Jimbob

Oh yes.......that "dreaded hump!" I haven't seen anything like that yet on the newer Custom Shop Core models, but that's been a "dreaded" problem with both Gibson and Heritage for decades. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I've always held the belief that the longer neck tenons in the reissue Gibsons and newer CC Heritages have mostly resolved that issue.

Regarding the bridge, I have a little experience in replacing a similar bridge on an Eagle Classic that I purchased in 1996. In my case, I found that the original bridge posts were simply placed in some drilled holes on the base of the bridge and were not anchored down in any way. I suspect that what we're seeing in the above image is likely the same scenario, for the posts will tend to wobble around a bit in the holes. Whether or not that's the fault of Heritage I won't venture to speculate, but I did replace the original rosewood bridge with a similar ebony model where I was able to screw the posts directly into the bridge base, which resulted in a solid anchoring of the posts. I haven't had a problem with it since. If by chance you're looking to repair your bridge, I would suggest replacing it.

Well now........this post seems to have the potential to stir up a hornet's nest. Popcorn anyone?

Yeah, the fretboard on that custom sunburst Millie is more like it! That would definitely be my preference for the H-555 models!

I tend to think that it's a very nice-looking guitar! However, I've always felt that the two different inlay schemes in general on the H-555 fretboard looked to be a bit odd. I can't help but to wonder why Heritage couldn't have designed a more consistent scheme throughout the board so, if I have any gripe at all, that's probably it.

Great to see!

Sorry for the late reply, for I've been away from the forum for a while. Since no one seems to have answered your question, I do feel that there is a subtle, but distinct difference in tone between the Pinnacle and the ABR-1. If I'm not mistaken, I think that the base on the Pinnacle is indeed aluminum, and I'm not sure about the saddles. The ABR-1 is definitely zinc with brass saddles. To my ears, the Pinnacle sounds a bit more "airy" and a bit scooped while the ABR-1 seems to have a little more of a direct punch in the mid-range. The attack on the ABR-1 just seems to be a little more immediate with a little bark thrown in, if that makes sense. I mostly prefer the ABR-1 primarily because it has more of a traditional vibe going on, both in tone as well as aesthetics. It's also a tad narrower than the Pinnacle, so it typically does provide a tiny bit more clearance between the strings and the bridge. It's pretty marginal, though. Heritage started using the ABR-1 style of bridges with their 2025 CC models, and I believe they're made by Advanced Plating. They're practically identical to what Gibson has been using for their CS Historic models for many years with the exception that the mounting holes are drilled larger to accommodate the 8-32 thread pitch on a Heritage bridge post vs Gibson's 6-32 thread pitch. If one so desires, the Heritage bridge is a direct drop-in replacement for the Pinnacle bridge, so there's no need to swap out any bridge posts or tailpiece parts to install one. Unlike the Pinnacle system, the ABR-1 is not locking, so that may be a deal breaker for some folks. However, Faber does offer a Tone-Lock bridge that can be directly installed on the existing Heritage posts while using the Pinnacle thumbwheels, but the thumbwheels will need to be turned upside-down in order to have a flat surface for the bridge. It's also necessary to use the Pinnacle tightening screws to lock the Faber bridge in place, but it does work. Interestingly, Heritage clearly dumped the Pinnacle bridge on their CC models in 2025 in favor of the more traditional ABR-1, but I've never heard the reason for doing so. If one is concerned about saddles falling out when breaking strings with the ABR-1, it can be an issue. I also know that the Heritage ABR-1 bridge, thumbwheels and bridge posts can be purchased through Mike at Heritage, so they are readily available to anyone looking for that kind of a setup.

Thanks, guys!

Thanks! In all fairness, though, there was no slouch in any of those Heritage guitars. I was visually drawn to the sunburst one....big-time! In the end, I think I would've been happy with any one of them, but the one I took home just had a special and familiar sound and feel to it. It was also the only 2025 model of the entire H-535 lot (the rest were 2024 models), so perhaps that's part of it? Not sure, but as I was putting the guitars back on the rack one by one, this one just stuck around with me......🙂

Just a side note about Dave's prices that are posted on his website, but since all of the H-535s are marked down by $710.00, the actual purchase price becomes a little more affordable. There are similar discounts on all of the other Heritage guitars as well.

Thanks, guys! Funny thing is, the flame figuring on this guitar was my last choice among the antique natural models, only because it isn't quite as symmetrical as the others. Once I picked it up, though, I just knew it was the one I should take home. I'm usually not all that excited about Heritage's 225 Classic pickups, either, but they sound pretty good with this guitar. I was pleasantly surprised. Here are a few H-535s from Dave's that I tried out on Monday (all of the H-535s). That H-555 was pretty sweet, too:

Late to the thread here, but I drove over to Dave's the other day and brought this one home. I ended up playing six CC H-535s and two Gibson CS Historic ES-335s, and this one was clearly the winner in terms of tone and playability. I honestly believe that the new 2025 bridge systems on both the H-535 and H-150 guitars are a huge improvement over the previous Pinnacle bridges: