The Kids Are Not Alright...

[JackBaruth]

In my quixotic quest to improve as a player, I signed up for our local Jazz

Academy's "Blues Camp", a week-long performance workshop with a public gig at the

end. There were about fifteen guitarists involved, of whom I was by far the

worst player --- but, it must be said, the best singer and one of about three who

could actually face the fairly large crowd and interact with them during my set.

 

Four of the five days, I brought a different Heritage to the classroom, and I plaued

three Heritages during the gig at the end. (A red H-555 for Freddie King's

"San-Ho-Zay", a Burst 150 for "All Your Love (I Miss Loving)", and my H-357 for

"Hand Jive.)

 

Many of the kids had serious hardware --- a bunch of R7s and R8s, an actual '61

Melody Maker, and a one owner '76 LP Custom --- but none of them had ever heard

of Heritage. I spent five days developing an explanation of Heritage that suited

the teen attention span. This is it:

 

"Gibson moved from Kalamazoo to Nashville in '84. A few guys stayed in the old factory

and they make the guitars by hand, the way they are supposed to be made, with no

computers. They're more like the original Gibsons than the 'real' ones are."

 

That's the sad part --- that these kids (and adults) didn't know our story. The

interesting part? Every one of the people to whom I told that story assumed that

Heritages were priced well above Gibson CS. The H-555, in particular, brought the

response of "must be nice to be rich." This, from an eighteen-year-old with an R7

goldtop.

 

Sure makes me wish there was a way to get the story out. I'm doing my best, I

talk about Heritage on my website, which is averaging 93,500 views a day, but

clearly there is more to be done!

[Blunote]

I took a couple teenagers I know to the factory a couple of months back. They'd both been geeked about someday owning a Les Paul. Now, they's prefer a Heritage.

[cod65]

I still am of the mindset that Heritage is fine the way it is. Bigger isn't necessarily better. I'm not convinced that Marv and co. want things to be any different from how they are. The guitars are great, reasonably priced, provide American jobs .... what is the problem ?

[Hfan]

Something to be said about being able to sing and interact with a crowd.

 

I would say maybe 1 out of 3 guitarists I speak of have heard of Heritage.

 

I am a bit conflicted. I would love to see Heritage do well and become recognized more but on the other hand if their value skyrockets, it would be harder to afford one. Well at least I have 4 and their values would increase so it is a win win I suppose.

 

Good for you to take the clinic, I could use something similar.

[Guest HRB853370]

In my quixotic quest to improve as a player, I signed up for our local Jazz

Academy's "Blues Camp", a week-long performance workshop with a public gig at the

end. There were about fifteen guitarists involved, of whom I was by far the

worst player --- but, it must be said, the best singer and one of about three who

could actually face the fairly large crowd and interact with them during my set.

 

Four of the five days, I brought a different Heritage to the classroom, and I plaued

three Heritages during the gig at the end. (A red H-555 for Freddie King's

"San-Ho-Zay", a Burst 150 for "All Your Love (I Miss Loving)", and my H-357 for

"Hand Jive.)

 

Many of the kids had serious hardware --- a bunch of R7s and R8s, an actual '61

Melody Maker, and a one owner '76 LP Custom --- but none of them had ever heard

of Heritage. I spent five days developing an explanation of Heritage that suited

the teen attention span. This is it:

 

"Gibson moved from Kalamazoo to Nashville in '84. A few guys stayed in the old factory

and they make the guitars by hand, the way they are supposed to be made, with no

computers. They're more like the original Gibsons than the 'real' ones are."

 

That's the sad part --- that these kids (and adults) didn't know our story. The

interesting part? Every one of the people to whom I told that story assumed that

Heritages were priced well above Gibson CS. The H-555, in particular, brought the

response of "must be nice to be rich." This, from an eighteen-year-old with an R7

goldtop.

 

Sure makes me wish there was a way to get the story out. I'm doing my best, I

talk about Heritage on my website, which is averaging 93,500 views a day, but

clearly there is more to be done!

 

Jack, great story and thanks for sharing. Just another reminder that we have to keep preaching the gospel about Heritage.

 

Man, my response to that 18 year old with the R7 might have been something like this: "Must be nice to have parents that spoil you..."

 

Almost reminds me of a Friday evening where I pulled up to a stoplight in my 40th Anniversary torch red C4 vette. A brand new black C6 convertible pulls up next to me, with no less, what looked like an 18 year old with his hot girlfriend in the passenger seat. As they smiled at me, I politely smiled back and muttered, "Daddy let you have the keys tonite"?

[Guest HRB853370]

I still am of the mindset that Heritage is fine the way it is. Bigger isn't necessarily better. I'm not convinced that Marv and co. want things to be any different from how they are. The guitars are great, reasonably priced, provide American jobs .... what is the problem ?

 

I don't see it as a problem at all Cod65, what Jack is pointing out is that kids today have no idea what is out there, except for what their peers have. Most of them have not been exposed to great classic rock and roll, and certainly, unless somebody like Jack educates them about "there are other and better alternatives to Gibson", they are going to roll along through life not knowing any different. That is not to suggest that Heritage become the next corporate guitar giant, that will never happen. But ensuring the company's continuing existence is something ALL of us want, and without future generations of buyers to purchase them, they can fade away like many American companies have.

[JackBaruth]

I definitely don't want Heritage to become Gibson (I was in Nashville this weekend and had a drink at the

airport's "Gibson Cafe", complete with $28 T-shirts) but it does concern me that the company's clientele is

aging significantly.

 

The younger guys on this forum are in their thirties. I'm 39, and I only heard about Heritage because my

guitar teacher started playing an Eagle about fifteen years ago.

 

When you tell 15-year-olds about the company, they aren't going to trade in their ESP or Jackson for a Sweet 16...

but 20 years from now, they may be informed buyers. I look at it as putting wood or whiskey aside for seasoning.

[Guest HRB853370]

I definitely don't want Heritage to become Gibson (I was in Nashville this weekend and had a drink at the

airport's "Gibson Cafe", complete with $28 T-shirts) but it does concern me that the company's clientele is

aging significantly.

 

The younger guys on this forum are in their thirties. I'm 39, and I only heard about Heritage because my

guitar teacher started playing an Eagle about fifteen years ago.

 

When you tell 15-year-olds about the company, they aren't going to trade in their ESP or Jackson for a Sweet 16...

but 20 years from now, they may be informed buyers. I look at it as putting wood or whiskey aside for seasoning.

 

They have to market to the new generations just like Harley-Davidson did. If HD had not done that, their could have kissed their company goodbye as the older baby boomers faded away or no longer bought new bikes. In Heritage's case, it is up to us as ambassadors to spread the word and keep the flame burning brightly!

[Spectrum13]

Great story!

 

When shopping for my 150 in 2007 I did remember hearing something back in 1986 about that Heritge Guitar Company.

 

Took me 20 years to come around but the seed was planted.

[smurph1]

I still am of the mindset that Heritage is fine the way it is. Bigger isn't necessarily better. I'm not convinced that Marv and co. want things to be any different from how they are. The guitars are great, reasonably priced, provide American jobs .... what is the problem ?

+100000

[pegleg32]

I think it is great that there are folks out there like Jack that are spreading the word. I also try to do that whenever I can. Basically that is the true pupose of this website - info and education about Hertage guitars. I'll try to send business to the guys whenever I can, and I really don't worry about them growing exponentially, I just want them to at least continue making a decent living and making what WE love.

[cod65]

I'm with y'all, believe me I've done my share of 'missionary' work. Ive been under the impression that Heritage never had a shortage of orders, but rather what is most important to the K-zoo crew is maintaining the quality of life up there ( family, playing golf, etc.)

 

I like the idea that we could maintain 'the flame', but for me the obscurity is part of the mystique.

We all know these are the Real Deal. What if Jack White played an Heritage instead of an Airline guitar? What would Heritage look like today?

 

All this gets me to some heavy thinkinng about capitalism, materialism, blah bkah.

 

The best advertising comes thru making some music with these here gems.

[DetroitBlues]

Every chance I can make I mention Heritage guitars. Until a mainstream artist starts playing one (which won't happen since Fender, Gibson, and PRS giveaway their guitars to just about anyone kids watch), it will be a obscure botique guitar builder....

[H555rocks]

I'm 12 and I saved my whole life to get a Heritage, and just when the right used one popped up I bought it. Every chence I get to tell my guitar playing colleagues I tell them about the Heritage.

[JeffB]

I'm 12 and I saved my whole life to get a Heritage, and just when the right used one popped up I bought it. Every chence I get to tell my guitar playing colleagues I tell them about the Heritage.

So youve been saving 12yrs?

If you are 12 you are definitely the youngest here. Make allowances for us old coots and we'll not begrudge you your youth.

Welcome btw

and yeah, tell everyone. Have we seen pics of your Heritage?

[JeffB]

Double post. Sorry. forgot I had already posted.

[Hfan]

Wow, 12 yrs old (not in dog years I assume) that is cool. We will have to try to watch our behavior, impressionable minds and all that. How did you discover Heritage?

[111518]

I also try to spread the word about Heritage guitars to students, and twice, over the last couple of years, I've decided to pull the trigger on Heritage guitars that I envisioned as primary teaching guitars, only to find that both guitars had just been sold: once on a 575, once on a 525. I still have my eyes out for the right Heritage --need something versatile, but also that I can stand to see get beat up in the way that a teaching guitar almost inevitably gets beat up.

 

I think Heritage's appeal to my students --college kids at a relatively affluent liberal arts school-- is limited by the present quality of competitor's lower cost models. When I was 18, the difference between the first import Epi's and a real Gibson was enormous, but the current Epi Paul's and '35's are good (if not great) playing and sounding guitars. The MIM Fenders also are appealing to kids --they have the look, and they are good instruments. Many do play pointy guitars of various makes --but mostly because they are cheap and widely available used at local shops.

 

So, even if I find a good teaching Heritage, I have no illusion many of the kids are going to run out and plunk down a grand for a used one or 2 for a new. Very few have that kind of discretionary money at this point in their lives, and few feel a compelling need to make that investment; not a "first call" on their resources. Still, as Jack and others point out, I think it is important to plant the seed that Heritage guitars have a great history and represent great quality. Even though I see my old 135 as a very work-a-day kind of instrument, I'm afraid it sends the wrong message in forums like the improv lab pictured below --a 525 would be preferable. (educational discount?)

 

[Guest HRB853370]

Every chance I can make I mention Heritage guitars. Until a mainstream artist starts playing one (which won't happen since Fender, Gibson, and PRS giveaway their guitars to just about anyone kids watch), it will be a obscure botique guitar builder....

 

Disagree. Heritage is neither obscure nor boutique. They just carry on the tradition of building guitars like they always did when the company was another name. They eschew the cookie cutter approach and treat customers like customers. They are small enough to be able to handle custom orders without a major disruption in their operations. As far as major endorsers, how much bigger do you want than Gary Moore, Adrian Belew, Boz Scaggs, Alex Skolnick, etc etc!

[cod65]

Adrian Belew? I had no idea.

[H555rocks]

Wow, 12 yrs old (not in dog years I assume) that is cool. We will have to try to watch our behavior, impressionable minds and all that. How did you discover Heritage?

I discovered Heritage by Wolfe guitars, great people over there by the way. And they let me play their Heritage and G&L pretty freely, and I love those guitars! For those who asked I have a "brand new" "used" Heritage H555 that some rich fellow bought and never played. He never played it, making it in perfect condition, and I got a great deal when buying it "used".

 

Sorry to those who wanted pics, at the moment I can only post 1.

[cod65]

h555 you are wise well beyond your years, apparently!

 

Your vocabulary is also quite remarkable for the average American 12 yr old these days. Either you are quite remarkable, fooling with us , or from some 'socialist' northern European country where they actually value education and the Arts.

 

Doesn't matter any old way, because you got good taste.

 

[the jayce]

Disagree. Heritage is neither obscure nor boutique. They just carry on the tradition of building guitars like they always did when the company was another name. They eschew the cookie cutter approach and treat customers like customers. They are small enough to be able to handle custom orders without a major disruption in their operations. As far as major endorsers, how much bigger do you want than Gary Moore, Adrian Belew, Boz Scaggs, Alex Skolnick, etc etc!

 

 

They need up to date endorsers, alex and the boys are great but 99 percent of the young generation would have no idea who he or the others are, heritage needs to be in the hands of the popular musicians of today and in the now... to keep the flame alive thats what has to happen.. only problem is heritage cant compete with gib or fends pocket books. Corperate giants always win..They can buy thier endorsers..... such a shame.

[Guest HRB853370]

They need up to date endorsers, alex and the boys are great but 99 percent of the young generation would have no idea who he or the others are, heritage needs to be in the hands of the popular musicians of today and in the now... to keep the flame alive thats what has to happen.. only problem is heritage cant compete with gib or fends pocket books. Corperate giants always win..They can buy thier endorsers..... such a shame.

 

Also add in Johnny Smith, Roy Clark and there is more! I don't think Heritage is marketing to the 18-25 year old set. I bet if you took a survey, the average age of a Heritage owner is over 35. Notice the word AVERAGE. They don't have the budget models like Gibson and Fender do. ALL of their guitars are of professional grade quality. You don't see any offshore made Heritage's like you do with Fender and Gibson. Heritage's are sold to the folks that are educated and can afford them. Period. That is not to say that they should not go for the younger set, as they definitely should. Orders are orders and sales are sales.

[H555rocks]

h555 you are wise well beyond your years, apparently!

 

Your vocabulary is also quite remarkable for the average American 12 yr old these days. Either you are quite remarkable, fooling with us , or from some 'socialist' northern European country where they actually value education and the Arts.

 

Doesn't matter any old way, because you got good taste.

 

I'm not fooling about being 12:) I personally value the guitar cause it gives me great pleasure that is impossible to find elsewhere and I find the h555 to be a very versatile guitar.

I'm also not from some "socailist" country, but am proud to be an American:)