[Gibson PAF Pickups History: Five Watt World]

On 6/13/2025 at 2:24 PM, RJLII said:

On a related subject, I recall Pete Moreno (RIP) telling me that when he was fairly new at Gibson they had him haul a pickup load of stuff out to the landfill in Kalamazoo. Included were multiple bulk packed boxes of PAF pickups that were somehow deemed unacceptable for production. @brentrocks may have heard him tell the same story. I shudder to think what these would be worth today. 

Yes!!!   The boss told someone at the Gibson factory (I don’t think it was Pete) to dispose of a huge pile of old PAF pickups lying in a corner 

[NGD - Custom Core H150 Goldtop]

Nice!!!

[Can anyone guess this back?]

I like the sculpted heel joint 

[H120 find on FBM]

19 hours ago, DetroitBlues said:

That a headstock break by the tuner?

Nice find, especially interesting to read it has a big neck.

It’s just paint chips.   I was really surprised too.  Nice full neck carve.  

[H120 find on FBM]

10 hours ago, rwinking said:

Is that Bill Lawrence an active pickup?

No it’s passive

[H120 find on FBM]

[H120 find on FBM]

[H120 find on FBM]

The H120…

This was Heritage’s entry level single cut. Rumored to have been built from leftover Gibson Marauder and S1 body blanks. 

No case. No bag. Talk about being played hard and put away wet…. This guitar fits the bill!!!!

Chunky 3 piece maple neck. Bolt on neck. Mahogany body. Single Bill Lawrence pickup (leftover from Gibson). Single volume control. 

This baby has been well loved. The body is beat to ****. But it plays and sounds soooooo goooood. 

I’m not sure on production numbers for the H120, but if I were to guess, I’d say probably around 100 made? Probably less.

Very light also. Only 6 lbs. 9 ozs.

Yet another piece of Heritage history found in its back yard. I love finding these old treasures and bringing them back to life!!!

 

 

[2nd H150 Vintage Wine Burst]

Wow!! 

[New guitar for me! 🙌🏻]

Very nice 

[Honest and fair comparison: Heritage Aged Custom Core 150 vs Gibson Murphy Ultra Light Aged R9]

Great post KUZ!!

I did a similar comparison a couple years ago.  My findings were tilted towards the 150 a little more than yours, but still very similar to yours.  
 

Beautiful guitars!!!

[NGD H-530]

Wow.   Very nice 

[What a difference 37 years makes…]

29 minutes ago, Spectrum13 said:

like the newer headstock don't notice the horn as much until you post back 2 back.

 

Weights?

88…..10.5 lbs

22….8.5 lbs

[What a difference 37 years makes…]

The Heritage H150

 

Production of the H150 started in 1988.  

 

The first generation of the H150 (made in 1988 and 1989) had a body design that MIRRORED the Gibson Les Paul standard!!!  It was rumored that some of the early H150s were actually built with leftover Gibson bodies from when Gibson left Kalamazoo in 1984, that were bought at the auction, bought by the original Heritage Guitar founders. 

 

Heritage was threatened with a lawsuit by Gibson in 1990 and Heritage changed the body design….basically changed the slope of the horn cut.  

 

….and the H150 has basically stayed that way to this day!!

 

It fun to see the evolution of a local company like Heritage, the history and the instruments from that historic building over the years!

 

Pictured is a 1988 H150 (L) and a 2022 H150 Custom core (R). See the differences!!!