Jump to content
Heritage Owners Club

Heritage H 170 - your opinions?


Lionheart

Recommended Posts

OK, so the Heritage guitar that has caught my eye for the last year or so is the H 170. Can anyone who owns one chime in and tell me how they sound, how solid they are etc? I have a Gibson Les Paul studio, which I believe would be the closest guitar I own as a comparison.

 

Any/all advice is appreciated!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have an H-170 custom order (I bought it used; am not the original owner) which you can see over there:

 

<-----------------<<<

 

It is a solid body guitar, slightly thinner than an H-150. Mahogany body, carved maple cap, mahogany neck in the usual Heritage 50s/60s mold (not thin, not chunky, juuuuuust right). Mine has HRW pickups and a monster tonesucker (Bigsby vibrato) bolted to the top. Switching is the usual vol/vol/tone/3-way. Except, mine has push-pull pots so I can split either of the pups at any time. It is ultra-flexible, sonically. How does it sound? Well, it sounds fantastic, I think. It can get a nice single-coil thing going on the bridge with the pot pulled, but it's not "ice pick in your ear" if you know what I mean. Great jazzy tones on the neck with the tone rolled down a bit. Mine also has an ebony board which is the cat's pajamas! Damn, I've only been using it for lessons every other week lately. Now I'm going to have to go pull it out and plug it in!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have an H-170 custom order (I bought it used; am not the original owner) which you can see over there:

 

<-----------------<<<

 

It is a solid body guitar, slightly thinner than an H-150. Mahogany body, carved maple cap, mahogany neck in the usual Heritage 50s/60s mold (not thin, not chunky, juuuuuust right). Mine has HRW pickups and a monster tonesucker (Bigsby vibrato) bolted to the top. Switching is the usual vol/vol/tone/3-way. Except, mine has push-pull pots so I can split either of the pups at any time. It is ultra-flexible, sonically. How does it sound? Well, it sounds fantastic, I think. It can get a nice single-coil thing going on the bridge with the pot pulled, but it's not "ice pick in your ear" if you know what I mean. Great jazzy tones on the neck with the tone rolled down a bit. Mine also has an ebony board which is the cat's pajamas! Damn, I've only been using it for lessons every other week lately. Now I'm going to have to go pull it out and plug it in!!!

 

Thanks for your post - How is the weight? My Les Paul is probably the heaviest guitar I own, and quite frankly, it's one of the things I like most about it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for your post - How is the weight? My Les Paul is probably the heaviest guitar I own, and quite frankly, it's one of the things I like most about it.

 

Being as it's a bit thinner, it's probably a bit lighter. I'd put it around 8.5 pounds, but I can check when I get home tonight, if you'd like. It's certainly not a boat anchor (some H-150s run into the 10# range, IIRC) and while Rob said it was "feminine, but in a good way" it really isn't a featherweight either.

 

EDIT: I should clarify about having named it "The Tonesucker." The Bigsby really doesn't suck the tone out of it at all. I had never owned a Bigsby'd guitar prior and had always commented that I thought that big hunk of hardware would, well, suck tone. Turns out they don't. :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK, so the Heritage guitar that has caught my eye for the last year or so is the H 170. Can anyone who owns one chime in and tell me how they sound, how solid they are etc? I have a Gibson Les Paul studio, which I believe would be the closest guitar I own as a comparison.

 

Any/all advice is appreciated!

 

I have an older original version from 1986. I had the hardware and pickups changed when I bought it. Pickups are the Duncan P-rails. Never played it with the original Schallers in it so I can't comment on those, the P-Rails are excellent, lots of sustain with very good clean tones and it screams on overdrive / distortion tones. Just weighed it on a digital bathroom scale and it is 7.4 lbs

 

pics courtesy of Brent ( I must get round to taking some new ones ! )

 

with original hardware and pickups

P1010089.jpg

 

with P-Rails and new bridge and tailpiece.

170.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have an older original version from 1986. I had the hardware and pickups changed when I bought it. Pickups are the Duncan P-rails. Never played it with the original Schallers in it so I can't comment on those, the P-Rails are excellent, lots of sustain with very good clean tones and it screams on overdrive / distortion tones. Just weighed it on a digital bathroom scale and it is 7.4 lbs

 

pics courtesy of Brent ( I must get round to taking some new ones ! )

 

with original hardware and pickups

P1010089.jpg

 

with P-Rails and new bridge and tailpiece.

170.jpg

 

That's a great looking guitar.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well... here's my take on it. I've got mine for sale, and thats because of where the back strap pin is.

For me, it restricts access to the upper frets. I realize most players don't have a problem with this, but I thought I'd

just put it out there. My next, and probably last new guitar will be the Heritage H110. Its more like a double cutaway with the strap pin on the end of the elongated horn, making upper frets alot easier for me to reach. Hope its not an issue for you.

post-238-1258794393_thumb.jpg

post-238-1258794551_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My next, and probably last new guitar will be the Heritage H110.

 

The H-110 also caught my eye, as I've mentioned in a couple of other threads. I think it is a great (new for 2009) offering from Heritage. The biggest problem, it seems, is finding a dealer that stocks it where one could see it up close and personal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have owned/played a 1987 170CM as my main axe since 1990 or so and I Love it. The look,feel and sound are top of the line. I did change out the stock Shaller pickup in the bridge for a Duncan Seth Lover back when they first came out.The stock pickup just did not work for me. The Lover took the guitar to a level that many guitars strive for but fail to reach.The rest of the guitar is stock. I would not trade my 170. I wish I had the money to buy one of the new ones as a mate to mine but ,cash is limited so I will just be happy to be able to own 1 example of the best guitar ever made. If you have any questions feel free to ask and I will do my best to answer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I really need to get that thing out more often. Either that or send it to Rob. :)

 

 

Hey, John.... Go listen to The Beatles "You're Gonna Lose That Girl;" that's me singing just behind Lennon, thinking about that 170 of yours! "If you don't take her out tonight...." Send it on anytime! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...