What will happen with Heritage archtops?

[ElNumero]

On 12/7/2020 at 1:54 PM, DetroitBlues said:

Between an abundance in the used market and many import options that get you 85% or closer to the tones you want, the USA made archtop is continuing to fade away.  

Honestly, I'd probably buy a Reverend Pete Anderson PA1 before I'd buy a Heritage archtop, even used.

Its not a style of guitar I primarily play but a novelty guitar.  The style it covers is fun, but not for the versatility I prefer from my guitars for the music style I primarily play.

When is the last time anyone saw an archtop played in any non-Jazz venue?  

I subscribe to the Grand Old Opry YouTube channel, I cannot remember any band playing an archtop.  Many, many acoustics... But not those massive, big jazz boxes.

Maybe the last time I saw Ted Nugent in concert?

[MartyGrass]

Not the most recent time I heard an archtop playing non-jazz but a nice example.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7-MVzCtFPA

Here's a Super 400 that's pretty darn versatile.

 

 

 

[Gitfiddler]

I may be late to the party on this, but I just noticed on the Heritage Guitar website, that the H-525 is no longer being made!  That is one of my favorite models.  

Maybe since it fits right in between the H-530 and H-575, the new guys at Heritage decided to pull it.  I think that is a mistake.

[MartyGrass]

3 minutes ago, Gitfiddler said:

I may be late to the party on this, but I just noticed on the Heritage Guitar website, that the H-525 is no longer being made!  That is one of my favorite models.  

Maybe since it fits right in between the H-530 and H-575, the new guys at Heritage decided to pull it.  I think that is a mistake.

I think you're right.  The Groovemaster is gone as well, as is the H-550.

 

[TalismanRich]

I really think that the H-525 was underappreciated.   The fact that it has the laminated top and back seems to somehow taint it vs the 575.   For me, that's not an issue.  I really like the acoustic sound of a 525.    I'm glad I grabbed this honey when it became available.

 

[Spectrum13]

1 hour ago, TalismanRich said:

I really think that the H-525 was underappreciated.   The fact that it has the laminated top and back seems to somehow taint it vs the 575.   For me, that's not an issue.  I really like the acoustic sound of a 525.    I'm glad I grabbed this honey when it became available.

 

This would be a good time for Tim to weigh in with his sunset 525... saying

[Gitfiddler]

2 hours ago, Spectrum13 said:

This would be a good time for Tim to weigh in with his sunset 525... saying

Sunset-Burst H-525 has been posted on these pages many times, my friend.  I am such a fan of that model that I did the unthinkable.  I bought another one.  (Thanks, again Dr. Mark!).  The addiction continues!  ? 

Now one of my 525's has flatwounds for an amazingly old school jazz sound, and the other has round wounds for every other style of music. 

When I was a kid, my first three electric guitars were full hollow body, all were cheap Harmony gits.  Ever since then I've been attracted to that thicker tone of a thin line full hollow guitar delivers.  The Heritage H-525 is magic to me, whether played acoustically or amplified.  So, I hope the guys at Heritage read this and re-consider this model in their future lineup.

 

[Yooper]

When I win the lotto, I'm going to make Heritage an offer they can't refuse to build me a 525.

[skydog52]

46 minutes ago, Yooper said:

When I win the lotto, I'm going to make Heritage an offer they can't refuse to build me a 525.

I'm right behind you Yooper!

[FredZepp]

A nice piece of work from Heritage Custom Shop.... 

 

[FredZepp]

The Heritage Eagle Classic 

L-R: Standard Eagle Classic in Original Sunburst, Standard H-575 in Original Sunburst, Custom Shop Winter NAMM 2020 H-550 in Trans Black.

[myoldfriend]

On 12/30/2020 at 7:46 PM, FredZepp said:

The Heritage Eagle Classic 

L-R: Standard Eagle Classic in Original Sunburst, Standard H-575 in Original Sunburst, Custom Shop Winter NAMM 2020 H-550 in Trans Black.

That black 550 with trons and a can opener! ❤️❤️❤️

[bolero]

yeah holy crap that is nice!!

 

[FredZepp]

That H-550 in Trans Black is available for sale for $6,999...  

[MartyGrass]

On 12/30/2020 at 10:40 PM, FredZepp said:

A nice piece of work from Heritage Custom Shop.... 

 

I would like to see this design promoted more.  It's a very comfortable 16" by 3".  It weighs around 7 lbs.  It can't cost much more than a 530 to make if done in volume.  The high fret access is good.  But Heritage probably would opt to only have the 530 for financial reasons.

One strange thing about this guitar is the controls more toward the midline.  Heritage has placed the pots toward the rim previously.

The guitar pictured about has a 24.75" scale with 22 frets.  There was a limited run of these with two humbuckers, six in total as I recall.  I got one and passed it on to a friend.

Here is an example of a guitar similar to the one pictured but with a 25.5" scale and 21 frets.  That one came from the era in which Heritage would build just about anything as a custom order yet not charge an arm and a leg.

 

 

[skydog52]

Yes that would be a very nice platform. Perfect size for me at least. 

Hopefully the Custom Shop wakes up to the opportunities out there.

[tfb]

On 12/7/2020 at 3:59 PM, bobmeyrick said:

What make was your camera?

[Sorry, I missed this: I wasn't being rude!]

It's a Chamonix: they're made in China in what they describe as a 'factory' but if you look at the photos it's a workshop where some people make cameras.  I feel slightly guilty about not buying something European or American but – especially given that an LF camera really is a machine for holding the lens away from the film – not very guilty.

I had big plans to start using it to do informal street portraits (really 'street photography with permission': you can't use one of these things in a sneaky way, and people generally let  you take their photo when you're using a wooden box to do so, especially if you offer to send them a print).  But CV19 got in the way, and now I've barely taken a photo in a year.

[tfb]

On 12/10/2020 at 12:01 PM, bolero said:

I sometimes try to do Steve Howe impressions with my H575

You're not the only one.  One thing I've found since I've owned my H575 is that it's not very like an ES175: I can't really compare them because my 575 is a single (neck) pickup one, but using them in equivalent ways is ... not equivalent.  This isn't really a fair comparison because my 175 is a pretty rubbish one, while my 575 is officially the Best Guitar In The World (sorry, owners of other guitars: I realise this will be hard for you, but the judges' decision was unanimous), but I've heard other people say similar things about the difference between laminated and carved guitars.  Also I think Steve Howe's most characteristic tone was very much the back pickup of his 175 which I can't even approximate on my 575 (and also his 175 was not rubbish of course, and unlike me he's a bit competent).

[bolero]

haha, great post!