Leaderboard

Merry Christmas to All in the Heritage orbit!

Hope everyone has a great Holiday!

Happy holidays, all, and best wishes in the new year!

In truth, The Heritage built some wonderful guitars and they built some goofs. Many years ago, I got a 1998 H150, that was just a few years old. It was from a special dealer order, with regular tune-o-matic tail and Nashville bridge and SD59, jumbo frets without nibs. It was on the lighter weight range too. As soon as I strummed it, knew it was right. Have owned that one over twenty years now. Last year I came upon a gorgeous H535 from 2001, in virtually unplayed condition, with HRW pickups and beautiful figured maple, natural blonde. It had, “the sound” that a great semi-hollow is supposed to have. If you’ve gone through a bunch of 335 style guitars, you know can be all over the place tone-wise. But I discovered why it had been played so little, because the factory fretwork and fingerboard was utter poo. After careful measurements I could tell it had a heroic attempt or two at leveling the frets. But ultimately the fretboard needed to be leveled to correct it. Still had the nibs, so it left the factory this way. A notched straightedge revealed the fingerboard was a total roller coaster of high and low spots. Tried everything I could think of first, but ended up pulling the frets and properly leveled the fingerboard, then fretted it with Dunlop 6100. Plays fantastic now. Total keeper. So the old-era Heritage wasn’t immune to screwing up, just like the prior occupants of 225 Parsons. They also made some great gems as well.