skydog52

Great Classic Axe! Their first model. Congratulations and Welcome Aboard!

This is from the 1997-1998 website page. Here is a link to their model order at the time. http://web.archive.org/web/19990819152831/http://heritageguitar.com/company/model_history.htm How it all began... Heritage Guitar Inc. of 225 Parsons Street in Kalamazoo, Michigan was incorporated on April 1, 1985. Although as of this writing the company is barely 12 years old, it has achieved the status of one of the premier guitar companies in the world today. It is, in many instances, the only new guitar line handled by countless vintage shops throughout the world. This indicates it is thought of as the collectible guitar of tomorrow. The idea to start Heritage Guitar began when the Gibson Guitar Corporation closed its Kalamazoo, Michigan factory in September of 1984 and moved all production to its other plant in Nashville, Tennessee (in operation since 1975). When this took place, some of the employees were asked to move to Nashville. However, since their families had spent many years in Kalamazoo, it made it difficult to uproot and move. Therefore 3 men, Jim Deurloo, Marv Lamb, and JP Moats, decided to start a guitar manufacturing business. In 1985 when the company was incorporated, 2 other former Gibson Guitar Corporation employees, Bill Paige and Mike Korpak, joined as owners. Mike left the company in 1985. The founders biggest resource is and was the group of craftsmen they could draw from to begin operations. The owners themselves each had in excess of 25 years of hands on experience in making guitars. To this day each of the owners is directly involved in the manufacturing of each instrument. Heritage started operations in the oldest of five buildings formerly owned and operated by Gibson Guitar Corporation. That building was completed in 1917 and has been a center for guitar manufacturing ever since. Much of the machinery that Heritage uses today was purchased from Gibson Guitar Corporation. The first guitar Heritage introduced was the H140 solid body single cutaway electric guitar. This model was shown at the NAMM show in June of 1985. Since that time Heritage has added many instruments. Currently Heritage manufacturers Custom Carved Hollow Body Guitars, Semi Hollow Body Guitars, Solid Body Guitars, Basses, Acoustic Guitars, Mandolins, and a Banjo. This is to say nothing of the countless number of custom instruments made in each of the groups previously mentioned. Heritage is proud of its employees’ 25 years of average experience and what is has accomplished in 12 years.

Savage! Ha Ha

I definitely miss those days. I could make the trip to the factory in 1.5 hours and went there many times to pick out wood for my customers guitars and my guitars many times. It definitely was a special time for me and I know many others. I can't get an order filled these days. Definitely Disappointed

H-140 1st Generation Neck - 17 degree peghead pitch; one piece mahogany neck. Fingerboard - 24 3/4” scale rosewood; with 22 frets; with mother of pearl position markers. Body - Single cutaway carved curly maple top and solid mahogany back, cream bound top; with cream pickguard. body size: rim thickness - 1 1/2” body width - 12 1/2” body length - 17” Electronics - Two humbucking pickups with exposed coils, two volume and two tone controls with selector switch. Hardware - Chrome plated hardware. With plastic pick guard. H-140 Gold Top -(Color Shown) Same specs as H-140CM. *Shown with pickup covers. H-140CMV - Same as H-140CM but with VAR-I-Phase features. Color Shown - Gold Top

Does anyone actually follow the thread?

As I said he traced it from the original ES 140. The ES 140 was actually a 3/4 size hollow body guitar. I love to hear the back stories from these guys. Marv is getting up in age and at first he states he can't recall some of the details but the more I talk to Him the details start to come into view. I hope I have as good a memory as him when I get up there.

I talked to Marv recently and the numbering system started with the H-140, their first model. That was originally traced from the old ES-140 that Gibby had back then. He said they would get together as a group and just add a number as they upgraded models.

B ack N eck R im

Happy Holidays! Thanks for posting. Nice arrangement and playing!

Nice Pair! Marty Grass is a Great Seller and has the best.

https://web.archive.org/web/19981201071755/http://www.heritageguitar.com/company/model_history.htm

Marv told me he named the H-357 as kind of a dig at the Firebird models that Gibby made the 3, 5 and 7. I asked him where they came up with the Academy and Prospect names. He told me him and Jim named them after streets in Kalamazoo.

A work of art and full contact. Nicely crafted.

1989 Catalogue https://jedistar.com/images/april17/Heritage_Guitars_Catalog_1989.pdf