High Flying Bird

I have 2 Chestnut Burst.

I love the old story about these common men giving Gibson the finger and doing their thing with the old fashioned methods. That ended in 2016. I lived through it and, like all things, it has come to an end. I have my guitars and friends so I am perfectly happy.

Trailer's for sale or rent - Rooms to let, 50 cents - No phone, no pool, no pets - I ain't got no cigarettes...

It is your guitar. Make the mods you want. Other people's rules don't mean shit.

My friends an I have found the '59s to be very muddy. I have Imperials in my custom 137. They are fantastic pickups.

I didn't see it sway in the wind. All we needed to know was the real stack was next to 225 Parsons.

I don't think I have been in that area since. I do seem to remember the mall got flooded when the river overflowed several years ago.

Back around 2010 Joe and I went to Nashville to visit the Gibson Store. As Heritage owners are want to do, we took photos of us outside of the store with our Heritages. Good times.

My last trip to 225 Parsons was in 2016. It was just after the sale of the company. At the little lunch they put on for us I heard the new people speak and took them for chiselers. I told one of our members that the brand was dead. He thought I was crazy until a few months later when he called me and asked me how I knew so soon. I got into Heritage guitars because of their hand built guitars, made by the good hearted people of Kalamazoo. It means nothing to me when I hear about how good their guitars are now. It is a different company. Selling imports cheapens the brand. Now I have to add, "This guitar was made before they sold the company." Say what you want -The Heritage died in 2016.

I took a photo in 2010, the day after I received my Marvbird, at a railroad museum across the road where Marv grew up. This guitar is really a collector's piece. I was afraid to play it. It totally ate my guts up to let other people play it. One wrong move or act of dumbassery and this guitar would have been rendered useless. I have never had a regretful thought about selling it. I also can't stand to let people play my 535 because it has a Bigsby on it. People tend to try and wear out the Bigsby instead of appreciating the guitar.

Most of my friend's Heritage Guitars came from a while back and had the Schaller hardware. After owning them for so long we don't see why we need to change. It is nice that you can change out parts so easily for what ever you want. If you break a string and the roller comes off and falls into the carpet you might consider it for a few minutes.

That is what I remember too Guit.

That is correct. Here is a Special next to a Standard.

Bob, here is my 137 next to a friend's '96 150 Special. Even with the maple cap on the 150 these guitars weight the same. The H-150 Special is very light for a 150. Oh, these photos were taken at my friend's house on Nottingham Ln.

I don't like the neck radius on the newer 137s. I bought my daughter a used 137 in 2011. In 2016 I bought a used 137 custom. The older 137s were made with humbuckers and slim necks. We all have different taste. img_4101.htm

My first H-150 was so heavy I called it the Piano. Even unplugged notes would ring for days. I sold it because it was making me old.

Rich, if you want to give away 3 ounces I will take it.

Bingo! What drew me to Heritage was the old school mindset of making great American products. At the 2016 PSP I told MM that the brand was dead. I felt that the new owners were blowing smoke up our asses. Now we are getting cheap guitars being built over seas. Here is your proof. Now when I tell people I own Heritage guitars I will have to explain that mine were made by the original people of Kalamazoo. This cheapens the brand, it cheapens the name and it cheapens, "The Heritage."

535 for me. Light, full of tone and it fits my body.

I use one pedal while jamming with friends. Forget a pedal board. Too much to go wrong. Especially at a gig. At one time you would have seen me as a skinny man in a 220 lbs suit. I got tired of that life. Best of luck to you on both fronts.

That's a lot of work. I hope it pans out the way you want. It isn't easy to get people to jam for fun so I can imagine how hard this is.

Sounds like your almost ready to go now. Good luck with it.