How Heritage helped me change in the direction of the guitarist I so wanted to be.

[barrymclark]

For the longest time, I was horribly lost in music with regards to style. I'd buy guitar, after guitar. I'd play them briefly and stop. I'd get bored.

 

That changed a little over two years ago. I bought a Heritage H575 that just screamed, "BUY ME!"

 

To be honest, my approach to choosing this one was barely different than my approach to every other guitar purchase I ever made. I had no personal-feeling relationship with any guitar. I was just buying, playing, selling, buying, playing, selling.

 

The Heritage arrived from Jay Wolfe. I took it home and sat with it in the quiet of an empty home. Chords just jumped out of the guitar. Single note punched like the guitarists that inspired me to want to play in the first place such as Danny Cedrone, Hank Garland, Chuck Berry and, of course, Brian Setzer.

 

The guitar was almost talking to me. BEGGING me to learn some jazz chords. So I did. For the past 2 years, I just can't get enough of the way those drop-chords sound. I have been retraining my hands, going against almost thirty years of habit to help those chords ring.

 

No matter what I've had, this is the guitar I play. I could own the nicest SG or H157...and it would likely gather dust. I'd miss the thump.

 

Honestly, if I only had the H575, I'd barely notice the lack of other guitars.

[DetroitBlues]

Sounds like you found the one. Wish I could do the same....That's another story...

 

As far as inspiration goes, almost every guitar I pickup gives me inspiration to create something new. Don't know what it is, but when I'm playing a new guitar when running it through its pacing something interesting comes out, if a guitar leaves me uninspired I don't keep it.... The only Hertiages that did that for me was my first 140 and my old 445. Both went to great homes and I know the new owners love them.

 

 

 

[Guest HRB853370]

For the longest time, I was horribly lost in music with regards to style. I'd buy guitar, after guitar. I'd play them briefly and stop. I'd get bored.

 

That changed a little over two years ago. I bought a Heritage H575 that just screamed, "BUY ME!"

 

To be honest, my approach to choosing this one was barely different than my approach to every other guitar purchase I ever made. I had no personal-feeling relationship with any guitar. I was just buying, playing, selling, buying, playing, selling.

 

The Heritage arrived from Jay Wolfe. I took it home and sat with it in the quiet of an empty home. Chords just jumped out of the guitar. Single note punched like the guitarists that inspired me to want to play in the first place such as Danny Cedrone, Hank Garland, Chuck Berry and, of course, Brian Setzer.

 

The guitar was almost talking to me. BEGGING me to learn some jazz chords. So I did. For the past 2 years, I just can't get enough of the way those drop-chords sound. I have been retraining my hands, going against almost thirty years of habit to help those chords ring.

 

No matter what I've had, this is the guitar I play. I could own the nicest SG or H157...and it would likely gather dust. I'd miss the thump.

 

Honestly, if I only had the H575, I'd barely notice the lack of other guitars.

 

Great Barry! Now whats a drop-chord?

[barrymclark]

Great Barry! Now whats a drop-chord?

You know how, say, a maj7 chord is comprised of intervals 1,3,5&7 of a scale? Well, a drop chord drops a specific tone down to a lower octave. The most common to the guitar are the drop-2 and drop-3. A drop two would take the second highest interval and drop it to be the lowest note in the chord. Drop-3 does the same but with the third highest note and drops it to the lowest. In the case of, say, a Cmaj7 chord, the notes are C,E,G,B. That can be a fairly hard chord voicing to play on guitar without some serious stretching. The drop-2 would see the chord spelled G,C,E,B and is much easier to play. Drop-3 would see that same chord spelled E,C,G,B.

 

The drop-3 voicings tend to be played on the E,D,G,B strings with the A string muted. Drop-2 is on A,D,G,B and D,G,B,E.

[barrymclark]

Sounds like you found the one. Wish I could do the same....That's another story...

 

As far as inspiration goes, almost every guitar I pickup gives me inspiration to create something new. Don't know what it is, but when I'm playing a new guitar when running it through its pacing something interesting comes out, if a guitar leaves me uninspired I don't keep it.... The only Hertiages that did that for me was my first 140 and my old 445. Both went to great homes and I know the new owners love them.

I don't get that immediate wow thing. I mean, there is the honeymoon. But nothing special comes of it other than having a new guitar. Funny thing is, I found this looking for something else. I still wanted to be Brian Setzer when I got this guitar. Hell, I still want his talent. haha. But when I heard the way this guitar sounds, it made me want to change everything about the way I played to keep hearing that tone. You've heard that movie cliche about how a certain girl makes a guy want to be a better person? Well, the my Heritage H575 makes me want to be a better player so people can hear what I hear in it.

[Guest HRB853370]

I don't get that immediate wow thing. I mean, there is the honeymoon. But nothing special comes of it other than having a new guitar. Funny thing is, I found this looking for something else. I still wanted to be Brian Setzer when I got this guitar. Hell, I still want his talent. haha. But when I heard the way this guitar sounds, it made me want to change everything about the way I played to keep hearing that tone. You've heard that movie cliche about how a certain girl makes a guy want to be a better person? Well, the my Heritage H575 makes me want to be a better player so people can hear what I hear in it.

 

If you cannot be Brian Setzer, you could be Hot Rod Walt!

[barrymclark]

If you cannot be Brian Setzer, you could be Hot Rod Walt!

haha. No, I will never be him either. I just don't 'feel' style of play. Same reason I'd never be a Setzer sort of player.

[big bob]

I'm glad you found that 575 as well. It allowed me to pry that three pup 140 out of your hands. I just love that guitar!

[barrymclark]

I'm glad you found that 575 as well. It allowed me to pry that three pup 140 out of your hands. I just love that guitar!

...and I am happy that guitar went somewhere it is loved.

[big bob]

...and I am happy that guitar went somewhere it is loved.

 

That decides it, I'm taking the blue 140 triple pup to the end of days gig tonight. Might be the last guitar I ever play!

[barrymclark]

That decides it, I'm taking the blue 140 triple pup to the end of days gig tonight. Might be the last guitar I ever play!

haha. Awesome.

[blueox]

" . . . No matter what I've had, this is the guitar I play. I could own the nicest SG or H157...and it would likely gather dust. I'd miss the thump.

Honestly, if I only had the H575, I'd barely notice the lack of other guitars."

 

Thanks to Heritage and your H575, you have eliminated a major distraction in having to keep searching for the "perfect" instrument. To be able to concentrate on playing and making your kind of music is a great position to be in.

[DetroitBlues]

I don't get that immediate wow thing. I mean, there is the honeymoon. But nothing special comes of it other than having a new guitar. Funny thing is, I found this looking for something else. I still wanted to be Brian Setzer when I got this guitar. Hell, I still want his talent. haha. But when I heard the way this guitar sounds, it made me want to change everything about the way I played to keep hearing that tone. You've heard that movie cliche about how a certain girl makes a guy want to be a better person? Well, the my Heritage H575 makes me want to be a better player so people can hear what I hear in it.

 

that's what is so inspiring. Its not just another guitar, its a motivational piece to get you to do more then you imagine.

[DetroitBlues]

That decides it, I'm taking the blue 140 triple pup to the end of days gig tonight. Might be the last guitar I ever play!

 

I think the Mayan calendar already expired..... You're good to go Lance!

[barrymclark]

that's what is so inspiring. Its not just another guitar, its a motivational piece to get you to do more then you imagine.

Oh absolutely. I am with you there. I have accomplished more in the past two years of owning that guitar than arguably the first 25 years of playing. When I am not playing it, I am thinking of the next time I get to play it. No joke.

[212Mavguy]

@BMC...

 

What a wonderful set of words you have written for your OP!

 

I am having a similar experience at the front of my newest old amps. Both are called "Fender Super Reverb." But there is enough difference in the circuits that the amps ought not to be called by the same model name. One, a '68 blackline silverface, is a full on blackface circuit and is at the shop getting a recap, blueprinting, and couple of reversible mods. In the winter I come home from work pretty tired so I sloughed off the work to my favorite tech.

 

The other Super Reverb is '81 vintage, solid state rectified, 70 watts, ultra linear circuit with a quad of JBL orange frame d110's, has master volume. It is the amp that has me exploring the classic Fender clean tones as well as a very grindy dirty set of tones. . . I just ordered some parts for it.

 

The Heritage guitar that I have been playing out with the most is one that nobody wanted when it was listed on ebay. It's an H-516 with bigsby that was boogered by at least one of two previous owners. It has the trans orange finish, a gretsch pickguard, a master volume pot, as well as a pair of TV Jones'ers in it. I have set it up to be a screaming blues monster that does the sustain/feedback thang well when playing out at the local open mic superjams at one of the local clubs.

 

I'd have to agree without hesitation that owning Heritage guitars has had a transformational effect on my playing, but I've yet to learn the kind of chord shapes previously discussed. But I will be starting lessons in January...

[brentrocks]

You know how, say, a maj7 chord is comprised of intervals 1,3,5&7 of a scale? Well, a drop chord drops a specific tone down to a lower octave. The most common to the guitar are the drop-2 and drop-3. A drop two would take the second highest interval and drop it to be the lowest note in the chord. Drop-3 does the same but with the third highest note and drops it to the lowest. In the case of, say, a Cmaj7 chord, the notes are C,E,G,B. That can be a fairly hard chord voicing to play on guitar without some serious stretching. The drop-2 would see the chord spelled G,C,E,B and is much easier to play. Drop-3 would see that same chord spelled E,C,G,B.

 

The drop-3 voicings tend to be played on the E,D,G,B strings with the A string muted. Drop-2 is on A,D,G,B and D,G,B,E.

 

you might as well be speaking Chineese...lol....i wish i could do that stuff....lol

[barrymclark]

Thanks to Heritage and your H575, you have eliminated a major distraction in having to keep searching for the "perfect" instrument. To be able to concentrate on playing and making your kind of music is a great position to be in.

It truly has. I do want another as a back up. It will probably be a Groovemaster just to have something similar-ish but different too. Those who've come to adore the 575 the way I have seemed to be torn between getting the 575 and the GM. So... I figure that would be a solid backup. When the Gretsch sells, that money will be put into the GM fund.

[barrymclark]

@BMC...

 

What a wonderful set of words you have written for your OP!

 

I am having a similar experience at the front of my newest old amps. Both are called "Fender Super Reverb." But there is enough difference in the circuits that the amps ought not to be called by the same model name. One, a '68 blackline silverface, is a full on blackface circuit and is at the shop getting a recap, blueprinting, and couple of reversible mods. In the winter I come home from work pretty tired so I sloughed off the work to my favorite tech.

 

The other Super Reverb is '81 vintage, solid state rectified, 70 watts, ultra linear circuit with a quad of JBL orange frame d110's, has master volume. It is the amp that has me exploring the classic Fender clean tones as well as a very grindy dirty set of tones. . . I just ordered some parts for it.

 

The Heritage guitar that I have been playing out with the most is one that nobody wanted when it was listed on ebay. It's an H-516 with bigsby that was boogered by at least one of two previous owners. It has the trans orange finish, a gretsch pickguard, a master volume pot, as well as a pair of TV Jones'ers in it. I have set it up to be a screaming blues monster that does the sustain/feedback thang well when playing out at the local open mic superjams at one of the local clubs.

 

I'd have to agree without hesitation that owning Heritage guitars has had a transformational effect on my playing, but I've yet to learn the kind of chord shapes previously discussed. But I will be starting lessons in January...

I remember that 516 I believe! Well, you know better than anyone that now I am in the quest for the 'perfect' amp. Don't get me wrong, my Rolands will keep me more than happy until I do find the ones that beat them in my ears. The perfect amp isn't going to be what it does FOR the H575 but how much it gets out of the way and lets that guitar sing.

[barrymclark]

you might as well be speaking Chineese...lol....i wish i could do that stuff....lol

Wish I could do that stuff faster! Man, some of these guys just go through voicings so, so fast. Just changing chords on the fly. Amazing stuff.

[212Mavguy]

I remember that 516 I believe! Well, you know better than anyone that now I am in the quest for the 'perfect' amp. Don't get me wrong, my Rolands will keep me more than happy until I do find the ones that beat them in my ears. The perfect amp isn't going to be what it does FOR the H575 but how much it gets out of the way and lets that guitar sing.

 

For me it's my Dumble clones and my old Harmony/Lectrolab amps that really set mine free, but the SR's are the D-clones' uncles, and I can't wait to try one of each in stereo, the Dumble pre/tube buffered fx loop coming out of the TC fx box's outs into a Super Reverb for the other side.

[kidsmoke]

I've experienced similar feelings, particularly lately, having added my Champ to the collection. Between that and my 535, I'm not going through all my guitars and amps every session. I just sit down and play. I explore the sounds I can coax from that simple little amp and my flexible, wonderfully comfortable guitar. I just want to play.

 

Having said that, when Gio generously loaned me his 575 a while back, I was moved. Something about the geometry of that guitar is amazing, with wonderful sounds. I surely want one.

 

I'm a rocker though, and the raunch I get from the bridge pup of my 535 with the amp just turned to "just" breaking up, pushing those 50 year old tubes, and my centaur kickin' it the pants....don't think I could do without it. i end nearly every practice session by cranking everything and throwing down the "sweet jane" progression......

 

We're blessed.