Cajun Posted May 25, 2014 Posted May 25, 2014 Happy Memorial Day weekend fellow members I thought I would share my Heritage journey - maybe others could do the same..I am sitting here listening to the best of Tal Farlow. I first got introduced to Heritage guitars in Vancouver Canada while on a vacation (around 1993). I stopped in a music store and saw this used H140 in Gold Top that was selling for something like $350 with the exchange rate. I couldn't resist. It felt like a nice Gibson, and Goldtops always float my boat.. It had Duncan pickups - and was wonderful. I sold it later for $550 - proving that all Heritage guitars do not lose value. Later I saw more Heritage guitars down in Manassas Virginia. There was a music store called Classic Axe that carried them - they had a lot of the hollow bodies. Was very impressed by the quality. Later - as a serial guitar trader - I had gone through some Gibsons, Fenders, PRS models, Gretsch, etc.. I had a Gibson Les Paul I couldn't stand - the neck and body weren't weighted well. I saw a Craigslist ad for a H150, it was a nice flame top. It was going for a ridiculous $750 (this was probably 5 years ago). I told him I would give him my Les Paul if he gave me $400 and the 150. He took it. Best deal ever for me! It has a number near the headstock - I couldn't figure out why so sent a email to Heritage.to see what it was. Ren sent back an email that it was a Limited Edition - mine was 90 out of a run of 500. Pretty cool. This guitar had been neglected - but after a trip to the Wooden Wizard (a local luthier who is the best I have ever seen) - he cleaned it with Naptha and did his magic and it was all set up. The ACB finish was as good as they get. Since I was going through a trading phase - I later traded it for a ASB H535. Loved the H535, it was my first semi-hollow (after at least 70 solids and a few Gibson hollow bodies). I also picked up a Heritage Stat. The stat had a great neck and finish. Later in my trading phase - I saw a nice 150 in VSB. I traded a vintage Gretsch (it had a headstock repair), and a Gibson Les Paul special for it. I overpaid, but I don't regret it. It is a beautiful guitar, in a Lemon Drop finish. It is also marked a second - I think for a few finish smudges on the neck. I don't care - it looks and feels like a vintage Gibson to me (I've owned many vintage guitars before they were selling for what they are now). I put Lindy Fralin Unbuckers in them - they are the perfect pickup for a 150. I got the slightly hot version (8k and 9k). I then did something stupid - I traded my 535 for a 157. The 157 was nice - and I always had wanted a Black Beauty. But I immediately regretted it and quickly sold the 157 to get another 535. Because I wasn't patient, I slashed the sell price and didn't have enough for a 535. I saw a Japanese Tokai 335 on Reverb and picked it up. It was a really nice 335 copy - more of a close copy of the Gibson 59 version. But it had a U neck which was okay - but not my first choice. It was also the standard red finish - which isn't my favorite. So sold that and picked up a PRS CE 24. The PRS was pretty damned nice - this one had Seth Lovers installed. But I knew I had to get back to a nice semi-hollow. I saw an ad for a Gibson ES 339 on Craigslist. This was a Custom Shop version. I traded my PRS and a vintage Fernandes strat for it. After a few days - I knew it wasn't for me. It sounded like a 335/535, but the neck was just too small for me. It was easy to sell since, so I sold it and got a really nice 535. It has Seth Lovers - they sound great in it. It also had binding around the headstock - which makes the headstock look a lot better IMO. It also had a killer finish, and a beefier neck than my previous one. Last night I played it for a few hours - I really think it is the nicest guitar I have owned (I have owned at least 75 guitars). Is this the end of my journey? In some ways - I think it is. I went from a high of 7 electrics to now having the 535 and 150. I really think these will be with me the rest of my years, and I don't need anything else. However - in many ways it is the start of my journey - I will now focus on playing instead of trading. Trading guitars was always fun and kind of a game that gave me a buzz. But now that I have exactly what is right for me - will focus on playing which is what I did when I was younger. I really am appreciative that Heritage makes guitars like Gibson used to. They are undervalued IMO - and are the real deal. Pix coming (sometimes they don't post for me).
Cajun Posted May 25, 2014 Author Posted May 25, 2014 Won't take my better pix (too large). This was the Limited Edition.
Cajun Posted May 25, 2014 Author Posted May 25, 2014 These two don't seem to open for me... Trying again.
Cajun Posted May 25, 2014 Author Posted May 25, 2014 Thanks for reading. I really enjoy this forum - many seem like really down to earth unlike some of the other forums where it is all about spending the most money and bragging about a $7k limited edition custom shop model... Hope you all have a great Memorial Day!!!
bsck1 Posted May 25, 2014 Posted May 25, 2014 Great story. Resonates with real admiration for the folks at 225 Parsons Street. There's some magic going on in that building!
Keith7940236 Posted May 25, 2014 Posted May 25, 2014 That kind of mirrors many of our journeys. There is nothing quite like the thrill of acquiring a new instrument..
SofaPlayer Posted May 25, 2014 Posted May 25, 2014 The journey is the reward! Great story and nice guitars for sure. I especially love the lemon drop 150. I've seen Heritages hang on shop walls long before I knew their story, they've always piqued my interest long before I've bought the first one, always seemed something special to me.
TalismanRich Posted May 25, 2014 Posted May 25, 2014 Nice story, Cajun. I fully understand your feelings about the 535. That was my second Heritage, after my initial 157. Here's a tip on posting pics. Use a "cloud" storage area, like Photobucket or Dropbox. Then click on the little picture frame icon to the right on the chainlink icon. Paste in the URL for the picture and you get the full size pic in the post.
schundog Posted May 25, 2014 Posted May 25, 2014 Thanks for sharing your journey with us. I need to focus more on playing and less on gear myself.
tsp17 Posted May 25, 2014 Posted May 25, 2014 That kind of mirrors many of our journeys. There is nothing quite like the thrill of acquiring a new instrument.. so true on both points. my journey started with a fabulous 535 w/HRWs. Several trades and sales later I now have a 575MH and a custom 150; love 'em, just love 'em. was up to three Heritages for a while but recenlty sold one. Already looking for the next...
DavesNotHere Posted May 26, 2014 Posted May 26, 2014 Nice story, Cajun. I fully understand your feelings about the 535. That was my second Heritage, after my initial 157. Here's a tip on posting pics. Use a "cloud" storage area, like Photobucket or Dropbox. Then click on the little picture frame icon to the right on the chainlink icon. Paste in the URL for the picture and you get the full size pic in the post. Do you still have that STAT? It is sweet!
HANGAR18 Posted May 26, 2014 Posted May 26, 2014 And my current 535. This time, KEEP THE 535! If you ever think about selling it, call me so I can talk you out of it.
tsp17 Posted May 26, 2014 Posted May 26, 2014 This time, KEEP THE 535! If you ever think about selling it, call me so I can talk you out of it. Now that's what friends are for!
HANGAR18 Posted May 27, 2014 Posted May 27, 2014 I learned about Heritage guitars in that same guitar store (Classic Axe). I was a huge fan of the Gibson Les Paul guitar at the time. As my manner is, I am always very keenly interested in how things are made and I have a great admiration for things which are very well made. (Examples... The Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress, The Ford F series pickups trucks, the 1942 Tucker, the Les Paul model guitar, certain models of revolvers such as Glock pistols, or the model GP100, the Vaquero, the Blackhawk, the model 686 or the model 29, made by Ruger or Smith & Wesson etc.) Thusly, I study in as great of detail as I can how the afore mentioned things are constructed. When it came to the Les Paul guitars, I learned many of the subtle differences between the Epiphone versions and the Gibson USA made versions in order to get a better idea why one would cost more than the other. With this knowledge of the Les Paul model guitar, I was immediately able to recognize the outstanding level of craftsmanship that went into the making of Heritage solid body electric guitars, such as the model H150 and the model H157 (my favorite). Upon hearing the story of Heritage guitars and further study, I came to realize that Heritage guitars had a very consistent level of quality, generally comparable to or greater than Gibson guitars, and that they were available for around half the asking price of a Gibson guitar. After this epiphany, I began converting my guitar collection over from Gibson to Heritage like a mad man, and launched a Heritage fan site, all before discovering this Heritage Owner's Club web site. Present day, I have recently added one authentic Gibson Les Paul guitar to my guitar collection but only because this particular guitar is uncharactistically good and much better than any other Les Paul I have ever owned. Also, very recently I have realized that my needs in guitars has also changed and I have found a deep appreciation for a certain brand of high performance, state of the art guitars. However, since vintage muscle cars and high performance model race cars can live happily together in the same garage, I now have both kinds of guitars in my collection. Some are made in Maryland while others are a product of Kalamazoo Michigan. So now, Heritage guitars is my first choice for any guitar I would consider to be in the vintage design category. Yes, there are other companies which make single cut solid body guitars and hollow, or semi-hollow body guitars, but for me, Heritage guitars is the go-to brand name for all of those. Did I mention that my favorite vintage guitar design is the Heritage H157? Heritage guitars builds brand new vintage guitars at affordable prices, right from the original Gibson factory. I still recommend Heritage guitars to anyone who is interested in a guitar of classic design. (H-150, H157, H535 etc.) Heritage guitars are fantastic!
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