Show n Tell: What was your FIRST Heritage Guitar?

[Gitfiddler]

What was your very first Heritage guitar?  Tell us a bit about it and what convinced you to try Heritage.

My first Heritage was a used Sweet 16.  At the time I was looking for a high quality jazz archtop, and all of the Gibson products were way out of my price range.  So when a Sweet 16 popped up on Ebay for $1,600 I made a bid, then went to bed, never imagining that I'd be the high bidder.  The next morning I woke up as the owner of this beautiful Sweetie...

She's long gong, but not forgotten.

Now its your turn to tell us about your first Heritage! .  ?

[skydog52]

My first was a H-555 I ordered from Elderly's. It went back to the factory for a repair and I had them install DVIP.

It is long gone but it began a great relationship with Heritage and the HOC.

[sgt1577]

Here’s my 1st and only Heritage so far! My brother lives near Kalamazoo and became acquainted with Mr. Wall. My 535 was hand selected and then the custom shop label on the inside was signed by just about everyone at Heritage! It was given to me as a gift on my 60th birthday 

[bobmeyrick]

2007 H535 Almond Sunburst with HRWs. When I visited the dealer (the now-defunct High End Guitars in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, a small town in Nottinghamshire) I initially tried a 535 with SD59s, which was good, but not quite right for me. Then he brought out the one with HRWs, and that was the one...

 

[LK155]

2001 Millie H155.

Got to credit the late Ed Roman for this one.  Way back in 2004 I had been considering buying a 'good' guitar after 30+ years of not playing more than a couple of hours per year on my kinda-crappy Framus acoustic (you likely know how kids, career, and life in general tend to take up your time).  Ed's enthusiasm for everything Heritage really caught my eye, although I had never heard of them.  Then, lo and behold a used H155 on consignment shows up on the 12th Fret's website.  Based on Ed's praise for the brand, I made the trip to Toronto and tried it out.  It was quite unlike any guitar I had previously played....obviously superior quality and workmanship, and extremely easy to play.  Thought the asking price was a bit high, and offered $100 less.  Being a consignment instrument, the guy at the store phoned the guitar's owner, who happened to be on his fishing boat somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean off the east coast of Canada at the time.  Fortunately, he accepted my offer, and I took that Millie home.

The only flaw on it was some nitro deterioration on the headstock where it had hung on a wall hanger.  (And amazingly enough, this nitro damage has magically healed itself over the past 18 years, and is now undetectable!!)

Some time ago, in an inexplicable fit of uncharacteristic insanity, I sold it.  Took me about a year to realize how incredibly stupid that was, and managed to buy it back.

The Seth Lovers were changed to Mark Atkinson 38 Special single coils a few years ago, giving it an interesting and unique voice.  I have used it on a lot of recordings.    

A keeper for sure.  Four other Heritages have found their way to me, and I still have three, a beautiful trans cherry H535, the blue 20th Anniversary H150, and the Millie.

 

[DavesNotHere]

1988 STAT

[ElChoad]

Sadly, my first was my 2021 H-150 Standard that I got last July. I just heard of Heritage about 10-15 years ago, but nice guitars had been out of my reach. I  found out a local shop is a dealer. One day, I walked in and they had an H-150 in stock that the owner said I needed to check out. (He knows my taste for single-cut style guitars.) I fell in love with it, but could not afford it, and it sold. Fast forward a couple years, and here I am with two H-150s.

[houndhome]

My H575,bought second hand from Musical Exchanges in Birmingham U.K. around 1995 for (i think) £550.

Still got it,guitar on the L.H. side of the picture

[rockabilly69]

 

About 10 years ago I saw this guitar pop up for sale, and I loved the look of it. It had squiggly flame, the kind I love. Well the seller was our very own Brentrocks!

It came to me with  mother of pearl Gibson style pickguard (I actually prefer the Heritage shape), and a poker chip like a Gibson, and some non-descript knobs, so I pulled the mother of pearl pickguard (which I didn't like at all) and installed a regular LP cream guard. I also had some extra Gibson reflector knobs (my favorite), and installed them. 

I loved it as soon as I plugged it in, and immediately recorded this song with it...

https://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=11053966

The only thing I didn't like about it was the weight, it was over 10lbs, so I sold and went looking for a lighter one

I bought another used H150 (9lbs even) right after that, and then another new one (which by then, came with a long neck tenon which I prefer). I swapped out all the hardware and electronics on those two, and cleaned up the fret work and nut. Both of these H150s turned out to be fantastic guitars! 

[big bob]

[brentrocks]

[MartyGrass]

Had this for about a year then sold it to this superb player in Greece.  It was a shipping nightmare.  I packed it up well then found out USPS wouldn't ship a box that big.  I repacked it.  The guitar arrived in Greece during a national postal and garbage strike.  It was essentially lost for a few weeks.  But all ended up well.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmlOl-SxNQw

[DetroitBlues]

1985 H-140 (one-off).

[Doug]

17 hours ago, skydog52 said:

My first was a H-555 I ordered from Elderly's. It went back to the factory for a repair and I had them install DVIP.

My first was a 535 with a DVIP. I still have her.

[skydog52]

39 minutes ago, Doug said:

My first was a 535 with a DVIP. I still have her.

I've seen that one in action. You made it sound real good at one of the Kalamazoo Fretboard Festivals!

[Doug]

18 minutes ago, skydog52 said:

I've seen that one in action. You made it sound real good at one of the Kalamazoo Fretboard Festivals!

Been to a bunch of Fretboard Festivals, but never played at one... I did play at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts a few times though.

[TalismanRich]

I was turning 50 in 2003, and decided that my birthday present to myself was going to be a new guitar.    The Heritage dealer here was an old school mate of mine, and I placed an order for an H-157 in Almond Sunburst, hoping to get it by my birthday.    It came in a couple of months early, which was fine.   I still have the guitar.   Here it is next to my Guild S100 that I've had since the early 70s.   It started me down the path to acquiring a total of 5 Heritages, all of which have made the trip back to K'zoo for at least a couple of PSPs each.

[skydog52]

1 hour ago, Doug said:

Been to a bunch of Fretboard Festivals, but never played at one... I did play at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts a few times though.

Must have been it. Thought it was on a Friday. But my memory isn’t what it used to be. 

[skydog52]

51 minutes ago, skydog52 said:

Must have been it. Thought it was on a Friday. But my memory isn’t what it used to be. 

I remember talking to you. I also met you at work at a later date and can't remember why. You worked at the building at Pitcher and Kalamazoo I thought.

[mars_hall]

Came from Texas wrapped in an old quilt bought at Goodwill packed inside the case.  A nurse sold it to me and it may have been her husband's at one point.  His loss, my gain.

[Doug]

1 hour ago, skydog52 said:

You worked at the building at Pitcher and Kalamazoo I thought.

Yes, I worked for Biggs-Gilmore Communications on that corner in the Spearflex building for quite a few years.

[Dick Seacup]

My first Heritage was a first-run H-137. The TRC is engraved wtih "Hornet" for some reason. I used to make up stories about it to amuse my sons. Still have it, hasn't been out of the case in years. Bought it just before joining the HOC.

 

[brentrocks]

10 hours ago, brentrocks said:

I bought this at Mid Michigan Music in Midland Michigan, my wife’s hometown.     It was around 1997. 
@Dick Seacup probably knew that shop well.  They would have a 50% off sale once a year.  I scored that green H157 for $900 out the door.   It was brand new.  I was just getting back into playing guitar.  I could barely play 7 chords.   I have tried to get it back but I haven’t seen it anywhere in 20 years or so.  

[Dick Seacup]

3 hours ago, brentrocks said:

I bought this at Mid Michigan Music in Midland Michigan, my wife’s hometown.     It was around 1997. 
@Dick Seacup probably knew that shop well.  They would have a 50% off sale once a year.  I scored that green H157 for $900 out the door.   It was brand new.  I was just getting back into playing guitar.  I could barely play 7 chords.   I have tried to get it back but I haven’t seen it anywhere in 20 years or so.  

Rick Allen is a great guy. Didn't know him terribly well, personally, but I did spend a lot of time and money in his shop. He had a Hamer TLE in there one time, very reasonably priced. I had no idea what it was, so I joined and posted a question on the Hamer forum. Got really good information from them; learned the Hamer Sustainblock bridge was desirable. Went back to buy it the next day and Rick says, "Oh, sorry. Kind of weird but someone from out of state called this morning and bought it."   

[myoldfriend]

A sweet 2007 150 Classic in dark almond sunburst, bound headstock and a MOP inlaid logo that I picked up used off of eBay (before it went to #%!*).  Regrettably, I sold it in pursuit of something shiny, etc. etc.  The 150 popped up at GC years later and someone else scooped it up while I was mulling it over.  You never forget your first!