed to go wrong all the time. I break an average of 2 strings per concert plus it had various unexpected problems with the sound.

So I’ve decided it’s time to finally upgrade. I haven’t found a Taylor or Martin (around the $1000 mark) that I liked, but there are a few Gibsons that I’ve had my eye on, most notably the Hummingbird and Blues King (both around $3000 or so). I’d be willing to go up to $4000 or even $5000 if I had to; after all this is a tool for my job and it will pay for itself within a few months. But I don’t want to be stuck with something I regret.

The music we play is mainstream rock, lots of blues, some country, folk, ballads, slightly harder stuff like AC/DC and slightly softer like ‘80s pop, even jazz but mainly Blues. I have an electric guitarist who does all the fiddly bits with a Les Paul and a Strat, so mine is for the main chords, some arpeggios, more background generally. I rarely play solo anymore.

So, what would you recommend? Shall I go with my gut feeling of the Hummingbird or is there something else better for what I need around the same price range?

Note: I am not able to travel to a store and try them out, this will have to be ordered online so basically I’ll be stuck with whatever I choose.