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H-157 on the way


deytookerjaabs

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Posted

Oh no, something was listed at CME and I could not resist, hopefully it will arrive before the weekend! 

d8e7P2m.jpg

'dat dish!! ^^^^

G9naDjqh.jpg

 

I will be digging through the parts bin later to see the additions/subtractions I'll likely make on it for the funs. I've been saving a favorite pair of 60's T-tops for years who need a good home. 

 

The wait begins. 

Posted
43 minutes ago, deytookerjaabs said:

Oh no, something was listed at CME and I could not resist, hopefully it will arrive before the weekend! 

d8e7P2m.jpg

'dat dish!! ^^^^

G9naDjqh.jpg

 

I will be digging through the parts bin later to see the additions/subtractions I'll likely make on it for the funs. I've been saving a favorite pair of 60's T-tops for years who need a good home. 

 

The wait begins. 

I LOVE that 157, especially with the amber bindings.  Never seen that on a Heritage.  Congratulations on a great score! 

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

Looks fantastic.  Probably weighs a metric ton, but it will have tone for days.

Definitely a model they should never have discontinued.

Hopefully has a chunky neck.

Looking forward to the full report.

Posted

So far a solid guitar as is, but can't resist some changes. Got the t-tops waiting, bought a bunch of little 50's/60's type parts (I know...I know...) for retrofit. Neck size is normal, maybe medium if not a hair bigger but I'm not a big neck dude, neck on my Jazzmaster is just bonkers big. Should get to the "upgrades" this week pending proper shipping (looking at you VIPots) along with hitting down a couple high frets. 

Before swapping the bridge/tailpiece out it's 9lb 2oz, that alone will likely put it in the high 8's for better or worse. 

Posted

So far it's great, waiting on another gold cover to come in the mail, here it is with the old boat: 

 

UbXgu5s.jpg

 

Lots of little work, frets needed some typical ebony board finessing along with swapping parts, wouldn't ya know t-top legs are longer than the schallers but the neck cavity route is only deep enough for the schallers, lol, wood was scraped! Just got a few generic things like the typical tailpiece, knobs, pointers. Bridge is a tone pros over the abr conversion posts I had leftover. I believe the year is '99 but haven't double checked CME's spec list, apparently when they measured the radius that came out as 10" too, they're all a little different. Final weigh in for fun is 8lbs 11 ozs which is light as far as custom styles go. 

Funny thing, these pickups really want the cover. I had both uncovered because I just plain forgot about the chrome factor. The screws are so faded a gold cover still looks fine yet having no covers something in the sound changes, so I used the schaller neck cover (which is 49.2 & perfect fit) yet the schaller bridge cover is a larger spacing. Can't wait until the new cover comes in, shame both schaller covers didn't fit cause that bridge pickup is dialed in. The schallers are not bad pickups tbh, nice clarity in a world where 80's/90's humbuckers can be dark/generic sounding. Probably some of the better pickups of their era. 

I'm still adapting back to playing a single cut. I sold my custom shop LP years back after I had back, arm tendon/muscle pain & spasms building up when I played that guitar. Phys therapy made it way better but I still haven't had a single cut LP style since I bought this, everything seems okay as long as I stick to the exercises every single day. Really miss the tone/feel of them, you just can't get it without the real deal. 

 

Posted

I ran into the same issue with pickup legs with my 157.  I have a set of Seth Lovers that I was planning to put in, but I would have had to drill out the cavity, and not having the proper tools,  I figured it was a high chance of going too deep and having a nice vent hole on the back of my guitar.  I was lucky that the long legs on a set of Alnico Pro IIs just fit when I put them in my H-140.   I've thought of getting a different set, something like the Sheptones that I put in my 535, or even having SD do a Seth Lover with short legs, but really I do just fine with the Schallers.   If I really want to hear Seths,  I pull out the Mille LE.

Posted

That is a great setup!

Is that an early 70's 4x12? Or late 60's? Not sure when they started with salt & pepper.

I guess I need to wait another 13 years for my H157 to age like that :(

Posted
14 hours ago, bolero said:

That is a great setup!

Is that an early 70's 4x12? Or late 60's? Not sure when they started with salt & pepper.

I guess I need to wait another 13 years for my H157 to age like that :(

 

The head is a '72 50w, the cab is a '69 with the original (and original cone) bass spec speakers. It's loud. I've been thinking of getting one of the re-amp thingys like the Boss tube expander. 

Posted
On 2/18/2022 at 2:19 PM, TalismanRich said:

I ran into the same issue with pickup legs with my 157.  I have a set of Seth Lovers that I was planning to put in, but I would have had to drill out the cavity, and not having the proper tools,  I figured it was a high chance of going too deep and having a nice vent hole on the back of my guitar.  I was lucky that the long legs on a set of Alnico Pro IIs just fit when I put them in my H-140.   I've thought of getting a different set, something like the Sheptones that I put in my 535, or even having SD do a Seth Lover with short legs, but really I do just fine with the Schallers.   If I really want to hear Seths,  I pull out the Mille LE.

 

I didn't have to take out much wood, just a little bit where the legs go in, no danger of going through. I have a router but did not use it, lol. I carefully used a hand drill and made a couple circles then just gently chiseled out around those circles. 

Posted

Brilliant project!  Love the honest miles on the finish and the binding.  And the installation of the T-tops is swell on several levels!  I never fail to get a kick out of the fact that my PAF's are in a Heritage, my 20th Anniversary 150.  They're very happy in there!  And the Marshall pile just looks loud!  Well played!

Posted
On 2/18/2022 at 3:19 PM, TalismanRich said:

I ran into the same issue with pickup legs with my 157.  I have a set of Seth Lovers that I was planning to put in, but I would have had to drill out the cavity, and not having the proper tools,  I figured it was a high chance of going too deep and having a nice vent hole on the back of my guitar.  I was lucky that the long legs on a set of Alnico Pro IIs just fit when I put them in my H-140.   I've thought of getting a different set, something like the Sheptones that I put in my 535, or even having SD do a Seth Lover with short legs, but really I do just fine with the Schallers.   If I really want to hear Seths,  I pull out the Mille LE.

A Forstner bit is what I’ve used on a few occasions to get the long legged pickups to mount in the Schaller-era Heritage guitars. Makes a nice clean circle.

Posted

Wonderful black with amber & gold.

I just received an H550 with Schallers. They are excellent in this guitar. Great articulation, chord notes are distinct, not dark, bass precise and not rounded, and clean treble with no ice pick. Before I received the guitar I thought of putting in new pups. No more.
 

 I hope you enjoy the guitar and the Schallers.

Posted
5 hours ago, deytookerjaabs said:

 

The head is a '72 50w, the cab is a '69 with the original (and original cone) bass spec speakers. It's loud. I've been thinking of getting one of the re-amp thingys like the Boss tube expander. 

Very cool!!

I have what I believe is a '68 or '69 4x12 bottom, but a previous owner stripped the tolex & varnished it like EVH. Grill cloth is cane, so it may even have been purple? If the cloth is original. At some point I'd like to re-cover it.

Posted
23 hours ago, bolero said:

Very cool!!

I have what I believe is a '68 or '69 4x12 bottom, but a previous owner stripped the tolex & varnished it like EVH. Grill cloth is cane, so it may even have been purple? If the cloth is original. At some point I'd like to re-cover it.

Oh man, I'd have it recovered either way!

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