To celebrate the release of this Epiphone signature guitar, Church’s whiskey brand, Whiskey JYPSI, partnered with Gibson to utilize maple tonewood offcuts for whiskey finishing
Epiphone has partnered with singer-songwriter and longtime Gibson collaborator Eric Church to release the Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Eric Church Hummingbird™ Dark. This limited-edition signature electro-acoustic guitar is modeled after his extremely popular Gibson Hummingbird that launched a decade ago.
No ordinary signature model collaboration, this launch is accompanied by another special treat: Gibson has teamed up with Church’s own Whiskey JYPSI whiskey brand to release Tonewood, a limited-edition liquor creation that brings together guitar craftsmanship and whiskey-making through a reversal of tradition.
Instead of repurposing whiskey barrels for instruments, Whiskey JYPSI used maple tonewood offcuts from Gibson guitar construction to incorporate into the finishing process. To learn more about the role of these wood species in Gibson and Epiphone guitars, check out our complete guide to tonewoods.
As for the new Hummingbird Dark model, this eye-catching guitar fuses square-shoulder heritage with aesthetics that channel the character of Eric’s music. Its smoky Cobra Burst finish is complemented by darkened accents, including black binding that frames the top and back and a custom Hummingbird Dark pickguard.
The Eric Church Hummingbird Dark features a custom pickguard
Beneath its exterior look is a solid Sitka spruce top to deliver articulation, mahogany back and sides to add warmth, and comfort-prioritizing features: its body depth tapers from four inches to three inches at the neck joint to improve ergonomics, and a Rounded C mahogany neck profile aids grip without strain. Other key details include a rosewood fingerboard with gray pearloid parallelogram inlays, a Graph Tech® nut and saddle, and nickel Grover® tuners. The guitar arrives in a custom Epiphone Eric Church signature hardshell case.
“For me, a great guitar is about expression, finding something honest and putting it out into the world,” says Eric. “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 accompanying Tonewood whiskey launch debuts with two maple-finished expressions. Tonewood: Vol. 1 (109 proof) 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 deeper, more concentrated profile with mature oak, vanilla, toasted grain, warm baking spice, honey, polished hardwood, caramelized sugar, roasted nuts, seasoned oak, and a long, structured finish. The other expression, Tonewood: The Collective (103 proof), offers a lighter, more lifted character, with vanilla, graham cracker, light caramel, toasted grain, and a clean finish that fades to gentle smoke.
Whiskey JYPSI x Gibson Tonewood: Vol. 1
“The wood is only wood until it arrives in a master’s hands; that rule applies to distillers, luthiers, and songwriters,” adds Church. “I’m excited to see what song this collaboration between world-class masters will write.”
Tonewood: Vol. 1 will be available in an extremely limited direct-to-consumer release via the Whiskey JYPSI website, arriving in a custom Gibson case inspired by Gibson’s classic hardshell guitar cases, complete with a co-branded guitar Gibson strap and two Whiskey JYPSI glasses in the USA. Tonewood: The Collective will launch direct to consumer before expanding in limited quantities to select retail partners. A portion of proceeds from every bottle will benefit Gibson Gives, supporting nonprofits across music education, health, and wellness.
The Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Eric Church Hummingbird Dark is available now via authorized Epiphone dealers, Gibson Garage locations, and Epiphone.com. Sign up for emails to receive Whiskey JYPSI purchase information.
