DetroitBlues Posted November 17, 2011 Posted November 17, 2011 Brent sure does a good job at finding some great Heritages then pass them on to us...
brentrocks Posted November 17, 2011 Posted November 17, 2011 Growing up in the Kalamazoo area, i had known about Heritage for a long time, but being young, i was always focused on the big name brands. I pretty much quit playing guitar all through college. After Deb and i got married, i decided to start playing again. There is a great music shop in Deb's hometown of Midland, MI....Mid MI Music, and theye used to do a 1/2 price sale once a year. I went in to this special sale one year, i think it was 1996? Ther was a BEAUTIFUL green H 157....i walked out the door with my FIRST Heritage that day for $900!!!!! I sold that after about 2-3 yrs....this was from '96-2007.....Gibsons, Fenders, Kramers, Ernie Balls.....I was actually super heavy into EBs, the EVH models and the Albert Lees....i was in a band in 2007 and was playing EBs primarily. I had a couple H 140s during this time. Just before my motorcycle accident in Oct. of 2007, i had got into a HUGE pissing match with Sterling Ball, owner of EB guitars....and i sold ALL my EB guitars, because i was so pissed at him, I wasnt spending one more dime of my money on his product!!! So here i sit, broken shoulder, off work, cant play guitar.....i discover the HOC, join, and RE-DISCOVER HERITAGE......the rest is history!
gary0313 Posted November 18, 2011 Posted November 18, 2011 As a drummer, from the time I was in junior high school, I seemed to perennially be in a band with someone playing a Kalamazoo made semi-hollow through a black or silver face Fender amp and I fell in love with the sound. Even though drums was my instrument I've always been drawn to the sound of guitars. I can still remember being 5 years old in the car with my mom and hearing Dwayne Eddy and Elvis with Scotty Moore. Anyway, I knew about Heritage from back when they did some advertising in guitar magazines. So now that I've given up playing drums, I've started getting more serious about learning to play guitar and 2 days ago I got the H-535 I ordered 6 months ago and I'm not looking back.
Guest HRB853370 Posted November 18, 2011 Posted November 18, 2011 As a drummer, from the time I was in junior high school, I seemed to perennially be in a band with someone playing a Kalamazoo made semi-hollow through a black or silver face Fender amp and I fell in love with the sound. Even though drums was my instrument I've always been drawn to the sound of guitars. I can still remember being 5 years old in the car with my mom and hearing Dwayne Eddy and Elvis with Scotty Moore. Anyway, I knew about Heritage from back when they did some advertising in guitar magazines. So now that I've given up playing drums, I've started getting more serious about learning to play guitar and 2 days ago I got the H-535 I ordered 6 months ago and I'm not looking back. Gary, your story sounds like mine. Only I havent given up playing drums-which is a bad because I have kept my gear and have way too much drum stuff (still). Top that off with guitars, amps, and other accessories and this hobby is driving me to the pour house! (I spelled pour that way on purpose).
Guest HRB853370 Posted November 18, 2011 Posted November 18, 2011 Growing up in the Kalamazoo area, i had known about Heritage for a long time, but being young, i was always focused on the big name brands. I pretty much quit playing guitar all through college. After Deb and i got married, i decided to start playing again. There is a great music shop in Deb's hometown of Midland, MI....Mid MI Music, and theye used to do a 1/2 price sale once a year. I went in to this special sale one year, i think it was 1996? Ther was a BEAUTIFUL green H 157....i walked out the door with my FIRST Heritage that day for $900!!!!! I sold that after about 2-3 yrs....this was from '96-2007.....Gibsons, Fenders, Kramers, Ernie Balls.....I was actually super heavy into EBs, the EVH models and the Albert Lees....i was in a band in 2007 and was playing EBs primarily. I had a couple H 140s during this time. Just before my motorcycle accident in Oct. of 2007, i had got into a HUGE pissing match with Sterling Ball, owner of EB guitars....and i sold ALL my EB guitars, because i was so pissed at him, I wasnt spending one more dime of my money on his product!!! So here i sit, broken shoulder, off work, cant play guitar.....i discover the HOC, join, and RE-DISCOVER HERITAGE......the rest is history! So you actually spoke to Mr. Ball (presumably over the phone) but it was not a pleasant conversation? Details please!
Guest HRB853370 Posted November 18, 2011 Posted November 18, 2011 Rockabilly, your H-150 looks exactly like the one on the back of the tshirts for PSPIV! Beautiful. Sorta like this one too......
brentrocks Posted November 18, 2011 Posted November 18, 2011 So you actually spoke to Mr. Ball (presumably over the phone) but it was not a pleasant conversation? Details please! it was all over email....long story short.....there was a newbie on the EB forum that had a EVH he was looking to sell. I responded to his welcome thread and said i was interested in buying it. Sterling came on and accused me of trying to rip him off, which i dont understand, because nobody had ever had any problems with any of my transactions. But you have to understand the Sterling hated all the people that posted EVH stuff, he HATED EDDIE!!! and therefore probably didnt like me bacause i had so mant EVH models. He is a pompus ass.
DetroitBlues Posted November 18, 2011 Posted November 18, 2011 it was all over email....long story short.....there was a newbie on the EB forum that had a EVH he was looking to sell. I responded to his welcome thread and said i was interested in buying it. Sterling came on and accused me of trying to rip him off, which i don't understand, because nobody had ever had any problems with any of my transactions. But you have to understand the Sterling hated all the people that posted EVH stuff, he HATED EDDIE!!! and therefore probably didn't like me because i had so mant EVH models. He is a pompous ass. Never quite liked any EB stuff, even the EVH guitars. They seem so small, body, headstock, etc. Who would of thought though, if Brent would of never had his motorcycle accident, HOC or PSP would not exist. There are so many great people on here and so many stories that have been shared. None of this would of been possible, Brent, if it wasn't for you own personal tragedy. While I'm truly sorry you had to suffer, I'm also thankful it happened....
mars_hall Posted November 18, 2011 Posted November 18, 2011 Who would of thought though, if Brent would of never had his motorcycle accident, HOC or PSP would not exist. Nice sentiment expressed, but not quite accurate...
DetroitBlues Posted November 18, 2011 Posted November 18, 2011 Nice sentiment expressed, but not quite accurate... perhaps he didn't start the HOC forum, but the PSP celebrations at the family farm wouldn't of happened.
Joey Posted November 21, 2011 Posted November 21, 2011 Back in 1995, I was looking to buy a Gibson 335. Unfortunately, I could not find a good used one and the new ones I played all seemed to be made like crap with a hefty price tag. Around this time, my guitar teacher just acquired a H535 which I played and really liked. Long story short, I found a local dealer and bought an H555 for $1300 with case out the door. This is still my go to guitar and I love it (playability & fit/finish). I recently swapped out the Schaller pups for Fralin Pure PAFs and could not be happier with the improvement in tonal range and clarity. That's my story!
DC Ron Posted November 22, 2011 Posted November 22, 2011 Geez, I never get tired of responding to this thread. Twenty years ago there were annual guitar shows within a few hours of where I lived in Jacksonville, FL: Atlanta, Tampa, Orlando and of course Jacksonville. I'll never forget the Sunday the Jacksonville guitar show ran on the same Sunday as the USFL Jacksonville Bulls (football) team played. NOBODY came. Anyway, Jay Wolfe showed up at each one like clockwork, along with an array of H guitars and Kawai GB-2 song players (kind of an early band in a box, look 'em up). Jay was also getting some very choice used guitars in trade, and that's where I was focused at first. Let's see, I bought a 1980 Howard Roberts Fusion ($800), a 1953 Epiphone Deluxe Regent ($900) and a 1969 Reverberocket ($200), and probably some other stuff. Those were the days! At the 1993 show at Tampa, Jay had a brand new, super-quilted Golden Eagle at an outrageous price (outrageously high) and I bought it. Gitfiddler owns that guitar today. (Don't ask.) I had my choice between the GE and a 1928 (?) L-5 at the same price and I went for the Heritage. (There was also a 1970 or so birdseye Fender Starcaster at that show for $1000, but that seemed like WAY too much at the time. Well...Jay had a Kalamazoo Award for $20K, or some similar $, and that seemed way too much--and still does.) Almost forgot...had to sell a flamed 1969 Guild Starfire 4 (for too little $) to get the $ for the H. Anyway, kept it for ten years and never played it enough, so sold it on eBay. Discovered Gitfiddler's connection when I posted some pictures of his/my guitar in the gallery. Four H's later, here I am.
redshark Posted November 22, 2011 Posted November 22, 2011 My first heritage was a H535 that I got as a trade for a Nash strat on the gear page. I wanted a semi hollow body and read about heritage so I decided to give it a shot. I was instantly blown away by the craftmanship and tone of that 535. It was a 2004 model with Seth Lovers. Unfortunately I had to sell the guitar cause the neck was wide for my taste, kind of a D profile that in my small hands felt similar to a PRS neck. I was still heart broken but needed the money to buy a danocaster tele that I still own and is fabulous. My second heritage was bought also at the gear page after I sold a Gibson 95 Les Paul classic premium plus. That Gibson had the best flame I've ever seen, quite a looker I must say and it had good pickups and pots so it sounded fantastic too. I decided to sell the guitar cause that danocaster became my #1 guitar and I also own a faded LP jr. that is a work horse so I decided to sell to buy another danocaster. When I sold the guitar I started looking for another danocaster but then I though why not own another heritage instead and save the extra money so then I found the H150LW which was an experiment. I bought it and though that if the neck felt same than the 535 I was gonna sell. Instead I found out this guitar has softer shoulder and instantly loved the neck. Besides that I have to say that the craftmanship of this H150 is amazing and way more toneful than my LP classic...why do I say that? because I put same pickup set that I had in my classic and this guitar still has warmer tone and more sustain. So this H150LW CAME HERE TO STAY!!!
Eric Posted November 22, 2011 Posted November 22, 2011 Long story short, I was looking for a G-brand Studio Silverburst on Ebay (I loved the look but didn't want to pay the Musiciansfriend price...basically I was trying to pick one up used to save a few bucks). Durning my search I stumbled across this great looking Heritage 150P Silverburst for the low, low price of $700, but the downside was that it had replacement pickups and the seller had no idea what had been put in. I did a little homework on the Heritage brand and thought it was worth a try...the seller was offering a 7 day return and was throwing in freight. I made the deal and when the Silverburst arrived I fell in love at first sight. But those pickups...they sounded great but I needed to know what they were. Imagine my surprise when I pulled them out and found out they were HRWs. Just a little more homework on this site and I became convinced that by accident I had become the proud owner of "Silverburst II". Thanks Brent! This one will never leave me until the day I can't play it anymore...
rooster Posted November 22, 2011 Posted November 22, 2011 Back when they first came out, I got to play one at Creative Music in Albuquerque (great shop!). It was fantastic, but I wasn't an LP guy, so I didn't buy it. About 6 or 7 years later, living in Phoenix, I came across a H170 in the classifieds. The guy had it in pawn, and to try it out and play it/buy it, I had to get it out of pawn for him. I went to the pawn shop, gambled $285, and came away with it. The headstock had been broken and repaired, but it was still a great guitar. Back in the mid 2000s, I got my first new one, a goldtop H150 from Jay. Then I custom ordered a black H150 through Jay, and later got a VSB H150 through a guy on the gear page. The goldy and the VSB are now equipped with Stetsbars, which work wonderfully, BTW. I hope to get at least one more H150 and a Millenium single-cut. Maybe some more, who can say? I just know that I love the way they play and sound, and I love the idea of people who went back, bought the factory, and created that company. rooster.
dbetts41 Posted November 22, 2011 Posted November 22, 2011 Great thread! My intro to Heritage guitars came around the mid 90's via a small shop here in Columbus called Sweetwater (later called Twin Rivers Music)... & the owner usually stocked at least 1 or 2 150's & a 535 or 555. I of course was more into the headstock thing at the time (it had to say Gibson or Fender)... finally Greg the owner got me to buy an amber 150. It was a great guitar, probably 1 of a very select few that I truely regret letting go of.... after a long absence from owning / playing I purchased the 150 goldtop that I have now back in march & don't for see letting that one slip away. I hope to do a custom order for a Lucille inspired 555 this spring.
DetroitBlues Posted November 22, 2011 Posted November 22, 2011 .... a custom order for a Lucille inspired 555 this spring. OH YA!!!! LUCILLE!!!!!
rockabilly69 Posted November 23, 2011 Posted November 23, 2011 Rockabilly, your H-150 looks exactly like the one on the back of the tshirts for PSPIV! Beautiful. I would like to see one of those T-Shirts!
gary0313 Posted November 24, 2011 Posted November 24, 2011 Gary, your story sounds like mine. Only I havent given up playing drums-which is a bad because I have kept my gear and have way too much drum stuff (still). Top that off with guitars, amps, and other accessories and this hobby is driving me to the pour house! (I spelled pour that way on purpose). I didn't really give up the drums because I wanted to Slammer, we lost our house when my wife lost her job and had to do a serious downsize. We have too little storage space for a large drum kit. One of these days though I'd like to get a small kit ( I still have cymbals. a couple snares and hardware) and then rent a small rehearsal space.
yavuz Posted November 24, 2011 Posted November 24, 2011 Mine was love at first sight. I saw the picture of my H-575 custom online, I think it was Ed Roman Guitars. They said the model name was Golden Boy. It says H-575 inside. I attached a picture to let you know what I mean by love at first sight. And, here is a music video with me and that guitar...
schundog Posted November 24, 2011 Posted November 24, 2011 I would like to see one of those T-Shirts! Here you go. Never mind the ugly head on top of the shirt, haha. http://i840.photobucket.com/albums/zz327/schundog/heritagedowntown157.jpg[/img]"]http://
COOTER Posted November 25, 2011 Posted November 25, 2011 For me it was a fluke meeting. I'd been playing guitar for a long time , I'm not anywhere near a "Stevie Roy Clapton" but been playing long enough. My brother decided he wanted to start playing guitar at the ripe old age of 52 and I thought it would be great to get the chance to teach him and get involved in something he was most likely going to really enjoy. We tried ALOT of different guitars trying to figure out what was going to work for him THANK MY LUCKY STARS Strats/Teles seemed to fit his hand. Long story short , he bought a 1999 Heritage H150CM . I was stunned that he dropped the the $ without really doing his homework. I knew about Heritage from way back , reading an article about the the whole Gibson/Heritage story and seeing people like Roy Clark playing them , but though they were beautiful guitars , something new is always scarey , plus Roy Clark could could make a $20 Hondo pulled out of a landfill sound like a custom shop Byrdland. But after I played it....Holy Mother of Pearl...It felt like it was already mine...aside from some dead strings it REALLY had potential. To make a medium length story a little shorter , my brother went home with 2006 deluxe Tele and "onefiddy" as he has been happily nick named , stayed behind with me. End of story...this one anyway..
barrymclark Posted November 25, 2011 Posted November 25, 2011 OH YA!!!! LUCILLE!!!!! My Gretsch was built up to be the hillbilly version of Lucille. No joke.
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