jjkrause84 Posted August 6, 2011 Posted August 6, 2011 Well, Heritage number three....soon to be out the door. I love the colour and grain on my latest 535 but the neck is way too small for me. The neck on my first 535 was heavenly...maybe even perfect. The colour, on the other hand, I wasn't in to (I'm sorta kicking myself for getting rid of it, frankly). Am I being too picky? Has anyone else here had to go through Heritage after Heritage before finding the "one"? Maybe it's part of the whole "handmade" thing? I know that when I walk into a store I can play virtually ANY Telecaster and be absolutely content with it. I dunno. The "hunt" is getting a little old now.
DetroitBlues Posted August 6, 2011 Posted August 6, 2011 That's why people like to try before they buy. If it doesn't feel right, then why buy it? Unfortunately, Heritages are one of the guitars that usually don't have a lot of inventory at your neighborhood music shop. But if you know the neck profile of the guitar you like, you can specify that neck profile. KPB810 modeled his neck profile of the H157 custom after a 150 he had already. The 140 I got from him is a much slimmer neck, but to me its like like a wider verision of my strat making it easy to switch from one guitar to another.
mark555 Posted August 6, 2011 Posted August 6, 2011 A long long time. Eventually I found my 555 in a music store but it was there for four months before I bought it. I wanted a 535 in a nice sunburst, but the reality is there are so few Heritage guitars in the UK that when the 555 came up I bought it an got used to the narrow neck and just had to put up with the fact that it isn't a sunburst, it's a natural blonde finish which is good looking in its own right. So, all in all, not my first choice, but the only guitar available. No regrets about getting it though.
jjkrause84 Posted August 6, 2011 Author Posted August 6, 2011 That's why people like to try before they buy. If it doesn't feel right, then why buy it? Unfortunately, Heritages are one of the guitars that usually don't have a lot of inventory at your neighborhood music shop. But if you know the neck profile of the guitar you like, you can specify that neck profile. KPB810 modeled his neck profile of the H157 custom after a 150 he had already. The 140 I got from him is a much slimmer neck, but to me its like like a wider verision of my strat making it easy to switch from one guitar to another. Well, trying the guitar really isn't an option for me....FAR, far too expensive. Obviously the same goes for a custom job. Used and, therefore, sight-unseen, is pretty much the only option open to me.
Jazzpunk Posted August 6, 2011 Posted August 6, 2011 Well, Heritage number three....soon to be out the door. I love the colour and grain on my latest 535 but the neck is way too small for me. The neck on my first 535 was heavenly...maybe even perfect. The colour, on the other hand, I wasn't in to (I'm sorta kicking myself for getting rid of it, frankly). Am I being too picky? Has anyone else here had to go through Heritage after Heritage before finding the "one"? Maybe it's part of the whole "handmade" thing? I know that when I walk into a store I can play virtually ANY Telecaster and be absolutely content with it. I dunno. The "hunt" is getting a little old now. Why don't you ask for specs on the neck when buying used?
Gitfiddler Posted August 6, 2011 Posted August 6, 2011 For me it took about 15 years. After playing and owning a number of Heritages, liking some features more on some than others, I eventually found the best of all worlds by custom ordering one. It has the best neck profile (for my paws) and the sweetest P90 tones. It has the versatility for gigging or noodling at home, and cosmetically it just looks and feels incredible. When it comes down to it, guitars are very personal. Thankfully, Heritage will make a custom spec'd guitar for our individual tastes. I had to sell off gear and save up for a custom order, but it was worth it in the long run.
Jazzpunk Posted August 6, 2011 Posted August 6, 2011 For me it took about 15 years. After playing and owning a number of Heritages, liking some features more on some than others, I eventually found the best of all worlds by custom ordering one. It has the best neck profile (for my paws) and the sweetest P90 tones. It has the versatility for gigging or noodling at home, and cosmetically it just looks and feels incredible. When it comes down to it, guitars are very personal. Thankfully, Heritage will make a custom spec'd guitar for our individual tastes. I had to sell off gear and save up for a custom order, but it was worth it in the long run. I never get tired of seeing that gorgeous 525 of yours! Out of the 5 heritage guitars I have owned, my 525 is #1 as well.
fullonshred Posted August 6, 2011 Posted August 6, 2011 I must be dumb, or lucky. I bought my 1986 Heritage H170cm brand new at my local music store way back in 1987. It hung on the wall for quite a while, and I played it multiple times and loved the feel, and the look of the double cutaway design. Loved the carved figured top and OSB finish as well. Loved the neck and frets. Loved that is was made by Oldschool "Gibson" Luthiers. Every time I would walk in that store my eyes would immediately go to where she hung from the wall to see if she was still there. Money was really tight back then and I could only own 1 guitar at a time, so I traded a beautiful Japanese Tokai Strat (wish I still had it too) and some cash for the H170cm and hardshell case. Don't remember my total investment counting several guitar trades, but it was not an outrageous sum even for those days. The Schaller pups were too noisy for my liking, so a bit later I had an EMG 81 installed at the bridge and an 85 at the neck. I realize those are probably not popular choices, but they suited me to a T and still do. I still have the original Schallers "stored" in the EMG box. I have never once considered trading or selling that axe in the years that have followed. I have added a few more guitars for various reasons, but my original owner 1986 Heritage still rules the roost. Very happy with her still. Like I said, dumb or lucky. Maybe both.
mark555 Posted August 6, 2011 Posted August 6, 2011 I saw my first Heritage in the late eighties and wanted one right away, but it was about five years ago I finally got one.
squawken Posted August 7, 2011 Posted August 7, 2011 I already owned 2 Heritages (150 and 140) and was very happy with them until I bought the Gary Moore from Brent. That was it. Best playing LP I ever played. It has 10's on it and it feels like 8's-sooo easy.
DetroitBlues Posted August 7, 2011 Posted August 7, 2011 I've never owned a Heritage until last February. I never heard of Heritage until a year or so ago when KBP810 showed up one day with this 535 OSB. It was a beautiful guitar he got a great deal sight unseen from a Guitar Center out east. I loved the look and feel of the guitar and became very interested in them since. I was trying to save and wait for the right one to come along when KBP mentioned he was going to do a custom order. I talked him into selling the 140 to me so he could use the money toward the custom order. I think he realized it was a guitar I wanted to keep, not just have because it was a Heritage. Its a great guitar and while I hope for another in the future (like a cherry 535!), I can be satisfied in knowing my 140 could be my one and only. But we'll leave that up to the future to decide.
Kuz Posted August 7, 2011 Posted August 7, 2011 I know that when I walk into a store I can play virtually ANY Telecaster and be absolutely content with it. JJkrause, I think this is the revelation you found... That you are more comfortable with the feel and shape of a Tele style guitar. I am just the opposite. While I prefer a thicker nerdier neck, I could really love any 150, 535, ect because the body style and short scale length is just where it is at for me. It took me a VERY LONG TIME to find a Strat or Tele that I like the feel and vibe of. I now can love playing my Strat or Tele, but the shorter scale and traditional Les Paul/335 body shape has and will always be my most comfortable and first love. I bet deep down you just prefer the Fender feel, even though you can still be happy with the LP/335 body shape as your second choice. Again, this may be subconscious to you. Just a thought.
heritagefan7 Posted August 7, 2011 Posted August 7, 2011 I started w/ my 574...bought it sight unseen and hoped it was all that Heritage seemed to be---I was wrong---it was MORE than I expected...I hate the color Orange (color of the 574) or did until I got this guitar. Now, not so much. After this I went w/ another sight unseen Opaque Black 555--Unbelieveable guitar--best i've ever played, period--and IMHO, as near mint as can be. NOW--selfish---I need (want) the final piece---a 525. Dream about it--don't have the cash, but would find it if opp came abt---prob gotta buy used though or save up---Living vicariously through U guys until the 525 NGD. SO---started out quick--Now I'm waiting---one day baby, one day! LOVING what i've got today---looking 4ward to the future!
mars_hall Posted August 7, 2011 Posted August 7, 2011 Maybe it's part of the whole "handmade" thing? I know that when I walk into a store I can play virtually ANY Telecaster and be absolutely content with it. I dunno. The "hunt" is getting a little old now. Plain vanilla exists for the masses and is a tool for mass marketing. You have a fixed set of limited features and measurements that are purposely intended to not vary. The ideals are not arrived at instantaneously, unless by chance, but are defined over time by those wanting to sell in volume using small margins as their business model. So Fender has worked this angle from the beginning. The plain vanilla Tele's thinner width necks, being of a greater given radius and typically maple with a hard slick surface on the back of them, are a factor. They are comfortable 'cause the finish and fewer pores don't hold your hand in one spot, and they conform closer to a closed fist, meaning your tips will have to move shorter distances in a natural curve to get to the intended spots. Drop your relaxed hand to your side, without thinking, and you will find your ideal hand comfort curvature. This is you. Depending on where this falls in the mean of hand curvatures will determine where your comfort level falls relative to plain vanilla. It is possible someone ordered the guitar you are sending out the door to their own personal neck requirements which, in this case, are not yours. The moment one starts to be more selective in meeting one's own, not plain vanilla's criteria, the set of instruments meeting that criteria is decreased. Now, when you consider the number of Heritage instruments that have been "special ordered" compared to those of the plain vanilla variety, the entire set of instruments built for your tastes alone further decreases. The "handmadeness" likely has little to do with the result and the neck criteria is probably more a function of individual preferences of the one who ordered the instruments in the beginning. You will find that identically curved necks, one with binding and one without, may feel entirely different. The head will find ways to magnify differences that don't exist based on subtle prejudices and preferences.
jjkrause84 Posted August 7, 2011 Author Posted August 7, 2011 I know that when I walk into a store I can play virtually ANY Telecaster and be absolutely content with it. JJkrause, I think this is the revelation you found... That you are more comfortable with the feel and shape of a Tele style guitar. I am just the opposite. While I prefer a thicker nerdier neck, I could really love any 150, 535, ect because the body style and short scale length is just where it is at for me. It took me a VERY LONG TIME to find a Strat or Tele that I like the feel and vibe of. I now can love playing my Strat or Tele, but the shorter scale and traditional Les Paul/335 body shape has and will always be my most comfortable and first love. I bet deep down you just prefer the Fender feel, even though you can still be happy with the LP/335 body shape as your second choice. Again, this may be subconscious to you. Just a thought. No, I think you're right....a Telecaster will always be my number 1. That said, I LOVE the 535 (and any big hollowbody, really). I find them VERY comfortable to play; from the way the body sits, to the neck shape to the radius, etc. I play "better" on 535s. Faster, smoother. I can do things on a 535 that I could NEVER do on a Tele....they just feel so natural. That said...Teles will always be number one. The shape, the sound, the feel. It's not "perfect" but it hits so many points that I love and is so versatile it just can't be beat (IMO).
TalismanRich Posted August 8, 2011 Posted August 8, 2011 I know that when I walk into a store I can play virtually ANY Telecaster and be absolutely content with it. I dunno. The "hunt" is getting a little old now. I was never a big Tele fan, didn't have one, only played a few and the "love" just wasn't there. Once I got my ASAT, that started to change. Right now, if I had the funds, there would be an order for a custom made Melancon Pro Artist T. Like a Heritage, you can specify the neck you want. One thing I find is that I don't like the really thick necks. Medium or slim suits me better. I really had to adapt to play the Taylor because it feels so wide. I played a really nice Grosh T, but the neck felt like a Louisville Slugger bat! None of my Heritages have a thick neck, the 535 is the thickest, but nowhere near as chunky as the 59 LP Jr I played this weekend. In the end, none of my guitars are "the one". Each has its own character, strengths, weaknesses, and charms. Maybe someday I'll find my "Number One".
brentrocks Posted August 8, 2011 Posted August 8, 2011 I already owned 2 Heritages (150 and 140) and was very happy with them until I bought the Gary Moore from Brent. That was it. Best playing LP I ever played. It has 10's on it and it feels like 8's-sooo easy. sometimes i dream of how juicy that guitar is
unikh550 Posted August 10, 2011 Posted August 10, 2011 I was trying to find a guitar company that would make a guitar that was as close to Barney Kessel's Gibson ES-350 as possible, w/o breaking the bank. Since I had already purchased a Charlie Christian pickup from a '79 Gibson ES-175CC from Island Guitars in Honolulu by mail, all I needed was the guitar to put it in. Heritage braced the center of the top to accept the added weight of this pickup, and even drew pictures of how it should be installed. A friend of mine put iti in for $300. The Ibanez v/t knobs(took the chickenheads off) and Barney Kessel bowtie fretboard inlay from Gibson came later. Barney strummed it when I visited him at his home in San Diego in '98; he could not unclench his picking hand because of the stroke. Was a gamble, but it sounds exactly like I had hoped- very whiny, clear, and, yes, Kesselish.My next project is to have Heritage put a different finish on it- tired of the ACB. Probably will go with Amber Translucent, to look a little like Tal Farlow's prototype (It had the bowties, as well.), which, although Natural, has a yellowish tint when on video. Quote is $400-500. They won't take the original finish all off, but will finish after they've sanded to that point. We need more Heritages out there!- Charles Bevell, Bloomington, IN.
smurph1 Posted August 10, 2011 Posted August 10, 2011 Well, Heritage number three....soon to be out the door. I love the colour and grain on my latest 535 but the neck is way too small for me. The neck on my first 535 was heavenly...maybe even perfect. The colour, on the other hand, I wasn't in to (I'm sorta kicking myself for getting rid of it, frankly). Am I being too picky? Has anyone else here had to go through Heritage after Heritage before finding the "one"? Maybe it's part of the whole "handmade" thing? I know that when I walk into a store I can play virtually ANY Telecaster and be absolutely content with it. I dunno. The "hunt" is getting a little old now. I can handle a funny looking guitar if the playability and tone are kickass..But that's just me..
jjkrause84 Posted August 11, 2011 Author Posted August 11, 2011 I can handle a funny looking guitar if the playability and tone are kickass..But that's just me.. Well, my thinking was: if I'm gonna pay $1,300 for a guitar I want it to be perfect. I'm a young academic...not "rich" by any means....so cost is a big factor. It's not that I'm unwilling to spend the moeny, but that I demand perfection if I do choose to spend.
FredZepp Posted August 11, 2011 Posted August 11, 2011 I'm easy... I Love all of my Heritages. I like the different necks and sounds each one has. But I also Love some Fenders and Gibbys also. Like I said...... I'm easy.
H Posted August 11, 2011 Posted August 11, 2011 I'm easy... I Love all of my Heritages. I like the different necks and sounds each one has. But I also Love some Fenders and Gibbys also. Like I said...... I'm easy. +1 Each of the guitars I have has, amongst other things, different neck characteristics. I adjust to any of them in seconds. Yoslate has a magnificent turn of phrase for this situation; over to you, Rob
SouthpawGuy Posted August 11, 2011 Posted August 11, 2011 The necks on all of my Heritages are different, they each have a unique character and that's what I like about them. The same goes for G&L, even the newer ones of those are very similar but still each is a little different. The only manufacturers guitars I have that are identical are three '90s Fenders, two Strats and a Tele. The necks on those are all 100% identical. Even the finishes are identical, the exact same shade of burst with the same colouring and gradient. Those guitars don't have any unique identity. I'm sure if I picked up any other Fender from that era they would also be the exact same. Having exact tolerances and specifications may be desirable for mass marketing the brand across the globe but Heritage are not in that game and I personally am glad that they're not.
tulk1 Posted August 11, 2011 Posted August 11, 2011 Well, Heritage number three....soon to be out the door. I love the colour and grain on my latest 535 but the neck is way too small for me. I dunno. The "hunt" is getting a little old now. You probably wouldn't have liked the Prospect either, then. It was an older model with the slimmer neck. Felt good to me, as it wasn't shredder thin. But reading this, it was probably best to resell it. Why don't you ask for specs on the neck when buying used? I would wonder how many sellers could give actual specs on the necks? I know I've not been able to. Don't have calipers; never paid attention to C, D, etc. If it felt good, didn't care. As for finding "THE" Heritage that was right for me, it took a few. My very first, an H157, I just never bonded with. Gorgeous guitar, no doubt. But was never a fan of gold hardware. Plus, the '59s just weren't getting it for me. The 535 was nearly perfect, but too pretty to use. I sold it because in 4 years it'd only seen the sun maybe 5 times. The Millie SAE is one of two guitars I wish I'd never sold, even tho' it had a slimmer neck profile. It was just a gorgeous guitar, and a bit on the "rare" side. My next was the Millie DC NFH custom order. Got the neck just a tad bit thick, but still a player. Altho' I rarely play it. Next up was the Custom Prospect - and that!!, my friends is the near perfect semi-hollow guitar. Nailed the neck, nailed the finish. It just all came together. Of course, the PSPIII Custom 535 is pretty darned cool. But it's not the Prospect. Then again, it only took one Heritage Mandolin and I was sold! Would love the F-style; but the A-style is just fine.
FredZepp Posted August 11, 2011 Posted August 11, 2011 Then again, it only took one Heritage Mandolin and I was sold! Would love the F-style; but the A-style is just fine. and next up.... a Heritage Banjo for Kenny.
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