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Yep! Absolutely! Funny, but I should really know better than to describe a certain tone that I'm hearing for any given product, for every time I do someone will have a difference of opinion. But yet, often times amps, types of guitars, effects, strings, or even the actual player himself never become part of the conversation. The fact of the matter is that tone is very subjective, and there are simply too many variables involved for us all to arrive at the same conclusions.

In what universe is this statement true.

I’ve heard of such infamous gatherings. Alas, my granddaughter will be 1 that same day, therefore I must regrettably decline such divine sonic extravaganza.

I finally was able to spend some time with the Heritage tonight. I took off the factory 10s, put on a fresh set of 9s and did a full setup along with fretboard conditioning. This H157 displays all the signs of Heritage’s top tier quality and construction. Fit and finish are great!! Fret work (PLEKED from the factory) is great too!! Electronics are also great quality. Low friction pots. Switchcraft toggle and jack. Heritage pickups. I don’t know the specs on these new Heritage pickups. They call them 225 Classic Hot Pickups. To me, they sound like an Alnico 4 or 5. They sound really good!! The neck is a beefy 50s carve. Feels great. Not a baseball bat. Only 8lbs 6ozs! So light for a 157! Tone and playability are both superb. Warm, rich tone. It’s an amazing guitar!!

Y'know, the amp has a little bit to do with the tone of a guitar, too!

I agree, they don't sound "hi-fi" in that recording. There's some nice tone going on there! I just recall my pickup rabbit hole experience from 10 to 15 years ago when I picked up a set of Imperials, and compared to the others they just didn't sound right to me. Of course, it could've been the guitar I installed them in, too. No pickup is likely to work well in every guitar, either!

These are Lollar Imperials in my Teye, I don't think they sound HiFi at all...

It’s here!! OMG ITS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL But I have to go to a 50th birthday party Maybe I’ll get it switched over to 9s and setup tomorrow night? STAY TUNED…..

Yeah, I agree about ThroBak's consistency. I've had several sets of them without any issues, and the SLE-101s are the ones that have remained. Between Tom Holmes' pickups and ThroBaks, I haven't felt a need to look any further. Wolfe's Legends can't be beat for the price, either. I did have one set of Imperials about 10 or 11 years ago but, frankly, they just didn't do it for me. If I remember correctly, they had sort of a "hi-fi" type of high-end that just didn't sound very vintage-like to my ears. I do understand why some folks really like them, though, for they do have a certain tonal quality about them that's appealing to many. As far as ThroBak's customer service goes, thankfully I've never had to deal with it, but I do have to admit that it would certainly put a bad taste in my mouth if a company didn't honor its lifetime warranty for a defective product.

Mahogany

This looks fantastic. Interested to hear the tone report. @brentrocks mahogany or maple top?

Well you've always loved Silverbursts, so there you go. Way to go on the score Brent!

Thanks for the kind words! Hopefully you can make it! Doc will have some new stuff there so it should be a fun day!

It’s okay Brent, I’m sure you’ll break even in a month or two when you sell it.

Hi Jaguarguy, thank you for the generous offer! I intend to do my very best to join you and the Z mavens. For the HOC - this represents an opportunity of a lifetime. The Z people that attend this festivity are akin to the HOC members. They are welcoming, knowledgeable and passionate about their amps. Jaguarguy has assembled a collection of amplifiers, mostly Dr.Z but certainly other premium models, that can rival Sweetwater. While a tad overwhelming at first glance, the majority of attendees will help walk you through them; just like the HOC assists newcomers with Heritage models. Over, above and beyond that, Jaguarguy provides a comfortable setting for the event and is the most gracious host I’ve encountered. His muZeum even rivals PSP for fun and friendly interactions. Highly Recommended.

I'm glad you got it. It has been tempting me for a few days, and I have been pretty close to pulling the trigger on it. I even had it in my cart a couple times. You have saved my life. Many thanks, and cony!

Why not post the photos in color? 😀Post a report when you receive it please.

Back away from the keyboard.

Very nice ! Congrats !!

Great score Brent! Every one of us knows what you just experienced, we've been there many times ourselves. Enjoy!

I was DEFINITELY NOT in the market for a new guitar!!! I had just sold an extraordinary H157 to a good friend of mine a couple months ago, so I knew how awesome these new Custom Core H157s are. Then I go poking around on the Sweetwater’s website, looking at what new Heritage Guitars they’ve got in….and I see it A beautiful SILVERBURST H157!! And is was a demo! Normally a $4400 guitar, marked down to $3200!!! Only 8.5 lbs!!! ”I really can’t afford this”. “I really don’t need it” Throw common sense into the wind….i had to get it. More pics and a full review to follow!!

I wish I could stick around, but I'll be heading back to attend a memorial service for a good friend's wife.

I hold a gathering of around 20 people every summer at my place in Ann Arbor for members of the Dr. Z Forum to come and try out my Dr. Z amps. I just might have the largest collection of Dr. Z amps in the country (according to Dr. Z). I've had several of members of the HOC that have attended prior get-togethers here. I'm making the same offer this year. We usually get started around 10 a.m. and shut down when the last person leaves (last year it was after midnight). Dr. Z (Mike Zaite) himself will be attending this year and bringing at least 2 of his new amps - the recently released Z-40 and the soon to be released "PHD" (a mash-up of vintage Fender Princeton, Fender Harvard and Dr. Z tones (hence "PHD"). It's a 10 watt KT66 single ended power tube, a 6SL7 octal pre-amp tube, and 5U4GB tube rectifier. I'll provide a lunch, snacks, and soft drinks/water. If you're a Heritage purist, you can either bring your own guitar or use one of my Heritages. If you're interested just drop me a note here and I'll send you more details.