DetroitBlues

I had just about forgotten what the OG’s looked like.

I wonder if the F Hole being unbound was an oversight?

I’m glad they brought them back. Expensive, but that’s not surprising. Using the same custom shop hot Alnico 5 pickups as the H157’s. Love it!

One of my favorite singer/ song writers, Drake White, had a recent video on Country Rebel. His electric guitarist was using a beautiful H535.

This article was more about the direct to PA style systems. I actually like the Tone Master series, although I don't know how long they'd last. Most older tube amps can be serviced. Can't say the same about a digital modeler like the Tone Master. When I was in Nashville three years ago, I did a back stage tour of the Grand Ol Opry. Because it was an early Sunday tour, it was just me and my wife on a tour. I had noticed every single amp on the stage was a Fender Tone Master Deluxe Reverb. Now the difference here really is, if an amp goes bad, they could easily get another and not think twice about it. However, the average guitarist probably couldn't do the same thing....

I read an article this morning from Guitar World on MSN. They provided some compelling information arguments stating five reasons why someone should switch (citing touring artists switched, so why not you?) "While sound quality was once something that held modelers back, it is now a big reason to buy": Five reasons you’re better off with an amp modeler than a tube amp Portable Reliable Price Flexibility Sound Great Can't get myself to do it. to me I find modelers to be finicky, prone to fail, and won't last in the long run. Tube amps are heavy, so digital modelers win there. I started using a separate head/cabinet. But really, I use a cart to move stuff around. Hardest lift is in/out of the truck. None of it is that heavy, its not like I'm lifting a 100w 2x12 Fender Twin. Reliability is subjective, digital modelers are great now, until the software becomes outdated, until fails, and there is no way to fix it. Digital modelers are disposable items that do not retain value in the long run. Price is also subjective. To achieve the high-end tube-like sound, you are paying way more than most tube amps. Sure, there are cheaper alternatives, but they aren't as good. Plus you still have to get a monitor system, my band asked me to look into going direct. I asked if they are buying me a monitor system so I can hear my guitar? Going to front of house doesn't help me, if I can't hear anything beyond the vocalists monitor. Flexibility. The right tube amp in combination with the right pedals, you can achieve nearly anything sound you want. Even rolling back the volume on your guitar to clean up the sound makes a huge difference. Sounds great. Tube amps sound great, modelers can, but you buy a modeler, then have to spend more on a monitor system for it. There are pros to modeling of which I won't deny, but I have yet to feel (yes, feel) a modeling amp that feels like a fire breathing tube amp. There is something about the sound and the feel when you have a 50w/100w head pushing a 2x12 or a 4x12 cabinet.

I believe the Marshall name was licensed out for the headphones, speakers, etc. But perhaps Chinese ownership could help Marshall the same way Bandlab has infused into Heritage to become a viable manufacture and widely recognized brand.

Marshall acquired by China’s HongShan in $1bn+ deal While Jim Marshall's family retains 20% of the company, the majority stake was sold awhile ago to some European investors. Those investors have since sold their shares to a Chinese firm for $1.16 Billion. HongShan Capital Group (HSG) is now the majority shareholder of Marshall. Will we see more higher end Marshall's made in China? Who knows... Curious to see what changes with the brand.

Congratulations! Looks awesome!

It’s Heritage H140 and it’s a factory B-stock. Pickups appear to have been swapped, rest look original. Cool guitar.

Such a beauty! There was a run of 535 anniversary models ( I think that's what they were) that also used the larger archtop headstocks.

Not true anymore. The larger headstocks began with the customer cores. Starting either 2022 or 2023, the standard models now also have the larger headstocks. My 2023 H150 has a wider headstock than my 2020 H137, 2016 H535, or my 1985 H140.

Handle was on the bottom and feet on the top. It was a simple mistake because it was assumed the controls were on the top edge, not the bottom.

I was offered a chance yesterday to visit Metropoulos Amplification yesterday. The purpose was to replace the cabinet of the Metroplex with the correct orientation. Original cabinet was an early prototype and it was built upside down. I was able to meet George yesterday and most of his staff. Very nice people and all guitar players! In a way it reminded me of how Heritage used to be. Odd collections of machinery; some in use and some covered in dust. They not only hand wire the amps, they also build their own cabinets from void-free birch plywood (9 layers deep), custom tolex, all of which is done with such pride that every detail is taken in account. In the room where the cabinets were made, there was lots of saw dust and some things covered in tarps and cobwebs. Reminded so much of the factory floor of Heritage years and years ago. There were old vintage Marshall Amps and cabinets everywhere. Plus many other vintage amps, I think I even saw a tweed Bassman. In every corner it seemed to be vintage and new speakers, guitars, and guitar cases everywhere for testing out this amps. Most of which were rather old and probably valuable. The guitars reminded me of the prototype rack that contained everything Heritage worked on including the ghost builds. i didn’t take any photos of the manufacturing areas out of respect to the company, but I did get a few photos of their demo room after asking permission. This alone was worth the price of admission… Check out this vintage Marshall amps and cabinets

I always take that stuff with a grain of salt. But some of the components like input jacks could be better. In more recent news, Randell Smith was fired by Gibson. The dude is Mesa Boogie, Gibson buys him out, offers to keep him on then fires him anyway.

That’s the amp!

I had one of those on my radar, but changed my mind only because it needed its own dedicated power source as it has a high millwatt draw that exceeded my power supply.

If you're going to spend that much, might I suggest a Metropoulos amp? I was watching a video about EVH tone from over the years, there was a time he played Soldano amps. From what I've read about Soldano is he got his start fixing and updating the MKII Mesa Boogies. I've also been following a guy that works on amps and one of his least favorite amps is Mesa Boogie because of poor layouts and quality of components. Don't know if it still applies to newer models since Gibson bought them, but Psionic Audio has a bunch of repair vidoes of them and discusses at length of his distaste of them. Going back to the Metropoulos amp, I really like them. The version I have is a MetroPlex MKII 50W head. It has a circuit that changes it from a Superplexi to a Superbass, and then a version that matches EVH's personal Marshall. Instead of having four inputs, it internally jumpers to of the inputs like old school plexi's so you can increase the gain to taste. Then there is a bonus channel that changes the topology of the amp to components that match EVH's Marshall component values. Adds a whole new level of gain. Not to mention a push-pull boost control on the EVH channel if going to ten just isn't enough. Luckly for me it has a low wattage/half wattage/full wattage. I use low wattage for very small places, including home but use half wattage for gigs. The amp sounds great at low volumes, but there is difference when the master volume is up past noon. BTW, hand wired in Michigan too....but on the opposite side of the state from Kzoo. Sorry, I hijacked the thread.

Best guitar capos 2025: options for acoustic and electric guitar | Guitar World My preferred capo is the adjustable tension models. I think the neck thickness can cause the strings to be pulled so hard, they go out of tune. Might be what you're experiencing?

My guess is the T-shirts are ordered from a 3rd party source. I don't recall any merchandise on hand at PSP to purchase. If it's on the website, probably goes through a company like T-Spring that makes the shirts one at a time. I don't even see any for sale at Sweetwater which helps support my conclusion.

Wonder if that means it's a full hollowbody like a 530?

Going back to the OP., the Harmony guitars look great. While I've seen them in person several times, I have never played their semi-hollow models. I think its a great in-between from a H150 and a H535. Smaller body, but still that woody semi-hollow tone I'd imagine. Sort of like Gibson's ES-336. A 535 is simply an amazing guitar, very well crafted and a beautiful guitar to look at. I love mine but seldom take it out. I stand too close to my amp it feeds back because its so resonate. As to the second new member with the Roy Clarke, those are so cool! No longer in production, very few made, but essentially I believe its a single-cut version of a H535/555. Stunning guitar all around, I'd imagine it has a slim, fast neck. The microphones (pickups) can be changed to taste, but I sure wouldn't want to swap them myself, so little room to work. Semi-hollow guitars are crazy to work on with no access covers.

Considering the majority of Heritages use a Nashville Style bridge, it would be suggestive they are always a 12" radius as that is the radius of the bridge. Its doubtful they commissioned anyone to make that type of bridge in anything but a 12" radius. I could be wrong, but that makes sense to me.

As someone on here that has a long history of being particular about beefy necks, in general you will have a hard time finding older models with thick necksThey do exist but more often than not, they are not thick. Most of the 80’s have thin, flat D shape necks which coincides with the 80’s superfast, super slim neck phase when shredding became the goal of many new guitarists. In the 90’s, Heritages became more rounded yet thin. Then slightly thicker in the 2000’s. In the past 15 years, they became increasingly thicker. Most of the Heritages since 2016 are chunky necks, the kind I like. My last purchase was a ‘23 H150 Standard and it has that big hefty neck I wished all my previous guitars had. In 2016, ownership changed and so did a lot of things at Heritage. Constant debate amongst us of what is better, pre or post Plaza Corp made Heritages. Quality, pricing, model availability all changed. I won’t drag you into the weeds in that one, but production methods changed as did the tooling along with a new generation of guitar manufacturing employees.