Greeny Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Hello, dear fellow Heritage fans! Just wanted to introduce myself properly with pics and all (sorry for the long post that follows). I'm Dmitry, I live in Germany and have primarily played small luthier made Teles (which some would call boutique) for the last coupla years. I have always been drawn to the looks and the tone of the LP, but never really could bond with the finish, feel and the scale when actually playing them. I gave it some tries - Gibson, Tokai, FGN and so on. I had a higher end Tokai for about a year, and while it sounded great, I didn't feel at home with it. In the end I settled for just beeing a Tele guy... Well, until two weeks ago, when I saw a beautiful used H150 on german EBay. The price was right, and I have read some good things about it lately, so I thought "let's give the mahog single cut another try, shall we"? Last week it arrived, and it may well be the long sought solution to the LP GAS. It's a great sounding, top-built LP-style with a comfy rather round neck that just felt right out of the box. And TONS of mojo... Now, before going into details, I'll let the pics do some talking: Facts that I have from the description and a brief conversation with Ren (who was absolutely great and fast in his response to my inquiry, thx a lot!!!) Serial: J22605 (which makes it a fifth guitar made on the 05-19-1993.) Model: H150 Pickups should be SD according to Ren (it says "Patent Pending" on the back of the PU) Grover Heads Schaller Bridge (whcih I find surprisingly like very much, even though it's not the classic LP style) What I don't know: - Is it a standard model H150? - What's the official name of the colour? - Which SD PUs should that be - I think they sound like 59's, but were that the stock PUs back then? - Supposedly it is all original - were the pots used at that time 250 or 500k? - General Question - are the maple tops solid maple with a thin flame veneer glued on top for the looks, or are they solid all the way? (Has nothing to do with tone and looks, I know, just out of curiousity) - What are the most significant changes (if any) between an H150 of 1993 vs a modern one? Would it be only the bridge style? Thx in advance for any comment, info and help, I'm very excited and proud to have become a HOC member. Dmitry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DetroitBlues Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Pickups are not Seymour Duncans, only Gibson has that sticker on them like that. Have you removed the control cover to see a sticker on the backside? Usually the color is listed there. My guess is VSB (Vintage Sun-Burst). You'll also be able to identify the Pots being 500k (usually). Heritage doesn't do vaneers... Proof for you is to look inside the rim of the pickup cavity and you should be able to see the flame of the top all the way through the maple. Largest difference between 1993 and today would be Tone Pros hardware instead of Schaller and the pickups are no longer Schaller. The pickup rings back then usually have two height adjustment holes on either side of the pickup. Your H150 most likely came with Schaller pickups 1993, again typical of the time, not Seymour Duncan 59's commonly installed today. Since the rings are newer, I suspect you've had some electronics modifications. For me, the majority of the early Heritages until recent years are much thinner necks. C shape or D shape varies since they are done by hand. Hope this helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pressure Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Guten abend. Thats about it for my Germen language skills. Take off the control cavity cover and there should be a tag with the specifications of that guitar. The top is solid maple. I see that guitar has the very desirable stinger on the back of the headstock. The model name on the tag in the control cavity will probably be 150CM meaning 150 Curly Maple. Mor e knowledgeable people than me will soon add better information. Fab 150CM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PunkKitty Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Sehr schön! Willkommen. That's about the extent of my German language skills. What part of Deutschland are you from? My family is from Bremen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greeny Posted October 30, 2014 Author Share Posted October 30, 2014 Thx for all the infos so far! I'm from Cologne, Northrhine-Wesfalia. The problem is, there is no sticker on the backside of either back cavity cover. So, no official colour and no model name the easy way . There also seems to have been an electronics change of some kind, since in the mid position (both hums on) killing either humbucker means killing both - which doesn't seem a standard wiring to me. True, the "patent pending" sticker should have told me it's a Gibson PU right away... It does sound the part, so now I should find out, which one that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chico Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 I'm going with: H150CM with upgraded matching wood p/g (usually cream PG on H150CM) Vintage Sunburst Schaller bridge & tailpiece (common for that era, as pointed out) but I would say Duncan 59's for the pickups, that was standard on the H150CM and the single screw on each side is the clue there. Schallers usually had the double screws each side. stinger definately cool factor. what kind of weight? congrats, looks like a beauty! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greeny Posted October 30, 2014 Author Share Posted October 30, 2014 Weight is around 9-9,5 LBs I'd say, so quite cool for a non-relieved H150, I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HANGAR18 Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Definitely a VSB "Vintage SunBurst" and definitely a beautiful guitar! The pickups could be anything. Best to look under them during your next string change and see what they say. Welcome!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yuominae Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 H150CM always look awesome, whatever the specs, congratulations on getting a super cool guitar! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterbright Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 It's a beauty. Enjoy playing her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LRS Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Welcome to the forum! That's a beauty you've got there! Köln? That makes you almost Dutch ;-) welcome again! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockabilly69 Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 nice looking rig! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greeny Posted October 31, 2014 Author Share Posted October 31, 2014 Thx, guys! Yup, enjoying it very much, indeed. I've unscrewed the pickups yesterday. The PUs say "Patent applied for" on the back, that's it, no more markings. So, that probably really makes them Gibson PUs, right? BTW, what's the idea behind the stinger - is it "just" a neat tidbit, or did it mean something back then, since not all of the H150s from that time seem to have that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hfan Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Thx for all the infos so far! I'm from Cologne, Northrhine-Wesfalia. The problem is, there is no sticker on the backside of either back cavity cover. So, no official colour and no model name the easy way . There also seems to have been an electronics change of some kind, since in the mid position (both hums on) killing either humbucker means killing both - which doesn't seem a standard wiring to me. True, the "patent pending" sticker should have told me it's a Gibson PU right away... It does sound the part, so now I should find out, which one that is. That's normal..happens on all my Heritages or Gibsons for that matter. Very nice find, I like the wood guard, most have plastic. The Schaller bridge is a solid piece of hardware. Some swap them out and some like them. The roller wheels can turn when you change strings etc. Once you get your desired spacing (spinning the wheels changes the string position) , if you want to, you can put some clear nail polish on the threads to keep them stationary. Congrats and welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 that is a beautiful guitar, congrats! I like the stinger, and the wood pickguard, too play it in good health! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hfan Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 that is a beautiful guitar, congrats! I like the stinger, and the wood pickguard, too play it in good health! I love stingers as well. I have considered getting Heritage to make a nice wood guard for my H150 Sunset Burst, I has the most beautiful finish and it deserves a wood guard. The one on my 157 really sets it off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero Posted November 2, 2014 Share Posted November 2, 2014 I love stingers as well. I have considered getting Heritage to make a nice wood guard for my H150 Sunset Burst, I has the most beautiful finish and it deserves a wood guard. The one on my 157 really sets it off. same here!! those wood pickguards sure do add to the guitar.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoslate Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 I've unscrewed the pickups yesterday. The PUs say "Patent applied for" on the back, that's it, no more markings. So, that probably really makes them Gibson PUs, right? BTW, what's the idea behind the stinger - is it "just" a neat tidbit, or did it mean something back then, since not all of the H150s from that time seem to have that? Welcome, Dmitry! Your pickups are likely to be Gibson Burstbuckers. The stinger (or widow's peak) is a cosmetic touch which used to be found on higher end Gibsons, usually archtops, like the Super 400, ES-5, and the Tal Farlow. Heritage seems to have done it as a special touch on some of their higher end archtops, special order guitars, and special runs, such as Twentieth Anniversary 150's. Yours also seems to have a compensated nut, if I'm seeing the picture clearly. Very nice guitar! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greeny Posted November 10, 2014 Author Share Posted November 10, 2014 Yes, a compensated nut it is. Regarding the PUs - I'm not quite sold on them, to be honest. The neck is warm, but lacks a depth, clarity and the often mentioned 3d-quality a bit, it's just "big and warm". The Bridge is nothing special - it could cut more and have more bight and treble, it just seems a tad week, especially compared to the neck PU, which is significantly louder at the same height... The dynamics is not that huge, either, with the volume rolled back it's not as funky as I would hope (think Page's tone with the volume rolled back). That's why I asked about the possibility of 250K pots being installed. Maybe I just need PUs with a finer, more defined tone... Those that are raw and big (vintage character, of course), but defined and and very sensitive to the tone and volume controls, which clear up nicely when rolled back. What would You guys suggest? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoslate Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 For pickups, I have two suggestions...and there will be plenty more from the rest of the guys: They are indeed expensive, but I have a pair of ThroBak SLE 101's in the Les Paul I play out about 90% of the time. Definitive! I've also used Wolfetones (Dr. Vintage in the neck, Marshallhead in the bridge), and dig them, as well. Wolfe is great to speak with on the phone. Don't use 250K pots.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greeny Posted November 10, 2014 Author Share Posted November 10, 2014 Sorry, it's weAk, I meant to say Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greeny Posted November 10, 2014 Author Share Posted November 10, 2014 Thanks, will look into the ThroBacks - they ARE expensive though! I would not use a 250K pot in a LP-Style guitar, but I've read somewehere that The Heritage supposedly used the 250K pots around that time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greeny Posted November 10, 2014 Author Share Posted November 10, 2014 And yes, all the Youtube clips of the ThroBacks sound mighty fine - but that's Youtube, You know... And it's Alex Hinds and other guys, who never sound bad anyway So, I deffinitely need to try them out somewhere Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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