SemiHalo Posted October 15, 2015 Posted October 15, 2015 I was reading on the Hamer forum today. I don't spend much on forums in general, but the Hamer board conversations are usually reasonable. I was shocked to find a lot of threads bashing Heritage guitars - the build, the tone, the old workshop, and so on. And I don't mean thoughtful comments or constructive criticism, but just outright insults. I read a good number of slams about the headstock, too, which is surprising as Gibson loyalists often rag on the Hamer headstock. Chop the headstocks off my Heritage guitars and turn them into semi-Steinbergers for all I care, it will still sound great. The shame of the internet is that its safety and anonymity enable people to spew such negativity without interruption, correction, or connection. If we were all in the same room - face to face with guitars, amps, and libations - the interactions would probably be quite different: "Hey man, let me play that Heritage. Oh wow! That sounds freaking great! You know, when I actually play it I'm not even looking at the headstock."
tulk1 Posted October 15, 2015 Posted October 15, 2015 Brand loyalty. It's hard to fight. I have a really good buddy that will only look at Gibs and Fends. He even showed me a Gary Moore vid extolling the virtues of "The LP" tone. Turns out Gay was playing his Heritage signature H150. Yet, my bud still won't acknowledge my H's. Mostly, I just ignore those comments and move on. Especially on the i-net. Not worth the effort.
SemiHalo Posted October 15, 2015 Author Posted October 15, 2015 I don't know how those links found their way into my original post. That is weird.
JeffB Posted October 15, 2015 Posted October 15, 2015 I worked with a guy who wouldnt go near heritage just because of the headstock. After one year of him baiting me about the headstock and me telling him he's not really the caliber of person or player I would like to see with a Heritage(fun sparring of course) he finally broke and bought one, an H137 that he hasnt stopped gigging with for about 5mths. Heres a guy with CS strats and tele's an R8 R7 and a few vintage pieces. Nice guy but brand focused, although less so now. A convert. The store I worked at carried Heritage and people wouldnt even try them because it wasnt Gibson and it had the wrong headstock. It was always interesting to me who bought them, the PRS rep was among them as were a few other people in the industry. Serious players and people that had access to every bit and bob from every manufacturer in MI.
bobmeyrick Posted October 15, 2015 Posted October 15, 2015 I don't know how those links found their way into my original post. That is weird. I had that problem - it's down to Viglink (hover the cursor over the link and it will say "Viglink"). You can opt out by going here. According to Wikipedia, "VigLink is a San Francisco-based, outbound-traffic monetization service for publishers, forums, and bloggers, which specializes in in-text advertising and marketing... VigLink’s content monetization solution connects potential consumers to products by hyperlinking particular keywords in a website’s content." As for the negativity, those people are idiots - you have to be pretty shallow to reject a guitar because of the shape of the headstock. Compare the Heritage headstock with the old Gibson "snakehead" headstock and you'll understand the heritage...
Polo Posted October 15, 2015 Posted October 15, 2015 This thread reminds me of that Laverne and Shirley episode when Squiggy dresses up like Shirley, goes to work at the factory and then can't keep up with the conveyor.
DetroitBlues Posted October 15, 2015 Posted October 15, 2015 I can't say that I ever owned a Hamer. I've played a couple and they were nice. The only thing I've seen that Hamer does better than anyone is the tidiness of their wiring cavities.... The only real compliant I've had with Heritage is the nuts. Every one I had need some sort of nut work on it. Not sure why Hamer knocks a Heritage headstock, theirs is a paddle shape too. Heritage closely resembles to some of the earliest Gibson snakehead, so it plays into the company namesake.
big bob Posted October 15, 2015 Posted October 15, 2015 I was surprised by the thread at HFC as well.
davesultra Posted October 15, 2015 Posted October 15, 2015 I like Hamers' and have owned a few. My only gripe is the big logos they used in the late '80's early '90s, along with the 14" radius. Nice guitars though. Perhaps they're just envious that Hamer had the plug pulled on them, and they're no more?!
tulk1 Posted October 15, 2015 Posted October 15, 2015 As for the negativity, those people are idiots - you have to be pretty shallow to reject a guitar because of the shape of the headstock. Compare the Heritage headstock with the old Gibson "snakehead" headstock and you'll understand the heritage... To be completely honest and keeping in the spirit of the thread .... I won't touch one of the Deans with that two-point yer gonna poke someone's eye out headstock. I'm sure they are great guitars in their own right, but .. uh, no. Not that headstock. On the other hand, my brother has a very nice Dean acoustic (without the eye poker) that has great tone.
tbonesullivan Posted October 15, 2015 Posted October 15, 2015 Which thread? The whole "Shishkov is to hamer as heritage is to gibson" thing? I have 4 heritage guitars, and 7 hamers. I love them all. I don't get the headstock hate. But, to each their own. Some have had bad experience with Heritage guitars, the nut issue being one of them. The fit and finish also isn't quite as good on a Heritage as it is on a Hamer, in my experience anyway. But, I don't get the hate. I may never get it. I just like good guitars.
bobmeyrick Posted October 15, 2015 Posted October 15, 2015 I won't touch one of the Deans with that two-point yer gonna poke someone's eye out headstock. That could be a "health and safety at work" issue...
JeffB Posted October 15, 2015 Posted October 15, 2015 To be completely honest and keeping in the spirit of the thread .... I won't touch one of the Deans with that two-point yer gonna poke someone's eye out headstock. I'm sure they are great guitars in their own right, but .. uh, no. Not that headstock. On the other hand, my brother has a very nice Dean acoustic (without the eye poker) that has great tone. while we are in confessional, ESP Horizon's, love the guitars, dont like either of the headstocks. Also Brian Moore guitars and Ibanez semi and hollow bodies. I have a cheap Ibanez hollow body I play regularly but I think the headstock is stupid. I never liked the big Gibson headstock either. Breedlove has one good one and one ugly one. Tom Anderson headstock, never liked it. Love the guitars. I feel the same about Suhr. The PRS Santana headstock I dont like. I dont even really like the guitar. There are so many when I start to really think about it.
ElNumero Posted October 15, 2015 Posted October 15, 2015 I can't say that I ever owned a Hamer. I've played a couple and they were nice. The only thing I've seen that Hamer does better than anyone is the tidiness of their wiring cavities.... The only real compliant I've had with Heritage is the nuts. Every one I had need some sort of nut work on it. Not sure why Hamer knocks a Heritage headstock, theirs is a paddle shape too. Heritage closely resembles to some of the earliest Gibson snakehead, so it plays into the company namesake. Do you mean the "nuts" that play Heritage guitars Josh? I can certainly say I am nuts about them! As far as what the OP said in his thread, usually the people that have only to offer negativity about something are either ill informed or just plain envious!
SemiHalo Posted October 15, 2015 Author Posted October 15, 2015 I love my all my guitars - Hamer, Heritage, Gibson, Fano, whatever. They all sound great. Heritage has a mojo that you either get or you don't. I am fascinated by the way the internet makes people want to reach out and take a swing from inside their digital cocoon. It's like the way people will honk, swear, and flip other drivers off when they get cut off in traffic. But if the same person cut you off in, let's say, a restaurant, they would probably say "excuse me" and you would say "no problem." There is no repercussion to being a long-distance a-hole like there is in person.
DetroitBlues Posted October 15, 2015 Posted October 15, 2015 I love my all my guitars - Hamer, Heritage, Gibson, Fano, whatever. They all sound great. Heritage has a mojo that you either get or you don't. I am fascinated by the way the internet makes people want to reach out and take a swing from inside their digital cocoon. It's like the way people will honk, swear, and flip other drivers off when they get cut off in traffic. But if the same person cut you off in, let's say, a restaurant, they would probably say "excuse me" and you would say "no problem." There is no repercussion to being a long-distance a-hole like there is in person. I think that's what I like best about this forum... Most, if not all, other forums don't have members meet every year. We can't be sharp tongued here when we will see the people we are talking to/about face to face. That stuff may fly in the Hamer world, not here.
Gitfiddler Posted October 15, 2015 Posted October 15, 2015 Heritage headstock haters are simply haters looking something to hate on. If you don't like the looks of one guitar maker's product, just buy some other brand.
SemiHalo Posted October 15, 2015 Author Posted October 15, 2015 How about a guitar in the shape of one giant headstock? That way people can dislike the entire guitar and not have to say what's possibly good about it?
brentrocks Posted October 15, 2015 Posted October 15, 2015 Heritage gets bashed all over the web....TGP, mylespaul, SDforums Hamer and Heritage are my favoites....i think both brands share a common thread, handmade, USA, good quality
Vanschoyck Posted October 16, 2015 Posted October 16, 2015 Gibson gets bashed a lot too . . . and by their fans no less! And that's been going on since long before the inter-web.
zguitar71 Posted October 16, 2015 Posted October 16, 2015 Most of the haters are inexperienced when it comes to great tone, great history and that EVERY maker had some duds and some winners. I've had three heritages, one was uneventful, one was great but too big and my 150 is the best solid body I have ever played. If I played a similar hammer that was better to me I would buy it in a heart beat and still talk lovingly about Heritage. I am partial to heritage because of the living history and because of the old workshop. That is probably because I'm middle aged and have an understanding of the disappearance of true craftsmanship and can appreciate slight imperfections from a hand made object and see the perfection in that.
CJTopes Posted October 16, 2015 Posted October 16, 2015 I think most guitar "brands" get bashed to some degree. But I can honestly say that when I'm playing a gig with my Heritages, I've never once thought to myself "Damn I wish this was a Gibson..."
ledzef Posted October 16, 2015 Posted October 16, 2015 Funny because Hamer went to the fire sale at 225 Parson St. after Gibson left. My friend Dan can attest to that he went along with a few other guys from the Hamer custom shop, they couldn't wait to get their hands on some of that old equipment. Wonder how those guys who are bashing Heritage would feel some of their guitars were made on some of the same machines?
bobmeyrick Posted October 16, 2015 Posted October 16, 2015 The best response to anyone criticising Heritage would be to direct them to the Doug and Pat Show pickup shootouts. What do they use as a testbed guitar to compare pickups and 1958 and 1960 Les Pauls? A Heritage H150...
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