hiro Posted November 25, 2009 Posted November 25, 2009 Hey guys, I'm Hiro, hailing from Sunny San Diego. I've put the background / reasoning below, but a summary: I've narrowed my electric guitar choices (I'm from a classical background) to G & L, and Heritage (being alphabetic), due to I can play both in the shop, and the quality is excellent and price won't slay my bank account. 1) Why did Ed Roman say Heritage was the best in 2001 but now in 2009 he says the quality isn't up to standards (his)? (I know Ed Roman has issues, but he did clue me into Heritage, and other sources do back up his rants about Gibson and PRS etc . . .) 2) Any quality issues of Heritage in recent models? Are they cutting corners like Gibson? Yeah I know, asking in the Heritage owners, but some of you own several across the years . . . And some of you are candid enough to help. Although which one (GL or Heritage) I feel plays best will win .. . (I think I'll like Heritage more because I prefer the Gibson Les Pauls neck vs the Fender necks when I tried them in Guitar Center. I know, what am I doing in a GC? But GC had a chromatic boss tu 12 that no one else had lol), this will really help for me because I want to know more. Playability is sound and feel . . . Also I do like the heft that some reviewers complain about Heritages . . . back ground I have some what a intermediate level classical (several years ago), and my guitar teacher went on a summer vacation permanently (he's a surfer) . Then Life got in the way (and a dangerous woman) but I ditched the evil girl, ran from the bad scenes, picked up the pieces. Years later returned home, fighting depression and loss . . . and found my guitar still intact. Funnier still, some of the pieces came to my mind. I'm playing again. And the fire returned. I have a new set of ultra cool friends and uber musicians. They jam alot but I'm just singing b/c I only know classical pieces when a guitar finds its way into my hands . . . also they have a congo, didgeridoo and a box drum player but not an electric guitar player . . . also I want to explore my guitar horizons. So I'm looking for an electric guitar. I'd done some research past and present and in the process decided G & L and Heritage were it. Reasoning is there's a great guitar store in my area that sold me my classical (it was for $400 but my CG teacher said it was worth at least 800 and good choice as it had non laminates). Also the pricing won't slay my bank account and the quality is great. I also came across to Ed Roman's rants in 2001, who actually led me to find out about Heritage and Gibson's history. I remember in 2001 Ed Roman jocked Heritage and gave it two thumbs up and two toes by saying they were the best of all the Gibson type guitars. I didn't get into electric b/c my classical teacher said it would mess up my style (I was a n00b back then. Still am but at least I know you can learn two different styles like someone learns two different languages, hard but doable). But currently, I hear he isn't carrying Heritage because he says the quality doesn't meet his needs / standard now. I've learned that Ed Roman has alot of issues (google sheds alot of light on things), his guitars are either hit or miss, he is rude n crude . . . But still his rants about certain brands do ring true (like Gibsons CEO running the company down I was shocked ill give you one link: http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Gibson-Gu...views-E6869.htm or the PRS heel, my rock guitar friend, she switched away from PRS due to the heel changes). I figured there might have been something amiss because Heritage gets awesome reviews all the time, even past Ed Roman's suggested Heritage golden years (On his site he says Heritage followed suit with Gibson by using plywood vs actual spruce etc ). But then I found out Heritage closed its doors and reopened http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issu..._Operation.aspx http://blog.mlive.com/statewidebusinesssto...woops_in_t.html So that gave some credence to Ed's dissmissing them . . . but I saw the Heritage closing doors indefinitely / ebay saying Heritage is closing thread and it gave some insight into that situation. So this one question is: does anyone know if Heritage didn't want to deal with Ed Roman for trying to mod their guitars so he could have something along his vision like in http://www.peerlesstone.com/node/82 and can shed more light on what happened to discolor Ed Roman and Heritage's relation ship? I tried to email Ed but Ed said his rant page takes care of all my answers, and he doesn't entertain unless I'm willing to buy or deal him on a guitar. He said Heritage is following Gibson's footsteps and the quality sucks and good that I'm not "Brainwashed and Infected" by the top brands (Fender / Gibson) and its refreshing from the "mindless zombies" but its EOD (end of discussion) unless I'm "True" and ballsy / man enough to take a chance on a "real American guitar". I knew he was leading into his sales pitch for his guitar brands and since I was only looking at Heritage and G & L I stopped corresponding with him. I won't buy something I can't play and feel in my hands first . . . Whats cool with a classical guitar is you can instantly tell both by sound and examining the top if its laminates and listening . . . lam woods don't carry sound as well as pure. However you guys have visited the factory. You guys actually own them, and some of you have several across the years so the next is Has Heritage taken Gibson-ish shortcuts in recent times?
Millennium Maestro Posted November 25, 2009 Posted November 25, 2009 I dont have time to answer most of you inquiries... here goes. Ed Roman Loved Heritage till he lost the rights to sell, he states Heritage fault... I know the main fault lied within Ed himself and his policies... I truely believe Heritages have gotten better from day one... They have had issues, of which most have been resolved.... I have many heritages of all types and have never gotten a turd!! As with any guitar and I mean ANY GUITAR... setup is the most important factor, do your diligence picking the right weight, features and character... then have a master set it up for YOU! As per Ed's statements.... logically if you cant sell a brand would you pump it up? .... If you make a comperable product yourself with more profit, is it not logical to try to sell more of your product and Hype the features!! (Quicksilver vs PRS, etc) .... Ed is Ed Heritage closed the doors after a fire. Ed Closed his doors because he hates window shoppers/ lookey Lou's? Right! What you really need to do is take all that information you find online and ABSORB IT WITH A BIG GRAIN OF SALT... I would never trust Ed's word... he has personally screwed too many of my friends... I however have several guitars that solely exist because of his concepts and beliefs and I would classify them all as pick of the litter, and the ones that I didnt pick... someone else can buy! FINAL STATEMENT. Heritage guitars are real handmade guitars by real hardworking Americans using Real top quality materials...I'll buy that any day!! Good Luck ps. put away the Ed Roman Bible, there is alot of other information out there.
hiro Posted November 25, 2009 Author Posted November 25, 2009 Thanks for the reply. I'm going to check out a Heritage tomorrow . . . Its amazing, I dug up more dirt . . . I'm doing this just so that future peeps running in here can have answers . . . I was buying a Peavy Delta Blues amp at a local store after I threw up the post, and spoke to a guy who asked me what guitar I was going to plug into it . . . The conversation came around to Heritage, to which he wholeheartedly recommended, then offered for me to try out his H 140 when he gets back next week. I asked about the Ed Roman thing, and found out why Heritage dropped him, apparently he'd screw with customers when he sold Heritages, and when they couldn't get help from them, they eventually went to Heritage and dealt with them, as they would actually help. Heritage eventually got tired Roman was dicking people around too much . . . Also he did things like not include receipts for sales and keep his customers receipts for tax breaks, to say HE purchased a guitar as cost of doing business . . .' Pretty shady . . . I found out a similar story (ah the joy of search engines) http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=619639 MikeHenry Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 37 Quote: Originally Posted by HRydarcik I bought a Heritage 535 from Roman...it was a nightmare. What happened? HRydarcik Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 805 Quote: Originally Posted by MikeHenry What happened? It's been almost ten years...so I might not remember every detail..but when I found out Ed had some lefty 535s I gave him a call...we actually talked a couple of times before we settled on the specifics...I wanted a 535 with the Gibson TOM and bridge, plus I paid extra for a Gibson hard shell case instead of the Heritage...the Gibson has two supports for the neck and headstock, the Heritage didn't. So I paid him and waited for my guitar...UPS delivered it a few days later. I opened the box and the first thing I noticed was the case was the Heritage case...not the Gibson case. I then opened the case and discovered the headstock was cracked...not completely off, but just about snapped in two. I immediately called Ed and told him of the situartion...the snapped headstock and wrong case. The first thing he asked was if the box it came in was damaged..I looked it over and it was fine and told him this. He then told me to kicks some holes in the box and file a claim with UPS...he wanted me to commit fraud. I told him no way and that since he didn't ship it in the case which I paid extra for...a case which had more support for the headstock, that I wanted to ship the guitar back for an exchange...of course he refused. I also noticed that there were several scratches and dings on the guitar...he assured me before the sale that I would be getting one that had never been used or out on the display floor. I believe he lied about that and sold me a used one. He also didn't include a receipt for the guitar...I asked him about that and he said he didn't give receipts for tax purposes. So, I was left with a guitar with a broken headstock..we went around and round for a month or so...he refused to do anything about the guitar. So I called Heritage and told them what happened...they agreed that Ed should replace the guitar and told me they'd get back in touch with me...a while later they called back and told me to ship the guitar to them (at their cost) and that Ed would ship me a new one. The guy's a liar and an asshole, I'd never do busines with him again.
JeffB Posted November 25, 2009 Posted November 25, 2009 Eds line about the PRS heal is a bit out of line as well. Hes just a little troll like fellow. Heritage are great guitars. Dont pay any attention to Eds rants. Hes delusional. A cancer in online research.
TalismanRich Posted November 25, 2009 Posted November 25, 2009 Welcome to the HOC. Regarding Heritage going the way of Gibson, it's exactly the opposite. If you visit the factory, you'll see real people cutting and shaping wood by hand. I've watched them scraping and sanding the sides of an archtop, setting the neck of a 535 by hand, sawing blanks for necks by hand. I posted a link to a Science Channel show that showed the Gibson factory with a conveyor line going along, a CNC router that is channeling 4 LP bodies at a time, a CNC bandsaw cutting a stack of bodies. They mentioned doing 90 an hour. As for which to get, Heritage or G&L? I like 'em both. I have two of each. They are TOTALLY different guitars. If you are a classical player, you might be drawn more towards something like a 535 or Mille, or a 575. If you're looking to go to a "twangy" style, the ASAT is a killer. Play them all and pick the one that feels right to you. Have fun!
tulk1 Posted November 25, 2009 Posted November 25, 2009 Just to reinforce what others have said. Heritage = a true handmade guitar. You'll find little human flaws on everyone of them. It adds to the mystique and mojo (mostly). G&L are great guitars, got a couple myself. And ... there is nothing wrong with the PRS heel. I have (had) both the small and the larger heel, never bothered me one bit. Whatever you decided, be sure to post pics when you get it. Hunting is half the fun.
smurph1 Posted November 25, 2009 Posted November 25, 2009 Hi Hiro..welcome to the cult (I mean club)..Number one..don't deal with Ed Roman under any circumstances, Number 2, G&L and Heritage are both fine quality American made instruments..i guess you just need to decide which one fits your style..I had an ASAT Classic a few years back,.. fine instrument! just didn't fit my style of playing..Mostly Blues Jams etc..The HEritage 140 I have now is really a dream come true for me, Fat tone, Easy playability..these are not machine made "Perfect guitars"..But they reflect the love and experience of the craftsmen that make them..Get one, and enjoy!!
cod65 Posted November 25, 2009 Posted November 25, 2009 Hiro, I have to admit that it was Roman's website that introduced me to Heritage guitars 5-10 yrs ago. I was intrigued by the number of lefties he had, and his 'custom' 'blues deluxe' model was exactly what I was looking for (the Heritage Prospect is essentially the same.) His website was (is?) something else. Are the political rants still up there? Entertaining. I didn't know that classical guitars could even have a laminate top? In the electric world a laminate top isn't necessarily a bad thing, IMO.: You pay less than a solid top, the guitar is stronger and less subject to humidity fluctuations, and tonally there may be little difference to most ears. I have a 158 with a laminate top, and a 575 wiht a solid top. I'm keeping both.
LH575 Posted November 25, 2009 Posted November 25, 2009 I'll make a comment about quality. Each one of the Heritages that I have had in my hands have had a couple flaws. Mostly binding issues. I thought that this was something to worry about until I walked into Guitar Center the other day and picked up several Gibsons. The Gibsons were much much worse. Each one looked rushed, like no care was put into it at all. The is no way I would put down 3k on a Les Paul when I could get a H150 for half that - and with better quality. Now only if they changed their headstock.....(just kidding, guys!!!!!!) As for a Fender type vs Gibson type guitar - totally different beasts. If you keep playing electric guitar, you'll end up with one of each at some point. Good Luck!
hiro Posted November 25, 2009 Author Posted November 25, 2009 LOL I saw the headstock thing in other forums as well as here and made me laugh! It seems every type of forum has some "popular" polar topics that generates 5+ pages / arguments / debates / laughs . . . like the WW2 flight forums have US .50 caliber machine guns can / cannot defeat german tiger tanks or the classical guitar has the "should I buy an electric guitar or not" one . . . Thanks for the replies, I found this thread http://www.heritageownersclub.com/forums/i...7&hl=string by thundersteel , good tips on what to look out for, going to try some H's out today . . . Handcrafting does have some variances . . . my friend and I made surfboards and a expert board shaper knows attention to detail is a must but he says there are basic principles outside of aesthetics or minute details that a difference between excellent and poor . . . that machines won't catch but experienced eye can . . . I know this applies to classical guitars . . .
smurph1 Posted November 25, 2009 Posted November 25, 2009 Hi Hiro, I should tell you I have no direct experience with Ed Roman, but I have heard so many horror stories, I just wanted to save you a huge headache, to make your first Heritage experience a good one..Cheers Scott
yoslate Posted November 25, 2009 Posted November 25, 2009 Regarding Heritage and G&L guitars: I have both, play both out regularly, and they're both excellent, but very different entities. Go somewhere you can try each in relative quietude (That would not be the salesfloor at Guitar Center!), through a decent amp. Let the guitars speak; you listen. You'll wind up with the right guitar.... After you buy the Heritage, you'll visit and post here regularly.
Sparky Posted November 25, 2009 Posted November 25, 2009 Frankly, I don't think the folks at Heritage would even know how to cut corners. They're luthiers, not business people. As far as quality issues... what you'll see is the result of hand-crafting. People aren't perfect. but its PEOPLE making guitars at Heritage... not a machine that you plug in and walk away from. I don't think they even use the Plek machine anymore. Ed Roman has started to reap the boat-loads of bad karma he's put out for a long time. Harmony Central is a testimony to his ability to take your money then treat you like an enemy. The rare rave reviews on HC were put there by Ed himself. Pretty dang slimey. He no longer has a store out in Las Vegas apparently... only does the internet thing now if I'm not mistaken. Last time I looked I didn't see a Vegas address on his website.
grooveyard Posted November 25, 2009 Posted November 25, 2009 Nothing else to say about Ed here, about G&L, if you are to get one get a #3 neck that is their Gibson shaped neck I had an ASAT Classsic Custom Semi with that option. It does feel like a Gibson I would try to get it in a gloss or Gun Oil Tint to get the feel the same. Best of luck
ledzef Posted November 26, 2009 Posted November 26, 2009 LOL well it took me awhile but I finally pulled the trigger on a Blues Deluxe back in 05. The guitar is great but the experience in dealing w/Ed was... let's say interesting. I bought mine while he was having a close out on his Heritage line. I was talking to Ed for about 10-15 minutes while a new set of strings were getting put on and one of his guys was looking for a case, not alot of time for a busy guy like Ed but when I came back the next day to get a warranty from him, didn't even remember me or that I purchased it from him less than 24 hours and gave me a hard time aobut it but one of his guys remembered me and said don't worry about it. The case I got doesn't have Heritage silk screened on it but oh well the main thing is that the guitar is great and I'm going to keep that one until I can't play anymore and than I'll just put it up on the wall and admire it. Weird experience but worth it for the guitar I got.
tyguy Posted November 26, 2009 Posted November 26, 2009 Thanks for the reply. I'm going to check out a Heritage tomorrow . . . Its amazing, I dug up more dirt . . . I'm doing this just so that future peeps running in here can have answers . . . I was buying a Peavy Delta Blues amp at a local store after I threw up the post, and spoke to a guy who asked me what guitar I was going to plug into it . . . The conversation came around to Heritage, to which he wholeheartedly recommended, then offered for me to try out his H 140 when he gets back next week. I asked about the Ed Roman thing, and found out why Heritage dropped him, apparently he'd screw with customers when he sold Heritages, and when they couldn't get help from them, they eventually went to Heritage and dealt with them, as they would actually help. Heritage eventually got tired Roman was dicking people around too much . . . Also he did things like not include receipts for sales and keep his customers receipts for tax breaks, to say HE purchased a guitar as cost of doing business . . .' Pretty shady . . . I found out a similar story (ah the joy of search engines) http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=619639 MikeHenry Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 37 Quote: Originally Posted by HRydarcik I bought a Heritage 535 from Roman...it was a nightmare. What happened? HRydarcik Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 805 Quote: Originally Posted by MikeHenry What happened? It's been almost ten years...so I might not remember every detail..but when I found out Ed had some lefty 535s I gave him a call...we actually talked a couple of times before we settled on the specifics...I wanted a 535 with the Gibson TOM and bridge, plus I paid extra for a Gibson hard shell case instead of the Heritage...the Gibson has two supports for the neck and headstock, the Heritage didn't. So I paid him and waited for my guitar...UPS delivered it a few days later. I opened the box and the first thing I noticed was the case was the Heritage case...not the Gibson case. I then opened the case and discovered the headstock was cracked...not completely off, but just about snapped in two. I immediately called Ed and told him of the situartion...the snapped headstock and wrong case. The first thing he asked was if the box it came in was damaged..I looked it over and it was fine and told him this. He then told me to kicks some holes in the box and file a claim with UPS...he wanted me to commit fraud. I told him no way and that since he didn't ship it in the case which I paid extra for...a case which had more support for the headstock, that I wanted to ship the guitar back for an exchange...of course he refused. I also noticed that there were several scratches and dings on the guitar...he assured me before the sale that I would be getting one that had never been used or out on the display floor. I believe he lied about that and sold me a used one. He also didn't include a receipt for the guitar...I asked him about that and he said he didn't give receipts for tax purposes. So, I was left with a guitar with a broken headstock..we went around and round for a month or so...he refused to do anything about the guitar. So I called Heritage and told them what happened...they agreed that Ed should replace the guitar and told me they'd get back in touch with me...a while later they called back and told me to ship the guitar to them (at their cost) and that Ed would ship me a new one. The guy's a liar and an asshole, I'd never do busines with him again. Aaaamen,to last sentence.He's diggin' Eastman now.I've got one.They make a nice jazz guitar but none of their guitars have enough fret height.Heritage frets are the perfect height and width.E.R. is an a'hole.
rjsanders Posted November 26, 2009 Posted November 26, 2009 my favorite local dealer has (but increasingly rarely) Heritage and (more often) a nice range of U.S. and import G&L's. the G&L's i've tried sound very different from the Heritage solidbodies, so that should make a choice a little clearer (or just get one of each ). i talked to Ed a couple times, among others, before getting my first new Heritage (Millie Ltd. Ed., '00, #028). he wasn't particularly helpful, didn't have the best deals, despite his claims, and can be safely ignored, IMHO
hiro Posted November 27, 2009 Author Posted November 27, 2009 Cod65, yeah the cheap $100 Yamahas (this was a few years ago) and other cheap brands have them. The flamenco guitars being sold in Tijuana or any mexican border cites by walking vendors have them. The sound just sucks and its flat . . . ick . . . Ok so went into a guitar shop, they have a huge stock, you can grab and play, they help you but give you room to think, breathe, and play. Plus the prices are pretty good. THey have 2500 guitars . . . half of them are G & L LOL. They are a Heritage dealer but their solid body stock and 150's line up was pretty thin. I tried both sets (G&L and Heritage). It was on some huge marshall amp (distortion central) cabinet with a speaker as big as I was . . . .and then on a little vox, those cream colored cube new model tube amp with a lil 10' speaker. They had some other amp rooms, most of them with metal type amps like line 6 etc . .. I couldn't get the amp room I wanted (more on that below). The marshall I couldn't get a good read on the sound but the vox rocked it. The G & L's have the fender type of neck (well given their history . . .) and have this punchy twang, very clean sound. It was more richer than the Fender Telecasters, which seem to have a thinner, even more twang . . . The Heritage was rich, and powerful, yet it wasn't in your face, it had this degree of finesse and subtle smooth tone. It was a new H 150 a dark brownish tone color ( forgot to get the name of the color), new, and at first I didn't like the color of it . . . later I loved it. I got the pricing of the Heritage and it was a new one, so it was more than I had anticipated (and came in with). I played it more, but realized I had to test it on the amp room I wanted. I was expecting more H150's on their show room floor but the other ones weren't on my list: one looked like it had been in combat; cracked and repaired, plus the pickups were loose, a very good price . . . one was limited edition with a matching semihollow pair, so it was uber pricy, there was another limited edition one, massively expensive, and a gold top one that was double the price of the H150 going market (I might have had custom work on it and it was new). I thought about getting the one I played . . . the amp room was available, I jumped in there. It was golden, and I ran though Allegro . . . After getting out 'I must own this' went through my mind. I bargained with the guy but the price was at the upper limit of what I had gotten. I didn't factor sales tax .. . So I walked out . . . Later while visiting the website I found out the store had a layaway plan and you pay it off in a month . . . and not only that, I realized I could have gotten it (use a credit card and then rest of balance in cash . . .) then and there. Arrrgh! Oh well. So I'll see if the particular H150 is in there tomorrow or the day after (depending on my schedule), if not I'll have them get stock 150 from the factory (they'll show me all the available colors), it may take time but I really like the sound and feel of the H 150's. the amp room incident: They had the amp room with all the old school amps (including a peavey classic 50) I wanted, but I had no cables, so I walk out get a cable, only to get bummed one of other shoppers dressed the role, with a blonde euro model type girlfriend, looked at me, and grabbed a G & L, literally RAN into the room I wanted and parked his guitar in there. He then hollered at sales store guy to get him cables and then three or five guitars and bring them in there and locked himself in after they did his bidding. His girl was even surprised and he locked it so quick she was left outside. I was laughing at this point, because she gave a wide range of looks of surprise, rage, sadness etc . .. finally settling into a resolute "Oh I'll get him later." Dang that guy had the best cliffs of dover cover I have ever heard. It was near perfect, I heared him mess up and flow into a scale of some sort, but it was great nonetheless. That guy could play. Turns out he's a local rocker. After I played Allegro, I came out of the room, my mind racing on how can I get this . . . Rocker was waiting outside, "Classical?" He gave a respectful nod, as "Yeah," and asked, "You done bro? I mean I wanna use it but you can take your time." I told him the Cliffs was great. He smiled, "Hey come check me out . . . " He gave me his card and told me where he was playing this weekend. We talked about guitars and he remembered when he was strapped for cash and trying to get a good guitar. As we talked his girl got more interested in and getting closer, even touching me on occasion and trying to get my attention. I knew she was trying to get her rocker boyfriend upset . . . but I ignored her and she was doing and kept focusing on him and the guitar conversation. It was funny and finally he told the girl, "Bitch, stop trying to come on to him, bro's either got respect or he's a flamin' " I started cracking up. She just smiled and said "I like what I see," and did this point thing with her lips. Nuts. He went inside and jammed in the room (the girl was admitted in this time)
tulk1 Posted November 27, 2009 Posted November 27, 2009 Great story, Hiro!!! Sounds like your new friend is a stand up dude. Oh, almost forgot the Heritage connection. Hope that guitar is there for you when you go back. And that you feel the same when you try it out again. Ah ... never a dull moment.
tyguy Posted November 27, 2009 Posted November 27, 2009 I'll make a comment about quality. Each one of the Heritages that I have had in my hands have had a couple flaws. Mostly binding issues. I thought that this was something to worry about until I walked into Guitar Center the other day and picked up several Gibsons. The Gibsons were much much worse. Each one looked rushed, like no care was put into it at all. The is no way I would put down 3k on a Les Paul when I could get a H150 for half that - and with better quality. Now only if they changed their headstock.....(just kidding, guys!!!!!!) As for a Fender type vs Gibson type guitar - totally different beasts. If you keep playing electric guitar, you'll end up with one of each at some point. Good Luck! The heritage headstock is designed huge so that straight string pull occurs(think fender).You'll really appreciate the huge headstock if you have a bigsby on your heritage.Go Vol's. "Ty" M.
tyguy Posted November 27, 2009 Posted November 27, 2009 Hey guys, I'm Hiro, hailing from Sunny San Diego. I've put the background / reasoning below, but a summary: I've narrowed my electric guitar choices (I'm from a classical background) to G & L, and Heritage (being alphabetic), due to I can play both in the shop, and the quality is excellent and price won't slay my bank account. 1) Why did Ed Roman say Heritage was the best in 2001 but now in 2009 he says the quality isn't up to standards (his)? (I know Ed Roman has issues, but he did clue me into Heritage, and other sources do back up his rants about Gibson and PRS etc . . .) 2) Any quality issues of Heritage in recent models? Are they cutting corners like Gibson? Yeah I know, asking in the Heritage owners, but some of you own several across the years . . . And some of you are candid enough to help. Although which one (GL or Heritage) I feel plays best will win .. . (I think I'll like Heritage more because I prefer the Gibson Les Pauls neck vs the Fender necks when I tried them in Guitar Center. I know, what am I doing in a GC? But GC had a chromatic boss tu 12 that no one else had lol), this will really help for me because I want to know more. Playability is sound and feel . . . Also I do like the heft that some reviewers complain about Heritages . . . back ground I have some what a intermediate level classical (several years ago), and my guitar teacher went on a summer vacation permanently (he's a surfer) . Then Life got in the way (and a dangerous woman) but I ditched the evil girl, ran from the bad scenes, picked up the pieces. Years later returned home, fighting depression and loss . . . and found my guitar still intact. Funnier still, some of the pieces came to my mind. I'm playing again. And the fire returned. I have a new set of ultra cool friends and uber musicians. They jam alot but I'm just singing b/c I only know classical pieces when a guitar finds its way into my hands . . . also they have a congo, didgeridoo and a box drum player but not an electric guitar player . . . also I want to explore my guitar horizons. So I'm looking for an electric guitar. I'd done some research past and present and in the process decided G & L and Heritage were it. Reasoning is there's a great guitar store in my area that sold me my classical (it was for $400 but my CG teacher said it was worth at least 800 and good choice as it had non laminates). Also the pricing won't slay my bank account and the quality is great. I also came across to Ed Roman's rants in 2001, who actually led me to find out about Heritage and Gibson's history. I remember in 2001 Ed Roman jocked Heritage and gave it two thumbs up and two toes by saying they were the best of all the Gibson type guitars. I didn't get into electric b/c my classical teacher said it would mess up my style (I was a n00b back then. Still am but at least I know you can learn two different styles like someone learns two different languages, hard but doable). But currently, I hear he isn't carrying Heritage because he says the quality doesn't meet his needs / standard now. I've learned that Ed Roman has alot of issues (google sheds alot of light on things), his guitars are either hit or miss, he is rude n crude . . . But still his rants about certain brands do ring true (like Gibsons CEO running the company down I was shocked ill give you one link: http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Gibson-Gu...views-E6869.htm or the PRS heel, my rock guitar friend, she switched away from PRS due to the heel changes). I figured there might have been something amiss because Heritage gets awesome reviews all the time, even past Ed Roman's suggested Heritage golden years (On his site he says Heritage followed suit with Gibson by using plywood vs actual spruce etc ). But then I found out Heritage closed its doors and reopened http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issu..._Operation.aspx http://blog.mlive.com/statewidebusinesssto...woops_in_t.html So that gave some credence to Ed's dissmissing them . . . but I saw the Heritage closing doors indefinitely / ebay saying Heritage is closing thread and it gave some insight into that situation. So this one question is: does anyone know if Heritage didn't want to deal with Ed Roman for trying to mod their guitars so he could have something along his vision like in http://www.peerlesstone.com/node/82 and can shed more light on what happened to discolor Ed Roman and Heritage's relation ship? I tried to email Ed but Ed said his rant page takes care of all my answers, and he doesn't entertain unless I'm willing to buy or deal him on a guitar. He said Heritage is following Gibson's footsteps and the quality sucks and good that I'm not "Brainwashed and Infected" by the top brands (Fender / Gibson) and its refreshing from the "mindless zombies" but its EOD (end of discussion) unless I'm "True" and ballsy / man enough to take a chance on a "real American guitar". I knew he was leading into his sales pitch for his guitar brands and since I was only looking at Heritage and G & L I stopped corresponding with him. I won't buy something I can't play and feel in my hands first . . . Whats cool with a classical guitar is you can instantly tell both by sound and examining the top if its laminates and listening . . . lam woods don't carry sound as well as pure. However you guys have visited the factory. You guys actually own them, and some of you have several across the years so the next is Has Heritage taken Gibson-ish shortcuts in recent times? True, lam-woods don't carry volume and tone like a solid top(and that's a good thing).Myself and a lot of other folks would not play (plugged in)a solid top guitar.I have an Eastman Del Rey,it's all solid woods but it has no"F" holes so not much feedback(with a solid top guitar it's not just feedback it's rumbling roaring and other God awful sounds).Bucky and John Pizzerelli are the latest example of players going back to laminate tops.They played Benedetto's for awhile and couldn't put up with the nuisance of a solid top.They switched to a brand with a laminate top(Moll I think).Chet Atkins had a D'Angelico originally w/a laminate top.He wanted to play it acoustically so he sent it back to have a solid top put on for unplugged acoustic music.Then again He wanted to use it electrically and sent it back again for lam-top.There was a wonderful jazz player(mid 70's) in Boston area(Bucky Auger,I think)who wouldn't even put up with the nuisance of a lam-top.He used a Guild solid body.Think about this,the greatest jazz guitar of all time is an es175(go online check it out)lam-top.Don't you think these 175 players could play any solid top they wanted to?Solid tops are for acoustic music,lam-tops are for makin' money and they are utile,unlike a solid top.Lets see I guess you could use your solid top archtop to play in a Big Band if you can find one.Ed Roman feeds on others ignorance on this subject by saying lam-tops are no good.No,they are better guitars unless,you're playing in your living room at extremely low volume or acoustically.Keep makin' them lam-tops for real players!
tyguy Posted November 27, 2009 Posted November 27, 2009 Get a 550(long scale) or a 575(short scale).You'll be happy.I just got a 550 cause I already have a 175.The long scale is better for fingerpickin'(brighter and better note definition). Ty M.
Steiner Posted November 27, 2009 Posted November 27, 2009 True, lam-woods don't carry volume and tone like a solid top(and that's a good thing).Myself and a lot of other folks would not play (plugged in)a solid top guitar.I have an Eastman Del Rey,it's all solid woods but it has no"F" holes so not much feedback(with a solid top guitar it's not just feedback it's rumbling roaring and other God awful sounds).Bucky and John Pizzerelli are the latest example of players going back to laminate tops.They played Benedetto's for awhile and couldn't put up with the nuisance of a solid top.They switched to a brand with a laminate top(Moll I think).Chet Atkins had a D'Angelico originally w/a laminate top.He wanted to play it acoustically so he sent it back to have a solid top put on for unplugged acoustic music.Then again He wanted to use it electrically and sent it back again for lam-top.There was a wonderful jazz player(mid 70's) in Boston area(Bucky Auger,I think)who wouldn't even put up with the nuisance of a lam-top.He used a Guild solid body.Think about this,the greatest jazz guitar of all time is an es175(go online check it out)lam-top.Don't you think these 175 players could play any solid top they wanted to?Solid tops are for acoustic music,lam-tops are for makin' money and they are utile,unlike a solid top.Lets see I guess you could use your solid top archtop to play in a Big Band if you can find one.Ed Roman feeds on others ignorance on this subject by saying lam-tops are no good.No,they are better guitars unless,you're playing in your living room at extremely low volume or acoustically.Keep makin' them lam-tops for real players! Perhaps you should convince Terrible Ted to go lam...
hiro Posted November 28, 2009 Author Posted November 28, 2009 Ok, an update. This will be short because there will be another thread with pics . . . I finally scored and the guitar was still there! So I have one now. I didn't look at the 535, millie, 575 or 550 because they were $1000 to $7??? more than the h 150's new. . . but I'll keep those in mind if I suddenly get rich or something.
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.