Jump to content
Heritage Owners Club

Gitfiddler

Charter Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    2459

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    265

 Content Type 

Posts posted by Gitfiddler

    Special Invitation To New Members

    in Heritage Guitars

    Posted

    Howdy fellas, I decided to join now that I got my first Heritage, a 1992 H550 just less than 24 hours ago. A great guitar in great condition. Beautiful almond sunburst.

     

    I have been playing blues and jazzy blues for a while in the SE US. I am a member of a working 4-piece jump blues band and have been using semi-hollow and hollowbody guitar exclusively except for slide. I bought the H550 as my last hollow body guitar, a step up from my Epi Joe Pass that will get single coil PUPs now.

     

    I look forward to learning more about Heritage here and make some new musician friends in the cyber space.

     

    -jblues

     

    PS: Here is my Heritage:

     

    1000015g.jpg

     

     

    WOW! Your 550 is beautiful. As a relatively new 550 owner myself, I can't agree more that it is the perfect git for jump blues and many other genres. It's an instrument that always makes me smile.

     

    WELCOME TO ALL OF THE NEWBIES! HOPE YOU HANG OUT AND POST OFTEN. :D

    Special Invitation To New Members

    in Heritage Guitars

    Posted

    Well this is my first time at a group meeting,.........I uh,....I have a problem,.....I LOVE my guitar.It isn't shiny,or new,but it is a heritage.A 1987 H137 dot inlays,what I believe is ebony fretboard,Pearley Gates pups,coil split mod on both humbuckers(push pull pots)The most comfortable neck I have ever played.I have tried to do research on this guitar,with not much luck.Picked her up at a little place not far from here,and she was soon letting me have my way with her;{)

     

     

    Welcome to the group, Paw Paw. That 137 sure looks like a 140 to me. Have you pulled off her rear cover plate and checked? Whatever, it is, she's a fine looking lady! :thumbsup:

    Special Invitation To New Members

    in Heritage Guitars

    Posted

    OK Gitfiddler, my name is also Tim and I joined HOC about six months ago, when I ordered my first Heritage. This is my first post. "Hello" to you and all of the Heritage owners/experts on this forum. That guitar, H535, is now due to arrive in two days.

     

    Although I've played one or two owned by others I confess it will be my first Heritage. For many years now my stage and studio mainstay has been a 1967 ES335TD I bought used in 1972 for $225. Long gone are the original pups, replaced with Seth Lovers, but it still remains my favorite feeling/sounding guitar. For some time now I have been trying to find an instrument I like well enough to retire this old girl to studio use only. She has accumulated quite a bit of wear and tear over the years and has earned some lighter duty I hope will help preserve what's left of her cracked and worn finish.

     

    Up to now I haven't found a suitable replacement. I hope that problem will be solved with the arrival of my new Heritage. Prior to ordering the H535 from Jay I had purchased a Larry Carlton 335 from a big box store. It is, to my knowlege, the only 335 style guitar made these days with a 1 9/16 nut width the same as found on 335's of the late 60's such as mine. I kept the LC 335 for less than a week and returned it, very disapointed due to the very shoddy fretwork/fretboard binding work it displayed. Failing to cap the ends of the frets with the binding to give it that smooth feel as was always a Gibson trademark feature of the past, or even making a decent attempt at smoothing the bare fret ends as Fender, PRS, and others do on non-bound fretboards was a shortcut I just couldn't tolerate on an instrument in that price range. If not for that lapse in quality with a switch to Seth Lover pups the LC 335 might have filled the bill, but to make it playable I'd have had to have it refretted properly. Replacing pups is one thing, to me mostly a matter of personal preference, but I just couldn't bring myself to spend an extra $400 to correct deliberate low quality workmanship.

     

    All of that led me to get in touch with Jay who assured me Heritage would make me an H535 with the nut width and profile I wanted, with my preferred pups, with the fretboard properly bound, and most likely at much lower cost than the LC 335. It was an offer I couldn't resist. I await delivery of that guitar now with high hopes it will meet my needs. It better...lol...it's a special order item.

     

    Wish me luck, and any special break in tips from H535 experts on HOC that might help smooth my first Heritage ownership experience would be most welcome. Thanks much.....

     

    FSBluz~Another Tim!? Great. I don't think the world and the HOC has enough of us...yet. Welcome to the asylum!

     

    Since you spec'd out your 535 with Jay, I'm sure you will be very happy with the end product. If any issues arise with it, he is great for problem solving.

     

    Congratulations on your first Heritage. And remember, your HOC membership is conditional upon providing a really nice picture of your guitar.

    OK, not really, but we do love to see photos. :lol:

    Special Invitation To New Members

    in Heritage Guitars

    Posted

    Welcome to the HOC, Rick. Consider yourself bitten by the Heritage mojo bug. Many of us here can relate to your great story. I remember walking into a GC while on a business trip one evening and after many hours of back and forth, walking out with a 'player' 150 Ultra. It sounds corny, but that guitar simply had way too much mojo to be left behind.

     

    Enjoy your 535. I'm sure it is a killer axe...and please post a pic when you get her home.

    Special Invitation To New Members

    in Heritage Guitars

    Posted

    Thanks for the welcome Fred. I sure hope I can get my hands on one these beautiful guitars eventually.

     

     

    Welcome aboard, Tempest.

     

    All of us were somewhat in your shoes at one time. It took me years to find my first Heritage, and that was after a close friend pulled me away from my first G brand archtop (an ES165 laminate body) and go for a solid wood archtop. I could not believe the substantially lower price of a much superior Heritage! After that first Heritage, the addiction set in.

     

    So I wish you luck with your search and saving for just the right guitar that works for you. I wish this cool site was around when I was looking for my Heritage.

     

    Hang around and enjoy some of the fun here at the HOC. Feel free to ask any questions you have about Heritage.

     

    Tim

    Special Invitation To New Members

    in Heritage Guitars

    Posted

    Welcome, Fernando!

     

    First of all, congratulations on scoring your first of three Heritages. I agree with you that Cryoman is a peach of a guy. I'm glad he was able to sell that sweet 150. It had the 'Cryoman-Mods' that made it a much better gitfiddle.

     

    Secondly, to ALL of the lurkers out there, COME OUT OF THE CYBER-CLOSET! Drop us a post once in a while, if only to say HELLO. This is a great forum to hang out at.

    Special Invitation To New Members

    in Heritage Guitars

    Posted

    Hey, a belated 'WELCOME' to all of the :glasses10: members.

     

    Hopefully more of the :puke: lurkers will pop in and say hello too.

     

    It is always cool to see pics of anything Heritage related. We are a very literate group, but BIG PICTURES always get our attention and approval. Plus, new members get free mileage points for the airline of your choosing for every Heritage picture. :P

     

    OK, maybe not, but we still like to see your stuff! ;)

    Special Invitation To New Members

    in Heritage Guitars

    Posted

    Welcome, White Beard and GBOWL! Thanks for taking the time to introduce yourselves. Two more fantastic members.

     

    GBOWL, what a story you've told! It should be posted directly on the Heritage website...(if the guys could stop making guitars long enough to update it). But speaking directly to the OWNERS of ANY medium-large sized business these days is so rare. Try to speak to one of the managers or mucky-mucks at other guitars companies. Go ahead, try it!

     

    Anyway, glad to have you and all of the others that have joined this special club. We know we are into something very special with Heritage Guitars.

     

    Tim

    Special Invitation To New Members

    in Heritage Guitars

    Posted

    Welcome to the Club, Tim! Just a suggestion, but whatever you're feeding that 535 doesn't seem to agree with it...it puked out a pickup!

     

     

    Dick, thanks for my morning coffee-through-the-nose laugh!!!  ;D ;D

     

    Tim and Morbidrockgod~Welcome to the HOC institution, where the inmates run everthing!

    Special Invitation To New Members

    in Heritage Guitars

    Posted

    According to the Heritage website (my favorite site of ALL time, by the way!) they state that they were incorporated on April 1, 1985.  Gibson left Kalamazoo in September 1984, so if they made their first 'A' series guitars, it would have been within three months of the exodus?!  The first H-140 wasn't shown to NAMM until June 1985.  Has anyone seen an 'A' series Heritage? 

     

     

     

     

                         

     

                                            How it all began.. 

     

    Heritage Guitar Inc. of 225 Parsons Street in Kalamazoo, Michigan was incorporated on April 1, 1985. The company is going on 19 years old, it has achieved the status of one of the premier guitar companies in the world today. It is, in many instances, the new guitar line handled by countless vintage shops throughout the world. This indicates it is thought of as the collectible guitar of tomorrow.

     

    The idea to start Heritage Guitar began when the Gibson Guitar Corporation closed its Kalamazoo, Michigan factory in September of 1984 and moved all production to its other plant in Nashville, Tennessee (in operation since 1975). When this took place, some of the employees were asked to move to Nashville. However, since their families had spent many years in Kalamazoo, it made it difficult to uproot and move. Therefore 3 men, Jim Deurloo, Marvin Lamb, and JP Moats, decided to start a guitar manufacturing business. In 1985 when the company was incorporated, 2 other former Gibson Guitar Corporation employees, Bill Paige and Mike Korpak, joined as owners. Mike left the company in 1985.

     

    The founders biggest resource is and was the group of craftsmen they could draw from to begin operations. The owners themselves each had in excess of 25 years of hands on experience in making guitars. To this day each of the owners is directly involved in the manufacturing of each instrument.

     

    Heritage started operations in the oldest of five buildings formerly owned and operated by Gibson Guitar Corporation. That building was completed in 1917 and has been a center for guitar manufacturing ever since. Much of the machinery that Heritage uses today, was purchased from Gibson Guitar Corporation.

     

    The first guitar Heritage introduced was the H-140 solid body single cutaway electric guitar. This model was shown at the NAMM show in June of 1985.

     

    Since that time Heritage has added many instruments. Currently Heritage manufacturers Custom Carved Hollow Body Guitars, Semi Hollow Body Guitars, and Solid Body Guitars. This is to say nothing of the countless number of custom instruments made in each of the groups previously mentioned. Banjos, Mandolins, Flat Tops, and Basses, are no longer being produced because of the demand for the guitars mentioned in the above 3 categories.

     

    Heritage is proud of it's older employees’ with 25 years of average experience and what it has accomplished in 19 years. Heritage is

    also training  younger luthiers to learn this fine art of craftsmanship. 

     

     

     

     

     

    Special Invitation To New Members

    in Heritage Guitars

    Posted

    Welcome, Mr. Thumbs.

     

    Is your name a tribute to Wes?  If so, you've got the perfect axe to cop his licks with.  Gorgeous...and another OSB member.  8)

     

    I've never seen a Golden Eagle with an input jack on the outer rim.  Most are in the end pin.  I much prefer the former. 

    Special Invitation To New Members

    in Heritage Guitars

    Posted

    Hi Gitfiddler

     

    I have a H 575 made in 1991. Do you know what the guitar is worth now? It is in very good condition. I do not want to sell it - but I just want to know its value. Thank you and Merry Christmas!!

     

    Hi there, Harold, and welcome to the HOC!

     

    As for your H-575's value, see if you can upload a photo of it here and describe its condition, features and pickups.  There are a number of 575 owners (and one 'Wheeler Dealer) here who will gladly give you a range.

     

    Another option is to do an Ebay search for sold Heritage H-575's.  Then you can see actual instruments to compare yours with.

×
×
  • Create New...