What is it about your Heritage that does it for you the most!

[barrymclark]

The thing about my 140 that I like the most is that it is such a utility instrument in my ears. It is somewhere between an SG and an LP with a lean to the LP. The Schallers have that old Danny Cedrone/Franny Beecher sound that I fell in love with as a kid listening to the opening to Happy Days.

 

I know this guitar can do anything... anything at all... and believably! Metal, blues, jazz, oldies, country. You name it.

 

I certainly hope to one day add more Heritages to the stable, but, believe me, I am not going without having the 140 as my only!

 

What about you guys?

[eljay]

this is a worthy thread that i will enjoy following!

 

right now, for me, the only thing about "my" H is anticipation, since she's just a-buildin' up in Kzoo . . .

[Spectrum13]

For me it all started in 2007 when I had the urge to start playing again after too many decades. I may not be alone in chasing after my youth through the need to re-acquire the classic instruments of my past. While I still had my ampeg from 1965 and a "copy" of my 1961 strat, I really needed a goldtop LP like the one I purchased new in 1968. Engaging search engines I began the hunt for a 150. Once in my hands, it was much like being 18 again but with a better income then I had in school. Thus the "Heritage" addition began and I replaced my P90 and 345 guitars as well.

[Kuz]

Pure and simple..... NO OTHER GUITAR SOUNDS AS GOOD AS MY HERITAGES. PERIOD

 

They use the best wood.... they use old world true handmade craftsmanship.

 

Heritages play great, but so do many different company's guitars.

 

Again, I can't state it enough if you want a vintage sounding guitar (50s or 60s Les Paul, 335, or archtops) then there is something magical about Heritage guitars. he best term I heard was a "true NEW modern playing vintage guitar".

 

If you don't want a vintage sounding guitar then you have many companies to choose from.

 

If you want a vintage sounding guitar, then Heritage does it the best, period.

[Jazzpunk]

The tone first and foremost but I also really dig the finishes!

[eljay]

For me it all started in 2007 [2009] when I had the urge to start playing again after too many decades. I may not be alone in chasing after my youth through the need to re-acquire the classic instruments of my past. [you are not!] While I still had my ampeg from 1965 and a "copy" of my 1961 strat, I really needed a goldtop LP like the one I purchased new in 1968. Engaging search engines I began the hunt for a 150. Once in my hands, it was much like being 18 again but with a better income then I had in school [roger, that!]. Thus the "Heritage" addition began and I replaced my P90 and 345 guitars as well.

 

some kool parallels between your sitch--ee-ation and mine and you captured the essence very well! i am so looking forward to getting my H (h530)! also, i have "discovered" rickenbackers and they too are a delight.

 

regards, eljay

[JeffB]

Im not as enamored by my H150 as I was for the first couple of years. Its no longer the be all and end all. Ive started to play my other guitars now so i guess they honey moon period is starting to come to an end. It kind of came to an end when I started to look at other H150's and LP's and realised I already had what I wanted and I felt GAS just die within me.

I found out how my H150 reacted to gain and different tone control adjustments, found out what licks I could and couldnt play higher up the neck, what amps, pedals it works with and what it doesnt work with. After exploring it to the inth the H150 lost some of its mystique and became just a guitar, just like my others that I probably had the same experience with.

But man, I just love playing it for its classic tones and feel. I dont need to look any further for "that" sound. It is what it is and leaves me wanting nothing as far as a SC, set neck, mahogany and maple, two HB 2 vol 2 tone control guitar goes. Im sorted. Thats what I like about my H150. It ended any further searching for increments and it did it wonderfully. I rarely even look at it, I just play it. Im more familiar with its sound and feel than its visual appearance. I get suprised if I do stop and look at it and sometimes wish it was a different finish. But thats just a vague transitory thought that might pass through at 2:00am every once in a long while. Just like this post

[FredZepp]

I'd have to say the tone of all of my Heritages is top notch. Even though they are different from each other, all have the Parsons St Mojo and the Kalamazoo Craftsmanship.

They are at least as special to me today as they were the day that I first got them

 

But a Big part of what does it for me is ...the feel. They just feel good to pickup and play.

 

Finest woods, Vintage vibe and careful craftsmanship by hand... all add up to the Heritage experience.

 

[yngwie308]

Pure and simple..... NO OTHER GUITAR SOUNDS AS GOOD AS MY HERITAGES. PERIOD

 

They use the best wood.... they use old world true handmade craftsmanship.

 

Heritages play great, but so do many different company's guitars.

 

Again, I can't state it enough if you want a vintage sounding guitar (50s or 60s Les Paul, 335, or archtops) then there is something magical about Heritage guitars. he best term I heard was a "true NEW modern playing vintage guitar".

 

If you don't want a vintage sounding guitar then you have many companies to choose from.

 

If you want a vintage sounding guitar, then Heritage does it the best, period.

Amen brother that is the gospel truth!! When I received my Heritage Gary Moore's, I felt that they were 1950's era Les Paul's when I took them out of the cases, even though I had issues with the hardware, ie bridges, tailpieces, ect., which is my issue, not the factories.

The wood used, the attention to detail and the craftsmanship is what was the most striking thing.

Yes mine have EMG 81's, not your PAF style pickup exactly, but after the tweaks I had done to mine by that late great luthier, they are the most amazing Les Paul type guitars I have ever played. I would say my 1952/56 Goldtop coversion, is right up there, but that has a replacement neck, but original fretboard and binding, ect., is up there.

Not until I visit Tom Witterock at Third Eye Music in Missouri, which he has invited me to do, so I expect to be as satisfied with any Les Paul type guitar.

True mine are not light guitars, yet they play and sing amazingly.

They are true works of art and beautiful just to look at.

It's the vibe of them, the feeling of attention to detail and the whole Kalamazoo aura that I feel...

I love my Heritages and they are among my favorite guitars and never have I had the desire to own a newer Gibson Historic or anything. I have what I feel is superior!

Dave yngwie308

[plexirocker 68]

Pure and simple..... NO OTHER GUITAR SOUNDS AS GOOD AS MY HERITAGES. PERIOD

 

They use the best wood.... they use old world true handmade craftsmanship.

 

Heritages play great, but so do many different company's guitars.

 

Again, I can't state it enough if you want a vintage sounding guitar (50s or 60s Les Paul, 335, or archtops) then there is something magical about Heritage guitars. he best term I heard was a "true NEW modern playing vintage guitar".

 

If you don't want a vintage sounding guitar then you have many companies to choose from.

 

If you want a vintage sounding guitar, then Heritage does it the best, period.

 

 

Yep what he said

 

plexi

[fxdx99]

Simple - just asked myself

 

Q: "fx, WWBP (what would Brent play?)...

 

A: well, was obvious

[Patrick]

Im not as enamored by my H150 as I was for the first couple of years. Its no longer the be all and end all. Ive started to play my other guitars now so i guess they honey moon period is starting to come to an end. It kind of came to an end when I started to look at other H150's and LP's and realised I already had what I wanted and I felt GAS just die within me.

I found out how my H150 reacted to gain and different tone control adjustments, found out what licks I could and couldnt play higher up the neck, what amps, pedals it works with and what it doesnt work with. After exploring it to the inth the H150 lost some of its mystique and became just a guitar, just like my others that I probably had the same experience with.

But man, I just love playing it for its classic tones and feel. I dont need to look any further for "that" sound. It is what it is and leaves me wanting nothing as far as a SC, set neck, mahogany and maple, two HB 2 vol 2 tone control guitar goes. Im sorted. Thats what I like about my H150. It ended any further searching for increments and it did it wonderfully. I rarely even look at it, I just play it. Im more familiar with its sound and feel than its visual appearance. I get suprised if I do stop and look at it and sometimes wish it was a different finish. But thats just a vague transitory thought that might pass through at 2:00am every once in a long while. Just like this post

 

Ya know tully .. . . I can relate to what it is that you're saying. I own quite a few Heritages and I plan on buying quite a few more. But I can tell you this . . . . it's not for the sound or the tone. Sure, they sound great. But so do many other manufacturers guitars. The best guitarist I know (personally) is a "natural talent, self taught, can't read a note, FEEL type guitarist named Larry Capoli from my home town of Jersey City, NJ. He's a combination of Jeff Beck, Joe Walsh and Larry Carlton. On any given gig night, he's playing something different . . . . and most of the time he couldn't tell you how he feels about any guitar. After seeing him one evening, just blowing me away with some of his playing, I said to him . . . . "Larry . . . I've never seen you play a telly before . . . man you just smoked it. Is that your favorite axe?" He just looked at me and smiled and said . . . "man . . . I just play" The Heritage guitars . . . at least for me . . . are about the boys at Parsons Street, the history, the vibe, the quality . . . . in short . . . . it's about . . . "The Heritage" of American guitar building. I think that's what we all love!

[barrymclark]

Patrick,

 

I can agree with what you are getting at, it is the player and not the guitar. However, I have found, for me, that the guitar has to talk to me to some degree. How it plays and how it sounds pretty well dictates what I do with it.

 

Sometimes, they seem to say nothing at all. I can even like them in someone else's hands, but in my own, nothing.

 

I was honestly not a fan of LPs or similarly built guitars until I got my hands on a Heritage. The sound, like in my video, talks to me. The sound actually draws out an emotional reaction of sorts. You can just get lost in it. Kinda lame, I know, but that is how it feels. I know from playing a single note whether or not I want to play a second.

 

I get that from my 73 Gibson acoustic and my 91 Heritage 140. I didn't get that from my Ibanez V, my custom guitar or any of the other many I have owned.

 

I know the vibe of where a Heritage comes from plays a major role in my feelings towards the instrument at a start, but it takes more than that to keep me interested beyond that honeymoon bit.

 

Like meeting a girl, she can be a hot as ever but if there is just nothing there for you beyond the initial 'wow', it won't last. I have bought many a 'hot' guitar only to sell them months later.

 

The Heritage, since I bought it early last year, has been played.... and played... then I changed the pickups... and it sat for about 3 months... then I put the Schallers back in... apologised profusely to the guitar gods... and now it is played... and played... and played....

[ronalr]

I would say I like the quality of the instruments...all 3 of mine are top notch...I also like the history of Heritage and like that they are still hand made by some of the original guys.

And the necks on all 3 are some of the most comfortable necks of all the guitars I own........oh and they sound great

[brentrocks]

For me, its the "hometown pride". The personal connection. From my '89 H 150 to my '10 H 137, the quality is so good, the feel is solid, the tone is the best.

[Ray]

For me it is simply the craftsmanship, quality and tone of the instrument.

[Hfan]

You guys have listed the many attributes of Heritages very well, no arguments here. One more factor comes to mind..they are a good value for the money compared to what is available at a similar price point from other manufacturers.

[High Flying Bird]

The quality, the history, the price and the people. When I hold my 535s in my hands they feel like they were custom made for me.

 

 

For me, its the "hometown pride".

 

Me too Brent, "Ich bin ein Kalamazooan."

[barrymclark]

"Ich bin ein Kalamazooan."

[barrymclark]

One of the other things about my 140 I like is that it is distinctive from the other similarly shape models. You can see an old 140 from across the room without flipping the guitar up to see how thick it is.

 

That is one of the things that bummed me about the new 140 but they did include it in the Anniversary edition.

 

That just sort of says that the 140 is not a wannabe 150 to me.

[tulk1]

Not until I visit Tom Witterock at Third Eye Music in Missouri, which he has invited me to do, so I expect to be as satisfied with any Les Paul type guitar.

Dave yngwie308

Dave,

 

I know Tom. Nice guy. Got to handle his older than dirt LP Gold Top. Which looks like dirt now, too. He knows a lot about LP History!

 

As for what does it with my Heritages? They play good, they sound good, they're built well. And you don't have to take out a mortgage to get one.

[schundog]

Like most of you, I love the history and story of the company, but I would not have bought one had the sound, feel, and look all not been there. My new-to-me 535 is set up incredibly well, and I prefer the input jack location on my Heritage, as oposed to my my ES-335. It just makes more sense. As much as I like the sound of the Heritage, my 335 sounds better to ME with the 57 pickups. That easy enough to remedy on my Heritage, but I've heard stories of how guys switch out their Schallers, and then switch them back in later! These are staying put for now, and I feel my next acquisition will be a Heritage 150!

[BlindDogWillie]

I guess for me, I can't believe I can get a guitar of that quality, beauty, feel, and tone for the small amount of bones I laid down for it.

 

Reading the HOC forums and elsewhere on the web, and seeing other Heritage guitars, they are truly amazing.

[smurph1]

For me it is simply the craftsmanship, quality and tone of the instrument.

+1

[Thundersteel]

I wanted something better--and different--than what most everyone else has out there.