Heritage guitar Eagle classic help

[Bach1970]

I am new to this forum. At 47, I'm starting to learn more jazz. I really like the fat Gibson L5 humbucker pickups sound.
I am looking at Heritage guitars, and will be playing mostly through an amplifier at low to medium volumes, would welcome more versatility, since I am planning to play jazzy central European Folk ( if there is such style? &#128516
I checked out Heritage eagle classic with two set humbuckers and really like it. It is a 2013 guitar, never sold from store and has almost no use .
$3000 sound like a good price?
Thank you so much for your advice.

[BigMikeinNJ]

The price you quoted sounded high to me, I went looking on eBay and found this example for a lot less. Of course I wonder, are you in Europe ?? If so then heck they get a lot more money for gear...

1996 Heritage USA Custom Eagle Natural Archtop Guitar Gorgeous GRLC1474 | eBay

[rpguitar]

That one on Ebay is all mahogany with a floater - gonna be way different from Jack's beauty in the For Sale section. His is the ticket IMHO.

[Jabberwocky]

I'd pocket the $1100 difference and go for Jack Zucker's Heritage Eagle Classic with the single neck humbucker. Put it towards a nice amp, a nice used Gries 35 ($999) with Tuki cover. All set for a gig.

The extra bridge humbucker isn't going to make a hill of beans of difference; do steel-string guitars have an extra sound-hole by the bridge? If I read you correctly, you are looking for a warm fat sound anyway.

That said, it is your ears, your decision. The extra hunk of metal by the bridge does alter the tonal response of the archtop, damping the top for a thicker electric sound.

My thinking is this: If you don't bond with JZ's Heritage Eagle Classic you can pretty much flip it for the same price you paid for it. If you don't bond with the $3000 Heritage Eagle Classic you may take a bath on it.

Anyway, wait a bit and look out for a few good 18" Heritage Super Eagles coming up for sale in about $3000 to $4000 bracket (my estimate) in the next few weeks. One of them has twin humbuckers. They belong to one of our esteemed members, the late Patrick Amato, who is sorely missed. Patrick was inarguably one of the resident Heritage experts. He knew how to pick them as he had ties to the Heritage workshop.

Good luck with your search. Heritage are nice guitars but their headstock shape polarises: you either think that it is pretty or pretty emetic.

[Archie]

STOP!

Unless you have played the Eagle that you found and really like it, its still expansive. I could get you one for €1,500 from the UK where there have been two floating about that no one wants (all mahogany).

A heritage eagle should not be more than €2000 imo but if it has a spruce top, then maybe up to €2500 on a good day.

I would also add the Hertiage guitars reportedly do not sound like Gibsons. Although some say they do.

For over €3000 just get a Gibson?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Heritage-U...item5424a2c9bf

as an example, thats not a bad deal, will probably take £1,500.

[Jabberwocky]

Gibson L-5 Studio Archtop ? Guitar Gallery . $2900. What's an L-5 Studio? A Gibson L-5CES without the ornamentation.

OP likes the fat humbucker L-5 sound? OP gets a fat twin humbucker L-5. I feel that $2900 is a sweet price for it, especially in this excellent condition. Not too long ago, two dealers were asking $3995 for one! One was a White-finished one that was not half as nice as this one. $2900 is the right price for it though as that was what they have been selling for on the used market.

(The L-5 Studio has a laminated maple back and rim like the L-5CES archtops of the mid-to-late 1960s.)

PS Not affiliated with Guitar Gallery.

[Bach1970]

I'd pocket the $1100 difference and go for Jack Zucker's Heritage Eagle Classic with the single neck humbucker. Put it towards a nice amp, a nice used Gries 35 ($999) with Tuki cover. All set for a gig.

The extra bridge humbucker isn't going to make a hill of beans of difference; do steel-string guitars have an extra sound-hole by the bridge? If I read you correctly, you are looking for a warm fat sound anyway.

That said, it is your ears, your decision. The extra hunk of metal by the bridge does alter the tonal response of the archtop, damping the top for a thicker electric sound.

My thinking is this: If you don't bond with JZ's Heritage Eagle Classic you can pretty much flip it for the same price you paid for it. If you don't bond with the $3000 Heritage Eagle Classic you may take a bath on it.

Anyway, wait a bit and look out for a few good 18" Heritage Super Eagles coming up for sale in about $3000 to $4000 bracket (my estimate) in the next few weeks. One of them has twin humbuckers. They belong to one of our esteemed members, the late Patrick Amato, who is sorely missed. Patrick was inarguably one of the resident Heritage experts. He knew how to pick them as he had ties to the Heritage workshop.

Good luck with your search. Heritage are nice guitars but their headstock shape polarises: you either think that it is pretty or pretty emetic.

thank you so much!
Yes the headstock is a bit weird, but sound is great!
thanks also for the link to Gibson L 5 studio in your post below - I am not sure if it was the selection of the song for audio sample, but it sounded more like a semihollow body, seemed to lack the rich bass and overtones. In comparison with the Benedetto on the same webpage ( for 8500) seemed much flatter, uninspiring.

[jzucker]

by the way, mine is no longer forsale.

But it sounds like an early '60s Gibson despite those who claim otherwise.

[jzucker]

thank you so much!
Yes the headstock is a bit weird, but sound is great!
thanks also for the link to Gibson L 5 studio in your post below - I am not sure if it was the selection of the song for audio sample, but it sounded more like a semihollow body, seemed to lack the rich bass and overtones. In comparison with the Benedetto on the same webpage ( for 8500) seemed much flatter, uninspiring.

i blame the player for that. Those are great guitars and in the right hands sound very comparable to their bigger brothers.

[Bach1970]

Thanks a lot guys!
so, it seems that overwhelming opinion is, that 3000 bucks is too much for Heritage Eagle classic even though it is almost new, but 2013.
I will try to ask the dealer, if he's willing to come down with the price.If not, maybe I will ask Jack again, or will wait if some of the heritage guitars from Patrick's collection shows up.

Also, I agree that the bridge pick up is probably an overkill, I will still most likely end up playing my ES 335
For our shows. I usually use bridge pick up for leads in faster songs, otherwise love the neck pick up sound.

Otherwise, I have to say that this is a great forum A lot of useful information ! I have been subscribing to a TrueFire.com, but currently going through the 30 days to better Jazz guitar course from this website and like it a lot.

[Jabberwocky]

...thanks also for the link to Gibson L 5 studio in your post below - I am not sure if it was the selection of the song for audio sample, but it sounded more like a semihollow body, seemed to lack the rich bass and overtones. In comparison with the Benedetto on the same webpage ( for 8500) seemed much flatter, uninspiring.

The sound samples are pretty jangly, thin and bright and that is unfortunate. The Youtube video gives a better take on its fat warm sound provided you can stand Mr. Sandman. Mark Whitfield seems to think that it is quite all right.

Listen to the sounds this Italian dude pulled out of it:

[Bach1970]

The sound samples are pretty jangly, thin and bright and that is unfortunate. The Youtube video gives a better take on its fat warm sound provided you can stand Mr. Sandman. Mark Whitfield seems to think that it is quite all right.

That sounds much more like an L5!
I will contact them to get more details.

[Jabberwocky]

Notice Carmelo Tartamella rolling off the tone knobs to get that warm jazz tone. So, it can sound bright and exuberant, and it can sound warm and mellow. Yeah, versatility is assured.

bach1970, post a New Guitar Day when you do get it. The standard recommendation here for a warmer tone is to roll off the tone knobs, for a woodier tone is to replace the TOM saddle with an ebony saddle, and nickel flatwounds. Everybody has his or her favourite strings. Oh yes, most would advise you to try 12-52 gauge sets. The expensive Thomastik Infeld Swing (flats) or Bebop (rounds) string sets are very highly regarded here.

Most importantly, have fun.

[Archie]

by the way, mine is no longer forsale.

But it sounds like an early '60s Gibson despite those who claim otherwise.

Do all 60's l5's sound the same?

I dont like this defining of sound by decade. I can pick two guitars up from a cnc and they will sound different. Add human hands and the variables could be even wilder?

There are no Heritages that sound like 60's L5's, there are no Vintage Gibson's that sound like modern Heritages. If they do, its purely by chance.

And if you don't believe in that statement, then don't claim that old wood sounds better or different ;-)

[jzucker]

There are no Heritages that sound like 60's L5's, there are no Vintage Gibson's that sound like modern Heritages. If they do, its purely by chance.

we'll have to agree to disagree. I didn't realize you had ever owned any heritage guitars?

[Archie]

we'll have to agree to disagree. I didn't realize you had ever owned any heritage guitars?

It doesn't matter if I have owned a heritage, I know archtops nearly like the back of my hand. 17 bout solid carved archtops are all much the like in that price range imo if they are trying to copy the gibson design, which most are.
If they have the same bracing and dimensions they will all sound in a ruff ball park. Thats about as narrow as it gets.

A ball park is not something I want to rely on as at extreme ends you wont get what you want. You could end up with dry and crips, or fat and deep. The size of the body almost doesn't matter.

I've got a JS copy thats probably richer and deeper in tone than many full size l5's.

See I've managed to contradict myself within this statement on body size but both are facts.

And thus displays the bizarre the illogical results of archtop making.

[Bach1970]

Sorry jzucker, I did not notice your post, when I was writing mine.

I am seriously considering the L5 studio.
Is the bridge there floating so it can be replaced with a wooden one ?

thanks guys

Petr

[Jabberwocky]

Sorry jzucker, I did not notice your post, when I was writing mine.

I am seriously considering the L5 studio.
Is the bridge there floating so it can be replaced with a wooden one ?

thanks guys

Petr

If you're asking about the L-5 Studio, yes, it has the floating ebony bridge with the mother-of-pearl bowtie inlays, the same bridge that comes with all L-5CES archtops. It is the TOM saddle that can be swapped back and forth for a wooden saddle if you wish. The ebony bridge base remains the same; you need only play around with the saddle. You don't have to buy an entire new floating bridge; only the saddle, and don't throw the entire bridge out!

Stick with the TOM saddle and get to know it, if you ask me. It is fine as an all-round saddle.