The first Acoustic Heritage Super Eagle

**setemupjoe** · 08-09-2025, 06:26 PM

I just bought this guitar from a shop in Nashville. I already own a blonde 2 pickup Heritage Super Eagle from 2006 and a 2 pickup Gibson Super V from 1980 but was looking for something with a floating pickup.

According to the label inside the guitar this is the first acoustic Super Eagle Heritage made and the label is dated 11/1/1989. That's a little confusing because the serial number dates it to April of 1989. Still, for a guitar of that age it's immaculate. I can't find a scratch on it so I'm guessing it spent many years under someone's bed.

At some point they switched out the pickguard and added a Dearmond Rhythm Chief 1100 which sounds great. The strings on it right now are too light for my taste and I'm researching what I want to put on it. My other guitars have La Bella Jazz Flats 15-56.

Also it has a volume wheel under the pickup but I'm thinking of adding a tone wheel if possible.

The first Acoustic Heritage Super Eagle-img_0067-copy-png

The first Acoustic Heritage Super Eagle-img_0067-copy-png

The first Acoustic Heritage Super Eagle-img_0069-copy-png

The first Acoustic Heritage Super Eagle-img_1138-jpg

The first Acoustic Heritage Super Eagle-img_1136-jpg

**deacon Mark** · 08-09-2025, 06:35 PM

It is gorgeous and a real looker. Be interested in how you think it sound acoustically to like other guitars. Wonderful choice play the frets off it.

**andrew** · 08-09-2025, 09:28 PM

Congrats! She looks like a real beauty and what an important piece of history. I remember seeing that listing online. The specs said that it had a 1-9/16” nut width. Is that true?

Regarding the serial number and date, Heritage does it the opposite of Gibson. Heritage numbers count down and Gibson’s count up. In other words, a Heritage built on January 1st would be 365 and a Gibson would be 001.

**Freddels** · 08-09-2025, 10:00 PM

Just contact Heritage and ask them about the date. They most likely have it in their records.

**setemupjoe** · 08-09-2025, 10:08 PM

Originally Posted by andrew

Congrats! She looks like a real beauty and what an important piece of history. I remember seeing that listing online. The specs said that it had a 1-9/16” nut width. Is that true?

Regarding the serial number and date, Heritage does it the opposite of Gibson. Heritage numbers count down and Gibson’s count up. In other words, a Heritage built on January 1st would be 365 and a Gibson would be 001.

Thanks for that info. I was counting the wrong way. So the serial number would then put it in mid September which makes more sense.

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**setemupjoe** · 08-09-2025, 10:11 PM

Originally Posted by deacon Mark

It is gorgeous and a real looker. Be interested in how you think it sound acoustically to like other guitars. Wonderful choice play the frets off it.

I want to get some decent strings on it to see how it sounds. It feels like there’s 11’s on there now which doesn’t do it justice. I might put 14’s on and see how it feels. It’s definitely louder acoustically and a much lighter guitar to hold.

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**Hammertone** · 08-09-2025, 10:55 PM

Lovely! I love the cupid's bow on it! As the owner of an acoustic Super Eagle myself, I look forward to hearing more about how it sounds, once you have set it up with your preferred strings. Hooray for Heritage Super Eagles (pix of my x-braced '95 - w/replaced bridge base - below)!

1 - is the nut width 1 9/16" as advertised?
2 - is the guitar parallel braced or x-braced?

**setemupjoe** · 08-10-2025, 03:20 AM

The guitar is X braced. My other two guitars are parallel braced so it’ll be interesting checking out the difference as I get to play it in.

The neck is actually 1 10/16”. I hadn’t even noticed it was 1/16” narrower than my other guitars until you guys asked me about it. It feels the same to me.

**pawlowski6132** · 08-10-2025, 08:13 AM

Will you play it acoustic with bronze strings or with pickup and nickel strings? I suggest one or the other, trying to do both is a poor compromise.

**Marty Grass** · 08-10-2025, 08:16 AM

Originally Posted by Freddels

Just contact Heritage and ask them about the date. They most likely have it in their records.

Most likely they do not. They've had a flood and fire since that destroyed a lot of records. Plus they only made a few guitars a day and generally didn't keep tight records.

This guitar was a side project I assume, similar to a prototype. It would have thus received the best woods and workmanship. Nonetheless, look at the sloppiness of the label with "model" first misspelled. It looks like they used a pre-signed label then added the guitar title. That does not impugn the guitar at all.

**Marty Grass** · 08-10-2025, 08:20 AM

Something to keep in mind is that they were closed part of the week back then, Thursdays if I recall. Also deer hunting season began October 1, and Heritage sometimes closed at least partially during that. That can affect things.

**Marty Grass** · 08-10-2025, 08:32 AM

The first Acoustic Heritage Super Eagle-2025-08-10_07-37-16-jpg

This suggests it was a late September guitar.

**andrew** · 08-10-2025, 09:01 AM

Ok, since Hammertone started it, I figured I'd post a photo of my Super Eagle duo. I guess a need a cutaway with a floater to complete the trifecta?

The first Acoustic Heritage Super Eagle-screenshot-2025-08-10-8-57-50-am-png

The first Acoustic Heritage Super Eagle-screenshot-2025-08-10-8-57-50-am-png

**setemupjoe** · 08-10-2025, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by pawlowski6132

Will you play it acoustic with bronze strings or with pickup and nickel strings? I suggest one or the other, trying to do both is a poor compromise.

That's the million dollar question for me right now. I'm thinking of going nickel because honestly I'll be plugging this in at gigs more than playing it acoustically. This guitar will be perfect for duo gigs I do with various singers.

**setemupjoe** · 08-10-2025, 11:06 AM

Originally Posted by Hammertone

Lovely! I love the cupid's bow on it! As the owner of an acoustic Super Eagle myself, I look forward to hearing more about how it sounds, once you have set it up with your preferred strings. Hooray for Heritage Super Eagles (pix of my x-braced '95 - w/replaced bridge base - below)!

1 - is the nut width 1 9/16" as advertised?
2 - is the guitar parallel braced or x-braced?

That is the most blonde blonde model I've seen. The top looks like pearl. and even the back of the headstock is blonde. It's gorgeous.

The cupid's bow on mine is definitely unique. It's much more extreme that any I've seen before and extends further out. It caught my eye straight away.

**setemupjoe** · 08-10-2025, 11:10 AM

Originally Posted by andrew

Ok, since Hammertone started it, I figured I'd post a photo of my Super Eagle duo. I guess a need a cutaway with a floater to complete the trifecta?

The first Acoustic Heritage Super Eagle-screenshot-2025-08-10-8-57-50-am-png

Wow, the bigsby is a bold move. Do you use it a lot? They are both beautiful guitars. The non cutaway is a monster. What strings do you use for that?

**Gustavo Eiriz** · 08-10-2025, 11:15 AM

Gorgeous!!! Congrats.

**Hammertone** · 08-10-2025, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by setemupjoe

The guitar is X braced. My other two guitars are parallel braced so it’ll be interesting checking out the difference as I get to play it in.
The neck is actually 1 10/16”. I hadn’t even noticed it was 1/16” narrower than my other guitars until you guys asked me about it. It feels the same to me.

I asked about nut width because it was listed the ad, and it struck me as a bit unusual. I'll post some measurements from mine later. I find this sort of Heritage information interesting, because they accommodated so many custom requests in their first @30 years. I also suspect that they did not make many Super Eagles, and made even fewer acoustic Super Eagles. Yours is a striking example, made even moreso by the Gibson-style replacement pickguard (probably Allparts). It really brings out the beauty of the design, as opposed to Heritage's somewhat idiosyncratic pickguard designs.

**andrew** · 08-10-2025, 11:19 AM

Originally Posted by setemupjoe

Wow, the bigsby is a bold move. Do you use it a lot? They are both beautiful guitars. The non cutaway is a monster. What strings do you use for that?

The Bigsby is actually stock from the factory. I'm guessing somebody was a Merle Travis fan. I wouldn't say I use it a lot, but a gentle warble now and then can be fun! Typically at the end of a tune.

On the non-cutaway acoustic I recently put 80/20 bronze strings on there. I'm liking them. If I was in your shoes, I would go with Monel strings. I think that's the best-of-both-worlds when it comes to a good acoustic sound and working well with magnetic floating pickups.

**setemupjoe** · 08-10-2025, 11:23 AM

Originally Posted by Hammertone

I asked about nut width because it was listed the ad, and it struck me as a bit unusual. I'll post some measurements from mine later. I find this sort of Heritage information interesting, because they accommodated so many custom requests in their first @30 years. I also suspect that they did not make many Super Eagles, and made even fewer acoustic Super Eagles. Yours is a striking example, made even moreso by the Gibson-style replacement pickguard (probably Allparts). It really brings out the beauty of the design, as opposed to Heritage's somewhat idiosyncratic pickguard designs.

I rechecked the measurement this morning and it's definitely 1 10/16". It's really impossible to feel any difference to me.
I agree about the pickguard. I prefer the Gibson style. Check out what I did with my blonde Super Eagle. I love those Super 400 pickguards.
Another interesting note is the truss rod cover on this new super eagle is a different shape than usual. Not sure why.

The first Acoustic Heritage Super Eagle-img_1139-jpg

The first Acoustic Heritage Super Eagle-img_1139-jpg

**ThatRhythmMan** · 08-10-2025, 06:23 PM

Originally Posted by setemupjoe

That's the million dollar question for me right now. I'm thinking of going nickel because honestly I'll be plugging this in at gigs more than playing it acoustically. This guitar will be perfect for duo gigs I do with various singers.

Have you tried Martin Retro Monel strings? I don’t really care for them the first day or so, but I like them quite a bit after they settle in. They are my favorite so far for a mix of acoustic and electric.

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**setemupjoe** · 08-10-2025, 06:31 PM

Originally Posted by ThatRhythmMan

Have you tried Martin Retro Monel strings? I don’t really care for them the first day or so, but I like them quite a bit after they settle in. They are my favorite so far for a mix of acoustic and electric.

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I just ordered a set of the Curt Mangan Monel hex core 14-56. I tried the local guitar center today for the Martin retro in 13’s but they didn’t have them. I figure I’ll probably try a few things before I settle on what works best for me. I’ve only played flatwounds for the last 30 years so this will be an adventure.

**deacon Mark** · 08-10-2025, 06:58 PM

Originally Posted by ThatRhythmMan

Have you tried Martin Retro Monel strings? I don’t really care for them the first day or so, but I like them quite a bit after they settle in. They are my favorite so far for a mix of acoustic and electric.

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I started using Pyramid Monel Classics on my Heritage Ghost build D'angelico New Yorker. It gives it a much better acoustic sound without the overpowering jangling of bronze strings. I am not fan of bronze strings at least at the moment. They also go bad much faster. The Monel were so good I moved to using them on my 1949 New Yorker. To me they work really well for rhythm and single line, chord melody without going places other strings will. They are more acoustic sounding than the Thomastik's roundwounds I usually use. Both would be good though for your guitar I would say.

My guess this that big Super Eagle will move some air and really getting some more acoustic strings on it will even keep it moving better. It looks is such great shape it might not have been played a lot. In that case you might find it will wake up more if you play it a lot. That is your assignment, play it a lot. Easy homework from the deacon.

**ThatRhythmMan** · 08-10-2025, 07:08 PM

Originally Posted by deacon Mark

I started using Pyramid Monel Classics on my Heritage Ghost build D'angelico New Yorker. It gives it a much better acoustic sound without the overpowering jangling of bronze strings. I am not fan of bronze strings at least at the moment. They also go bad much faster. The Monel were so good I moved to using them on my 1949 New Yorker. To me they work really well for rhythm and single line, chord melody without going places other strings will. They are more acoustic sounding than the Thomastik's roundwounds I usually use. Both would be good though for your guitar I would say.

My guess this that big Super Eagle will move some air and really getting some more acoustic strings on it will even keep it moving better. It looks is such great shape it might not have been played a lot. In that case you might find it will wake up more if you play it a lot. That is your assignment, play it a lot. Easy homework from the deacon.

And on an 18” acoustic I use 13s at a minimum. Heavier gauge makes a big difference with a big soundboard.

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**floatingpickup** · 08-10-2025, 07:33 PM

Originally Posted by setemupjoe

Another interesting note is the truss rod cover on this new super eagle is a different shape than usual. Not sure why.

Your NGD guitar has the early “bell” shaped truss rod cover. I ordered a Heritage Golden Eagle in the early 1990’s and it came with the newer style truss rod cover instead of the earlier “bell” shape. I seem to remember that they made this change due to some sort of dispute with Gibson, which uses a bell shaped truss rod cover. Maybe one of the Heritage experts will know more about this than I do.
Keith