Heritage H-575 or Ibanez LGB300?

[skiboyny]

I don’t know many here that expect any new guitar to be “set up perfectly out of the box.” It’s a guitar, and being a guitar it’s expected to be fiddled with. And even if it’s so called “perfect”, it won’t remain that way, for it’s a guitar.

Aren’t there luthiers in Italy?

Well I think set up perfectly is to personal to be attainable. The key is can it be set up perfectly without fret work? This is where many fall flat.

[arnie65]

Just my opinion, but the Heritage will hold the value a little better, plus the quality of build is a bit better.


Cheers,
Arnie...

[Karlos]

+1 for the 575, Ive had 5 and everyone of them was great. They are usually found with a thinner profile neck which I like but its important to play it first the neck sizes can vary, not sure about the newer models but the older ones were custom built guitars so lots of differences. Personally I wouldnt buy a new one a quick perusal through reverb and there are some really great deals. Also some have spruce tops so like a S16 with shorter scale and not all of them state that in the description. I had Shallers, SDs, HRWs and others and liked them all not a thought to change them. Super comfy to play. From a craftsmanship point of view the first shift hand built guitars to the same standards as Gibsons best (I havent played one newer than '18) Im in the US so availability and pricing here as I look I see 10 or more Id consider seriously (if I was buying) all aound $3k us. I would have loved to keep all of them but I had to make some choices. The one I kept I got from member wzpgsr. Spruce top 5pc 24/3/4 neck, Ebony fingerboard, TW Doyle single pickup. I mention this because I was not looking for a guitar when this came up (i thought i had all the good ones Marty hadnt collected yet) but had to have it glad I did. Be patient and keep your ear to the ground,youll find one or it will find you...or come to California where Im sure youll find something and you can get a good sauce at my house (it aint Italy but were from Jersey...we know sauce.) Good luck

Between the 575 and the eagle I see that the fretboards are different, the 575 looks like a classical guitar, the eagle has the edges of another white material. Does all this have a meaning? Is it just aesthetics?

[mr. beaumont]

Between the 575 and the eagle I see that the fretboards are different, the 575 looks like a classical guitar, the eagle has the edges of another white material. Does all this have a meaning? Is it just aesthetics?

Aesthetics. You don't see this in the classical world, but often with archtops more expensive models come with more ornate binding, inlay, etc...but this isn't a hard rule-theres plenty of high end guitars with a simple, stripped down look and plenty of cheapies covered in bling...

[Cunamara]

Yep, back in the old days, a lot of bling on the guitar was seen as being luxurious and high-end. Big mother of pearl and/or abalone inlays, decirative inlays on the headstock, many layers of alternating black-and-white binding, etc. A luthier named Jimmy D'Aquisto, towards the end of his life, started making guitars with minimal decoration and that aesthetic has become more prominent: fingerboards without any inlay, reduced binding on the bodies, fewer inlays on the headstock, no binding around the soundholes, etc. The Sadowsky Jim Hall model exemplifies this and does look, as Karlos said, like a classical guitar. I happen to like that minimalist sort of aesthetic, but one of my favorite guitars is my Ibanez GB10- which is pretty blingy.

I think the choices between these two guitars are not going to be radically different. The biggest difference is that the Heritage 575 has a carved solid spruce top and carved maple back and sides*, whereas the LGB300 has a laminated top and back and sides. In terms of shape and ergonomics, the guitars don't seem to be radically different. Both are going to be very well-made instruments. I think going to YouTube and listening to as many examples as you can in a good set of headphones or through good speakers may lead you to which tonal profile you prefer. To be honest, I don't think you can go wrong with either instrument from the perspective of being a player; from the perspective of aesthetics, that's just a matter of personal preference.

* Heritage does custom orders on their instruments, so you may find examples of the 575 made with different combinations of wood and decoration; Ibanez does not do custom orders on the LGB300, so they will all be basically the same.

[Rickco]

Between the 575 and the eagle I see that the fretboards are different, the 575 looks like a classical guitar, the eagle has the edges of another white material. Does all this have a meaning? Is it just aesthetics?

The 575s have a 1 pc mahogany neck like the original 175. The difference is the earlier (pre'18?) models can vary in dimension as they were largely made to order. the scale is 24/3/4 same as 175. I have an older 175 with 3 pc mahogany (no volute).the multiple 575s Ive had and played all had 1 pc mahog necks all a little different but very similar to my 175 all very comfy and playable, personally Heritage necks are my favorite somehow regardless of small size differences they all play perfectly for me. The 575 I referenced in my post is unusual in that its a 5 piece neck built exactly like an "eagle etc) but 24/3/4 scale. Dimension wise its a bit thinner than the mohag ones I had but frankly after 5 minutes of playing I dont notice or think about it. Eagles vary by model and "heritage variation" the "white material" is binding which was a custom option on 575s and will depend on order and model whether its bound. I think "if the neck fits..wear it"