Long scale , 16" bout and Set pickup

[jazzbo]

I play my 550 a lot but often wish it had the body size of the Sweet 16. They both have the same long scale (25 1/2) which gives superb intonation and nut width, neck radius etc.. But the lamitate top and set pickups on the 550 make it much more stable and much freer of feedback and harmonic gremlins.. Did Heritage ever make a laminate top Sweet 16 with set pickup OR a "550" with a 16inch body

 

Curious to know if Heritage ever made guitars like this... or better still , if anyone has one for sale, please let me know

thanks

[tyguy]

I play my 550 a lot but often wish it had the body size of the Sweet 16. They both have the same long scale (25 1/2) which gives superb intonation and nut width, neck radius etc.. But the lamitate top and set pickups on the 550 make it much more stable and much freer of feedback and harmonic gremlins.. Did Heritage ever make a laminate top Sweet 16 with set pickup OR a "550" with a 16inch body

 

Curious to know if Heritage ever made guitars like this... or better still , if anyone has one for sale, please let me know

thanks

I just ordered a 550.Don't want a guitar w/solid top.Worthless except acoustically or maybe amplified in your living room.Think about it,a es175 is the most used and talked about jazz guitar ever.You know all those guys that used them could have used any solid top L5 or whatever.Bucky and John Pizzarelli played Benedetto's for awhile but switched back to laminate tops because they sound better w/any kind of volume on.Chet Atkins same thing w/his DeAngelico.Had laminated top put on so He could use it live.Ted Greene the greatest chord soloist ever used a solidbody and laminate top guitars.There was a guy in the Boston area named Bucky Auger,a wonderful jazz player and He used a Guild solidbody couldn't deal w/hollow body feedback and rumble.Heritage, a real Gibson

[FredZepp]

It sounds like jazzbo agrees with you and is looking for a Lam. top on a Sweet 16. Great Minds think alike , I guess....

But I can't help you with that one.

I have found that the hard flamed maple tops , help somewhat over the Spruce tops for that feedback resistance...

[Gitfiddler]

Also, Heritage solid wood archtops have slightly thicker tops to help resist feedback...less vibration...in theory.

 

Turning the bass eq down and standing away from the amp helps too.

 

For LOUD playing, you'll need a lam top. No question. Wolfe had some lam topped 575's that looked cool.

[jazzbo]

I just ordered a 550.Don't want a guitar w/solid top.Worthless except acoustically or maybe amplified in your living room.Think about it,a es175 is the most used and talked about jazz guitar ever.You know all those guys that used them could have used any solid top L5 or whatever.Bucky and John Pizzarelli played Benedetto's for awhile but switched back to laminate tops because they sound better w/any kind of volume on.Chet Atkins same thing w/his DeAngelico.Had laminated top put on so He could use it live.Ted Greene the greatest chord soloist ever used a solidbody and laminate top guitars.There was a guy in the Boston area named Bucky Auger,a wonderful jazz player and He used a Guild solidbody couldn't deal w/hollow body feedback and rumble.Heritage, a real Gibson

 

Tyguy

you will enjoy your 550 , I assure you. the long scale will delight your ears, because of the intonation. One thing though , the HRW neck pickup is way too hot for what I like, so first I compensated by lowering the pickup quite a bit..the HRW is way too hot ...the trade off was volume and required bigger amplification and turning the pots up which really isnt the best way to go. I have now ordered a KA custom handmade for the neck, with 12 adjustable pole pieces....I replaced the the stock floater on the Sweet 16 with a KA custom adjustable floater and wow , what a difference .. I am hopeful that pup swap on the 550 will enhance. THe other thing I am thinking of is to mount the tunea matic on to a wood base, which will cut a little sustain but give it even more of that wood tone..you are dead on with your comments about laminate tops.

Stilll looking for my 'dream combination" a laminate sweet 16 or a 550 slimmed down to 16" and maybe a 1/2 inch off in the sides

 

enjoy your 550

[jazzbo]

Also, Heritage solid wood archtops have slightly thicker tops to help resist feedback...less vibration...in theory.

 

Turning the bass eq down and standing away from the amp helps too.

 

For LOUD playing, you'll need a lam top. No question. Wolfe had some lam topped 575's that looked cool.

 

Thanks Git

 

I am not a really loud player, its just that I am in small rooms, and the carved tops really start moving with the vibrations from the bass, the sax etc..which have to sometime fire almost at each other ! In larger rooms, with "space' between the players and the band arranged conventionally its a lot better for the carved top

Regarding the 575's laminates, they are great but they are not long scale (25 1/2) , they are short scale

 

thanks for your comments