JAM Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Hey all ! Been lurking this forum for a couple months. Just started playing guitar last Sept. when my wife fulfilled my lifelong dream of learning to play guitar by giving me a Factory Special Run, Ltd. Ed. American Vintage '57 Stratocaster and an Orange practice amp as an Anniversary present ! I have always wanted to learn, but school, the service and Life in general always got in the way. Being semi-retired and working from home now, she decided this was the ideal time for me to start. I have told her for years that my ideal guitar trilogy was a Telecaster, a Stratocaster and a Gibson 335... ...That is until I spoke with bluesman Ed Williams (Little Ed & the Blues Imperials - Alligator Records) at his show here last Thanksgiving. Met Little Ed many years ago when I was just dating my wife, he recognized us and came over to our table at the break to chat. I remarked that his ES 335 looked new and he said that it wasn't a 335 but a Heritage H-535... That he just bought it earlier in the week at the The Guitar Works in Evanston, IL, a shop I knew well because I once lived 2 blocks from it. Ed said he wandered in the shop around 3pm, saw it, sat down and started started playing it... Four hours later, the salesman came up and asked was he going to buy it or what... that the store was closing in 10 minutes. Ed went on to tell me the story of the Heritage, how Gibson pulled up stakes for Nashville and several ex-Gibson employees started their own co. right in the old Gibby factory. Said it played better than any of the 335s he's owned through the years. Well, if it's good enough for Ed... So, I started researching them, found and lurked this forum and played a couple in a local guitar store. A new one was out of the question as I already had a very expensive Strat, and have since acquired a used modded 1999 Telecaster Nashville Deluxe along with a 60th anniversary Princeton Chorus and Bugera V5 amps, plus an Epiphone AJ and Ovation accoustics... all in just 4 months ! Yes... I am a gasoholic.... on the road to recovery now that I have my trilogy ! Anyway, being only 4 mos. into it and just starting 1-on-1 lessons, I thought that a 535 was at least 2 years out... maybe more. Plus, I really haven't seen any that really got my juices flowing... I know many will disagree, but my taste runs more to solid colors than SBs or transparent finishes... Nice as they are, I just prefer solid colors. Then I saw it... a 2010 Gloss Black H-535 on consignment at Elderly Inst. in Lansing, MI. Asking price wasn't the lowest... or the highest. Guitar has Duncan '59s and was rated as Excellent condition. Coincidentally, I have a nephew who's played Jazz guitar since his early teens and he went to Michigan St. in East Lansing. He came to know several of the people at Elderly... said they're a straight up shop. So I called, got the info and the serial #. Thanks to this forum, I was able to decipher the SN - 2010, made on the 132nd day of the year !!... I was born on the 132nd day of the year... definitely Good Karma !! Fortunately there was enough wiggle room to get the deal done. It arrived last evening and I waited 24 hrs. to unpack it due to the cold. Have 'noodled' it for a few hours and it's amazing ! Neck is much chunkier than others I've seen, but I'll adjust. It is in immaculate condition, has great action and tone. The only flaw is that the Truss Rod cover is cracked at the top screw (due to overtightening I suspect) - where can I get a replacement..?? Only have stock pix from the website, but I'll get a complete Family Potrait up in the next week or so. Anyway, just wanted to introduce myself and congratulate you all for the very fine and informative forum ! cheers! Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schundog Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Now THAT'S a great story! Welcome to the HOC, Jim, and good luck on your guitar journey! 535's are fantastic, I love mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skydog52 Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Welcome aboard Jim. I started playing late in life and loving it. Send me address in a PM and I'll get a cover to you. You started with a very versatile model. Beauty! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PunkKitty Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Congrats and welcome to the HOC. It sounds like you are in the Chicago area. We are planning a get together for forum members in a week and a half. Come on out and join us. More info can be found here. http://www.heritageownersclub.com/forums/topic/20928-chicago-winter-hoc-muster/ Don't feel compelled to play at the gathering. If you want to play, that's great. But it's not a requirement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TalismanRich Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Welcome aboard. You've got an excellent guitar in the 535. Love the story about Lil Ed. I've seen him live and he does a great show. Nice to hear that he's been bitten by the bug as well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpuma Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Congrats and welcome to the HOC. It sounds like you are in the Chicago area. We are planning a get together for forum members in a week and a half. Come on out and join us. More info can be found here. http://www.heritageownersclub.com/forums/topic/20928-chicago-winter-hoc-muster/ Don't feel compelled to play at the gathering. If you want to play, that's great. But it's not a requirement. the only strict requirement is to have fun and get to know your HOC buddies! Welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAM Posted February 7, 2013 Author Share Posted February 7, 2013 Congrats and welcome to the HOC. It sounds like you are in the Chicago area. We are planning a get together for forum members in a week and a half. Come on out and join us. More info can be found here. http://www.heritageownersclub.com/forums/topic/20928-chicago-winter-hoc-muster/ Don't feel compelled to play at the gathering. If you want to play, that's great. But it's not a requirement. Hey that'd be GREAT ! But I no longer live in Chicagoland. Lived there for 12 years in the late '70s/'80s... lived on Sheridan Rd. at the Evanston border, 3130 LSD, 505 N. Mich. and Kimball/Lawrence. I'm now in Saint Paul on the banks of the Mississippi - right out my front window. Plus, after 4 mos. I can't yet play... I know my chords, scales, Fretboard, working on transitions, Barre chords (ugh!!), strumming, picking, but it's just been the past couple weeks that it's starting to sound more like music than noise ! Truly I am not a prodigy... one of the hardest things I've ever done. But I have the two Ps (passion & persistence) so I know I'll get there ! Thanks anyway for the invite ! cheers! Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eljay Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 kool stuff, jim, and welcome! i don't believe any of the previous posters mentioned this, so i guess i'd better caution you: it's jolly hard to restrict oneself to a single heritage! that notion segues nicely into the respectful suggestion that your special trio "needs" to add a dimension, a 150 or a 140, (les paul type guitars). don't let me enable you, or anything. :-) hang in with learning to play; you'll get better and better with practice and patience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesgolfer Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Hey that'd be GREAT ! But I no longer live in Chicagoland. Lived there for 12 years in the late '70s/'80s... lived on Sheridan Rd. at the Evanston border, 3130 LSD, 505 N. Mich. and Kimball/Lawrence. I'm now in Saint Paul on the banks of the Mississippi - right out my front window. Plus, after 4 mos. I can't yet play... I know my chords, scales, Fretboard, working on transitions, Barre chords (ugh!!), strumming, picking, but it's just been the past couple weeks that it's starting to sound more like music than noise ! Truly I am not a prodigy... one of the hardest things I've ever done. But I have the two Ps (passion & persistence) so I know I'll get there ! Thanks anyway for the invite ! cheers! Jim Very nice looking 535. I like burst and wood grain, but I have to say, that black is striking. Good Choice. For lessons, if you aren't already working with somebody, try this guy, Rob Bourassa. He teaches you to play by ear and he'll have you playing stuff very quickly, any style. His method teaches you how to be able figure out how to play anything: He has a ton of youtube videos. If you are interested, you should contact him and have him explain and demonstrate his teaching method to you. I like the skype lessons. He charges $25.00 per half hour. At the end of the lesson, he'll send you a download of the hilights of the lesson showing you what to work on. You will eventually accumulate a nice library of lessons and exercises. You will love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAM Posted February 7, 2013 Author Share Posted February 7, 2013 Very nice looking 535. I like burst and wood grain, but I have to say, that black is striking. Good Choice. For lessons, if you aren't already working with somebody, try this guy, Rob Bourassa. He teaches you to play by ear and he'll have you playing stuff very quickly, any style. His method teaches you how to be able figure out how to play anything... He has a ton of youtube videos. If you are interested, you should contact him and have him explain and demonstrate his teaching method to you. I like the skype lessons. He charges $25.00 per half hour. At the end of the lesson, he'll send you a download of the hilights of the lesson showing you what to work on. You will eventually accumulate a nice library of lessons and exercises. You will love it. Thanks for that ! I am definitely at the bottom of the Learning Curve right now. I've never played any instrument or studied any music aside from having one of the greatest music collections on the face of the Planet. It's ALL in front of me. Not only do I need to learn to actually play, I am memorizing so much stuff, incl. Theory, Technique, etc. Part of my gift, along with the Stratocaster, were a dozen lessons from one of the best local teachers here in Mpls. So, I'll use these and then if we don't really hit it off, I'll look for alternatives and your suggestion is certainly one of them. My ultimate goal is to study Classical and perhaps Flamenco. Broken down into smaller steps, I'd like to be able to play for friends, perhaps get some jamming buddies, garage group, lite gigs and open mic nights. Of course all that is still way over the horizon. But everyday I take another step toward it. cheers! Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockabilly69 Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Yes the two P's will get you there! And that new Heritage won't hurt either, it's a fine looking rig. Congrats and welcome to the forum. There are some very nice people here that will help you with your guitar playing and Heritage admiring:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noonesperfect Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 It looks like you have the truss rod cover taken care of, but here is a site that's kind of fun: http://shop.custominlay.com/Heritage_c158.htm Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houndhome Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Nice looking guitar,I saw Elderly advertising this one.Welcome to our band of brothers.I have to say from personal experience that GAS attacks are not so easily fought off!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brentrocks Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Welcome to the HOC! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schundog Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Thanks for that ! I am definitely at the bottom of the Learning Curve right now. I've never played any instrument or studied any music aside from having one of the greatest music collections on the face of the Planet. It's ALL in front of me. Not only do I need to learn to actually play, I am memorizing so much stuff, incl. Theory, Technique, etc. Part of my gift, along with the Stratocaster, were a dozen lessons from one of the best local teachers here in Mpls. So, I'll use these and then if we don't really hit it off, I'll look for alternatives and your suggestion is certainly one of them. My ultimate goal is to study Classical and perhaps Flamenco. Broken down into smaller steps, I'd like to be able to play for friends, perhaps get some jamming buddies, garage group, lite gigs and open mic nights. Of course all that is still way over the horizon. But everyday I take another step toward it. cheers! Jim Hmm, I think you should PM our very own fxdx99, aka Randy. He is a great player and a heck of a nice guy in Minneapolis that runs a Saturday Morning Jam at a coffehouse in a warehouse district up there. He's posted some videos of some of the stuff they do, and it looks like a lot of fun to just sit back and watch until you are ready to join in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chico Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 welcome to the HOC and congrats on your new purchase. I also used to live not far from Guitar Works in Evanston, where my ex grew up. nice story, play it in good health. oh, and subscribe to vanderbilly.com it has great lessons, sharing, etc. from beginner to advanced stuff. check it out. all free, no ads, no spam.. once again congrats and keep us informed on your playing progress and new acquisitions lol (there WILL be more) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gitfiddler Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Hello Jim~ Thanks for coming out from stalking, er, um, I mean lurking here on the HOC! You'll love the chatter...almost as much as you'll love learning to play that cool looking 535. I love me some chunky necks on gits and women. OK, only on gits!! Play it in good health. You sound like a dedicated person, committed to reaching your goals. With your attitude you'll probably be teaching guitar in a few years! :-) Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoslate Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Jim, you belong here. I suspect you didn't lay a trail of breadcrumbs. You're in. There is no turning back.... Welcome! Nice looking pair of Fenders! And a 535.... Does not get better than that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HRB853370 Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Thanks for joining us Jim. I am a late starter myself on guitar, having been a drummer most of my life. I segued into bass guitar because of the synch between drums and bass in bands, then got bit by guitar because I wanted to learn another melodic instrument (and not go back to playing accordian, something I did when I was pre-teen). One Heritage was not enough, and you will find that as you move along. You seem to have ALL the tools you need to move forward, as well as the determination. Oh, and as Shundog suggested, seek out Randy (fxdx99), a stellar player as well as one of the nicest guys you will ever meet and more than willing to help! Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Welcome to the HOC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blunote Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Welcome. There's a lot of us who started, or restarted playing later in life. My first exposure to Heritage was at Elderly when I heard somone playing the Millie Std. Ultra that I later purchased. There have been several Heritage Guitars purchased since and I've really enjoyed the adventure. Word of warning: It can be addictive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 wow that's a nice 535, congrats!! and welcome nice pair of Fender's too!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieDude Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 Welcome to HOC! And keep practicing! You'll get there sooner than you think. The only time you lose is the time you don't spend practicing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.