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For those who need an intro, the Heritage Golden Eagle is basically Heritage's response to the Gibson L-5. That's the party line anyway. (IMO, the Heritage Henry Johnson is closer to the L-5.)
The Heritage founders favored a 3" depth vs. the Gibson 3 3/8". The Heritage has a slightly shorter body length, too. The felt that these dimensions were more comfortable and didn't create an inferior sound, maybe just a little different perhaps.
Under the original management, Heritage did a lot of custom work. That really was one of the highlights for which they are known. A variant of the Golden Eagle is the thinline, just like Gibson makes their thinlines. Few were made.
I got one from the 2000s that had a natural top and a root beer finish on the maple. Foolishly, I let it go. But it went to a friend on the forum who gave it an excellent home.
In 2016, one of our fellow members who is a Heritage dealer had another one built. This may be the last of the thinlines since they won't do this customization any more. They actually won't do any customization for the time being. This Golden Eagle has some notable features.
The most obvious is the Brock Burst finish. Heritage and Gibson both have done this on occasion. It's cool to know that the Brock Burst originated from the building where Heritage is. The next thing is the Florentine cutaway.
Golden Eagles come standard with a floating pickup. This one has mounted ThroBaks. I've never heard them, but have often heard what they are trying to emulate. ThroBaks are made not far from Kalamazoo and are wound on machines left over from Gibson and bought from Heritage.
I'm told that two of the original Heritage owners worked on this, Marv Lamb and Jim Deurloo. They are about as skilled as you'll get. Pete Farmer, one of their long time proteges, likely had a larger role in building.
There are some cosmetic upgrades that you may spot.
What made the difference to me is the detailed set up work and fret attention. Gary Hines has done some guitar work for me over the years, and he's hands down the best in my experience in getting a guitar extremely playable. Gary worked his magic (magic = abundant skills, time and sweat) to bring out the full potential of the guitar. I can't wait to get this.
Here are the pics. I'll take more when it arrives.
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02-12-2018 02:51 PM
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MG,
I don't know what it is, but the thicker binding in the cutaway is very sexy to me.
I also favor the LOOK of the finger tailpiece. So for me this guitar is an absolute winner. Especially for a working musician who is not looking forward to dealing with feedback issues.
You have a good eye MG. Enjoy the guitar.
Joe D
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If only it had a rose on the pickguard!
Originally Posted by Max405
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Great score! I saw the listing for that Eagle and drooled. Looking forward to hearing your review, especially in regards to sound/tone.
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Congrats, Marty!
That looks stunningly beautiful! Yes, I'm a little jealous. I remember your first GE Thinline...a blonde top and flamey dark back, if I recall correctly. I lusted after that one as well.
The only GE Thinline I ever saw 'in the flesh' was at Blue Note Music, Berkeley, CA. The shop owner hated it. I should have made him an offer on the spot. Oh well, that was 2001.
Can't wait to read your in hand review.
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I think that Roy Clark played one similar on the work he did with Joe Pass, recording that Hank Williams Sr. project. I admired it then too... well done!
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Gary Hines is guitarcarver of this forum...just in case anybody wants to know.
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Well... Yeah, OK maybe.. Originally Posted by Marty Grass
Its beautiful in its own right..
JD
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Originally Posted by Donnie
You may be referring to this set of sessions. Roy Clark was playing his signature Heritage. It's a thin guitar but is laminate and only 1 5/8" thick. It has a floating center block.
Both Joe Pass and Roy Clark are amazing.
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I am very interested in thin line hollow bodies. Is this a true hollow body? Or does it have half a center block extending to past the neck pickup? Is there such a thing out there as a thinline that has the same dovetail neck joint of a "standard" full depth hollowbody, or does this have the deep tenon into a centerblock?
Can I persuade you to do the "mirror" shot of the inside?
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Originally Posted by Marty Grass
And one thing about Gary is he will deflect the credit to someone else who worked on the Guitar. I bought an Ibanez GB10 from 1980. He made it absolutely MINT before he sent it me. All Gary could do is rave about the frets on the guitar and said the frets were done by another great luthier. Im sorry Gary, you are just as good as that luthier in every way.. Originally Posted by Jabberwocky
Gary actually play's really well so knows how to make a guitar virtually play itself..
Joe D
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This is a true hollow body and it has a dovetail joint.
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There's another incoming, a Heritage H-555. It gives me a chance to note something on PAFs.
The thinline Golden Eagle has ThroBak 101s, a pickup painfully designed to recreate the PAF. Gary Hines says they do sound a bit nicer than Seth Lovers. He has better ears than I do, and I trust him.
The H-555 was custom ordered about a dozen years ago with Gibson 490s. Read the short article below. It begs the question: who can out-PAF all of the others?
A Guide To Gibson Pickups
April 9, 2013 By Joe
Gibson pickups changed the electric guitar forever – here’s a guide to the various types available
Gibson pickups have arguably done more to change the direction of guitar development than any other. When the brand developed the first humbucker in 1955, it inadvertently provided music with a new, more raucous voice.
There are many varieties of Gibson humbucker available, each with their own character. Here, we’ll take a tour of these, and explain the differences between them.
The PAF (Patent Applied For)
The PAF is the name given to the original Gibson pickup developed in 1955 by Seth Lover. Up until this point, all pickups had been single coil designs. The problem with these was that they were plagued by hum and noise.
The principle of the PAF was ingenious. Two coils of wire were used, but put out of phase with each other such that the hum was effectively cancelled out. The PAF was much quieter than the typical single coil.
However, there were several side effects of this process that would take the humbucker, and music, into all-new territory. Firstly, the effect of a second coil made the pickup much more powerful than a single-coil design.
Secondly, the phase cancellation also cancelled some of the guitar’s high frequencies, whilst reinforcing the lower frequencies. The result? Thick, rich, powerful guitar tone that has characterised the tone of Les Paul instruments ever since.
The PAF is no longer available, but Gibson has a far wider range of pickups that offer classic PAF tones and beyond. For example, the new Gibson Les Paul Studio emulate these classic tones, using the pickups described below.
Burstbucker
Burstbuckers are Gibson pickups that aim to authentically recreate the classic tone of a PAF in a modern pickup. Gibson describes these as ‘Time Machines’, creating vintage tone in an all-new pickup. Who are we to argue with the guys that built the original?
The original PAF humbuckers varied hugely due to several factors. Firstly, whilst Alnico magnets were always used, the type of magnet (2, 3, 4, or 5) could vary. As these have different magnetic properties, the characteristic tone of the pickup could vary considerably.
Secondly, as pickups were wound using machines operated by humans with no definite ‘stop’ point, pickup windings could also vary hugely, with a great effect on pickup output.
The standard Burstbucker aims to recreate the best of PAFs with three differing models. All three have unbalanced coils (less turns of wire on one coil than the other), which results in a tonal ‘bite’.
The Burstbucker 1 is a slightly under-wound model, with medium output. It maintains the classic ‘creaminess’ and edge that typifies a PAF, but with an output that means it is equally adept as a neck or bridge pickup.
The Burstbucker 2 is slightly ‘hotter’, with more turns of wire. According to Gibson, its output is closer to that of a ’57 Classic.
The Burstbucker 3 has more windings still, and its over-wound design makes it the highest output Burstbucker, but again, with classic PAF tone.
All of the above are available in Nickel, Gold, Zebra and Black finishes.
The Burstbucker Pro is a more modern incarnation of the model, which swaps the Alnico II magnet for an Alnico V magnet. Unlike the other Burstbuckers, which are sold individually, the Pro models are sold in calibrated pairs.
Tonally, they offer ‘enhanced’ PAF tone that’s a bit brighter with more ‘bite’. These are available in gold or nickel finish.
All Burstbuckers feature 2-conductor wiring.
’57 Classic
The ’57 Classic is another hugely popular Gibson pickup. In many respects it is very similar to the Burstbucker- it offers ‘vintage’ PAF style tone, too, for example. It is also based around an Alnico II magnet.
However, where the ’57 Classic differs is that its two coils are balanced. This gives it a slightly richer, less ‘edgy’ tone that tends more towards ‘vintage’. In terms of output, it’s comparable to a Burstbucker 2.
The standard model is paired with ’57 Classic Plus. This adds more turns of the vintage, enamel-coated wire, for higher gain. Perfect for adding some classic, blues crunch.
Available in black, nickel, gold and zebra finishes, an example of ’57 classics in action can be found here.
Dirty Fingers
Whereas all of the above are based around Alnico magnets, the Dirty Fingers is based on a ceramic magnet. Ceramic pickups are usually characterised by a hotter, more aggressive tone.
The Dirty Fingers first appeared in the ‘80s, and its ceramic design makes it one of the hottest pickups Gibson produces. Loud and aggressive, this pickup is a favourite among those who like to drive tube amps hard.
In addition to the enhanced gain, the Dirty Fingers also provides excellent sustain and clarity. Plus, wax potting prevents issues with microphonic feedback.
The Dirty Fingers is a 4-conductor design. Available in black only. These can be found in the Epiphone Tom DeLonge Signature ES-333.
490R and 490T
These two Gibson pickups take the DNA of those original PAF models, and ‘evolve’ them slightly for the modern player. Based on an Alnico II magnet, the 490 models provide similar output levels to the Burstbucker models.
Tonally, however, these pickups provide slightly more mid-range bite. Perhaps the biggest difference between these and the Burstbuckers, however, is that they feature a 4-conductor design, and can be used in ‘split coil’ modes.
The ‘T’ and ‘R’ in the names stand for ‘Treble’ and ‘Rhythm’ respectively- effectively bridge (treble) and neck (rhythm). An example of these pickups can be found in the Gibson 2016 SG Standard.
496R and 500T
Two more ceramic Gibson pickups, squarely aimed at the modern rock fraternity, these are two incredibly high gain pickups. The 500T is, with the Dirty Fingers, one of the highest gain pickups that Gibson produces.
The 496R is very high output, aggressively voiced neck pickup, with a great, cutting tone and exceptional sustain.
The 500T usually partners the 496 at the bridge. With even higher output, the ceramic magnets provide searing lead tones with incredible sustain and note definition.
Both of these pickups are 4-conductor designs, meaning that they can also wired to be have coils split.
Summary
Quick summary of our Guide to Gibson Pickups.
- Burstbucker – vintage tone in an all-new pickup
- ’57 Classic – slightly richer, less edgy tone
- Dirty Fingers – ceramic pickup, loud and aggressive
- 490R & 490T – more mid-range bite, in a 4-conductor design
- 496R & 500T – great cutting tone with exceptional sustain
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The H-555 has some cool extras. It has the upgraded wood package, a 5 piece maple/mahogany neck, an ebony pickguard, and ebony tuner buttons. I don't know much else except his loves the neck and playability.
It's coming from a friend. A few might recognize the chair the guitar is on. Many fine guitars have posed on that chair, including Greentone's Lady Rose, a few Super 400s, and many I've forgotten.
So why is he getting rid of it? He said it sounds too much like a Gibson. He may be just being a smart ass. I dunno. He's in this Gretsch thing.
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From the Brock Burst finish to the Florentine cutaway, it all comes together on this one MG! That's the kind of "burst" I really like, a subtle graduated understated burst! The ThroBaks, I'm sure, will do no harm to the package! Congratulations!
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Oh boy that looks sweet. I love the headstock inlay- maybe that’s standard, I don’t know (I’m not too hip to Heritage guitars although I’d love to get one or ten some day).
If you have a chance when it arrives I’m sure I’m not alone in wanting to hear how it sounds! Either way congrats - looks awesome.
Edit: nice looking 555 too! You hit the Heritage jackpot.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
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Gorgeous ! I love Florentine cutaways. Beautiful sunburst. Looks like a winner to me. Quite the bloodhound you are Mark.
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I'm very much looking forward to your in-person thoughts of this lovely guitar. Good luck!
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Wow, what a great custom guitar!
2.25" rims is nice, not too thin and works well proportionally
The large cutaway, together with the finger tailpiece 'sort of' remind me of the Howard Roberts Fusion, not meaning to denigrate this custom in any way with that comment. This larger and deeper thinline is in a whole other world, and just looks perfect.
John
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That Eagle is a great score. The whole guitar really reminds me of the Super Patrick in that it has a "Burst" that ahhh really has such a subtle shading it's not a burst. Damn fine.
And to person who asked: that is the STOCK headstock inlay for the Eagles (Golden and Super)... The pearly truss rod cover might be a custom order request. As Marty says, Heritage used to do just about anything the customer asked for... Great builders, but not great businessmen (Bless Their Hearts saying that).
Big
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The way things are going for Heritage, not making customs or archtops, I'd not hesitate investing in a Golden or Super Eagle. I'm still kicking myself for not acquiring the SE in sunburst with a single routed pickup that sat on Reverb for well over 6 months.
Congrat's Mark. You're really on a roll!!!
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Great score Mark on that Golden Eagle. I never saw a Thin Line with the
Florentine cutaway. It sure comes together really nice.
What a stunning guitar.
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Marty: wow.
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Originally Posted by rlrhett
Originally Posted by Marty Grass
All the photos I've seen of Heritage archtop neck joints show a mortice/tenon joint, not a dovetail joint:
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