Heritage Ending Almost all Arch Top Production According to Wolfe Guitars Facebook Post

[notbillgelder]

Thank you Meng for you  input. 

[Heritage1970]

Thank you Meng! We really appreciate you jumping in and clearing some things up. Very much appreciated and myself and I'm sure many others appreciate you taking the time to do so. I think the many thoughts and opinions being expressed in this post are all coming from the same place, and that is an absolute love for all things Heritage and 225 Parsons Street. We all just want to see the name and everything the original Founders had in mind survive and survive with the same beliefs in mind. So it's great to hear that the new owners seem to be on the same page with that! Thank you again for posting! Please post more again soon! We'll all enjoy the input! Thank you! 

[FredZepp]

Thanks for the comments, Meng.  

I agree that to be a Heritage Guitar, it must be made at 225 Parsons St.    

I do hope that the demand for these increases to such a degree that eventually you increase production and more of the world appreciates all that Heritage Guitar stands for.... 

[Gitfiddler]

Thanks for setting the record straight, Meng!

[TalismanRich]

Meng,

Great to have you clarify things.   I think we're all looking forward to this next chapter of Heritage Guitar.  

[big bob]

2 hours ago, meng said:

Hey everybody, 

I hope no-one minds me jumping in and saying hello.

Our wonderful people in communications will probably be upset with me when they wake up  but I wanted to make sure I drop you guys a note as soon as possible about some of the questions about the product line-up. This forum is an incredible community and it's always scary to jump in, so please be nice - I'll do my best to try and earn your respect.

Before I answer the two big issues - it's important to mention that management at Heritage has agreed on only one goal for 2018 - to take our quality standards to the next level. I'm proud that this is the singular focus and everyone is onboard. It's probably too much information, but we've actively made the decision to produce fewer guitars than before, but to make sure they are all amazing instruments, great for the player who owns it and a boon to the dealer who has to sell it. We don't want the channel to be full of guitars that people cannot sell, we want to make sure that the business is healthy and sustainable for the future. I can confirm what Jay said - that we are bringing back the PLEK machine to help us not only raise the quality level of our set-up and fretwork, but also to scan each and every one to identify things that we could do better and seek to improve in the way we build instruments.

With that in mind:

1) We are not ending arch-top production. The standard line-up contains 2 arch-tops and more will definitely be added back in the future. 

2) Custom guitars and shapes that are not on the standard line-up are absolutely not going away - this is the history and heritage (pun sheepishly intended) of the brand - but Jay is correct that they are not going to be available to dealers for the time being. What is being worked on and a big priority is how to offer customisation efficiently to dealers and consumers and announcements will be coming shortly.

We've been working on getting really clear messaging together so there is no confusion, and difficult decisions have had to be made with our channel and product strategy but we believe we're all trying to make sure everything we love here is around for the next 100 years. There's been a tremendous amount going on post-NAMM, but that's no excuse and I personally and sincerely apologise that communication from Heritage hasn't been as good as one would expect. We are working hard on making it better. There will be lots of communication to come, and we're getting our ducks in a row to make sure things can move as smoothly as possible - as mentioned there will be announcements coming on the custom program. As a company and an ongoing business I hope you guys understand that there will be some things we can answer and some things that we can't - but if anyone PMs me, I will do my best to try and answer questions in a timely manner.

I really hope this has been helpful - thank you to everyone for making the brand truly special.

Yours respectfully,

Meng

p.s: that jar of red Alabama dirt sounds like a really thoughtful gift - definitely not unimpressed. 

p.p.s: there has been speculation that Heritage would create a cheaper line of import guitars - this is not the plan. In my humble opinion, a Heritage guitar made outside of 225 Parsons Street, Kalamazoo is not a Heritage guitar.

More power to you Brother!

[bolero]

thanks for the post, Meng!

great to see you around here

I'm excited for the future of Heritage

 

 

[kidsmoke]

Cheers, Meng. Good to hear the facts. Looking forward to a bright future.

Would be super cool for an owner of an older Heritage to be able to bring it to Parsons St for a PLEK/set up, at a competitive rate, of course. 

 

[Genericmusic]

Kudos Meng. 

[yoslate]

This, my friends, is how one communicates in writing to a fairly large and diverse group.  We can be bad here about "jumping at shadows" (yes, a Peter Green reference!), and it's been rare that someone from Parsons Street proper (Jay notwithstanding) has jumped in with such a definitive response.  What a clear and informative read!  Thanks so much for (I'd imagine) sticking your neck out just a bit, Meng.   And "customisation" and "apologise"...?  You must be from The Commonwealth!  

[meng]

Thank you everyone for your understanding and kind words - it means a lot coming from the community that has such a deep affinity for everything Heritage & 225.

Our responsibility as management is to keep it all alive and to continue to tell the story authentically in a way that communities like yourselves continue to feel like it is something you are still proud to be part of - and for people who are just discovering it to feel so inspired that they want to be part of it too.  We'll do our best!

8 hours ago, yoslate said:

"customisation" and "apologise"...?  You must be from The Commonwealth!  

Ha! It's a grey area. I'll make no pretence to the road I have travelled - when bereft of spell-check, that is when one's true colours begin to materialise... 

12 hours ago, kidsmoke said:

Would be super cool for an owner of an older Heritage to be able to bring it to Parsons St for a PLEK/set up, at a competitive rate, of course. 

You read our minds! One of the things we are doing a lot of work on too is to try and make sure we are able to raise our level of warranty and post-warranty servicing support for not just new owners of Heritage guitars but also older Heritage guitars and maybe even ones that have come through the doors from an earlier era (& brand ). The PLEK is absolutely part of this strategy -trusted at both the highest level of manufacturing and servicing. 

@kidsmoke - Just so we understand how we could scale this out as an offering, are you someone who lives close enough that you could possibly bring your guitar down in person? Or would you need to use some logistics service?

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@FredZepp that headstock! 

[RhoadsScholar]

Glad to see Heritage participating on this forum. When I looked at the models being supported, I was glad to see a couple of Archtops remain in the mix. The Eagle Classic price point  is grreat new and used and am hopeful it helps transition Heritage back to the finer archtops in the lineup.  I am hopeful other models come back, but at the same time, maybe I will hang on to some that are no longer produced that I absolutely love.  We are always chasing tone and we are fortunate to get a support from Heritage to keep the HOC alive and well. Kudos to Ingeneri as he represents a true working, gigging Jazz musician who raises the Heritage torch whenever it presents itself. I for one would welcome the opportunity to have my Heritage guitars Pleck'ed at factory.  

[JorgeToo]

1 hour ago, meng said:

Thank you everyone for your understanding and kind words - it means a lot coming from the community that has such a deep affinity for everything Heritage & 225.

Our responsibility as management is to keep it all alive and to continue to tell the story authentically in a way that communities like yourselves continue to feel like it is something you are still proud to be part of - and for people who are just discovering it to feel so inspired that they want to be part of it too.  We'll do our best!

Ha! It's a grey area. I'll make no pretence to the road I have travelled - when bereft of spell-check, that is when one's true colours begin to materialise... 

You read our minds! One of the things we are doing a lot of work on too is to try and make sure we are able to raise our level of warranty and post-warranty servicing support for not just new owners of Heritage guitars but also older Heritage guitars and maybe even ones that have come through the doors from an earlier era (& brand ). The PLEK is absolutely part of this strategy -trusted at both the highest level of manufacturing and servicing. 

@kidsmoke - Just so we understand how we could scale this out as an offering, are you someone who lives close enough that you could possibly bring your guitar down in person? Or would you need to use some logistics service?

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@FredZepp that headstock! 

I am a long-time owner of many Heritage guitars and some-time lurker here.  I think it's awesome to have a member of the ownership group communicating directly with the forum.  I hope you hang around and contribute regularly; that would be a real treat. I wish you the best of luck in making Heritage thrive.

[ingeneri]

Meng, thanks for your response it was very reassuring.  Hope we didn't get you in too much trouble.  I'd suggest you make a similar posting on the Jazzguitar.be forum board, as there is a strong and vocal contingent there that promotes Heritage arch tops.

One requested clarification, if you'll continue to indulge me.  In the past the Eagle Classic was a parallel braced guitar with set hum buckers and no fret board inlays.  The guitar in the NAAM video actually looks much more like a Golden Eagle   (floating pickup, split block inlays, eagle and branch headstock inlays, presumably x-braced).  Is the NAMMt guitar the model that will continue to be offered in the standard line under the Eagle Classic moniker, or will it be the older plainer model that existed before?

Also, when you say the other models will return as custom options, do you mean that Super Eagles, Sweet 16s, etc...will be available on order from dealers just not automatically produced and shipped to be offered as regular inventory.  Or will these be treated like the other on-off custom orders Heritage has been famous for such as specific neck shapes, wood upgrades, P-90s instead of hum buckers, and specific nut and body depth measurements.  Am I making a distinction without a difference?

Finally, regarding "customisation" and "apologise", are you from Singapore or Malaysia?  I ask because I used to live in KL and travel to Singapore frequently (and regularly gigged in both cities with my Heritages at No Black Tie, Alexis Bistro, Jazz@Southbridge, and Harry's).  All the best. 

[kidsmoke]

@meng i am close enough to deliver and retrieve the guitar personally, which would be my preference regardless of distance. It's less than 4 hours for me, so it's certainly something to set time aside for.

I would think that anyone able to make it to the factory even occasionally (which you know many of us from this forum do / have done) would consider having a guitar set up at 225. I could see that even for those further from Mecca, er , 225 Parsons St, could ship a guitar, say, 4 weeks ahead of a visit and pick it up, say, at an open house event or something. 

I for one would not ship a guitar if at all avoidable, particularly post plek/set-up, but some may consider the above scenario.

For myself however, I'd just arrange for it to be in your hands a week or two, and make the trek. I've been planning a set-up on my 16 yr old 535. I will now officially hold off til I hear how this idea develops.

Seems to me it would be a nice reference point for your development of talent as well, Meng, allowing them to regularly put their hands on older Heritage guitars and contrast workmanship, and see how methods are withstanding the test of time.

standing by.....

thanks again...the personal connection is a huge part of the Heritage mystique for many of us. Your participation here is eagerly embraced. 

 

[JeffB]

16 hours ago, meng said:

Ha! It's a grey area. I'll make no pretence to the road I have travelled - when bereft of spell-check, that is when one's true colours begin to materialise... 

 

All the Heritage guitar stuff aside, which is great, thanks for taking the time, its just to see all the words in that sentence spelled correctly.

[JeffB]

Edit above: ...... its just *nice* to see.....

[Yooper]

Whether we transport our guitars in the boot, or in the back of a lorry, we share at centre a bond of true Heritage and kinship of our guitars.

I apologise with every fibre of my being should anyone take offence at my labours to flavour our colourful exchange.

In defence of my behaviour, I do recognise we are all neighbours on this planet.

Cheers. Eh?

[Millennium Maestro]

Don't you mean Cheers, EH!

[tulk1]

On 2/7/2018 at 11:15 AM, jaywolfe said:

 2. Heritage purchased the NAMM PLEK Station, and it should be operational  sometime in March. As a PLEK owner/Tech, I am a BIG believer in this amazing tool and am glad they've made this significant upgrade. I believe Heritage's future looks very good and I am placing orders with them almost daily.

They don't have enough coat racks in the plant, as is? ................... 

[Yooper]

51 minutes ago, Millennium Maestro said:

Don't you mean Cheers, EH!

Ya, EH!

[JorgeToo]

Likewise, I would happily venture to Kalamazoo for a set-up and visit.

[tbonesullivan]

I'm a bit out of the loop. Is heritage back at 225 parsons, or is the restoration still ongoing?

Anyway, glad to see that things are cleared up, and also, things change! It may be that certain times of year are more conducive to some types of production, or that due to the amount of setup needed, making some types of guitars in "runs" as opposed to constant production, could be more effective in the long run.

[High Flying Bird]

On 2/9/2018 at 11:59 AM, JeffB said:

"true colours"

As if we didn't have enough trouble in the colonies as it is... 

[meng]

4 hours ago, High Flying Bird said:

As if we didn't have enough trouble in the colonies as it is... 

THIS, EH?  (cc @Yooper)
 

On 09/02/2018 at 4:43 PM, ingeneri said:

One requested clarification, if you'll continue to indulge me.  In the past the Eagle Classic was a parallel braced guitar with set hum buckers and no fret board inlays.  The guitar in the NAAM video actually looks much more like a Golden Eagle   (floating pickup, split block inlays, eagle and branch headstock inlays, presumably x-braced).  Is the NAMMt guitar the model that will continue to be offered in the standard line under the Eagle Classic moniker, or will it be the older plainer model that existed before?Also, when you say the other models will return as custom options, do you mean that Super Eagles, Sweet 16s, etc...will be available on order from dealers just not automatically produced and shipped to be offered as regular inventory.  Or will these be treated like the other on-off custom orders Heritage has been famous for such as specific neck shapes, wood upgrades, P-90s instead of hum buckers, and specific nut and body depth measurements.  Am I making a distinction without a difference?

We had a bunch of Custom Shop NAMM Specials at the show - of which the one you're referring to is a Golden Eagle specially designed and crafted by Pete himself - secret beauty shot below! We'll be sending out an email on this and the rest of the NAMM specials soon as there have been a lot of enquiries on them - especially the Aged 535 in Pelham Blue too  



That isn't the standard line-up guitar, which is truly an Eagle Classic - unfortunately we didn't have space for one to be on display at the show.

On the question about the Super Eagles, Sweet 16s - these would be considered "custom guitars". Historically, we almost never shipped one out that didn't have some sort of customisation above and beyond the base spec. We'll be releasing info about the updated Custom Program very soon but as mentioned earlier, custom one-off guitars will not be available for order via the dealer channel for the time being - please watch this space! Bringing back more arch-top models into the standard line is definitely part of the plan though, especially for jazz lovers like yourself  (I hope that answers your question?) 
 

9 hours ago, tbonesullivan said:

I'm a bit out of the loop. Is heritage back at 225 parsons, or is the restoration still ongoing?

We never left 225 Parsons, but restoration is still ongoing!

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@kidsmoke - that's fantastic feedback, thank you!

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Hope you all enjoy the guitar candy and had a great weekend!