Heritage Millenium vs CP Thornton Professional

[lachiron]

Hey Guys,

Need some advice...want a semi-hollowbody guitar that cuts through the mix... looking at the Heritage Millenium (Maple top/Mahogany back) f-holes and the CP Thornton Professional. Both guitars are used and can be purchased for excellent discounts. So the question for you...does the Heritage Millenium which has similar configuration to the CP Thornton Professional really compare in sound and playability to a custom handmade guitar?? Does a voiced top and Lollar pickups sound that much different than the factory Heritage? He's played the CP Thornton and thought it was a beautiful guitar. Hard to find the Heritage Millenium but the cost is approximately half for the compared to the CP Thornton. Bottom line ... is there is a huge difference between them, I'd love to hear your viewpoint since he needs a guitar that screams like a Les Paul w hollowbody blues sound. Please educate me...I am a percussionist and this is for a relative.

[lachiron]

Need some advice...want a semi-hollowbody guitar(Maple top/Mahogany back) f-holes and deciding between the Heritage Millenium and the CP Thornton Professional. Both guitars are used and can be purchased for excellent discounts. Which guitar cuts through the mix... does the Heritage Millenium really compare in sound and playability to a custom handmade guitar?? Does a voiced top and Lollar pickups sound that much different than the factory Heritage? He's played the CP Thornton and thought it was a beautiful guitar. Hard to find the Heritage Millenium but the cost is approximately half for the compared to the CP Thornton. Bottom line ... is there is a huge difference between them, I'd love to hear your viewpoint since he needs a guitar that screams like a Les Paul w hollowbody blues sound. Please educate me...I am a percussionist and this is for a relative.</p>

[Kuz]

Need some advice...want a semi-hollowbody guitar(Maple top/Mahogany back) f-holes and deciding between the Heritage Millenium and the CP Thornton Professional. Both guitars are used and can be purchased for excellent discounts. Which guitar cuts through the mix... does the Heritage Millenium really compare in sound and playability to a custom handmade guitar?? Does a voiced top and Lollar pickups sound that much different than the factory Heritage? He's played the CP Thornton and thought it was a beautiful guitar. Hard to find the Heritage Millenium but the cost is approximately half for the compared to the CP Thornton. Bottom line ... is there is a huge difference between them, I'd love to hear your viewpoint since he needs a guitar that screams like a Les Paul w hollowbody blues sound. Please educate me...I am a percussionist and this is for a relative.</p>

 

Heritage Guitars are completely handmade custom guitars as well.

 

I can respond to the comparisons, but Heritages are handmade custom guitars.

[TalismanRich]

I've never played the Thornton, but the Mille is a VERY nice guitar. You could always put Lollars in the Heritage.

 

My Millenium has a sound somewhere between my 157 and 535 when unplugged, but its Seth Lovers are quite different sounding from the Schallers in the other two so it's hard to make a direct comparison amplified. The Mille is a very comfortable guitar to play, well balanced with a traditional feel. It certainly can play the blues.

 

Thornton talks about the Professional as if it is a D18 sound with pickups. Personally I don't hear that type of sound out of any thinline semihollow style guitar. I might be surprised, but that's been my experience.

 

I've become more particular about the feel of a guitar as I play. I like Heritage, I like G&Ls. I DON'T feel comfortable on PRS necks for some reason. Its taken a lot of playing to get used to my Taylor's neck. If I don't like the feel of the guitar, it will spend more time in the case than out. Play as many different guitars as you can and find what feels best, then you can always customize it to your taste.

[DetroitBlues]

You're asking for very biased opinions here. To us, there is no higher standard than a Heritage. If you're looking for that bluesy semi-hollow tone, the Millie (as we call it) is an excellent choice. You'll have the agressive tone of a "les paul" when needed, but you'll have the openess of a "ES-335". Great combination for blues and blues-rock. With the money you'll save, you can buy an equally great sounding amp to go with it. Just my 2 cents...

[bolero]

yeah millie's are great, the carved maple body adds a bit of bite compared to a 535 but it's still very ballsy

 

ps you won't find a guitar that is better built than a Heritage, they are ALL handmade by true masters, on the same equipment they made the '50's Gibsons on...which seem to be quite desireable & considerably more expensive

[Gitfiddler]

I've never played a Thornton, but have played many other custom, handmade semi-hollows. Each was different from the other.

 

The only true comparison between the two guitars you've mentioned would be to A/B test them side by side with the same amp settings and pickups.

 

If it were my choice I would go for the Millie, mainly because, as Kuz stated, all Heritage guitars are handmade. They are world class guitars in my view.

 

Good luck and let us know what you decide.

[koula901]

Go to You Tube and search for heritage millenium Jay Wolfe guitars. A Millie is demonstrated that has split pickups, so you get *all* sounds - you can get from jangly country, up to wooly jazz, to rock 'n' roll grind - this guitar does it all. I think this has mini switches on it. I believe this guitar has the feature called "Double Vari-I-Phase (D-VIP) which provides for all those choices. Very versatile.

[yavuz]

Heritage Millie looks promising and sounds very nice from these videos I have seen.

 

 

I have not seen a bad looking or bad sounding heritage.

Here is another video with my 575.

You can see/hear the quality.

 

 

The other guitar ( thornton ) alsı looks nice except the headstock.

Headstock is main identifier for the guitar.

It's like the logo of a company.

Thornton's headstock is not for my taste.

 

Heritage has been and will be around for a while.

 

And.... of course we are all biased here

[Hfan]

You said the CP is twice the price of the Heritage and both are used? If yes, go for the Heritage. If you decide it isn't right, you can always sell it here and not take a beating money wise. I'm betting it will be a keeper.

[tulk1]

Just looked at the Thorton Professional. Uh ... wow!! That is some guitar. I like that layout. Just an FYI, you can order a brand new Millie from Heritage with the same wiring scheme for half the cost of the Thorton. That said, I'd still like to get my hands on the Thorton. Looks cool.

[kbp810]

Buy the Heritage... Join Us... become one with the HOC

 

(okay, so this reply wasn't all that helpful )

[Spectrum13]

Thorntons have great innovations and features. Would not mind one myself. Was it Martygrass that got one of the first batch of improves? Notice he has not been posting so much since. He did comment that you need to know exactly what you want BEFORE you order.

[TalismanRich]

Just to be "fair", the Professional sounds pretty good.

 

 

The 5 way switching sounds really interesting. Now, add that to a Mille, or possibly a 150 LW..... Might be something to think about for a build next year.

[Horace]

Heritage Millie looks promising and sounds very nice from these videos I have seen.

 

 

I have not seen a bad looking or bad sounding heritage.

Here is another video with my 575.

You can see/hear the quality.

 

 

The other guitar ( thornton ) alsı looks nice except the headstock.

Headstock is main identifier for the guitar.

It's like the logo of a company.

Thornton's headstock is not for my taste.

 

Heritage has been and will be around for a while.

 

And.... of course we are all biased here

yavuz,

 

I really loved your video. Great playing !

 

Horace

[bolero]

ditto those were both great

[yavuz]

I really loved your video. Great playing !

 

Horace

 

Thanks Horace,

 

I love the sound of my Heritage and the Evans Amp as well.

I have ordered a millie looking very similar to my H 575 ( gold color, single pickup, no inlays ).

I photoshopped a millie picture to get it to look like my custom order.

[MartyGrass]

I've had a few Millies and Thorntons.

 

I'd take the Thornton if the prices are similar.

 

Search under Thornton at http://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?. There won't be a single negative.

[DetroitBlues]

I took the time to look up this builder. His stuff is very unique, very well thought out and built. I'll probably never actually play one, but his designs are rather good. His prices for solid bodies are between $3k-$4k. Rather expensive, but no different than let's say a LP Custom....

[MartyGrass]

Heritage designs are very good also.

 

It's simply inappropriate to compare a factory guitar, hand made or not (they all are to some degree- no one uses their feet), with a guitar built entirely by a single master craftsman in the prime of his career. They are different animals entirely.

[lachiron]

Well the issue is and probably should address this to Martygrass. We have played the CP Thornton and it is a beautiful guitar...but Millenium's are hard to play (none available)...they are readily available on ebay for approximately $1,350. The issue is that the CP Thornton can also be purchased at discount for $3500 for Professional. So, having not played the Millenium and hearing the guitar on youtube, I can't tell much about the tone of the guitar and the quality of the build? Factory made guitars such as the Heritage, seemingly are very similar to the CP Thornton. Both use high quality maple tops with mahogany backs...TOM bridges and humbuckers. To my ears, the Millie sounds a bit shrill and bright on the videos whereas the Professional sounds much darker in tone. I understand as a percussionist difference in woods handpicked, etc, but really the question is: Is the Heritage Millenium in the ballpark of the Professional or is the luthier made instrument just completely superior and if money were not an issue, just a matter of preference since both instruments are on par. That is really the question...

[MartyGrass]

As long as the Heritage doesn't have any issues, and it shouldn't, I'd get the Millie. There won't be much difference in the sound.

 

Thornton uses either Lollar or Fralin PAFs. Millies have Seth Lovers. There are not major differences. The standard Millie might be brighter due to the flat maple back. You might even prefer the brightness.

 

For a working guitar, I'd buy two Millies for the money. The Thornton is as much an art piece as an instrument due to the immense detail in workmanship.

 

http://www.cpthorntonguitars.com/thinline-hollowbody-guitars/the-professional/

[Blunote]

I didn't know Heritage made Millies with maple backs. Mine is mahogany with a maple cap.

 

Not shrill at all

 

[MartyGrass]

The Ultra Standard has a mahogany back, but generally Millies are maple.

 

I don't find the maple backs shrill anyway.

[tulk1]

The Maestro, who's had tons of Millies over the years could give some real good examples. That said, my first Millie was an arched top/back, Maple all around. Very much a small semi-hollow. My Custom Millie is maple cap, maple sides, 'hog back. Have never gotten to play a Thorton, but they've got to just be killer guitars. I have played Millie's, and they are killer, as well. Very subjective term - killer. But neither of them have been shrill. And, yes, built in a factory, but not a factory built guitar, by any means.