Questions about 575 Custom and Sweet 16

[DawgBone]

Greetings.

I have been blown away by the tone of these two guitars in some of the youtube reviews. Info has been a little hard to come by so I thought I would join the heritage forum and inquire. I guess my questions are what is a fair purchase price for a used dual humbucker equipped 575 Custom or Sweet 16? Reverb seems to have sellers using wishful thinking pricing on a lot of items from guitars to amps to pedals.

As an ebony enjoyer I'd rather pay the upcharge vs a 575 standard to have an ebony board. I like the scale length of the 575 better but a longer scale length isn't necessarily a deal breaker as much as neck profile would be. I don't mind a moderately chunky neck or a slim taper either as I have large hands and am playing semi hollows with both but no baseball bats and no pencil thin necks. Looking to find a little more unique voice for a blues guitar vs the ES types I'm currently using. Plugging straight into a Twin Reverb. Any advice and opinions are appreciated. Thanks.

[zdzislaw]

As to scale length, I always thought it is a mixed bag.  The longer scale requires a longer stretch in first position. On the other hand you will have more room toward the other end of the fret board - creating more chord and soloing flexibility there.

Besides scale length, one (the Sweet 16) is carved spruce and the other has a maple carved top. Maple I believe is brighter (if I am wrong, please correct).

The Sweet 16 is a little better on the cosmetics. An H575 Custom would need to be upgraded with an Ebony fretboard, fancier board markers, bound neck, bound f holes.

In theory two body mounted humbuckers will restrict the top’s movement vs a side mounted pickup. That may mean more sustain. Perhaps a woodier tone.

As far as price, I spent more than 12 months monitoring Reverb, GBase, GC before I pulled the trigger on my Sweet 16. Prices have gone up. Check out the sold items on Reverb for a further view on prices.  Of course condition matters. But, one seller’s excellent is another’s VG, and vice versa.

[MartyGrass]

Both guitars do the job.  Whichever scale you get, you'll get used to.  Good guitarists sometimes go back and forth.  Two classic examples are Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page.

[Steiner]

The Sweet 16 has a more resonate top.  If you're amplifying, the H575 is less problematic.  But it (the H-575) isn't as resonate.  They'll both do Jazz very well if you're looking for a multifaceted instrument; the devil is in the details...

[DawgBone]

Thanks for the replies.

 

Posters elsewhere on a different forum suggested the 575 will feedback badly at medium volume or higher and were suggesting laminate top guitars ala the 550 or ES175. Pretty much playing all blues here using a Twin and a semi hollow currently. Just looking for something with a little more hollow sound that can also be gigged as well as played unamplified on the couch. I don't use gobs of gain but I don't really do the dinner gig circuit either.

[Gitfiddler]

Feedback with an H575 should not be much of an issue unless you are playing facing the amp speaker...and at high Twin Reverb volume.   

I did an unsophisticated feedback experiment using an ES175 and H575.  The laminate-bodied 175 was a bit more feedback resistant than the carved 575, but not by much.

That said, H575's are very versatile archtops, capable of many music styles. 

Here's Alex Skolnick putting his signature H575 through its paces to give you an idea of what this amazing guitar can sound like.  Peace.

https://www.google.com/search?q=alex+skolnick+jazz&client=firefox-b-1-d&ei=xQmQY5PsHLvh0PEPj7m3uAk&oq=alex+skolnick+video&gs_lcp=Cgxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAQARgBMgoIABBHENYEELADMgoIABBHENYEELADMgoIABBHENYEELADMgoIABBHENYEELADMgoIABBHENYEELADMgoIABBHENYEELADMgoIABBHENYEELADMgoIABBHENYEELADSgQIQRgASgQIRhgAUABYAGDfEWgBcAF4AIABAIgBAJIBAJgBAMgBCMABAQ&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:b7858254,vid:w-gqmetYqxk

[Steiner]

Because you should only play a plywood - never a solid wood - guitar with a Fender Twin

You'd be surprised how much fun an H-575 is with a loud, high gain amp.  The Golden Eagles feedback very easily, the 575 is quite controllable.  I've joined in with others inside Brent's barn.