Greeting, everyone. I will be a new H-157 owner when my guitar arrives tomorrow.
Since I don't have it yet, I obviously can't post pics, but here is the auction in question:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...N:IT&ih=008
Background: basically, I'm a fusion/metal guy who has been playing primarily Jackson guitars for many years now. But back when I started in the early '80s, I was a big fan of Les Pauls, and the sound of a screaming LPC has always been the 'sound in my head.' My ideal lead guitar sound is somewhere between "Inner Mounting Flame" era John McLaughlin, late '70s Frank Zappa, Robert Fripp, Al DiMeola, and John Sykes of Whitesnake fame. You'll notice lots of Les Paul Customs involved there. ;D
I had gone away from 24.75" scale guitars, but getting an ESP Maverick recently reintroduced my love for guitars with that scale length (my carpal tunnels like it better, too), and the natural move was to get back to a Les Paul. Problem. My beloved late '70s - early '80s LPCs now sell for absolutely absurd prices even if they're beat to hell. Folks, they were pumping those things off the assembly line like Chevrolets--why do they sell for $2,500+??? In earlier times, I had a '76 three-pickup LPC in natural finish that was a barnburner--a '77 just like it sold on eBay in the last couple of days for over $2,600, with plenty of wear and tear. Stupid. And the new Les Pauls? The ones I've played never feel right to me, and I certainly don't have the dosh for one of those Historics, nor the desire to spend that much.
I've known about Heritage for a long time and was tempted to bring home a used H-150 I played years ago. But with my Les Paul jones firmly back in place, I did some research--and it really seems like Heritage has got something going on. So, I've pulled the trigger and eagerly await my new baby. The thing I like about Heritage is that they are committed to making great guitars, period. The price factor is nice, but I wouldn't have bought if they were nothing more than a "budget Gibson." There are plenty of budget imitations available if one is willing to import something from a Japanese dealer. I want the real deal.
Oh, and for the curious, here is my MySpace page with a whole bunch of audio (mostly recorded with my trusty 1990 Jackson Soloist Pro): http://www.myspace.com/councilofone
And yes, I'll be posting pics and a full report soon...