Improve Your Epiphone Hummingbird's Tone - Scalloping Braces

I bought this Epi Hummingbird 2nd hand for real cheap. I didn't want to spend 10x the money for a Gibson at this point of time (mainly because my wife wouldn't allow me to!).
The guitar itself is very well made, and like my other Epiphone's I have and have had, they're a real bang for the buck. The bird's colour is amazing and the finish is great, except for some minor flaws in the binding and purfling but I can live with that.
However, despite it's beautiful appearance and good workmanship, I find the sound pretty bad. Funny how people say "Gibson costs 10x more but the Epiphone sounds almost the same!". It's hard to argue that the price difference does not amount to differences in tone but the Epiphone definitely sounds like a cheap guitar.
You can upgrade parts of the guitar to make it sound better. I threw the disgusting plastic nut, saddle and bridge pins away and put in a bone nut, a TUSQ saddle and bone pins. These removed some of the nasty nasally, tinny tone but it still didn't sound good.
Fortunately, there's another way to make this guitar sound better. Unlike the original Hummingbird and most other dreadnoughts, the Epi HB has unscalloped bracing. It has thick X braces and tone bars which really kill the tone and make the guitar sound nasally.
In this video I scalloped the X braces and there was a huge difference in tone. I feel that the mids are not as harsh and are more scooped, the bass is slightly improved but the treble is still retained. It sounds much warmer and not as tinny. However I'll leave the guitar as it is for now and let the top get used to the new X bracing, and I may decide to scallop the tone bars and maybe lower the back braces to improve the tone further.
Special thanks to Luthier Brian Kimsey who has inspired me to do this. Do check out his videos on KZbin as explains how to scallop X braces on Martins.

[@vbrown8522ify]

Think I might do the same just on my back up to the back up guitar as practice at first.

[@martymcpeak4748]

I'm really impressed with the sound quality and nuances of tone. Very nice job Brother. I have an 2013 D-28 Shade Top that I'm considering sending back to Martin to have them themcdo do some scalloping.

[@simpleone1989]

I also did a new video with an epiphone dove with good results as well. Do check it out.

[@elsizzle2000]

Wow fantastic playing. I could listen for hours!

[@michaelduddy4119]

Well Done ! I hear a much more defined bass and sparkly high notes. Big improvement. Just wish you showed or explained a little about how you did it. Did you mostly take little bits and keep checking with the mirror, or mostly by feel? Did you put draw pencil lines to know when you took off enough and not too much ? Did you have measurable goals that you could verify with a ruler or caliper ? I know I'd have to assume the risk, but I would like to try it on my cheap, boomy dreadnought.

[@nledelnr]

Cool idea. I've got a cheap guitar I may try this on. Thanks!

[@jayclark1760]

Thinking about a similar action on some Epiphone Masterbilt (AJ500 and DR500) guitars. The Masterbilt guitars are plenty loud but fall short in the undertones. I own 5 Martins and a Blueridge with scalloped bracing and I'm convinced my Epiphones would sound better if I lightened the bracing. Thanks for sharing.

[@simpleone1989]

Go for it! Do a before and after video so you can hear the difference. Check out my other video, 6 months after I did this mod. There was a bigger difference.

[@bigfaceproduction]

how did you do it? what tool?

[@richardsyoutubechannel995]

You can definitely hear a difference not a massive one but its definitely there

[@davidburke561]

Nice work

[@christhompson5553]

Did you reduce the width of any braces or just take off from top? I have a new Epi EJ 200 coupe abd the braces are huge and plan to do the same. Also, top braces only? Thanks!

[@simpleone1989]

I just scalloped the braces, so essentially the height at some parts of the X braces. I also scalloped the tone bars but the one that was furthest away was very hard to do.

[@simpleone1989]

You can try the back braces. I didn't modify them here. Check our Bryan Kimsey's channel and website. He explains what to expect when you modify such braces.

[@richardsyoutubechannel995]

Are you using bone pins as well? All so i can't really see what it is your doing are you sanding down at the bracing if so i dont see what tool your using or is it sandpaoer all i see is you moving the mirror ????

[@simpleone1989]

Yes bone pins. It was impossible to film the process of sanding down the braces because I don't have a camera small enough, and even so the vibrations will interfere with the recording. I used a small violin plane with a curved blade to get most of the material off.

[@richardsyoutubechannel995]

@@simpleone1989 hi ok so is that all you have to do yeah ?

[@3cardmonty602]

Scallop the finger braces on the Bass side too

[@christhompson5553]

Could you scallop the braces with just sandpaper?

[@simpleone1989]

Yes you could, just that it will take longer.

[@joelreyes4376]

Yes, I think You can, but it Will take forever. But would be safer preventing You yo take away too much. I'm considering taking the risk on my Hummigbird Pro I may tell You later on what the results were.

[@braysanborn6000]

How is the intonation, looks like the saddle is to thin and moves back and forth ?

[@simpleone1989]

I might have sanded it a little too thin but the intonation is quite spot on.

[@braysanborn6000]

@@simpleone1989 Thanks !

[@MemphianSounds]

Where'd you get the nut and saddle? I badly need to replace mine

[@simpleone1989]

Ordered from those online Chinese stores from eBay/Aliexpress.

[@andtothewestamerica]

there's a guy on reverb that sells good bone saddles for all kinds of guitars. good prices

[@krisverding3908]

Ok , now wich strings ( brand / gauge / alloy ) do you think sounds good these birds ?

[@simpleone1989]

D'addarios 12s phosphor bronze. No I don't think they sound good hence I modified the bracing and that helped a little, but to my ears they still sound cheap.

[@joelreyes4376]

I'm ising D'Addario bronce and phosphour Gage #12 and the tome is really good. Especially the bass sound improved a lot.