Gibson 335 vs. Heritage 535 semi-hollow

[Flat]

Another Heritage fan here. I've got nothing new to add...except I love my 535 as well!

So I'll just lay a little guitporn on my jazzbo brothers and keep on moving...

This one is running Seymour Duncan Seth Lovers. I think you can also get them with Heritage's highly-regarded HRW pickups.

[Patrick2]

Originally Posted by Flat

Another Heritage fan here. I've got nothing new to add...except I love my 535 as well!

So I'll just lay a little guitporn on my jazzbo brothers and keep on moving...

This one is running Seymour Duncan Seth Lovers. I think you can also get them with Heritage's highly-regarded HRW pickups.

That's a beauty!! I love the Heritage Johnny Smith pick guard. Jay Wolfe usually orders them that way. I wouldn't be surprised if you bought that one from him. Regarding the HRW pick ups . . . they're no longer available on new builds. But you can and will see them occasionally on pre owned 535s and 555s.

[Patrick2]

Originally Posted by petermelton

Hey Patrick you replied to my thread about my new Heritage over on The Gear Page. Nice to see you're over here too!

I'll throw in my .02 cents.
I've worked in guitar sores for a while now teaching and working on instruments, and I must say the quality control on the Gibson 335's I've seen isn't the best. More dogs than good ones. Easily. They also cost more than a Heritage. And I've never played a bad Heritage. I currently have a Golden Eagle from Heritage and I'm completely in love with it. I'd go with the Heritage. The people at Heritage are also a lot friendlier and a pleasure to deal with. I'd rather give them my money just because of that.

Thanks for the warm welcome petermelton! Your points are well taken. I keep making the same mistake when making the claim that Gibson's level of quality and attention to detail is pretty much equal to Heritage's. I'm always comparing their Nashville Custom Shop guitars to Heritage's guitars. While I'm sure that many of Gibson's regular mass produced guitars have a similar great level of quality and attention to detail . . . I'm also sure that ther are more flawed guitars that go out of the plant, than there are flawed guitars leaving their custom shop. That's just the unfortunate nature of the beast with mass production. But, to be fair, I've never even held a mass produced Gibson product in my hands since Gibson left Kalamazoo . . . and I've only seen them hanging on a wall from a distance. I've owned MANY *vintage* Gibsons, that were made from 1954 up to around the early 1970s. After that, the only Gibsons that I've owned and played came out of the Custom Shop in Nashville . . . including the 7 Historic Reissues I currently own.

I believe that it's unfair to judge a mass produced Gibson guitar against a Heritage. The Heritage is almost always going to come out on top in that comparison. Heritage is a Custom Shop . . and a much smaller Custom Shop that Gibson's. You could almost consider Heritage a large boutique builder and not even a plant. I would guestimate that Gibson's Custom Shop produces in 1 month what Heritage produces in 1 year. It's just a given that a company with a much smaller out put is going to have a greater handle on attentention to detail and fit and finish, as well as the ability to catch any flaws in the final QC inspections.

Now, that's not to say that EVERY Heritage that leaves their shop is absolutely flawless. There is a higher degree of human element (potential for imperfections) than in a more modernized plant. Heritage guitars are almost 100% hand made! No computerized CNC type of manufacturing short cuts for effeciency. The only machines used in their process are the ones that Gibson left there when they moved because they were determined to be too antiquated for them and not worth the cost of moving. I doubt that any of those machines are newer than 30 years old . . . and the newer ones, of older design were custom made made by the people of Heritage specifically to fit their needs. So, some "boogers" do slip through, even with the scrutiny of a less burdened QC department. But, they slip through at a very small amount and are correct to the customer's satisfaction.

[lpdeluxe]

This is an OLD thread!

Changes since I last posted: the Jazzmaster Ultralight remains the default choice for amp. I acquired a used Fender Deluxe Reverb reissue, which led to me trading off the Blues Jr, and the Bandmaster VM now drives a Weber California Ceramic 15 cabinet. The Les Paul and SG are gone, and the 335, now my one and only electric, has been fitted with a Bigsby. And, last but not least, the local music store has begun carrying Heritage guitars, so I have had the opportunity to look at a few close up.

I still love the 335, but if I were looking, I would have to choose between the 535 and a Carvin SH550. I took part in an evaluation of the Carvin on this forum a while back, and it impressed me a lot -- not enough to sell my Gibson, but a lot. Both the SH550 and the 535 are available with Bigsbys (I mounted mine on the 335 with a Vibramate), which would sway me away from Gibson.

The DRRI is an excellent match for the 335. It brings some presence that the Blues Jr lacked, and has more personality. A friend, however, tells me the BM/Weber is my "signature sound" so that's a consideration...but it (and the Deluxe) are still a bit heavier than the Jazzmaster.

So the gear has been swapped around, but my go-to setup is the same.

Peacemover, did you ever settle on a guitar and amp?

[Flat]

Originally Posted by Patrick2

That's a beauty!! I love the Heritage Johnny Smith pick guard. Jay Wolfe usually orders them that way. I wouldn't be surprised if you bought that one from him. Regarding the HRW pick ups . . . they're no longer available on new builds. But you can and will see them occasionally on pre owned 535s and 555s.

Thanks, Patrick! My 535 might have come from Jay originally, but for me it was a private party deal on eBay that worked out well.

I was sold on Heritage years ago when I got an H-575. I wanted an ES-175, but the Gibsons were too expensive for me at the time, so I went with Heritage because it represented a lower cost alternative.

But by the time I went shopping for a 335-style instrument, I no longer thought of Heritage primarily as a cost-saver (though it is and I'm glad for it). By that time I saw Heritage as a company building better sounding, better playing, frequently better looking instruments--that just happened to cost less than their Gibson counterparts.

I've got three various Gibsons that I love as well (1944 L7, 1957 ES-225, 2003 Smeck RI). But I consider my two Heritages to be the equal of any of them.

Didn't know the HRWs had been discontinued fro the 535 line. I never tried them, but I read a lot of favorable comments on the web. I swapped Schallers for Lovers on my 575. Slightly more to my taste, though the Schallers had an appealing, distinctive high-end sizzle going on as well.

It's great to have options!

-Flat