Dick Seacup Posted February 18, 2008 Posted February 18, 2008 I figured Brent was having way too much fun for one person, what with all the acquiring he's been doing. So, when I discovered that a close friend of mine, who happens to be a vintage and high-end guitar dealer, had an NOS Heritage Strat (not STAT) looking thing, I figured I better jump on it. The transaction was completed today and it should be here Thursday, Friday at the latest. What? You want to see pics? I didn't take them, but they'll work for now: http://www.shermonster.org/gallery/d/1372-4/DSCN1086.JPG[/img] http://www.shermonster.org/gallery/d/1369-4/DSCN1085.JPG[/img] Mmm, that white nitro has aged to a nice, mellow cream, eh? More? You want more? http://www.shermonster.org/gallery/d/1381-3/DSCN1089.JPG[/img] http://www.shermonster.org/gallery/d/1384-2/DSCN1090.JPG[/img] "What is it?!?!" you ask? I'll tell you...it's a Heritage H160-V that was built on 06 OCT 86 and never sold by the dealer. Solid mahogany body and one-piece, set mahogany neck. The bridge is a Kahler 2xxx Series Pro, which means there's not much of a route underneath it. The paperwork, trem arm, wrenches and case are missing, though. Big deal...my new friend Ren says he has a period correct OHSC for it and the trem parts are still available from Kahler. w00t! According to Ren, there were very few of these ever built, so finding one NOS is stupid silly. A little cleaning, new strings, a setup, replace the missing arm, and I'll be shreddin' in no time!
doggy1972 Posted February 18, 2008 Posted February 18, 2008 Looks like a nice neck on that one. You really do like the obscure ones dick Well done. Bottom feeder supreme hehe
JohnCovach Posted February 18, 2008 Posted February 18, 2008 Nice guitar and a good investment too, I'll bet. I have to say, I've played some clubs where I would have felt a lot safer if I'd had a guitar with a good point at the end!!
brentrocks Posted February 18, 2008 Posted February 18, 2008 VERY COOL!!!! that is an odd/rare duck for sure!!!
Thundersteel Posted February 18, 2008 Posted February 18, 2008 Nice! You'll be rippin' on some Dokken solos with that one, for sure!
Sparky Posted February 18, 2008 Posted February 18, 2008 Break out the spandex and hairspray... pop metal is comin' to town!
brentrocks Posted February 18, 2008 Posted February 18, 2008 Nice! You'll be rippin' on some Dokken solos with that one, for sure! LMAO!!!!!
Dick Seacup Posted February 18, 2008 Author Posted February 18, 2008 I was thinking more of Wingwee Malmstein solos. Heh.
Gitfiddler Posted February 18, 2008 Posted February 18, 2008 WOW! What a cool (NOS) Heritage. That is one for the books, Dick. That is extremely interesting construction for a Super-Strat guitar!! Be sure to let us know how that things sounds and plays when you get a chance. And did it come with the necessary 'Glam Rock Accessory Package'? (Big hair wig, Pre-stuffed spandex pants, Make-up, and Shred-god (ala lip-puckering Yngwe) Posing lessons?)
jacques Posted February 18, 2008 Posted February 18, 2008 VERY interested to know what it does. You probably remember some of what I reported on my 162 extra ordinaire and I bet this buddy will do some great singing too. If the Kahler needs parts you can still order quite a few through their website. Very fast delivery. Not cheap. Like your 160-V my 162 was never sold in twenty years by the dealer. You will discover, just like I did, how nice it will play for you and how unbelievably stupid it is that these guitars never got sold.
chico Posted February 18, 2008 Posted February 18, 2008 That is a Strat on steroids. Congrats on the find, Chico
Dick Seacup Posted February 18, 2008 Author Posted February 18, 2008 VERY interested to know what it does. You probably remember some of what I reported on my 162 extra ordinaire and I bet this buddy will do some great singing too. If the Kahler needs parts you can still order quite a few through their website. Very fast delivery. Not cheap. Like your 160-V my 162 was never sold in twenty years by the dealer. You will discover, just like I did, how nice it will play for you and how unbelievably stupid it is that these guitars never got sold. I was waiting for you to get on, jacques! I thought you might like the 160, based on your review of the 162 on H-C. Perhaps you will be able to make it to the get together in July and bring your 162 and then we can compare and contrast!
jacques Posted February 19, 2008 Posted February 19, 2008 oooh Dicky, dude, I really wish I could!! I'd love to meet all you guys in person, but flying to the States and leave the whole family behind is just impossible - they would ban me! And to take all of 'em like I did last year is a bit too expensive. Hopefully later. But I'm very curious to hear what this not-so-white-anymore beauty will do for (and to) you, believe me.
Dick Seacup Posted February 21, 2008 Author Posted February 21, 2008 It has arrived! The "white" lacquer is a yellowish cream color, very nice. The grain of the (two-piece) mahogany body is visible through the finish, which means the lacquer is very thin and sinking...shweet! The rosewood board is extremely light, the lightest (color) rosewood I have ever seen. But, maybe it'll darken up once I get some lemon oil on it. More importantly, the whole guitar weighs only about 6 pounds. This is the lightest Strat-style guitar I have ever held. Frets look nice and meaty, maybe needing only a little Flitz polish to shine them up. Now to wait for the trem arm and wrenches to show up. : Pics when I get a chance.
brentrocks Posted February 21, 2008 Posted February 21, 2008 Pics when I get a chance. NNNOOO...pics now..... ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Dick Seacup Posted February 23, 2008 Author Posted February 23, 2008 Sorry, haven't had time to take pics. I did have time to look it over more closely, though. The lacquer has some checking in both horn/cutaway areas, around the nut area of the headstock (lacquer only, not structural) and on the back by the lower bout. I have never owned a guitar with checking and I happen to think it is very freaking cool...now I have a better understanding of the relic thing. Well, OK, not really. Anyway, I plugged her in to my trusty Bandit 112 and wailed away. Everything works as advertised and this thing rings like a bell! Notes have very nice definition and separation and the pups all have sufficiently different tonal characteristics that adding and subtracting them is a lot of fun. The neck pup has a sort of scooped-mid thing going, and sounds warm without being muddy or dark. The middle pup alone almost sounds like it has reverb on it. The bridge bucker in bucker mode is full, thick and defined. In split mode, it sounds less full and thick, has more treble and maintains great definition. With the neck and bridge together it's a chunka-chunka rhythm machine. With the middle and split bridge it honks like a horn...very, very interesting, as I've never had anything that sounds quite like this. On middle and neck, it has that scooped-mid accentuated by a noticeable "quack." The only thing I can't seem to get is twang, but I haven't really messed with the tone knob yet. So, my verdict is "Damn Cool Guitar!" Big huge thanks to my buddy Al at Lost Art Vintage for hooking me up!
jacques Posted February 23, 2008 Posted February 23, 2008 Great guitar, isn't it!? have you tried the in between settings? Sounds just like a Fender Strat, both with or without the humbucker. And the warm in between setting (between neck and middle pickup) is great too. The more I play this thing, the more I love it. Possibly yours is a bit different from mine, since I have the maple bolt-on type and you the glued in mahogany, but I'm sure this will be an interesting axe, indeed also in the rythm department. I'm negotiating to buy Brentrocks Stat, because I am curious to hear what it does with the maple cap and all, but I'm afraid we will have around $500 expenses (shipping, taxes) on a $775 geetar, which sounds silly to me. Wish one of the HOC members came to Europe this summer, so he could maybe bring it over...
SouthpawGuy Posted February 23, 2008 Posted February 23, 2008 I'm negotiating to buy Brentrocks Stat, because I am curious to hear what it does with the maple cap and all, but I'm afraid we will have around $500 expenses (shipping, taxes) on a $775 geetar, which sounds silly to me. Hi Jacques ... In Ireland there is a limit below which you do not pay the full amount of import duty. It is roughly 650 euro, above that amount you pay 21% of the value. My last guitar, a Millenium Standard Ultra, I bought from a dealer in the US and shipping was about $140 by USPS, import taxes were an extra 350 euro. I have no idea how import duty is applied in the Netherlands but $500 dollars does seem excessive for a $775 guitar.
brentrocks Posted February 23, 2008 Posted February 23, 2008 i was thinking that we could just "fudge" the customs declaration form on the declared value....but the only downside to that is you can only insure it for the declared amount. people have asked me to do it for them before to dodge the TAXMAN!!!! I hope we can make it happen Jacques...i would love to see it go to you!
cosmikdebriis Posted February 23, 2008 Posted February 23, 2008 i was thinking that we could just "fudge" the customs declaration form on the declared value....but the only downside to that is you can only insure it for the declared amount. people have asked me to do it for them before to dodge the TAXMAN!!!! I hope we can make it happen Jacques...i would love to see it go to you! The answer is (or for legal reasons I ought to say isn't) to declare the guitar as used and damaged for repair (in the "Detailed Description of Goods " box). Get the vendor to pull the strings off unscrew a few bits etc and then Declare the value of the guitar at $100 or so. For "Contents" tick "Other" and for "Explanation" say Guitar. You will pay duty according to the Insured value so the downside of all this is that you will only be insured up to $100. Having said that, in my experience, postal insurance is a joke as, so far as the insurers are concerned, the item wasn't packaged properly no matter how much bubble wrap or whatever you may use and they're unlikely to pay out. If you're buying from Brent then I'd be pretty certain he can package the guitar suitably so I'd take the risk. One last thing. Customs guys aren't idiots. To claim your shiny new looking guitar is worth $20 is going to get them suspicious and at the end of the day, if they decide it's worth $1000 then they'll charge you duty on that whether you like it or not. I'd recommend looking on your local eBay forums as there will almost certainly be some useful threads there, specific to your country. In England we pay duty as a percentage of the declared value of the goods. then on top of that we pay VAT (purchase tax) at 17.5% on top of the Value + Duty + Shipping costs. Then we pay a handling charge (+VAT of course) on top of that. It's called free trade Good luck and don't waste your hard earned on the tax man.
Dick Seacup Posted February 24, 2008 Author Posted February 24, 2008 Great guitar, isn't it!?have you tried the in between settings? Sounds just like a Fender Strat, both with or without the humbucker. And the warm in between setting (between neck and middle pickup) is great too. The more I play this thing, the more I love it. Possibly yours is a bit different from mine, since I have the maple bolt-on type and you the glued in mahogany, but I'm sure this will be an interesting axe, indeed also in the rythm department. I'm negotiating to buy Brentrocks Stat, because I am curious to hear what it does with the maple cap and all, but I'm afraid we will have around $500 expenses (shipping, taxes) on a $775 geetar, which sounds silly to me. Wish one of the HOC members came to Europe this summer, so he could maybe bring it over... I'm not sure if it's because I'm still in the "honeymoon" stage, but every time I pick this H160 up, I am amazed by how light and resonant it is. With it resting on my leg, having strummed the open strings and then touching the end of the headstock, it just vibrates like nobody's business. I am curious if all of the super-strat Heritage's are built this well or if mine is just "special." I haven't been able to coax what I would call "authentic" Strat tones out of it, but I think the mahogany body and neck have a lot to do with that. On the other hand, on neck+split-bridge into some drive, I can pretty much nail the tone for "Reelin' in the Years" and the notes stay well defined without getting distorted (like they do when I use anything with P90s or buckers). I am simply amazed at what this guitar can do. Hard to believe it's a "super strat." LOL. I hope you get over the hurdles and are able to pick up Brent's STAT. I would have been interested in it, but he hadn't decided to sell it when this H160 popped up. Good luck with it!
brentrocks Posted February 24, 2008 Posted February 24, 2008 I'm glad you are diggin your 160!!! it sounds like a really special Heritage! You were so lucky to find that 160 in that condition..you must be ecstatic!!! I dont want to hijack, but i feel i need to say this...i have never felt more pride and loyalty to a guitar company, than i do to Heritage...they are a great american made instrument, made by great people. (i just needed to get that out) I hope Jacques and I can make this work too...i realize how difficult it is for you guys to get these great guitars over the pond...i have shipped quite a few across the water and have always had great success.
AnH555 Posted February 24, 2008 Posted February 24, 2008 Nice score, Dick. Looks like a fun toy. So you went for a Hamer as well? I just hope you aren't putting heavy flatwounds on everything. Congrats.
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