High Flying Bird

I will be the guitar has been stored improperly for most of it's life. My 2003 535 has no finish flaws.

I can't count the number of good decent people I first met inside these walls.

If you ever get down that way look her up at the factory. People talk about southern hospitality but I can tell you hospitality is just as strong in Michigan. Here is one of my photos from 2008.

No, she wasn't there when the walk out occurred.

Jim and Alicia were passing through town so they stopped for a visit at the Jam House. After a meal of ribs and German tater salad we jammed for a little while. Not often do you see two 535s in the same joint.

He ain't. The Gold Top is a 137 not a 150.

In mid 1998 I ordered a black 150 from Heritage. My local dealer was told they had just the model I was looking for. He said they told him that Roy Clark had ordered a black H-150 and they made two. I got the one he didn't pick. I never thought much about it until one Saturday night when a buddy called me and told me to look at the TV show Hee Hah. Sure enough Roy was playing the same guitar. Marv told me later that Roy knocked that guitar off of a dresser in a hotel and cracked the head stock. Word on the street is that Roy was picking up a guitar from 225 Parsons and called an employee's wife and sang her a song for her birthday over the phone. I wonder which guitar he was playing for the first time that day.

I have owned a few H-137s. Here are the two that I bonded with. In the photos below is a 2010 Gold top custom I got second hand and the 1993 first edition 137 which was my daughter's Christmas present a while back. Also pictured with the gold top is a buddy's H-150 Special. It is thinner than a normal H-150. Even though it has a maple cap it weighs the same as the 137C. I had the 137 with the Bigsby first and after that a TV yellow. These guitar have a thicker neck on them than the two I still own. I like that I can change the pickups of those designs for other humbuckers. My daughter's guitar had Phat Cats in it on Christmas day that year. The gold top came to me with Lollar Imperials. If you ever come across one of the old style 137s it may be just right for you... and it may not be. Give it a chance.

A buddy has a 550 much like this one. Give it some time. You may like it as it is.

I still say some old man in Vietnam swears he saw Hendrix at a GI USO show. His children tire of hearing the story.

Snapping my fingers Daddy. Great version of this song.

Here is the tail piece of a buddy's 550. Who knows if you 535 was a custom order, an employee build or the H tail piece was added later. I suspect it was added later. It doesn't really matter I am sure your 535 will howl. I love my 535. The shadow on the carpet is a sign from God.

In my opinion the 535 is the finest guitar Heritage has ever made. Goldyrocks belongs to one of my best friends, the Amberburst rest in an undisclosed location and Lady Bird was traded to Mike Novello. Let the tone fill up the inside and feel the air blow out onto your arms.