New Heritage bridge upgrades for 2025 Custom Core models

[Jimbob]

I'm not sure if anyone has posted this yet or if this news is still relatively unknown, but upon speaking with Mike at Heritage the other day, he informed me that the new 2025 Custom Core H150 and other CC models will receive a new ABR-style bridge as well as the standard flat thumbwheels. In other words, the Pinnacle system is getting replaced. My conversation with Mike began when I inquired about finding some standard thumbwheels with an 8-32 thread pitch, for I was hoping to install a Faber ABRN bridge while using the existing bridge posts that share the same 8-32 thread pitch. I also became concerned about flipping the Pinnicle thumbwheels over to use the flat side, for I felt that the centered protrusion being on the underside could potentially hit the top of the body if the action was set low. For the life of me, though, I could not find any thumbwheels other than a 6-32 thread or M4 metric, so not only did I have a machinist friend enlarge the holes to 8-32 on some thumbwheels I had laying around, I also went ahead and ordered the new bridge upgrade from Mike. Well, the parts arrived today, and the bridge and thumbwheels mount perfectly on the H150 bridge posts without any modifications whatsoever. I'm not sure who's building these bridges for Heritage, but it seems to be well-built and pretty solid:

Just for reference sake, I am keeping the Faber bridge and the modified thumbwheels on the H150 for now, simply because I'm loving the way it sounds with this system. Still, as long as one obtains a set of thumbwheels with the 8-32 thread pitch, it's entirely possible to use a Faber ABRN or to upgrade to the new Heritage system without any installation issues. Of course, it's getting away from the lockable version, but I tend to prefer this system myself.

[Kuz]

13 hours ago, Jimbob said:

I also became concerned about flipping the Pinnicle thumbwheels over to use the flat side, for I felt that the centered protrusion being on the underside could potentially hit the top of the body if the action was set low.

Huh, I flipped my Pinnacle thumbwheels over and have plenty of clearance from the top, and my action is 4.5/64th on the low E and 4/64th on the high E.  I believe the action could go as low as I want without worry about the domes of the thumbwheels hitting the top.  I guess it all depends on the neck angle of your guitar.   Personally, I like the "locked down tight" Faber lock ABR bridge.  If Heritage is switching to a more traditional ABR-1, why not just use the more traditional 6-32 posts?  It certainly would allow for  easier conversions and what are we to do if the 8-32 posts break?  Like you said 8-32 posts and 8-32 thumbwheels are near impossible to find. 

[anjoonki16]

First of all, your guitar looks beautiful. I have an ebony CC and every time I see a burst, I’m like I want that one too haha. Actually, I’ve emailed Mike about that bridge and am waiting for an invoice. I also have Faber ABRN on order. I guess when I get both, I will have to decide which one I like more and install it. Since you have both already, have you noticed any difference in quality, dimensions, etc.? BTW, where did you find that G-style pickguard that fits Heritage CC? I’ve been looking everywhere but haven’t found one yet.

[Jimbob]

9 hours ago, Kuz said:

Huh, I flipped my Pinnacle thumbwheels over and have plenty of clearance from the top, and my action is 4.5/64th on the low E and 4/64th on the high E.  I believe the action could go as low as I want without worry about the domes of the thumbwheels hitting the top.  I guess it all depends on the neck angle of your guitar.   Personally, I like the "locked down tight" Faber lock ABR bridge.  If Heritage is switching to a more traditional ABR-1, why not just use the more traditional 6-32 posts?  It certainly would allow for  easier conversions and what are we to do if the 8-32 posts break?  Like you said 8-32 posts and 8-32 thumbwheels are near impossible to find. 

Yeah, when I was first started fooling around with swapping the bridge, it looked as though the protruded portion of the Pinnacle thumbwheels being on the underside would come very close to hitting the body. However, once I put the ABRN bridge on with the altered 8-32 thumbwheels, it became apparent that I would've had enough room to use the Pinnacles. By that time I had already had a few thumbwheel holes enlarged, so I stuck with them. Also, while I gave the locking Faber bridge a try, for whatever reason my guitar just lost a little something, mostly just a slight loss in sustain. Everything looked good and tight and felt solid but, once I put the ABRN on, it resolved that issue. I'll have to try the locking bridge again at some point in time.

I do have the feeling that some guitarists will evenutally run into some issues with the 8-32 posts, though, for I'm not aware of any other guitar maker that uses them. On the other hand, I would think that the larger post size would also add some strength to the system, so perhaps that might be a good thing? Regarding the 8-32 thumbwheels, I had a longtime machinist friend enlarge the holes free of charge but, if push comes to shove, with the 8-32 thread count that matches the 6-32, it's a relatively easy job for any pro machinist to enlarge it to an 8-32. It's a bit of a hassle for sure, but doable.

4 hours ago, anjoonki16 said:

First of all, your guitar looks beautiful. I have an ebony CC and every time I see a burst, I’m like I want that one too haha. Actually, I’ve emailed Mike about that bridge and am waiting for an invoice. I also have Faber ABRN on order. I guess when I get both, I will have to decide which one I like more and install it. Since you have both already, have you noticed any difference in quality, dimensions, etc.? BTW, where did you find that G-style pickguard that fits Heritage CC? I’ve been looking everywhere but haven’t found one yet.

Thanks for the kind comment on the burst finish! I just had to grab it when it popped up for sale a couple of weeks ago, and I'm loving this guitar! The bonus is that it's a pretty sweet-sounding instrument, too!

Regarding the quality aspects of the Faber ABRN vs the Heritage bridge, at first glance I think I have to favor the Faber. It just looks a little more polished and refined. But, the Heritage bridge is clearly a faithful design of an ABR-1. While I don't know what kind of alloy it's built from, I instantly noticed that it's heavier than the existing Pinnacle bridge. I'm thinking that it's probably a zinc/aluminum mix of some kind, but I wouldn't know. The string saddle slots will also need some attention since they're only slotted for the placement of the string and not to the actual gauge of the string. Since I only took the time to see if the Heritage bridge fit okay, at the moment I'm not able to provide any kind of a tone comparison between the two. All in all, though, it seems that the Heritage bridge will certainly do an adequate job!

One thing that you'll notice is that the Heritage bridge will slip over the 8-32 posts quite easily with just a tiny bit of play. Conversely, since the Faber ABRN has a hole diameter size of 4.2mm, which just happens to be the same nominal diameter of the 8-32 posts according to my digital calipers, you'll find that the Faber bridge will feel just a bit tighter upon slipping it over the posts. I certainly didn't have to force it down, by any means, and while it did align perfectly, it will be just a tiny bit tighter. I personally like it that way simply because it seems to make the system a little more solid. But, as they say, YMMV.

And oh......one more note......when I first installed the ABRN bridge, I noticed that the posts were actually turning just a bit while putting the thumbwheels on, so I took two thumbwheels to tighten the posts down so that they'd bottom out into the post hole. This brought the posts down on each side by about 1/8", so while it may not be necessary to do this, the posts won't sit quite as high as they previously did. On the other hand, I just felt that it couldn't hurt to make as much contact with the post and body as much as possible, so that's what I did.

The G-pickguard was just a part that I had on hand from owning Les Pauls previously, so I decided to see if it would fit. I found that the screw hole near the neck pickup was about 1/16" off, so I just filed a bit of an extension of that hole to fit the existing hole in the body. If you zoom into the photo, it is visible, but not enough for me to worry about it. I also found that the mounting bracket was as a slight angle, too, so I just put a felt washer along the binding side so that the mount wouldn't dent the body. If I ever do another one, though, I think I'll try to find a pickguard with no holes so that I can drill my own. If I'm not mistaken, I think WD has them.

Anyway, I hope that helps, and thanks for asking!   

[Jimbob]

5 hours ago, anjoonki16 said:

BTW, where did you find that G-style pickguard that fits Heritage CC? I’ve been looking everywhere but haven’t found one yet.

I just checked into this, and it appears as though a WD LP pickguard can indeed be ordered without holes, but I would check to make sure that the dimensions are correct before ordering.

I also noticed that @Lkdoghad ordered one from MojoAxe, and that thread can be found here:

I'd probably call call or email the guy at MojoAxe while asking him specifically about the Heritage CC model. Perhaps Lkdog will pipe in here as well? Since I've had this CC H-150, I'm actually thinking of purchasing another one.......LOL. If I do, I'll likely talk with MojoAxe.

EDIT: BTW, on the MojoAxe website, scroll all the way to the bottom of the page to find the Heritage pickguards:

 http://www.mojoaxe.com/

Edited March 6 by Jimbob

[anjoonki16]

28 minutes ago, Jimbob said:

And oh......one more note......when I first installed the ABRN bridge, I noticed that the posts were actually turning just a bit while putting the thumbwheels on, so I took two thumbwheels to tighten the posts down so that they'd bottom out into the post hole. This brought the posts down on each side by about 1/8", so while it may not be necessary to do this, the posts won't sit quite as high as they previously did. On the other hand, I just felt that it couldn't hurt to make as much contact with the post and body as much as possible, so that's what I did.

Oh this explains why one of the bridge posts looks taller on my guitar. I will definitely tighten them down when I swap the bridge. I like everything tight and solid. Thank you so much for the detailed information! That helps a lot!

[anjoonki16]

2 minutes ago, Jimbob said:

I just checked into this, and it appears as though a WD LP pickguard can indeed be ordered without holes, but I would check to make sure that the dimensions are correct before ordering.

I also noticed that @Lkdoghad ordered one from MojoAxe, and that thread can be found here:

I'd probably call call or email the guy at MojoAxe while asking him specifically about the Heritage CC model. Perhaps Lkdog will pipe in here as well? Since I've had this CC H-150, I'm actually thinking of purchasing another one.......LOL. If I do, I'll likely talk with MojoAxe. 

Thanks again for looking into this! I don't dislike the shape of Heritage pickguard. But the issue is the pickguard color not matching the pickup ring color... It's not really obvious on the standard models, but on CC models, the pickup ring color is almost like parchment. I guess it's probably more historically correct, but it's just too noticeable on the solid black guitar I have.

[TalismanRich]

That's one reason I liked the old wooden pickguards.   I prefer the Heritage shape, and dislike the clunky plastic.   Screw "vintage".   I would probably change the pickup rings before the guard if I was worried about the color..

[Jimbob]

1 hour ago, anjoonki16 said:

Thanks again for looking into this! I don't dislike the shape of Heritage pickguard. But the issue is the pickguard color not matching the pickup ring color... It's not really obvious on the standard models, but on CC models, the pickup ring color is almost like parchment. I guess it's probably more historically correct, but it's just too noticeable on the solid black guitar I have.

I also swapped out the pickup rings, not so much because of the color but because the existing rings were pretty tall. The strings were actually getting pretty close to hitting the bridge pickup ring. I just happened to have a set on hand that fit a little better as well as matching the pickguard, so it was a stroke of luck that the colors actually matched.

17 minutes ago, TalismanRich said:

That's one reason I liked the old wooden pickguards.   I prefer the Heritage shape, and dislike the clunky plastic.   Screw "vintage".   I would probably change the pickup rings before the guard if I was worried about the color..

I might just make a wooden pickguard for my CC H150, for I really liked the old ones as well. They added a nice taste of "elegance" to the guitar! I still have an old 535 and an Eagle Classic with them.

[anjoonki16]

I got the Faber ABRN yesterday and installed it right away. The fit was perfect. Thanks to your recommendation, I adjusted the posts so that they are just sub-flush to the bridge when the bridge is lowered to my liking. While I was at it, I also replaced the stock pickups with Mojotone 59 clones. I don't know it's because of the Faber bridge or the pickups, probably combination of both, but the note separation and overall sound definition are a lot better now. 

Edited March 7 by anjoonki16

[Kuz]

3 hours ago, anjoonki16 said:

I got the Faber ABRN yesterday and installed it right away. The fit was perfect. Thanks to your recommendation, I adjusted the posts so that they are just sub-flush to the bridge when the bridge is lowered to my liking. While I was at it, I also replaced the stock pickups with Mojotone 59 clones. I don't know it's because of the Faber bridge or the pickups, probably combination of both, but the note separation and overall sound definition are a lot better now. 

I have probably used 15 Locking Faber ABRN bridges and locking stoptail studs and they have always given at least the same, if not better, overall sustain/note separation/overall tone.  And even with any tonal benefits aside, using the locking Faber hardware (ABRN bridge & locking stoptail studs) everything is locked down tight and will never move even with all the stings off the guitar.

[nuke]

Yeah, both my '98 H150 and 2001 H535 are wearing Faber locking ABR bridges and tailpieces including the threaded bushing inserts.  My H150 was factory equipped with a Nashville bridge and standard (heavy zinc) tailpiece instead of the Schaller hardware that was usual at the time. The bushing didn't make much difference on the H150, as the bushings installed in it were actually pretty decent. 

My 535 had the Schaller roller and top-loader bridge and tail. It had the really crappy short bridge bushing inserts. I used them with the Faber bridge for a while, as the holes were not drilled deep enough in the body. I got the right size and type of bit to do the job correctly and installed the longer Faber steel bushings. Wow, I was not expecting how much they improved the tone of the 535. It really just did the trick, they fit solidly into the maple center block and that seemed to couple the bridge into the body way, way better. The original bushings were so short they really didn't contact much but the laminate top. 

All in all, I really like the Faber hardware. Seems like a great choice by Heritage to switch. 

 

[hopkinwfg]

Nice info on the Heritage 150CC bridge upgrades !! Would wanna ask too if the old 2023 2022 custom core tuners also be gettimg replaced back to Grover tuners ? Or gotoh 510 ?

[Jimbob]

22 hours ago, hopkinwfg said:

Nice info on the Heritage 150CC bridge upgrades !! Would wanna ask too if the old 2023 2022 custom core tuners also be gettimg replaced back to Grover tuners ? Or gotoh 510 ?

I ended up going with the Gotoh SG381- P4N tuners. They're not locking, but they're a step above the stock tuners.

 

[hopkinwfg]

47 minutes ago, Jimbob said:

I ended up going with the Gotoh SG381- P4N tuners. They're not locking, but they're a step above the stock tuners.

 

Cool looking !!

[Jimbob]

47 minutes ago, hopkinwfg said:

Cool looking !!

Thanks! They seem to give the guitar a bit more of a vintage vibe, too.

Funny, but I was loving this guitar so much that I drove over to Dave's Guitar Shop earlier this week and pickup up another one......😁 This one got the newer ABR-style bridge and thumbwheels that came directly from Heritage. The pickguard is an old LP/P90 guard that I shaved down to fit this one. It's going to get the same tuners as well. I'm really enjoying these CC models. I only wish that I would've picked one up when they first came out:

Edited March 14 by Jimbob

[hopkinwfg]

Wow.... you totally got into heritage !! I would like the cadillac green but i already own the H150 oxblood and a H150CC in tobacco sunburst.... 

Both plays extremely well but down side was my H150 oxblood standard factory fret dress and fret nib was a pain in the arse... other than that my other H150CC has that neck thats familiar to the Historic R9 but with a slightly thinner body thickness and better cutaway access makes it plays well enough... complain was the bridge pole piece was slightly tilted inwards but the pinnacle bridge thumbwheel sort of solves the issue with that buldge hum making more contact but in my opinion its still unsightful on that tilted pole bridge piece.... 

Like both the tone on the heritage H150s i have very resonant and loud acoustically .... 

The H150 oxblood i have has the zingy topend snappy tight that sound like what my R8 is whom i thought its too bright with the Faber... 

The H150CC i got has a modded Gibson abr1 non wire bridge and it sound a tad louder without the bright topend and has more of that mids going on but loses it snappy tone which i felt... 

Both are nice instrument and tone machine but lately after seeing your post it makes me wanna getta cadillac green... lol

 

[bolero]

Jimbob that's a sweet goldtop!

[Jimbob]

4 hours ago, bolero said:

Jimbob that's a sweet goldtop!

Thanks!

7 hours ago, hopkinwfg said:

Wow.... you totally got into heritage !! I would like the cadillac green but i already own the H150 oxblood and a H150CC in tobacco sunburst.... 

Both plays extremely well but down side was my H150 oxblood standard factory fret dress and fret nib was a pain in the arse... other than that my other H150CC has that neck thats familiar to the Historic R9 but with a slightly thinner body thickness and better cutaway access makes it plays well enough... complain was the bridge pole piece was slightly tilted inwards but the pinnacle bridge thumbwheel sort of solves the issue with that buldge hum making more contact but in my opinion its still unsightful on that tilted pole bridge piece.... 

Like both the tone on the heritage H150s i have very resonant and loud acoustically .... 

The H150 oxblood i have has the zingy topend snappy tight that sound like what my R8 is whom i thought its too bright with the Faber... 

The H150CC i got has a modded Gibson abr1 non wire bridge and it sound a tad louder without the bright topend and has more of that mids going on but loses it snappy tone which i felt... 

Both are nice instrument and tone machine but lately after seeing your post it makes me wanna getta cadillac green... lol

 

Well, I've actually been into Heritage guitars since the early '90s, at which time I picked up a '92 H-535. In '96 I bought an Eagle Classic from Jay Wolfe, and I still have both of these guitars (I'll post a photo below). I've since owned and sold two other H-150s, a natural H-535, an H-110, and an H-170.. The H-150s I owned were great guitars, but both of them weighed over 10 pounds. I eventually sold them to purchase three R8s, two of which were chambered. They were also great guitars, but I do tend to like the tone of the solid bodies a bit more. The solid R8 was a Dave's Guitar Shop limited run that I should've kept, but so it goes. Long story short, I've had an eye out for a while now hoping to replace some of those H-150s and R8s, and once I discovered the Heritage CC H-150s a few weeks ago, I sort of went on a spending spree!.....LOL. So, here I am back at the HOC and posting again after a rather lengthy hiatus from the place.......🙂

I haven't seen a "cadillac green" guitar in person, but they look pretty sweet online! I like the Pelham blue, too. I picked up the goldtop primarily because I wanted something different from the cherryburst, but it just so happened to sound and play a little better than the other H-150s that I tried at Dave's, too. Like most H-150s, these CC guitars are nice and lively-sounding, but it's the weight of them makes them much more tolerable to play on stage as well, especially for a guy my age with an aching back.

Is that pole piece that you're speaking of bent? Or is it just installed with a tilt to it? The reason I ask is because I noticed that the pole pieces are quite easy to remove, and Heritage does have new replacement pole pieces ( and ABR-style bridges & thumbwheels) that can be ordered directly from Mike. Apparently Heritage is going to start installing this more traditional bridge system on their CC models sometime this year, but I have yet to see one online. This is the reason that they have them available.......that and for Heritage owners wanting to upgrade their guitars from the Pinnacle system.

Anyway....hope to see that cadillac green H-150 posted here one of these days.......🙂

And oh, here's that photo. A '92 H-535 and a '96 Eagle Classic. I just noticed that the 535 has a plasic pickguard that I installed to save the flamed maple one from getting too scratched up, but the maple guard is on back on it:

[rockabilly69]

On 3/14/2025 at 12:43 PM, Jimbob said:

Thanks! They seem to give the guitar a bit more of a vintage vibe, too.

Funny, but I was loving this guitar so much that I drove over to Dave's Guitar Shop earlier this week and pickup up another one......😁 This one got the newer ABR-style bridge and thumbwheels that came directly from Heritage. The pickguard is an old LP/P90 guard that I shaved down to fit this one. It's going to get the same tuners as well. I'm really enjoying these CC models. I only wish that I would've picked one up when they first came out:

NIce looking color on that goldtop, and the new bridge looks WAY better!!! What tuners are you putting on it?

[hopkinwfg]

Damn this thread makes me wanna buy another H50CC !! But seriously as i looked thru all the web pieces... none of the flame tops are as astounding as the gibsons R9... 

Few were poorly matched.... yet surprsingly those internet influencers whom they gotten theirs has a crazy top !! Not sure how true it is if they got the specials.... but what i felt it could be probably true that Marketing pieces seen on the web were surprisingly beautiful yet unobtainable... 

Not being as ass here but i resides same country as the tycoon whom bought over Heritages... i know it business wise it gone better? But consumer wise we are not getting the same butter as advertised... from flame tops, tuners,bridges, and pots were all seem a class lower in grade...

If Heritage could again up their game to bring back their nice wonderful selected tops, grover tuners but abr1 bridge it be a second to none being the best singlecut... knowing the fact it already sound so fantastic

i been looking to replace the stock tuners, i was wondering if the schaller M6 would fit in nicely ? 

[Jimbob]

6 hours ago, rockabilly69 said:

NIce looking color on that goldtop, and the new bridge looks WAY better!!! What tuners are you putting on it?

Thanks! The new bridge is the one Mike sent me from Heritage. So far it's working pretty well, too, and I certainly didn't lose anything tone-wise by replacing the Pinnacle bridge. It now has the same tuners as the burst above; the Gotoh SG381-P4N keystones. They're a significant upgrade from the stock tuners.

[TalismanRich]

Does anyone really know who makes the Heritage tuners?   I would find it funny if they were made by Gotoh or Graphtech.

[Jimbob]

1 hour ago, hopkinwfg said:

Damn this thread makes me wanna buy another H50CC !! But seriously as i looked thru all the web pieces... none of the flame tops are as astounding as the gibsons R9... 

Few were poorly matched.... yet surprsingly those internet influencers whom they gotten theirs has a crazy top !! Not sure how true it is if they got the specials.... but what i felt it could be probably true that Marketing pieces seen on the web were surprisingly beautiful yet unobtainable... 

Not being as ass here but i resides same country as the tycoon whom bought over Heritages... i know it business wise it gone better? But consumer wise we are not getting the same butter as advertised... from flame tops, tuners,bridges, and pots were all seem a class lower in grade...

If Heritage could again up their game to bring back their nice wonderful selected tops, grover tuners but abr1 bridge it be a second to none being the best singlecut... knowing the fact it already sound so fantastic

i been looking to replace the stock tuners, i was wondering if the schaller M6 would fit in nicely ? 

You know, I feel much the same way. While the new CC models are significantly lighter than the standards, and while they make for a very good modding platform, they would indeed be a very tough guitar to beat if their parts were all top shelf along with some nicer tops throughout. After all the mods I've done to these guitars, I'm pretty happy with them, but if there's one minor gripe that I continue to have, it's the shorter frets. For what they call a "Jescar medium jumbo" fret, it feels much more like a lower vintage fret. While I'm certainly doing okay with the frets just as they are now, if I ever need to do a fret leveling on either of them, I think I'd likely opt to have a refret job done instead.

I have no idea about the Schaller M6 tuners and whether or not they'd fit. 

[Jimbob]

2 minutes ago, TalismanRich said:

Does anyone really know who makes the Heritage tuners?   I would find it funny if they were made by Gotoh or Graphtech.

I think I came across a thread a few weeks ago where someone said that they were made in China, apparently because they could do the Heritage logo. I don't recall where I read that, though.