MartyGrass Posted January 9 Posted January 9 Roy Clark Signatures have many variations over the years. There was a limited run of essentially H-535s with his name on them and with exception wood figuring. But the original design is a single cutaway that's deeper than the H-535s for higher fret access. The thinking of the single vs. double cutaway is that there is more bling facing the audience, a larger resonance chamber, and a little more body weight to avoid neck dive. You'll find them with double and single cutaways, maple and mahogany necks, dots, blocks and split block inlays, and some with Bigsbys. Some will have traditional black headstock veneers and some will have matching maple figured woods. Here's a ten year old thread that shows my old natural Roy Clark. I found one a few days ago that I managed to close a deal on. It's among the last ones made AFAIK. I'm a fan of the chestnut burst and the block inlays like on the H-157. I believe it has Seth Lovers, but I'll know eventually. This is basically a hybrid of a H-530 and a H-555. Here's him funking around showing off his skills. Anyway, here's the incoming porn. 5
MartyGrass Posted January 9 Author Posted January 9 I think I'll ask if Heritage has any leftover Roy Clark truss rod covers. Why not?
MartyGrass Posted January 9 Author Posted January 9 I do recall that Roy did have quite a hand in designing his two Heritage types. I also recall that some of the original guys, maybe Marv and Ren, told me he "stole" some guitars. I may have it wrong, but as I recall they lent him a couple of guitars that he wouldn't return, and Roy was mad at the Heritage guys. I know they were mad at him, at least for a while. I think it's possible that there was a disagreement about what constituted a RC Signature model. I personally got one that did not having any Roy Clark markings on it, which probably means Roy got no royalties. There was fallout with Johnny Smith as well. I can surmise why but don't know. Nonetheless, the Roy Clark and Johnny Smith guitars are among my favorites. Life is complicated. Here's a RC solo that is amazing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DjQ650DK5k 2
Gitfiddler Posted January 9 Posted January 9 Congratulations, Mark. That is a stellar example of a great instrument! If no Roy Clark truss rod cover comes up, you might check with 'Custom Inlay, Inc.' Send them an image of what you'd like and they'll replicate it. https://custominlay.com/ 3
bolero Posted January 10 Posted January 10 (edited) Congrats!! That's beautiful I think that's basically a thinner H574? Which is a good thing, as the H574 I owned used to trap my hand in the cutaway. Thinner body is probably fine. Similar to an H535 Edited January 10 by bolero
golferwave Posted January 10 Posted January 10 A beautiful guitar. Roy was a gentleman, and a gifted player of all things with strings. 1
skydog52 Posted January 10 Posted January 10 (edited) Similar to my H-537. But much nicer. Nice snatch! Edited January 10 by skydog52 1
FredZepp Posted January 10 Posted January 10 Sweet Roy Clark model ! That stunner takes you back in time a bit.
bolero Posted January 10 Posted January 10 39 minutes ago, skydog52 said: Similar to my H-537. But much nicer. Nice snatch! Yeah that's nice too! Dig the orange. And back to Roy Clark: one of the best musicians, ever. RIP 1
skydog52 Posted January 13 Posted January 13 (edited) Original Specs from website. Looks like similar coloring. Roy Clark Specifications : 24- 3/4” scale 22 fret ebony block inlaid board one piece mahogany neck 20” long semi hollow body 16” width with 1- 5/8” rim Center block is not attached to back laminated white bound curly maple top and back solid maple rim gold hardware Edited January 13 by skydog52 1
MartyGrass Posted January 17 Author Posted January 17 The guitar arrived in excellent condition. This is fortunate because the box was brutalized. The guitar in case was packed extremely well will lots of bubble wrap, styrofoam, and filler. Otherwise it may not have made it.
hinesarchtop Posted January 17 Posted January 17 That has to be one of the most attractive ones out there. What a burst! Enjoy sir. 1
TalismanRich Posted January 17 Posted January 17 I remember when I bought Lyle's 525 years ago. He drove to PawPaw from Canada to drop it off and pick up the blue H150 that Brent had. I drove up one evening when I was in Warsaw IN, about a 150 mile trip in the middle of winter, to pick up my guitar because I just don't feel comfortable with shipping guitars anymore. If I was buying a guitar withing about 250 miles, I would just make a day of it and drive to pick it up. The shipping cost would just about pay for the gas, and I know that it wasn't going to be crushed.
MartyGrass Posted January 18 Author Posted January 18 I was able to check the guitar out in detail. It is in excellent condition. The binding shows some yellowing and the gold shows some age. Electronics are fine. I weighed it at 8 lbs 7 oz. That is about a pound more than my H-530s. Then I noticed it has a full center block, which someone must have custom ordered. The absence of a cutaway, a bit of a fatter neck (not like a '58 LP though, and the center block accounts for the weight difference. This is a 2011 build. Back then Heritage made custom changes on signature guitars, I'm almost sure without the artists' consent. 3
bolero Posted January 19 Posted January 19 Glad it made it! "Carefully!!" Indeed. Looks like it made a trip through bear country with a jar of peanut butter packed inside. 1
LonelyLefty Posted June 24 Posted June 24 I have not seen that video before, thank you so much for sharing. Guitar is so beautiful!
HANGAR18 Posted July 19 Posted July 19 Beautiful! Roy Clark models are a rare find, like finding gold or something. When remembering Roy Clark, I'm also mindful that I live in Roy Clark's home state.
tsp17 Posted July 21 Posted July 21 On 1/8/2024 at 8:33 PM, Gitfiddler said: Congratulations, Mark. That is a stellar example of a great instrument! If no Roy Clark truss rod cover comes up, you might check with 'Custom Inlay, Inc.' Send them an image of what you'd like and they'll replicate it. https://custominlay.com/ +1
brentrocks Posted July 27 Posted July 27 (edited) Congratulations mark!!! I would have never used a box that bad to ship a guitar so rare. Edited July 27 by brentrocks
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