What would you guys do?

[111518]

  I am really strongly considering having it done because of what the folks on this board and the two musicians have said. 

 

I'm feeling a strange new sense of solidarity with drummers...

(just kidding ii/V)

[iim7v7im7]

To All,

 

Thanks for your help!

 

I have made the decision to send it back to Ren next week.  I"m also going to have them Plek the instrument.  I  will let you know how it sounds when it returns. Jay, Vince and Henry were all generous with their time and advice. In the end, It seems like the best solution.  I also agree having amod done by the factory ensures quality and resale (god forbid!). Even "if" I don't like the HRW3, I have opened up all conventional humbuckers vs. being limited to what is available in floaters along with their difficult installation.

 

Regards,

 

Bob

 

P.S.

 

Pretty from behind as well!

 

[ftp=ftp://http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/537/medium/Sweet_16_Rear.jpg]http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/537/medium/Sweet_16_Rear.jpg[/ftp]

[iim7v7im7]

http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/537/Sweet_16_Rear.jpg[/img]

[Gitfiddler]

"Pretty from behind also..."

 

INDEED!!!!! 8)

[iim7v7im7]

Update:

 

The Patient has returned from Dr. Ren's Kalamazoo clinic and it sounds fabulous! The instrument's acoustic properties have not been degraded whatsoever by the top routing or the 4-point pickup placement.  The amplified tone is far improved over the Heritage no. 3 floater in my opinion.  Its full bodied, somewhat warm with excellent string-to-string clarity. Ren actually told me he played the instrument and walked it around the factory for others to hear for almost 3 hours ( a bit of magic in the aged Kalamazoo wood perhaps?).  It was like receiving a new instrument that felt like one you already new!  Any Heritage owner's with floaters that are not fully happy with your amplified sound, don't hesitate to go with this mod.

 

:-)

 

Bob

[yoslate]

Congrats, Bob!  Glad to hear it's worked out so well!  Ren is pretty amazing!      ;D

[iim7v7im7]

Images of the modified instrument

 

http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/536/medium/Modified_Sweet_16_close_33.jpg[/img]

http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/536/medium/Modified_Sweet_16_strap_button.jpg[/img]

[Kuz]

Hey I'm glad that you experienced the same "awaken" in tone that my Sweet 16 got. You can trust the boys at Heritage especially Ren.

 

Congrats,

 

John

[tulk1]

Update:

Ren actually told me he played the instrument and walked it around the factory for others to hear for almost 3 hours ( a bit of magic in the aged Kalamazoo wood perhaps?).  It was like receiving a new instrument that felt like one you already new!  Any Heritage owner's with floaters that are not fully happy with your amplified sound, don't hesitate to go with this mod.

 

:-)

 

Bob

 

Right there is a great part of the mystique that makes our Heritages so dear to us. How many other manufacturers would be so concerned with a mod to walk it around for others to hear? What Ren probably didn't tell you is that one of those people, if not more, made suggestions on how it sounded, etc. that are now incorporated into your mod. So, we wax sophomoric about a bunch of old dudes making guitars. Yeh, you better believe it, buddy!! Congrats on getting that beauty back, and as you like it!

[AnH555]

Did you get your Sweet 16 Plek'd? Heard the machine was temporarily down. If you did, How'd it turn out?

[fxdx99]

Wow - thanks for the pics and the story, im7.  Awesome.  That's a GREAT looking instrument.  Love the natural wood.  I can just imagine Ren playing it in the factory... 

[toddinjax]

Hi,

 

I am in the process of trying to make a decision regarding a replacement pickup for my Sweet 16, which is currently setup with a Heritage No. 3 Floating PU.  I posted a few days ago and a number of you made some suggestions (Thanks!).  But since then, I was made aware of another option by Ren back at Heritage.  Ren told me about the 4-Point HRW3 pick-up and that I could send the instrument back to Kalamazoo to have him modify it.  This of course involves routing a hole in the sound board.  As you can imagine, the thought of doing this makes me nervous for two reasons:

 

1) I am concerned about destroying the acoustic properties of the instrument

2) PU selection is a subjective business and this is a irreverible modification

 

Ren told me because of the 4-point method of mouting that the acoustic properties would be preserved. 

 

QUESTIONS:

Has anyone on this board had this mod done to their instrument or have this PU system in their instrument? 

Secondly, if I don't like the sound of the 4-point HRW3,, will I be able to try other humbuckers (e.g. Lollar, Fralin, Duncan etc.)?

 

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS:

After reading about the different floaters out their (Kent Armstrong, Benedetto, Buscarino and Fralin) I am uncertain about whether they will be much different.  Additionally, the cost of a new pickguard + new pickup + technician to install properly is about 3x the cost of having the mod I descibed above done by Ren.

 

Your thoughts are APPRECIATED!

 

Bob

[makam]

Hi iim7v7im7.

 

Finally, is there a big hole now,under the pickup, or just the four small holes that holds the plastic ring to the body?

 

Thank's

 

makam

[Kuz]

Hi iim7v7im7.

 

Finally, is there a big hole now,under the pickup, or just the four small holes that holds the plastic ring to the body?

 

Thank's

 

makam

 

Since I had it done a year or so ago to my sweet 16 (and I in error said there would be only 4 small holes) can answer this one- There is a hole cut for the humbucker to go through, but it only touches the top via 4 small screws with washers allowing the humbucker to "float".