OK Gitfiddler, my name is also Tim and I joined HOC about six months ago, when I ordered my first Heritage. This is my first post. "Hello" to you and all of the Heritage owners/experts on this forum. That guitar, H535, is now due to arrive in two days.
Although I've played one or two owned by others I confess it will be my first Heritage. For many years now my stage and studio mainstay has been a 1967 ES335TD I bought used in 1972 for $225. Long gone are the original pups, replaced with Seth Lovers, but it still remains my favorite feeling/sounding guitar. For some time now I have been trying to find an instrument I like well enough to retire this old girl to studio use only. She has accumulated quite a bit of wear and tear over the years and has earned some lighter duty I hope will help preserve what's left of her cracked and worn finish.
Up to now I haven't found a suitable replacement. I hope that problem will be solved with the arrival of my new Heritage. Prior to ordering the H535 from Jay I had purchased a Larry Carlton 335 from a big box store. It is, to my knowlege, the only 335 style guitar made these days with a 1 9/16 nut width the same as found on 335's of the late 60's such as mine. I kept the LC 335 for less than a week and returned it, very disapointed due to the very shoddy fretwork/fretboard binding work it displayed. Failing to cap the ends of the frets with the binding to give it that smooth feel as was always a Gibson trademark feature of the past, or even making a decent attempt at smoothing the bare fret ends as Fender, PRS, and others do on non-bound fretboards was a shortcut I just couldn't tolerate on an instrument in that price range. If not for that lapse in quality with a switch to Seth Lover pups the LC 335 might have filled the bill, but to make it playable I'd have had to have it refretted properly. Replacing pups is one thing, to me mostly a matter of personal preference, but I just couldn't bring myself to spend an extra $400 to correct deliberate low quality workmanship.
All of that led me to get in touch with Jay who assured me Heritage would make me an H535 with the nut width and profile I wanted, with my preferred pups, with the fretboard properly bound, and most likely at much lower cost than the LC 335. It was an offer I couldn't resist. I await delivery of that guitar now with high hopes it will meet my needs. It better...lol...it's a special order item.
Wish me luck, and any special break in tips from H535 experts on HOC that might help smooth my first Heritage ownership experience would be most welcome. Thanks much.....
, but I was wondering if someone could help me with one more thing. The guitar's model is written as "H-575 ALM". Whats does the 2nd part mean? I'm guessing it has something to do with the pickups or finish but would love clarification. Thanks for any assistance.
