Whan I was a kid...

[AnH555]

....I came across this ES125tc in the local music store. Had 1 P90 and a hopelessly warped dot neck. I bought it for 150 bucks UPS'd it to Kalamazoo. They put a Byrdland neck on it and changed the electronics to 2 humbuckers. Took 10 months and cost me $820. I remember calling them to complain about the cheap tuners they put on it ("125 dollars ?!! - for these??!") as well as the pickguard (it was a giant Fender pick!). I think I spoke to a guy named Marvin. He said "Send it back." I think my pyromania got the best of me and I burned the pickguard,- it went up just like a Fender pick! After a large rum and Dr Pepper I called Marv back and said "Iz beauty fulll. You guys are grrreat!"  Interestingly, the tailpiece was installed by Johnny Smith 20 years later, when he had a music store in Colorado Springs.

    I just can't help wondering if the same hands built my 2006 H555. I think a lot of the Heritage "mojo" comes from guys who drag their butts out of bed when it's 15 below and still dark out. Heritage, you guys are number one in my book, and anybody who plays one must be a person of quality. So happy holidays everybody. It's a pleasure to be a member of the HOC. I enjoy your posts. Best wishes, anH555

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[Kuz]

And same Happy Holidays to you An555. Nice choice in a semi-hollow guitar (coming from a owner of two 555s) ;D

[Gitfiddler]

Great anecdote!  And that is one SWEET ES125!!! 

 

Hey, your H-555 ain't got no pickguard on! 

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Years fellow Heritige-ites.

[Kuz]

Great anecdote!  And that is one SWEET ES125!!! 

 

Hey, your H-555 ain't got no pickguard on! 

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Years fellow Heritige-ites.

 

That's the way they are suppose to be, didn't ya know. Obviously he has great tastes as well ;D

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[doggy1972]

Beautiful ES. Really unique lookin. A real schweetheart.

[AnH555]

Oops, I meant to post this in the Family Tree section. Oh well. Kuz, it was very interesting to hear about your custom-made experience. It was my secret plan to order a decked out 555, transparent black with white/black/white binding on the f holes, peghead (like your 99), chrome HRW's w/coil taps, etc. I thinks it's fast approaching Last Call to get one built by the original guys.  A stone mint heirloom with a signed certificate of authenticity. Now I'm leaning against it, mostly because there are (or were)  some fantastic Heritages out there at good prices. Think I'm gonna try a TP-6 fine tuner tailpiece and black knobs on my 555 and lay low awhile instead.

  Other random thoughts: Wish Ren would join this forum. And I wonder if there's any way the HOC could collectively email our greetings to Heritage. I wonder if the guy I spoke to back in 1973 was founder Marvin Lamb. And what will Heritage be putting out in 2008. And that pickguard's around here somewhere, Git.

[Kuz]

Oops, I meant to post this in the Family Tree section. Oh well. Kuz, it was very interesting to hear about your custom-made experience. It was my secret plan to order a decked out 555, transparent black with white/black/white binding on the f holes, peghead (like your 99), chrome HRW's w/coil taps, etc. I thinks it's fast approaching Last Call to get one built by the original guys.  A stone mint heirloom with a signed certificate of authenticity. Now I'm leaning against it, mostly because there are (or were)  some fantastic Heritages out there at good prices. Think I'm gonna try a TP-6 fine tuner tailpiece and black knobs on my 555 and lay low awhile instead.

  Other random thoughts: Wish Ren would join this forum. And I wonder if there's any way the HOC could collectively email our greetings to Heritage. I wonder if the guy I spoke to back in 1973 was founder Marvin Lamb. And what will Heritage be putting out in 2008. And that pickguard's around here somewhere, Git.

 

Actually the peg head on both of 555 are the same. The only difference besides a wider/fatter neck on the 07' custom is the Cust 555 '07 has a mahogony neck & rosewood board, and nickel hardware (everything else including binding & inlays are like the 555)

[AnH555]

Now Kuz I don't mean to get nit-picky but I see a black on the 99 that's not on the 2007. Only the second one I've seen like that. Here's the first.

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[Kuz]

Now Kuz I don't mean to get nit-picky but I see a black on the 99 that's not on the 2007. Only the second one I've seen like that. Here's the first.

 

OK sorry I didn't understand your question about the headstock. You meant the binding, the extra black line in the binding of the headstock. Got it. Man you have great eyes.

 

To be honest I never noticed that the '98 555 (yes I check the date it's a '98 not a '99) had the black line in the binding on the headstock and the '07 Cust 555 doesn't have it.

They both have the black line in the binding around the body.

 

Now that I notice the difference in the headstock binding, I do like the '98s headstock binding better.

 

Gee thanks. Now I think the '07 555 headstock looks cheap and crappy ;D

 

But seriously is the default on the 555 to have black line in the binding around the body and then no black line in the binding around the headstock?

 

Thanks & Merry Christmas!

[AnH555]

Yeah I think they quit doing the black stripe pretty early on. I saw the same thing on an earlier 157. But hey, both your 55's are gorgeous Kuz. One of each. Not only that but you got a very Sweet 16. Man, I think those are just about as good as it gets. And if any 535 owners are reading this I just want to say I think the 535 is one kick-butt top dog! Eats guitars twice it's price for breakfast.

[soybean]

I hope this isn't going too far off topic on a Heritage forum, but that Gibson is fascinating. It brings up some questions.

 

The ES-125 had a scale length of 24.75 (roughly). The Byrdland has a 23.5 scale. That means your original bridge would be in the wrong place for this new neck. Did Gibson also move your bridge? If they didn't and your guitar plays in tune, then your neck must have been made with the 24.75 scale which would make it a purpose made one-of-a kind neck.

[AnH555]

You're right, this is a short-scale neck. The ES 125 had a rosewood bridge on a rosewood base, as you know. As long as they didn't put the pickup too far back the bridge could sit wherever it needed to for good intonation. I think it does sit a little forward from it's original position. After a while of using the same strings with a tunomatic on the rosewood base I carefully drilled two holes in the top and threaded the bridge studs in. I figure I could still go back to a floating bridge because the base would cover the stud holes. The string notching is narrower also with the Byrdland neck. It's a fun toy.

[soybean]

You're right, this is a short-scale neck. The ES 125 had a rosewood bridge on a rosewood base, as you know. As long as they didn't put the pickup too far back the bridge could sit wherever it needed to for good intonation.

 

D'oh! Stupid me forgot about the floating bridge. Of course, that would work with the Byrdland scale neck. Very cool guitar you've got there.