Heritage now offering the H-575 as part of their Core Collection Series

[AllanAllen]

You guys smoked me. I had to pony up $1300 for my 1994 used, quite a few years ago. (Hard to imagine this guitar is already 30 years old. What does it take to be called vintage these days?)

Attachment 110993

Vintage is defined 20-99 years old, Retro is 20 or less, and antique is 100 years plus.

Since they are marketing terms, in reality, they mean whatever the seller wants them to.

Beautiful guitar, btw.

[2bornot2bop]

Personally Im holding on to my pre '03 Heritages as I dont think the workmanship of the new gits is on par with what was made under the old guard

I never purchased a new Heritage, this after acquiring some 14 different GE’s, SE’s, 16’s, and 575’s. And I’d not purchase a guitar from this new company. They purchased it from the previous owners, but it in no way resembles the previous company. No more custom guitars built, when the original company built their name on customization. No, it’s a new company under an old name. Heritage died when the old guard retired.

[Hammertone]

I haven't checked recently, but Pete Farmer is the Master Builder at Heritage, and has made some gorgeous Custom Shop guitars in the years following the sale of Heritage. Examples of custom guitars are on their website, but they appear to be sold out:
Limited Edition Collection | Heritage Guitars

This one (below), in particular, is a fabulous guitar - a gorgeous, excellent sounding, excellent playing instrument. I played it for quite awhile at NAMM. Pete and I had an interesting discussion about some liberties he took with the size of the Heritage f-holes on it, heh. It was available until recently.
Custom Shop Winter NAMM 2018 Golden Eagle Electric Guitar, Original Su – Heritage Guitars

[Blkat]

What does it take to be called vintage these days?)

Vintage is anything my age or older.

Retro is stuff that came after I was born.

Simple as that.

[Spook410]

It's good to hear these are carved. Makes the price tag a lot more reasonable considering there really aren't that many places you can buy a carved guitar anymore. Side note: somebody should tell Heritage to put 'hand carved, solid' in their ad copy.

[MAJackson]

I never purchased a new Heritage, this after acquiring some 14 different GE’s, SE’s, 16’s, and 575’s. And I’d not purchase a guitar from this new company. They purchased it from the previous owners, but it in no way resembles the previous company. No more custom guitars built, when the original company built their name on customization. No, it’s a new company under an old name. Heritage died when the old guard retired.

All that customisation was a reason Heritage wasn't doing well financially. The business is apparently in much better shape now. I've played some of the newer guitars made post ownership change and found the quality to be quite good, better than many I'd played that were made under previous ownership. I never really got some people's obsession with the guitars being made by ex-Gibson workers when many of those workers had simply made guitars during Gibson's worst era.

[Rickco]

All that customisation was a reason Heritage wasn't doing well financially. The business is apparently in much better shape now. I've played some of the newer guitars made post ownership change and found the quality to be quite good, better than many I'd played that were made under previous ownership. I never really got some people's obsession with the guitars being made by ex-Gibson workers when many of those workers had simply made guitars during Gibson's worst era.

Lack of QC isnt the domain of the worker its the responsibility of management. A master craftsmen builds something to the spec they're given they're not there to make value decisions. I spent 50yrs in the wood and wood products industry. We could build something to any price point the bosses were shooting for, they made the calls. The quality went up the minute Heritage took over. I never experienced anything but exceptional quality from any Heritage I saw or played. When I hear criticisms of cosmetic things like the headstock thats personal taste and has nothing to do with quality. I cant speak to someone elses experience but but virtually everyone (including those here) agree their best work was with the original crew. Honestly the remark "I've played some of the newer guitars made post ownership change and found the quality to be quite good, better than many I'd played that were made under previous ownership" is hard to swallow. Where did you find all these heritages, are we talkin 5 or 10, 1 or 2 ...were you playing though a pedal, played them for 1/2 hour, 2 hours, weeks, days? And yes Im bustin your chops cause I think thats a gross exaggeration. Ive heard good things about the new ones but you cant get a custom like you could under the old guard and according to J Wolfe they are 1/1/2 yr backordered on the 575.
so there....

[MAJackson]

Lack of QC isnt the domain of the worker its the responsibility of management...Ive heard good things about the new ones but you cant get a custom like you could under the old guard

Workers making low quality guitars because of management choices still means they were making low quality guitars.

Heritage has a bespoke program. Not sure how much more custom one would need.

[2bornot2bop]

Workers making low quality guitars because of management choices still means they were making low quality guitars.

Heritage has a bespoke program. Not sure how much more custom one would need.

I’ve personally owned some 15 Heritage “old guard” guitars. Each was perfect in its own right. It’s a pity that you didn’t own, nor play, such a guitar from the original Heritage company. But like some Gibson’s, perfection does not exist from companies that mass produce guitars.

[omphalopsychos]

The only thing uglier than heritage’s pickguards is the ridiculous pickguard on a Gibson Johnny Smith “D”

[AllanAllen]

The only thing uglier than heritage’s pickguards is the ridiculous pickguard on a Gibson Johnny Smith “D”

How else are you supposed to mount 5 knobs without going into the body. LOL

[ThatRhythmMan]

The only thing uglier than heritage’s pickguards is the ridiculous pickguard on a Gibson Johnny Smith “D”

Sure the shape is awkward, but why did they also decide to drop the ones made of wood and go with such a cheap looking multi-ply cut plastic one? Wood isn’t generally my preference but at least it gave a higher end look.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Rickco]

Certainly not in line with the OPs thread but since this has digressed to who thinks what is ugly on a guitar mabey we (most of us) would agree that this is the most butt ugly git Ive seen. Unless of course I was in a Heavy Metal band in which case I d have to have it I think it said it weighs 17lbs.

[jazzshrink]

Certainly not in line with the OPs thread but since this has digressed to who thinks what is ugly on a guitar mabey we (most of us) would agree that this is the most butt ugly git Ive seen...

I don't know. I think it's kinda cool-looking and I wonder what it sounds like. Of course, I wouldn't play it unless my tetanus shots were up to date.

[mr. beaumont]

The pickguards I think are the worst are like on the Gibson Citation, with one big ol Les Paul knob on them. 30k for a guitar and they couldn't come up with a more elegant solution?

[AllanAllen]

I like that guitar. The metal one.

[Doug B]

I don't know. I think it's kinda cool-looking and I wonder what it sounds like. Of course, I wouldn't play it unless my tetanus shots were up to date.

I dunno-good for stopping home invasions at 3:00AM!

Doug

[wintermoon]

I dunno-good for stopping home invasions at 3:00AM!

Doug

Teles are better for that

[Rickco]

Teles are better for that

I agree but why waste a perfectly good guitar, Im originally from N. Jersey where (in my day) a golf club was often kept just inside the door but nowadays I keep a 40v cordless weedwacker within reach, potential invaders will be begging me to use the golf club (or Tele)!

[wintermoon]

I agree but why waste a perfectly good guitar, Im originally from N. Jersey where (in my day) a golf club was often kept just inside the door but nowadays I keep a 40v cordless weedwacker within reach, potential invaders will be begging me to use the golf club (or Tele)!

you're not wasting a Tele using it like that, they're pretty much indestructible. they're multi purpose instruments

[Rickco]

perfect for "head banging" music

[wintermoon]

Heritages, Gibson Citations, etc, can't say I've ever seen a figured wood guard I like against spruce tops, they just stick out and look out of place aesthetically. I tend to think if Gibson had used plain maple or similar on their guitars from the beginning no one would've used celluloid. maybe Gibson was anticipating the wood getting worn from heavy strumming etc and that's why they settled on plastic. swirly celluloid is nice but as we know caustic and a ticking time bomb, but it's really not aesthetically pleasing either imo, we're just used to seeing it over the last 100 years. but if it has to be plastic maybe one day someone will come up with an accurate inert material that truly looks like the old celluloid.

ps as far as Gibson JSD's, they do look silly and bulky. built in twin pickup carved archtop guitars serve a purpose but I wonder why Gibson ever used double floating pickups on them.

[mr. beaumont]

you're not wasting a Tele using it like that, they're pretty much indestructible. they're multi purpose instruments

I've told the story before, but may as well tell again-- in my younger years I played a club in Chicago that had two levels. We played 2 shows in one night, one on the main floor and then one in the basement, essentially. I had borrowed the headliner's guitarist's amp for the first set, so all I needed to lug downstairs was my guitar stand, my beer, and my tele. So I decided to carry the stand and beer and walk downstairs with my tele slung around my neck.

It was winter and the steps were wet. And i took the full flight down on my ass. Beer spills everywhere, stand goes flying, and my tele pops up and cracks me hard in the chin, splitting me open. The guitar continues down a few more stairs, hitting the wall too. I end up at the bottom, dripping blood, wet, and defeated. My tele? I think the high E was a little out of tune.

[wintermoon]

I've told the story before, but may as well tell again-- in my younger years I played a club in Chicago that had two levels. We played 2 shows in one night, one on the main floor and then one in the basement, essentially. I had borrowed the headliner's guitarist's amp for the first set, so all I needed to lug downstairs was my guitar stand, my beer, and my tele. So I decided to carry the stand and beer and walk downstairs with my tele slung around my neck.

It was winter and the steps were wet. And i took the full flight down on my ass. Beer spills everywhere, stand goes flying, and my tele pops up and cracks me hard in the chin, splitting me open. The guitar continues down a few more stairs, hitting the wall too. I end up at the bottom, dripping blood, wet, and defeated. My tele? I think the high E was a little out of tune.

not quite the same thing but I was working in club that was a converted house. the room was very small w/ a stage in the back and being a converted house the ceiling was low. I had my old L-5 on stage and was sitting at a table on break talking to some friends when I looked up and everyone was ready to play and the bandleader was waving me up. I hurried on stage and said I needed to tune up real fast and slung the guitar and strap up in the air to put it on. the only problem was I forgot there was a ceiling fan. next thing I knew the guitar was almost ripped from my hands, click, click, click. the bandleader said "if it wasn't out of tune before it is now"
I couldn't even look at the headstock until I got home but luckily it was only a few small chips of the lacquer over the binding at the top.

[Rickco]

[QUOTE=Hammertone;1331971][SIZE=3]I haven't checked recently, but Pete Farmer is the Master Builder at Heritage, and has made some gorgeous Custom Shop guitars in the years following the sale of Heritage. Examples of custom guitars are on their website, but they appear to be sold out:
Limited Edition Collection | Heritage Guitars

This one (below), in particular, is a fabulous guitar - a gorgeous, excellent sounding, excellent playing instrument. I played it for quite awhile at NAMM. It was available until recently.[FONT=verdana][SIZE=3]
Custom Shop Winter NAMM 2018 Golden Eagle Electric Guitar, Original Su – Heritage Guitars

That guitar looks great, the description says the top and back were lightened and it was tap tuned. I have heard several (or more) experienced players say that they didnt care for the " thin carve" on the Golden Eagles, Im assuming both for tone and feedback. My GE is very light and acoustically responsive. If it was any thinner I think it would really be hard to control in a feedback situation (Im assuming a floater) So what would be the advantage in "The top and back are lightened to increase the acoustic values and properly voice the instrument. Tap tuned carved Spruce (Top)" and what does "properly voice" mean since there seems to be no agreement on what that would sound like? Since you (Hammertone) have the Heritages most of us would lust for and others how did this one compare? I love the sound of my GE acoustically and thru the floater (KA custom single coil) and have compared it to similar archtops, not better or worse just different. So what Im wondering is was that marketing jargon or are these new ones thinner and lighter than the original numbered 1000 and if so wouldnt they lose some of their buyers because they're to thin? and were the ones you showed ordered with specific carve request? I know this is way off the subject but...