So this happened (Heritage Eagle Classic)

[jzucker]

How is the neck profile? More on the beefier or slim side? I've had my eye on these for a while but have not pulled the trigger because I'm not sure of the neck. My GB10 doesn't get a lot of use because I've never been able to bond with its thinner profile.

It's actually the thickest heritage neck I've ever played. Most of them are slim, similar to a '60s barney kessel. This one is more like my 335. Thicker than the GB but not by a huge amount.

[jzucker]

I'm another who needs fretboard inlays. I do love the look of an elegant bare board, and I ordered my first custom made guitar with a bare ebony board. I was OK with it both because I'd already been playing for decades when I got it and because it had nicely visible side markers on the neck binding. Everything was great, until.....

I was backing a great vocalist with a big following, and she wanted to do Nature Boy with only my guitar behind her. We were playing to a packed house in a great little club here called Grendel's Lair (now sadly gone), and the stage was as dark as pitch. But I was cool and confident. I was to come in after she sang the first four words, and I did - one fret too low. Fortunately, I caught it instantly and slid up to the correct chord fast enough to make it sound (at least to most people) like it was intentional. But it really threw me because I was afraid I'd do it again and screw up the tune.

I got through the night, but I ordered those adhesive dots the next day and have never again tried to play without some kind of fret markers. I've been working on playing without looking at the board for a few years now, but I still peek from time to time and I'm far from being comfortable playing with my eyes closed (which is one way I'm trying to get past this).

been there, sadly. As I mentioned, my Skjold bass has no markers. I'm ok below the 12th fret but it's a 24 fret instrument and with my astigmatism, I can't for the life of me tell if I'm on the 15th or 17th fret sometimes.

[Marty Grass]

You really brought a guitar back to the factory because of f hole buffing compound?
I guess that was the week after you threw the rags out

No, I went to discuss a few things and to show them this highly customized guitar they built for an artist a couple of years ago. They enjoy that.

I drove past the factory twice a week back then and still do sometimes now. Back then, I could walk in and go right into the shipping and office area without a receptionist. I knew all the owners and a couple of the workers (they had a significant turnover).

I had an 18" Johnny Smith, which they only made two of. One was in rose natural. I've told this story before. Johnny made visits to the factory to design his signature guitar. The last visit was to approve a finish called Rose Natural, in honor of his wife. Long story short, he chose the exact shade to match the butt of a Playboy calendar model hanging in Marv Lamb's office. I brought the "big ass" 18" rose natural in for them to see. That's when I was told the whole story of Johnny coming to Heritage. Three owners and Ren Wall were having a good time with all of that. The buffing compound was trivial, but Ren acknowledged it shouldn't have left the factory like that.

Here's the rose natural.

[deacon Mark]

How much do you charge for rectangular inlays on a fretted instrument? My luthier guestimated $500. He said less if he was refretting because it's easier without frets. The frets are good on this instrument though so it doesn't need the refret...

I have no clue I have never put new inlays in a guitar fingerboard as such. It would be done with a router and the frets off would be easier but not impossible. The inlays are cheap you are just paying for whatever takes to do the work. Dots would be much easier for sure a drill press and correct bit would take little time 7 dots. The blocks or some variation would look better to me. $500 seems a lot it would seem to be the time spend would be guessing 7 inlays, 15 mintues an inlay? I tell you I have no idea.

[sgosnell]

I suppose everyone has different needs and tastes, and there is nothing wrong with that. I have guitars with large inlays, dots, and nothing at all, and I can't say I've ever had an issue with any of them. They all have side dots, and that's enough for me. But I can understand that someone with vision issues might need more than side dots, even though they were sufficient even before my cataract surgery. I do agree that dots would be far less trouble to install, and they come in different sizes, so perhaps the largest available might be enough.

[deacon Mark]

I need inlays because like Jack I have some vision issues at least right now. My detached retina eye from 3 months ago is ok and I can see out of it fine but the difference between each eye is a lot. I get a bit confused at about arm's length away. I like to have the inlay for reference especially since I sight read music much of the time. The lines on staffs can really get bad. My cataracts are progressing and they are the mix for sure.

I remember putting inlays in Bill Hollenbeck's personal Barker Guitar he built in Barker's shop. It needed to be completed after Hollenbeck passed away. The fingerboard was already cut for the inlays. I simply super glued them in and fretted the guitar. It was completely easy at that point. The trick is to Dremel out the fingerboard. Now that I think it over given you will need to sand-down the inlays to radius and such it might take longer than I think.

Jack buy those fake inlays and see how it works. I am mean it will only set you back $10. No joke it is worth a shot. Then..............Lord forbid, you might decide to try another guitar and sell this one , it remains original.

[jzucker]

I need inlays because like Jack I have some vision issues at least right now. My detached retina eye from 3 months ago is ok and I can see out of it fine but the difference between each eye is a lot. I get a bit confused at about arm's length away. I like to have the inlay for reference especially since I sight read music much of the time. The lines on staffs can really get bad. My cataracts are progressing and they are the mix for sure.

I remember putting inlays in Bill Hollenbeck's personal Barker Guitar he built in Barker's shop. It needed to be completed after Hollenbeck passed away. The fingerboard was already cut for the inlays. I simply super glued them in and fretted the guitar. It was completely easy at that point. The trick is to Dremel out the fingerboard. Now that I think it over given you will need to sand-down the inlays to radius and such it might take longer than I think.

Jack buy those fake inlays and see how it works. I am mean it will only set you back $10. No joke it is worth a shot. Then..............Lord forbid, you might decide to try another guitar and sell this one , it remains original.

I'm going to keep using it on my wednesday night gig (it gets dark in there) and see if I can get used to it. If not, i'll probably do the dots. I don't think I want to spend another $500 on inlays. I already bought a pickguard and need to have it cut out around the pickup (over the rings) and it needs a new nut and a fret level so it's already up to about $200 with the nut, pickguard, fret level. Adding an additional $500 on top makes it not such a good deal. I can stomach another $200, lol...

[vinnyv1k]

Dots would be easy, but IMO blocks would need the frets removed to be done correctly. I vote dots.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

I'm going to keep using it on my wednesday night gig (it gets dark in there) and see if I can get used to it. If not, i'll probably do the dots. I don't think I want to spend another $500 on inlays. I already bought a pickguard and need to have it cut out around the pickup (over the rings) and it needs a new nut and a fret level so it's already up to about $200 with the nut, pickguard, fret level. Adding an additional $500 on top makes it not such a good deal. I can stomach another $200, lol...

TBH, the adhesive markers are excellent, Jack. I've now put them on 3 guitars. They stayed completely intact for several years on the custom Carvin I bought in '94 from shortly after I embarrassed myself (not long after I got it) until about 2018 when I sold it. They've been on my Eastman 810CE7 for 3 years now, and they're on the Raines Tele 7 that I've gigged with on blues and commercial dates at least once a week for 3 or 4 years.

If you clean the board and don't put oil on it where they'll go, they stick amazingly well. I can't feel them at all, and they look so good that I never followed through with my plan to have markers installed on any of those guitars. If your fingerboard is oily, clean it with naptha or another oil solvent and let it dry for a few days. Positioning them is critical, because you don't want to touch the adhesive surface with a finger and you don't want to have to reposition them. I used a pair of very fine tipped tweezers and eyeballed the positions pretty well. Put them where you want them, press firmly, and they'll stay there for years. They're also easy to remove with a fingernail or thin plastic edge, and a pack contains a lot more than you need for one or two guitars. I tried a few different placements before I found one I liked.

[jzucker]

I used the heritage on my gig tonight. I think it might be the best guitar I've ever owned. I need inlays badly though!

[DMgolf66]

I used the heritage on my gig tonight. I think it might be the best guitar I've ever owned. I need inlays badly though!

What gives it this peak status, Jack???.

[jzucker]

What gives it this peak status, Jack???.

Firstly, it's super loud. Way louder than my kessel, 175, L4 CES (which I sold). And it just speaks in a very wes-like way. The notes just bark and it sounds so good for block chords and octaves that it inspires me to do that more. I'm shocked at how much it blows away the L4 I had. And being thinner than the gibson and having less arch, it's way more comfortable to play.

[bluejaybill]

I'm another who needs fretboard inlays. I do love the look of an elegant bare board, and I ordered my first custom made guitar with a bare ebony board. I was OK with it both because I'd already been playing for decades when I got it and because it had nicely visible side markers on the neck binding. Everything was great, until.....

I was backing a great vocalist with a big following, and she wanted to do Nature Boy with only my guitar behind her. We were playing to a packed house in a great little club here called Grendel's Lair (now sadly gone), and the stage was as dark as pitch. But I was cool and confident. I was to come in after she sang the first four words, and I did - one fret too low. Fortunately, I caught it instantly and slid up to the correct chord fast enough to make it sound (at least to most people) like it was intentional. But it really threw me because I was afraid I'd do it again and screw up the tune.

I got through the night, but I ordered those adhesive dots the next day and have never again tried to play without some kind of fret markers. I've been working on playing without looking at the board for a few years now, but I still peek from time to time and I'm far from being comfortable playing with my eyes closed (which is one way I'm trying to get past this).

So funny, this exact thing happened to me years ago in a NYC club called Snafu. I started a song a fret up, realized my mistake and did what I thought was a nifty modulation down to the correct key. The cabaret singer we were backing laughed it off, but the leader (still a friend to this day) I don’t think ever forgave me! Maybe the singer didn’t laugh it off with him though!

Anyway inlays for me always.

[GuyBoden]

Luminous dots Strandberg.

[jzucker]

Luminous dots Strandberg.

A friend of mine has them on his bass. He says they really don't work at all... And reports say they only stay bright for 20m...

[GuyBoden]

A friend of mine has them on his bass. He says they really don't work at all... And reports say they only stay bright for 20m...

Luminlay high quality phosphorescent fluorescent inlays

Luminlay last about 30mins, before needing recharging with a light source.

[jzucker]

Luminlay high quality phosphorescent fluorescent inlays

Luminlay last about 30mins, before needing recharging with a light source.

my sets are 1 hour long, plus I don't want to stand next to the instrument for 20m charging with a UV light before the gig...

[Marty Grass]

I have used these for years. They work and look decent. I've used the trapezoids and the dots.

Fret Markers – Inlay Stickers Jockomo

[jim777]

Luminlay is not worth the money, in my opinion. I had those dots on a fretless bass and they were worthless.

[olejason]

A friend of mine has them on his bass. He says they really don't work at all... And reports say they only stay bright for 20m...

I have them on a few guitars, they don't work at all in the context jazz musicians would use them in.

In a perfect world if you hold a UV flashlight directly over each and every dot for a few minutes they will glow brightly for 15-20 minutes. That would be fine if you're in a metal band or whatever on a dark stage playing relatively short sets and don't mind taking the time prepping them. I think that's mostly where their popularity comes from.

[2bornot2bop]

Firstly, it's super loud. Way louder than my kessel, 175, L4 CES (which I sold). And it just speaks in a very wes-like way. The notes just bark and it sounds so good for block chords and octaves that it inspires me to do that more. I'm shocked at how much it blows away the L4 I had. And being thinner than the gibson and having less arch, it's way more comfortable to play.

More block chords? YES!

The old Heritage company knew how to build an archtop. But then again, I’m biased.

[jzucker]

More block chords? YES!

The old Heritage company knew how to build an archtop. But then again, I’m biased.

stunning collection. Are the center seams on the back of yours perfect?

[2bornot2bop]

stunning collection. Are the center seams on the back of yours perfect?

I’ve owned some 15 Heritage arch tops, and have never seen one with an off set center seam. But I’d not sweat it, it’s the sound that matters.

[jim777]

More block chords? YES!

The old Heritage company knew how to build an archtop. But then again, I’m biased.

That blue Super Eagle, damn!! Any more pics of her?

[mr. beaumont]

Me: I don't like blue guitars

Also me: Apparently, I am wrong.