MartyGrass

My 13 year old grandson now owns it. He is a dedicated guitarist. He's likely going to be 5'5" as an adult. He currently has a large guitar, which is hard for him to play. I gave it to him last year. He's swapping an 18" Gretsch for the 575. https://www.flickr.com/photos/151972168@N02/albums/72157718796977248/

The secret remains.

I'm still setting it up. It was down-tuned for a very long time and a string was missing. I didn't see it before it was renecked, but the first neck was mahogany. Few of us had the good fortune of meeting Aaron Cowles, a master craftsman of the highest order yet very pragmatic. That was the description also of the original Heritage owners. The H-575 is a jazz workhorse. I took video lessons from Mimi Fox and Alex Skolnick years ago, two extraordinary players both using the H-575. It does the job well and is sturdy. Unlike thin topped spruce jazz boxes, this is built for amplification and to take it. (As an aside, here's a fabulous rock solo by Alex that brought tears to the audience.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X07ssteuM8o&t=245s Here's what I don't like: the tailpiece. It functions, but you have to learn how to keep the string ball in it. Previously I had the ball slots deepened in another guitar. If someone knows an easy swap out for the tailpiece that is more solid and secure, please let me know. Bigsbys need not apply.

A friend of mine bought a natural 575 from a Guitar Center years ago. When he got it, he found some neck issue that could not be corrected by adjustment. He took it to the legendary Aaron Cowles, who was doing some upscale work for Heritage at the time. Aaron told him the neck needs replacement. I don't recall the details. Aaron did the replacement. Here's an interview with Aaron. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/gibson-guitar-oral-histories/1/ Aaron died quite a few years ago. I ended up hanging on to the guitar for my friend but didn't play it. Yesterday he sold it to me without ever taking it to his home. If you are feeling sorry for him, consider he has more guitars than anyone else I know. So this is has Schallers. I scoped the innards. It's parallel braced (not all are). Aaron made the neck and but a plain ebony board on it. It's a 3 piece maple. The only piece he got from Heritage is the headstock overlay. My friend requested a five piece neck but Aaron recommended a 3 piece. Aaron fretted it. There are no nibs. That's true with other Aaron builds. Aaron was one of the best of the Kalamazoo luthiers yet a simple man to understand. He always had his pistol handy in shop. He charged very little for his hard work. His humble presentation contradicted his master skills at making guitars and mandolins. The guitar plays well. The neck is to me a medium C carve, maybe a medium plus. It sounds good.

My small experience with Gibson (Memphis and Nashville) has been pretty good. There may have been some rough times in the beginning. Heritage has had its ups and downs but seems quite good the last decade. Most of the earlier guitars also were nicely done. It takes an occasional bad apple that inspires a post on some forum that takes the shine off a reputation.

Ren wouldn't divulge his secret on HRWs. But I have talked about it with him and with his long-time co-workers. He would only smile when asked about what he did to Schallers. My guess is that they took a bath in liquid nitrogen. I highly doubt he did a partial uncoiling for several reasons. The first is the lack of any hum. The second is that a cryo treatment is an established way to modify a pickup. The third is that cryo treating is clean and relatively easy. Why did Heritage promote the HRW? The best answer I can come up with is because they could, especially is the process is secret. Here is what I got from AI. Cryogenic treatment for guitar pickups involves deep-freezing the components (typically to around or ) to permanently improve their molecular grain structure. Proponents claim this process relieves internal stresses in the metal parts, such as magnets and copper wire, resulting in enhanced clarity, smoother frequency response, and increased output. ProjectGuitar.com +4 Claimed Benefits While controversial in the guitar community, those who offer cryo-treated pickups cite several specific tonal and physical improvements: Enhanced Clarity & Definition: Treating materials like copper and silver is said to improve string definition and provide "faster" transients. Smoother Overtones: The process aims to align the molecular structure to be more uniform, which some makers claim makes overdriven tones smoother and more "in tune" by reducing dissonant overtones. Increased Output: Some manufacturers report measurable increases in output (up to 18%) because the treatment potentially lowers electrical resistance and improves conductivity. "Turbo-Aging": For hardware and magnets, cryo-treatment is often marketed as a way to replicate the "relaxed" feel of vintage parts that have naturally settled over decades. Brands & Services Several high-end and boutique brands incorporate cryogenic treatment into their products: Seymour Duncan: Offers the Zephyr Silver series, which uses cryogenically treated silver wire and magnets for maximum expression and detail. Lindy Fralin / Callaham: Features the Callaham Cryogenic Fralin pickups. Callaham has also been known to offer treatment services for customer-supplied parts. V.I.P. Pickups: Uses a "cryo-tuning" process for their LOVERS PAF-style humbuckers to achieve a more transparent, vintage sound. Faber Guitar: Provides cryogenic treatment for various guitar hardware and components to minimize "bad" overtones. Nitrofreeze: An industrial service provider often used by boutique builders to treat electronic and musical components. Scientific & Practical Considerations Skepticism: Critics often point to a lack of peer-reviewed data supporting tonal claims, suggesting that perceived improvements may be due to psychological factors or "marketing hype". Risk of Damage: Extreme cooling can sometimes cause plastic parts (like bobbins) or adhesives to crack if the process isn't carefully controlled. Metal vs. Wood: While the effect on ferrous metals (steel) is well-documented in industrial settings for hardening, its effect on non-ferrous metals like copper is more debated in the audio world.

I don't know if this previously was posted. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXCAKNkDvL0 At 3:00 exactly you'll see Ren Wall's dad with a guitar. This is Rem Wall, a local country legend with a great voice.

Highly unlikely that bobbins were wound at Heritage. Ren is a clever person. I'd bet on the cryo treatment. If not that, it's something that can change the sound but doesn't require a lot of labor. Is It Cool or Not? Cryogenically Frozen Gear Explained | Ultimate Guitar

To be candid about this, around a decade ago I really didn't like HRWs, at least in the bridge position in solid bodies. The high frequency output was too sharp to my ears. Eventually I sorted it out. The neck position was always fine. It's odd to me because I've never had an issue with Schallers. I'm pretty sure HRWs were cryo treated. I asked Ren once. He just smiled. In that particular context it would have been easy for him to say something like there's more to the story. He didn't. This conversation occured when I brought in a Johnny Smith with a Floating #3 pickup and asked about getting a tone control added. He did the work while I was there, which took maybe 15-20 minutes. He charged very little, no more than $50.

Where did this idea come from?

One thing is a clear difference. Tap the cover of a Seth and you will hear a click. No wax. Not a big deal.

You're right about the dot. I've put HRWs in my guitars a couple of times and did this. Clever guys!

We've gone down this path.

I have always liked HRWs sometimes! The right guitar and amp settings can bring out a very pleasant brightness and sparkle. The secret about making these pickups, as best I can guess, is a cryo treatment of the magnets. I've asked Ren Wall a couple of times over the years about cryo treatment. He just smiled and wouldn't comment further. I'd like to put this to rest. What's the truth?