Hummingbird

80/20 adds top-end clarity that mahogany bodies appreciate.

Gibson's factory-spec PB voicing for Hummingbird.

80/20 Nanoweb adds brightness to Hummingbird mahogany dreadnought.

SP voice works exceptionally on Hummingbird's mahogany.

Martin Marquis Phosphor Bronze 12-54 on the Gibson Hummingbird is the heavy-gauge approach behind Keith Richards' iconic Rolling Stones acoustic work — Keith has used the Hummingbird as his primary acoustic since 1964, fueling 'Street Fighting Man', 'Brown Sugar', 'Wild Horses', 'Angie', and 'Jumping Jack Flash'. Keith's documented custom string gauges (Stringjoy: .011/.015/.018p/.030/.042/.052) skew heavier than the Hummingbird factory 12-53, and he often runs Open G tuning (G-D-G-B-D, 5-string) which demands gauge stability.

As Keith told the Wall Street Journal about 'Street Fighting Man': "I had Charlie sit right next to the mic with his little kit and I kneeled on the floor next to him with my acoustic Gibson Hummingbird." Conventional wisdom: Hummingbird ships with Gibson Masterbuilt 12-53 phosphor bronze and most owners stay there. Editorial logic: Marquis 12-54 in StringTune's catalog is the closest medium-gauge phosphor bronze to Keith's heavy-handed approach — slightly fatter low E than factory delivers the rhythm thump that defines his Open G voicings on the Hummingbird.

Best for Hummingbird players exploring Keith's Open G tuning + heavy-strum Stones rhythm tradition; skip if you fingerpick light-touch ballads where 12-53 light serves better.