Heritage In the Museum

[blueox]

Like most museums, the Kalamazoo Valley Museum changes or updates its exhibits from time to time. The museum publishes a "Museography" magazine three times a year. The new fall issue tells about their new history gallery where the history of Kalamazoo-made instruments will be explained. The magazine article has individual photos of Ren, Marv, and Katie working on guitars in the Heritage factory, and it sounds like Heritage will be given greater exposure in the gallery than it has in the past. They have had a 1996 Golden Eagle on display there since 1996 among the Gibson and "Kalamazoo" displays, but it will be nice to see Heritage get a little more coverage than it has in the past. In a city known for Gibson, it seems that Heritage often gets overlooked, even after 25 years.

 

I often listen to late evening broadcasts of the BBC News Hour on NPR Radio (FM). I was surprised the other night at the end of the news to hear the usually formal BBC announcer give a shout out to "Kalamazoo, home of Gibson guitars". It proved once again, even after 25 years, that Heritage sometimes has a stiff head wind on the road to recognition.

[Patrick]

Like most museums, the Kalamazoo Valley Museum changes or updates its exhibits from time to time. The museum publishes a "Museography" magazine three times a year. The new fall issue tells about their new history gallery where the history of Kalamazoo-made instruments will be explained. The magazine article has individual photos of Ren, Marv, and Katie working on guitars in the Heritage factory, and it sounds like Heritage will be given greater exposure in the gallery than it has in the past. They have had a 1996 Golden Eagle on display there since 1996 among the Gibson and "Kalamazoo" displays, but it will be nice to see Heritage get a little more coverage than it has in the past. In a city known for Gibson, it seems that Heritage often gets overlooked, even after 25 years.

 

I often listen to late evening broadcasts of the BBC News Hour on NPR Radio (FM). I was surprised the other night at the end of the news to hear the usually formal BBC announcer give a shout out to "Kalamazoo, home of Gibson guitars". It proved once again, even after 25 years, that Heritage sometimes has a stiff head wind on the road to recognition.

 

Nice pick up blueox. That museum has some wonderful history and info. It's a worth while visit.

 

I know that this might be a tad bit away from Heritage . . . . but, it is in line with the history and the heritage of Gibson. There is an old Lloyd Loar era harp guitar in that museum that was totally restored, which required some MAJOR surgery, by my friend and the master luthier Aaron Cowels of Aarons Music Servise in Vicksburg, Michigan. Aaron also worked at the Gibson plant for some 20 years and has done much of the tap tuning of many Heritage arch tops. Aaron should be given more "props" then he has gotten. He's a wonderful man and a gifted, skilled artisan luthier.

[big bob]

Nice pick up blueox. That museum has some wonderful history and info. It's a worth while visit.

 

I know that this might be a tad bit away from Heritage . . . . but, it is in line with the history and the heritage of Gibson. There is an old Lloyd Loar era harp guitar in that museum that was totally restored, which required some MAJOR surgery, by my friend and the master luthier Aaron Cowels of Aarons Music Servise in Vicksburg, Michigan. Aaron also worked at the Gibson plant for some 20 years and has done much of the tap tuning of many Heritage arch tops. Aaron should be given more "props" then he has gotten. He's a wonderful man and a gifted, skilled artisan luthier.

I wonder if he was the guy who tap tuned my acoustic 575..

[Patrick]

I wonder if he was the guy who tap tuned my acoustic 575..

 

He might have been the one that did it. As I remember, that was the non cut away acoustic with the spruce top?? He did the tap tuning on my Heritage made D'Angelico New Yorker also. What a wonderful voicwe that guitar has. Also, the 17" Unity American Classic he made for me has a tap tuned top and back. It sings. He's a true master craftsman.

unity.zip

[tulk1]

Aaron Cowels built the Heritage Mandolins. Still builds his own brand name - Jubal Mandolins and Unity Guitars.

[Patrick]

Aaron Cowels built the Heritage Mandolins. Still builds his own brand name - Jubal Mandolins and Unity Guitars.

 

Yep! He's just finishing up an 18" Unity American Classic . . . tap tuned top and back with a floating Kent Armstrong. It has the same multi-ply bound volute and veneered inlay on the back of the head stock as the original Gibson Citation did. Coincidently, both of my new guitars (the Unity and ther Golden Eagle) are going to be completed by the end of this month. I'm driving in to K'zoo and Vicksburg to pick them up

 

I ordered the Unity about 8 months ago . . . . and I ordered the Golden Eagle about 12 weeks ago. That's one of the other advantages Heritage has over the smaller 1 or 2 man luthier shops. You get the same or better quality and much quicker turn around time.

 

Hey . . . Brent & Mark (mgeotting) if you guys are reading this thread . . . it would be great if we could get together for a beer while I'm in town. My plans are to arrive Wed., Sept 29th at around 8 PM-ish. Thursday morning at the plant up in K'zoo, then Thursday afternoon at Aaron's shop. Dinner Thursday evening and head home Friday morning. Let me know. I'd love to show off my 2 new guitars and brag on them a bit