Newer Heritages better than 90s models?

[Coletrain11]

Hey y'all,

 

First post here for me but hoping for some advice. I am not a heritage owner. But I damn well plan to be here before long. I've spoken with a number of fellas that have said that newer heritages (or at least those produced since 2000) are of superior quality to the 90s productions. Just wondering what some y'all have to say about that.

 

Additionally, I'm looking for a heritage with a built in pickup and more of an electric time as I already have a jazzbox with a floater. What models should I look for? Eagle, 575, sweet 16? I'd also love 2 pickups just for versatility.

 

Thanks in advance.

[brentrocks]

I played a 2017 Prospect that was friggin awesome!!!

 

I own a 2010 H525 that is incredible.

 

I have a 1987 H357 that plays like butter.

 

I also have a 1997 H150 that is a great player

 

 

Like with every guitar company, you will occasionally find a turd. I personally believe that around 1995-2010 were the best years. I'm sure there are many that will disagree with me on that

 

But as the old saying goes....opinions are like a@@holes, everybody's got one!!! Lol

[Vanschoyck]

Do you care about scale length? The 575, 525 and Groovemaster have a 24.75 scale and the Eagles and St 16 are 25.5. Also, do you want spruce top? Maple? Laminate?

[tsp17]

As for models, it really depends on what you want to do with it.

 

Many folks here have had and still have a number of different Heritages for different purposes. What do you like to play?

[Gitfiddler]

Hey y'all,

 

First post here for me but hoping for some advice. I am not a heritage owner. But I damn well plan to be here before long. I've spoken with a number of fellas that have said that newer heritages (or at least those produced since 2000) are of superior quality to the 90s productions. Just wondering what some y'all have to say about that.

 

Additionally, I'm looking for a heritage with a built in pickup and more of an electric time as I already have a jazzbox with a floater. What models should I look for? Eagle, 575, sweet 16? I'd also love 2 pickups just for versatility.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

You can't go wrong with a 575 (24.75 scale) or Sweet 16 (25.5 scale).

 

Also, don't overlook the Groove Master or versatile 525 or 530! All can be had with either Duncans or Lollar P90's. Choices, choices!

[Coletrain11]

I'll probably end up with multiple Heritages. I play mostly jazz and rock. I played a 535 not long ago and loved the feel, sound, and especially the neck profile. I'll end up with a 535 at some point for vintage rock tone and blues and even jazz. But also looking at 575s, eagles, etc. That can give me a full bodied jazz tone and handle some blues and light drive as well. Not entirely sure as to a spruce, maple, or laminate top but I know a laminate, though not as resonant, will be best to resist feedback. If it matters I play through a Fender super reverb and a polytone minibrute 4. Thanks for the advice.

[deytookerjaabs]

Nah. They're both a bit different. The "long tenon" is a matter of taste, not upgrade, bridges can be swapped if schaller isn't your thing and the rest of the differences are small.

 

 

BUT, one thing I feel like on the H-150 & H-535 models is the fretboard/binding and fretwork seem a hair shallower more like old gibsons where the few new ones I've played seem to have slightly thicker (or just less sanded) fretboards with taller wire. Again, a preference thing.

[soybean]

575s are great for jazz. They're not laminated though, but pretty feedback resistant since the top is solid maple. Spruce feeds back sooner. I had a sweet 16 but it was unbalanced (neck dive).

[yoslate]

Coletrain, Iv'e said this here, before, about a million times, but since you brought it up.... Been playing for fifty years. I've owned, played or worked on nearly everything. I've had beautiful guitars, great sounding guitars, great playing guitars, really expensive guitars, et.al. The one guitar I've ever owned which has some of every one of these qualities (with the glaring exception of "expensive") is a '99 535. There are more meticulously made instruments, but dollar-for-dollar, if you land a good one, you'll not find a better instrument for the money, and precious few better instruments, period.

[DetroitBlues]

Like anything out there, quality is subjective. Are there differences in construction, hardware, and other details? Absolutely.

 

Heritages are often well played and well worn guitars. You won't find many closet queens.

[ElNumero]

You won't find many closet queens.

[bolero]

I don't think I've ever played a Heritage that is a "dog"

 

even my beater H150 with a repaired headstock plays fantastic

 

this is not to say there are not "dog" Heritage's out there...

 

as far as old vs new, I don't think you can generalize about that either. they haven't really changed much, maybe long tenon on new ones.

 

But really: who the hell can tell when playing a guitar. short vs long tenon??

[RhoadsScholar]

JUST MY PERSONAL OPINION from having had about 30 of these beauties pass through my hands.

 

Anything before 2007 and you run the risk of too thin of a neck (unless a gibson 60's profile is your thing)

 

For semi-hollow, solid bodies, I think between 2010 and 2015 are great years. Especially 2015 and early 2016 (prior to the sale to the new owners).

I have found the neck profiles to be slightly heftier and the attention to detail better.

 

My #1 heritage is from 2004 but it was specially built with wider neck and is amazing, my #2 is custom built for me (only new heritage I aquired) .

 

Lesson learned, it took me 30 heritage guitars to get to the 4 I currently have as keepers. that is the risk you run buying used. Those folks here who have paid a little more for a custom Heritage to their 'exact' liking are better off in the long run. Unless you are playing the actual guitar for sale, you are running a risk that it won't be the guitar for you (more so then with G brand guitars due to the custom nature of all heritage builds. Good luck on your quest).

[TalismanRich]

I'm not a member of the "chunky neck" club, so the necks on the older ones work just fine for me. I've got an '87 H140 that flat rocks. Its solid and the neck is perfect for me. The rest of my guitars are 2000 or later. None give me issues.

 

I'm not a jazz player, but I picked up the 525 and it works for rock as well as what little jazzy stuff that I try to play. When cranked, it will start to howl, I found that out a few years ago at PSP. Just move out of the line of fire and it does fine.

 

I think my favorite style is the 535, tho. Great upper fret access, it feels very balanced, (even with my abdominal protuberance) and sounds sweet.

[rwinking]

I also love my 576. It is just a cool guitar. It is a wonderful jazz box and beautiful to look at. I just posted a Goldtop 575 from reverb on this forum. It is not mine but I am lusting for it. Unfortunately I just bought a Carvin Holdsworth from the same guy.

[bolero]

I don't have a problem with thinner necks. I've come to regard neck profile as an individual guitar personality & not a big deal

 

I have chunky and thin necks

 

while I do have a slight preference for chunky necks, I play my '94 H150 more than anything else. and it has the slimmer neck on it from that era

 

I did have a '67 Gibson SG, and that was a whole other level of "too small"

 

-->mainly because it was too narrow at the nut, really. Further up the neck it didn't bother me. But I had issues jamming my fingers in there for basic cowboy chords!!

 

That is not the case at all with the '90's Heritage's I've played

[deytookerjaabs]

AFAIK, the "short tenon" design Heritage used for the 157/150/140 type guitars is a tenon/mortise connection with a third vertical sidewall mated to the body which in theory would be stronger with just as much neck/body contact than having the lip extension into the pickup cavity. It's just a bit different geometry, the real imparting of tone IMO is simply where the neck stops compressing i.e. 15th fret joint, 12th fret joint, etc etc Tenon talks function more as just marketing buzz terms these days and sadly some people eat it up worse than 1am infomercials. What you really want are perfect seams and from what I can see on the outside of a Heritage I'm guessing there's perfect seams on the inside too.

[greatmutah2112]

I can't speak to the 90s ones, but the 2004 H-150 Special I have and my white 2011ish H-157 I bought from Daveisultra are both fantastic players. The 2004 is probably closer to the slimmer feel as opposed to the H-157, which definitely feels thicker. But both play incredibly well and sound great.

 

 

Wow that's an old pic. I put a poker chip on the H-157 not too long ago to fill up that space. I need to take new ones.

[RhoadsScholar]

I can't speak to the 90s ones, but the 2004 H-150 Special I have and my white 2011ish H-157 I bought from Daveisultra are both fantastic players. The 2004 is probably closer to the slimmer feel as opposed to the H-157, which definitely feels thicker. But both play incredibly well and sound great.

 

 

Wow that's an old pic. I put a poker chip on the H-157 not too long ago to fill up that space. I need to take new ones.

A couple of unique beauties there.

[davesultra]

I can't speak to the 90s ones, but the 2004 H-150 Special I have and my white 2011ish H-157 I bought from Daveisultra are both fantastic players. The 2004 is probably closer to the slimmer feel as opposed to the H-157, which definitely feels thicker. But both play incredibly well and sound great.

 

 

Wow that's an old pic. I put a poker chip on the H-157 not too long ago to fill up that space. I need to take new ones.

 

Nice to see you're still diggin' that H157. Seems like I sold that one a million years ago! Man, I'm getting old.

[greatmutah2112]

Nice to see you're still diggin' that H157. Seems like I sold that one a million years ago! Man, I'm getting old.

I love that guitar sir. It's one of my favorites. Everything just plays right on it. I wanted a hotter bridge pickup so I dropped in a Seymour Duncan Custom to go along with the 59 at the neck. That guitar is perfect now (to me). I've got it set up with 11-49s in Eb and it just sounds monstrous. Still cleans up incredibly well too. And yeah it's been a few years now hasn't it?

[soybean]

JUST MY PERSONAL OPINION from having had about 30 of these beauties pass through my hands.…

 

Anything before 2007 and you run the risk of too thin of a neck (unless a gibson 60's profile is your thing).…

 

Good luck on your quest.

Ah, but those are my favorite necks! And for people that don't know, we're talking about neck thickness from back to front, not side to side. That would be a narrow fingerboard. AFAIK, Heritage never made narrow fingerboards (ala Gibson 1967).

[FredZepp]

Ah, but those are my favorite necks! And for people that don't know, we're talking about neck thickness from back to front, not side to side. That would be a narrow fingerboard. AFAIK, Heritage never made narrow fingerboards (ala Gibson 1967).

Yeah... I agree. I love a fast neck and my first Heritage came through in spades.... a 1992 H-150.. and my 1994 H-157 also has a wonderful fast neck.