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I don't know about going back to the old business model. It may have something to do with actually making a profit (silly concept, I know). I'm not privy to the financial status of the old company, but I had heard several times that things were indeed often on a "shoestring budget". There were times that I wondered if the owners even paid themselves. It seemed to be more a labor of love. This isn't Jim and Marv building a few guitars. I'm sure that they make a lot more guitars today than they did 15 years ago. Sweetwater alone has 65 guitars listed. CME has 22 listed. Jay Wolfe has 25. That's just 3 dealers. You didn't really see those numbers years ago. Have you visited the factory? The "big money" helped pay for a new dust collection system that makes the place safer, a humidity and temperature control system, a new spray booth where you don't really have to worry about dust contaminating your fresh lacquer, the Plek machine and more. The old factory, while quaint, was really pretty scary from a EHS standpoint. Lots of dust and wood laying around. The spray booth upstairs was open air, so dirt and dust was floating around. It was also quite dangerous, with nitrocellulose coating the entire booth. That stuff is a lot more flammable than some people realize. The business will need to pay for that upgraded equipment. It wasn't free! To their credit, Heritage is still making archtops (the 575 and Eagle Classic). Try to get a new archtop from Gibson. The last one listed was the Chuck Berry ES 350, but it's discontinued. There are a few dozen people making teles and strats. Fender, G&L, Suhr, LSR, PRS, and ton of low cost import versions.

This is Heritage Guitars. Why can't they do whatever they want? They did decades ago running on a shoestring budget. Why with the backing of big money and modern building technics can't they make more guitars? The H-357 is not rocket science. The H-137 is a really great instrument and the jazz boxes that made Heritage famous are missed by some Kalamazoo guitar enthusiasts. Just wondering if it is time for Heritage guitars to go back to some of the practices that brought them to many players attention in the first place. Seriously, I already have enough Les Paul shaped guitars and they are only as good as I am a player. Come on Heritage, make something new! y2kc

Like Rich I hadn't heard the tune, but it was fun! Very well played! Thanks for posting!

Do you mean the knobs are crowded? The H-150s with D-VIP electronics do have relatively less space for pots because of limited control cavity real estate.

I just want to say this is a really sweet guitar. My only complaint is the V/T controls are a little tight. The guitar itself is a winner and very fine example of The Heritage 'early years' based on my limited, but nearly a dozen 'early years' H150s. I'm glad I was able to add this one to the flock!

Congratulations, Mark. Rose-Natural is my all time favorite shade for HJS archtops.

Thanks for listen to it! Yes, this is TikTok's hit tune. Speedy and A minor so good for guitar playing 😂

Heritage made quite a few custom versions of their standard guitars. I met a guy at one of the PSPs that had 2 Heritage Johnny Smiths that were 16" wide.

I've never heard of the song, so I looked up the original on Youtube. I can see how it could get stuck in your head. Its one of those slightly silly tunes that are perfect for being an viral internet hit. Adding the cat video is perfect for the song, and as usual, your playing is impeccable. Nicely done.

About 10 years ago I bought this guitar from someone in Ohio. He wasn't a player, but a friend of his recommended he invest in a couple of new guitars at a guitar show in Cincinatti, if I recall right. This is a Heritage Johnny Smith with an 18" body. I'd like to tell you a good reason I sold it the next year. I think it was a matter of money. I'm not sure. I sold it to a great guy and a forum member. Later he bought a couple of other Heritages from me. Fortunately for me, he agreed to sell the HJS back. There were two 18" HJS made AFAIK. Both were in Cincinatti. Don Dean, of Scotty Moore and Elvis fame, ended up with one. That one is a natural and is 3 1/4" deep. The incoming is the traditional 3" deep. The natural finish one was owned by a friend of mine who had the Floating #3 pickup rebuilt by Kent Armstrong, making it a little hotter. You can hear a difference. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsM3VeXzpVw This is the incoming sister of the natural. It's a rose natural and has the standard Floating #3, which to me sounds warmer. I'm excited!

I agree with bringing back the 157 and also the 555. It doesn't require any significant tooling differences, compared to doing something like the Stat or 127. Binding, inlays and gold hardware are the major differences. Sometimes I regret not going for an H-150LW, although my Millie does fill the bill pretty well. Harmony has the Silhouette and Jupiter guitars which more similar to a Fender style than a 150 or 535. I was surprised they did away with the 137, as I think it was a good "entry level" Heritage, although the price wasn't exactly cheap. I don't know the reasoning for discontinuing it, unless it didn't have the profit margin that a 150 has. I would think it had a lot less labor involved with not having all the binding and carving. The 357 will be a stretch. Watching Marv show all the parts that went into making the body, with the neck through center section and the wings means that there is significant effort involved. There may also be some restrictions with the Gibson agreements. I guess the question is "if they build it, will it sell?"

The h-127 was heritages tele variant.

I agree ,the 137 seems to be a no brainer. Yes to a tele style set neck. possible with the same headstock as a 357. The Heritage "custom shop" of old was a beautiful thing. You knew who you were dealing with and they were up for shenanigans. I have a Heritage that Marv helped me with. It stands out. y2kc

Hi, I play Anime song "Bling-Bang-Bang-Bong" with Heritage Sweet16. If you have time, please listen to it.

Check this out. On our site.

I had no idea they ever made a guitar like that! I googled it, it a really cool guitar. It’s time to bring it back.

I have one of the tele things you are talking about, Christopher. It is the Leon Rhodes signature model....set neck, tele body with three pick ups, pelham blue, and it is cool as shit. I am a fan of the strat type models too as I have (one of each) the 160 and 162. My all time fave is still my H-170.

How about the 137? That should come back and have a Jr version too, single and double cut. For something completely different there could be a set neck guitar that covers the Tele thing. Long scale, similar pickups and controls and woods but a 3x3 headstock and maybe a 10 degree angle.

The 357 is Marv's baby. IMO, they should ask Marv for his blessing before bringing it back as a matter of respect. I'd like to see the 157 and the 150LW come back.

H-357 is pretty labor intensive (IIRC). If they made them, I’m sure they’d cost a pretty penny. I wouldn’t mind the return of the H-157 though.

H-357 is a stretch. I would like to see them get the Custom Shop going. I have a lot of ideas for a build.

To bring back some classics? How about the H-357, Stat and H-140? It gets a little boring seeing the same shapes coming out of Kalamazoo. This is just my personal opinion but I feel that if you have seen one of these current H-150's, you have seen them all. They say that variety is the spice of life. Please Heritage, bring back some spice. y2kc

Me too. Maybe a step in the wrong direction. The full contact bridge base is a step in the right direction. Me too. But I imagine if I bought one it wouldn't look like that. 😞