H-157 with HRWs review

[MartyGrass]

There are some inaccuracies but overall this is a nice review.

The H-157s are not all 12 pounds, although some are.  The HRWs are not simply hand wound.  The rest seems right.

What I do like is that in the middle of his review he stops and tells the Heritage story but says everyone should already know it.  Yeah, it took a few years but it's true.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbcQWff9YPI

[bolero]

 I never understood why Gibson insisted on making the LPC a heavy guitar. I doubt it was always like that? But post 1990's or so they sorted the body blanks so all the 10+ lb went to customs.

Probably because it wasn't as popular as the R9 etc which they saved the lighter wood for.

But were 50's customs all heavy?

I think the 70s customs were generally heavy too. Maybe that's where it started, possibly due to cheaper mahogany & pancake bodies? Heavy guitars were more in vogue then, ppl used a lot of brass hardware too.

 The same philosophy appears to have been applied at Heritage: H157 = heavier than H150? True or not?

[MartyGrass]

I don't know if H-157s are heavier anymore.  I'm not sure that the old ones were necessarily heavier than the H-150s either.  I've had some H-150s that were over 10 lbs.

There was this strange but prevalent idea that heavy guitars are "tone monsters".  Of course that makes no sense.  I can't imagine the human ear can tell the difference in sustain during normal playing.

I have seven kids.  If you think shouldering a 10 lb instument for 50 minute sets is a problem, try carrying as 20 lb infant through the county fair while the older kids want to stay all day!  At least you can use a 4" strap on a guitar and it hold still.  A 12 month old is in constant motion.  

[DetroitBlues]

Almost bought a triple humbucker H-157 black beauty ten years ago.  It was heavy!  While I think I could have lived with it, there were things that I probably would have rejected the guitar later on for that had nothing to do with weight.  Thinner neck, chrome parts, and honestly think the whole Jimmy Page/Peter Frampton Triple Humbucker would have gotten old fast…

[MartyGrass]

I never get tired of mine.  The neck is not thin on mine.  I use a fat strap.  The wiring is by Koontz.  The middle pickup has a separate volume knob and can be blended independently from the humbuckers.  Also, the humbuckers have push-pull coil splits.

If I were gigging the weight may be an issue.  Then again I've seen accordion players heft an 18 pounder or more for their gigs.

I like showing this one off.  It's very wild looking.

 

 

 

[rockabilly69]

3 hours ago, bolero said:

But were 50's customs all heavy?

I think the 70s customs were generally heavy too. Maybe that's where it started, possibly due to cheaper mahogany & pancake bodies? Heavy guitars were more in vogue then, ppl used a lot of brass hardware too.

 

50's Customs weren't all heavy, like you, I think the trend started in the 70's. 

[myoldfriend]

8 hours ago, DetroitBlues said:

Almost bought a triple humbucker H-157 black beauty ten years ago.  It was heavy!  While I think I could have lived with it, there were things that I probably would have rejected the guitar later on for that had nothing to do with weight.  Thinner neck, chrome parts, and honestly think the whole Jimmy Page/Peter Frampton Triple Humbucker would have gotten old fast…

Probably in my head, but my attack almost always is off with a 3-pickup geetar.  Seems to have worked out ok for that Framtone fella… Not sure I buy that story (https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/peter-frampton-on-recovering-his-les-paul-custom-years-after-it-went-down-in-a-deadly-plane-crash) about the “lost” guitar - the 3-pickup thing likely played out with him too ?

[Gitfiddler]

My former Gibson R7 Black Beauty was over 12 lbs.  I loved its 'all mahogany' tone, but at the end of a gig, it felt like I'd been slinging a concrete accordion all night. 

Sold it!!  (Kept the miniature version)

A few years later when I spotted a triple HRW H-157 on Ebay that weighed 'only' 9.5 lbs, I jumped on it.  

Don't let anyone tell you that ALL Heritage H157's are heavy, even the triple nickel models can be reasonable in heft.

 

[TalismanRich]

My 157 is just over 9 1/2 lbs.   For me, that's still pretty heavy, but nowhere near the 12 lb jobs.    It's similar to a lot of H150s that I've played from 20 years ago.   I don't think they tried to make them heavier.   It's just the binding, inlays and gold hardware, which really don't weigh anything much.  

Weren't a lot of the original LP customs all mahogany?   I would think that they would be a bit lighter than the ones with a maple cap.

[Mustang64]

My H 157 is just under 10lbs, it sounds great !!! It’s worth the weight . 

[MartyGrass]

3 hours ago, Mustang64 said:

My H 157 is just under 10lbs, it sounds great !!! It’s worth the weight . 

Just beautiful!!

[bolero]

I, too, had a Gibson R7 for a while.

But it was really heavy! I never weighed it, but surely it was 12 lbs at least.

Eventually I sold it, and custom ordered a Heritage H157, which is much lighter. The H157 is all mahogany.

As opposed to mah-AGONY, which the R7 was

[DetroitBlues]

14 hours ago, myoldfriend said:

Probably in my head, but my attack almost always is off with a 3-pickup geetar.  Seems to have worked out ok for that Framtone fella… Not sure I buy that story (https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/peter-frampton-on-recovering-his-les-paul-custom-years-after-it-went-down-in-a-deadly-plane-crash) about the “lost” guitar - the 3-pickup thing likely played out with him too ?

 

That was my point.  I'll hear a click noise when I'm playing.  I realize its my pick striking the middle pickup.  What's interesting, I don't have that problem playing a Stratocaster.... Maybe the gap between the middle and bridge pickup is wider or the bridge placement itself.  Don't really know.  The triple pickup always looks cool, but to me, not necessary.

[rockabilly69]

16 hours ago, myoldfriend said:

Probably in my head, but my attack almost always is off with a 3-pickup geetar.  Seems to have worked out ok for that Framtone fella… Not sure I buy that story (https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/peter-frampton-on-recovering-his-les-paul-custom-years-after-it-went-down-in-a-deadly-plane-crash) about the “lost” guitar - the 3-pickup thing likely played out with him too ?

What part of the story don't you believe about the lost guitar? I just read his biography, and the story of the guitar is pretty well documented Tthere were many tells on the guitar that the people he got it back from couldn't have known about to fake. 

[MartyGrass]

Yeah, don't rain on that tearful reunion.   I love that saga.

[rockabilly69]

10 hours ago, TalismanRich said:

My 157 is just over 9 1/2 lbs.   For me, that's still pretty heavy, but nowhere near the 12 lb jobs.    It's similar to a lot of H150s that I've played from 20 years ago.   I don't think they tried to make them heavier.   It's just the binding, inlays and gold hardware, which really don't weigh anything much.  

Weren't a lot of the original LP customs all mahogany?   I would think that they would be a bit lighter than the ones with a maple cap.

Depending on the year some vintage Les Paul Customs were all mahogany. A close friend of mine had one of those 50's customs, and it took me by surprise how light it was (high 8lb range).

My H150 is 9.4 lbs, and that is the heaviest of my Les Paul guitars, but, I think that the piece of wood and it's weight contributes to the tone. It seems a little brighter than my lighter 9 lb H150 and the tone has a snap to it that I like. That's why I haven't replaced it with something lighter. I have the light Les Paul thing covered (R4 and R7  both weighing under 8.5 lbs) so if I was ever to buy a custom core, which I've been considering, I would find the heaviest one I could find (probably a plaintop), or maybe if I hold out long enough they will introduce a Goldtop. And with Edwin Wilson at the helm of the custom core line I'm sure the color would look good. 

 

[Spectrum13]

In 1968 when I purchased my first Goldtop, two friends obtained 1968 Black Beauties.  One removed the paint to reveal a three piece maple top.

Go figure

[TalismanRich]

Just now, Spectrum13 said:

In 1968 when I purchased my first Goldtop, two friends obtained 1968 Black Beauties.  One removed the paint to reveal a three piece maple top.

Go figure

That kind of goes along with some of the comments that I've heard over the years that Gibson would often just use what was available.   Use the ugly wood for the solid colors.  How about using those Epi mini humbuckers in the LPs routed for P90s?  We'll call it the Deluxe!   We're out of black plastic for bobbins, but we've got white plastic....      Hey we're out of Alnico2 and 5 magnets. Where are those Alnico 3s?

 

Waste not / want not!

[rockabilly69]

1 hour ago, TalismanRich said:

That kind of goes along with some of the comments that I've heard over the years that Gibson would often just use what was available.   Use the ugly wood for the solid colors.  How about using those Epi mini humbuckers in the LPs routed for P90s?  We'll call it the Deluxe!   We're out of black plastic for bobbins, but we've got white plastic....      Hey we're out of Alnico2 and 5 magnets. Where are those Alnico 3s?

 

Waste not / want not!

Alnico IIIs are my favorite humbuckers, and I loved my old 71 Les Paul Deluxe with mini-hums, so I appreciate that waste not want not:)

[rwinking]

I picked up a Les Paul Custom Lite a year or two ago. I got it in a trade and thought I would just turn around and sell it, I ended up liking it. It is something like a 1986 and is kind of a pinkish purple color. Apparently it is rare so now worth something. It is like a cross between my H-140 and H-170. I thought that the light weight would make it sound thin but not really. It kicks ass. I am now thinking of selling it though as like I said, I have that territory covered with my 140 and 170.

[myoldfriend]

7 hours ago, MartyGrass said:

Yeah, don't rain on that tearful reunion.   I love that saga.

Of course not - it is nothing short of a miracle that his Black Beauty made its way back to him.. But apparently my subtle sarcasm was lost despite the ROFL emoji; I was implying that Frampton's 3-pickup custom, "having gotten old" in his mind, (not unlike DetroitBlues mentioned as his own experience) was perhaps intentionally "lost."  No rain - just having a little fun at the expense of the conspiracy theory crowd. ?

[Jaguarguy]

On 7/10/2022 at 4:40 PM, MartyGrass said:

I never get tired of mine.  The neck is not thin on mine.  I use a fat strap.  The wiring is by Koontz.  The middle pickup has a separate volume knob and can be blended independently from the humbuckers.  Also, the humbuckers have push-pull coil splits.

If I were gigging the weight may be an issue.  Then again I've seen accordion players heft an 18 pounder or more for their gigs.

I like showing this one off.  It's very wild looking.

 

 

 

WOW!!!

[rwinking]

2 hours ago, Jaguarguy said:

Then again I've seen accordion players heft an 18 pounder or more for their gigs.

 

I have no sympathy for an accordian player. It would be akin to feeling sorry for a banjo player.

[MartyGrass]

Same goes for the xylophone.

[bolero]

Xylophobe!

Woah, that's actually a thing:

https://itspsychology.com/xylophobia/

 

I have a fear of heavy mahogany guitars. I guess I'm a Ponderosas Mahogaphobe?