Will it make me play like Chief if I buy one?
In the middle of his three night run at Red Rocks, Eric Church announced today that he’s teamed up with Epiphone to release his own signature limited-edition signature acoustic guitar, modeled after the one he uses on stage every night.
The Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Eric Church Hummingbird Dark is finished in Cobra Burst, a striking, dark finish perfect for the stage lights, with black binding framing the top and back of the guitar, along with a custom Hummingbird Dark pick guard.
And if you’re not a guitar player, allow me to translate that for you: It’s beautiful.
The guitar features a body depth that tapers from 4” to 3” at the neck joint, which protects the sound while also remaining ergonomic and comfortable for performers during long sets and movement on stage, along with a Rounded C mahogany neck profile designed to be comfortable and familiar for both new and experienced players.
The rosewood fingerboard features grey pearloid parallelogram inlays, with a Graph Tech nut and saddle and nickel Grover tuners. The guitar also arrives in a custom Epiphone Eric Church signature hardshell guitar case.
Speaking on the new partnership, Church reflected on the first guitar he ever had – which was an Epiphone:
“It was the first guitar I ever had, so it was kind of a natural progression for me in getting in with an Epiphone, which is kind of fun to be back playing it now. It’s a full circle thing, but I moved into Hummingbirds right after that and I’ve played ’em for 35 years now.
It’s one of those guitars that, whether you walk into a music shop or whatever, I know the quality that’s going to be there.”
Church says he was looking for a certain weight in his guitar that was able to protect the quality of the sound while being lighter for performers:
“I think that’s sought after for people, just the sleekness of it and the size and weight of it is something that I think appeals to people.”
It also happens to be the guitar that Church plays on stage each night when he’s out on the road:
“We’ve been working on this Epiphone Hummingbird Dark, and it’s been with me out on the road for the past two years, part of that journey every single night. It’s where songs take shape, where ideas turn into something real. I’m excited for other players to get their hands on it and see where it leads them, because that’s what this is all about—finding your voice and having the right partner to help you say it.”
The Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Eric Church Hummingbird Dark is now available worldwide through authorized Epiphone dealers, at Gibson Garage locations, and online.
But that’s not the only collaboration between the two: Church’s whiskey brand, Whiskey JYPSI, has also teamed up with Gibson to create Tonewood, a limited-edition whiskey that’s finished in barrels made from maple tonewood offcuts from guitar construction.
Tonewood: Vol. 1 comes in at 109 proof and is built from older whiskey stocks, including 20-year-old straight bourbon and 14-year-old whiskey from a bourbon mash bill, and uses toasted Gibson maple offcuts to deliver a profile with notes of mature oak, vanilla, toasted grain, warm baking spice, honey, polished hardwood, caramelized sugar, and roasted nuts. The limited release arrives in a custom Gibson case inspired by Gibson’s classic hardshell guitar cases, complete with a co-branded Gibson guitar strap and two Whiskey JYPSI glasses.
The second debut, Tonewood: The Collective comes in at a lighter 103 proof, with notes of vanilla, graham cracker, light caramel, toasted grain, and a clean finish that fades to gentle smoke.
The limited-edition Tonewood: Vol. 1 will be available direct to consumer through Whiskey JYPSI’s website, while The Collective will expand to limited quantities in select retail stores around the country.
What I’m getting from all this is if I drink this whiskey and get this guitar, I’ll be able to write a masterpiece like “Sinners Like Me” too. Sign me up.
