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Why is Gibson still so prevalent and Heritage not so much on the major player scene?

skydog

By skydog
in Heritage Guitars

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Thundersteel Proficient

Thundersteel

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What's the big deal about truss rod condoms and hide glue? It's the same argument about neck tenons. Once the drummer and bass player kick in, who cares?

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bolero Mentor

bolero

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What's the big deal about truss rod condoms and hide glue? It's the same argument about neck tenons. Once the drummer and bass player kick in, who cares?

 

 

I agree, but in the everlasting quest for the mystique & "burst tone" this is considered one of the ingredients to match

 

to be honest i agree: who wants a piece of rubber the entire length of the neck? hardly ideal IMO

 

and hide glue is historically accurate to what was used....so if you're hellbent on getting a true replica, you want to replicate that too

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mars_hall Rookie Copy

mars_hall

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I agree, but in the everlasting quest for the mystique & "burst tone" this is considered one of the ingredients to match

 

to be honest i agree: who wants a piece of rubber the entire length of the neck? hardly ideal IMO

 

and hide glue is historically accurate to what was used....so if you're hellbent on getting a true replica, you want to replicate that too

They are not rubber. They are simply plastic soda straws to keep the threads clear and capable of turning for neck adjustment.

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H Rising Star

H

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What's the big deal about truss rod condoms and hide glue? It's the same argument about neck tenons. Once the drummer and bass player kick in, who cares?

I'd go a step back and say once you've amplified your sound past the 'clean' point. I don't buy into it much.

 

Having said that, I recognise that for some people, it's another facet of guitar ownership. I don't have the hearing or the funds to start down that route.

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Kuz Experienced

Kuz

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Honestly, we can discuss truss rod condoms and hide glue, but I feel the fretboard not being real Brazillian rosewood would be the biggest factor holding back current single cut guitars from sounding like real vintage Bursts. At least Braz RW fretboards are tone woods on a guitar. Next in terms of tone differences would be comparing the Nitro finishes used between modern & authentic vintage Bursts.

 

Personally, I would take a guitar with authentic nitro finish & authentic B RW fretboard tone wood over a type of glue & a couple of paper thin straws.

 

Just my opinion, YMMV

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Kuz Experienced

Kuz

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I'd go a step back and say once you've amplified your sound past the 'clean' point. I don't buy into it much.

Actually, I can hear many differences in OD tones vs Clean tones. Just listen to all the different types of OD tones there are, from Mesa, Marshall, Vintage Tweed, Dumble, Vox, ect.

 

If your guitar is muddy or bright & spikey, I think OD can actually increase the audible flaws in your guitar tone.

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Steiner Community Regular

Steiner

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Gibson is like Budweiser

 

Heritage is more of a fine craft brewery

 

 

:icon_thumright:

 

Excellent analogy SouthpawGuy

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Cajun Contributor

Cajun

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TRADITION - Why are Les Pauls, Strats, and Teles still the biggest selling guitars? They were designed in the early 50s. Surely there are better guitars these days (PRS for example...).

 

My theory - guitarists are all about tradition, and they think they will sound like the guitar gods that made them famous. I have owned over 75 guitars including vintage Fenders and Gibsons - and I know Heritage and many others are building them as good as many of the vintage guitars.

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Guest HRB853370

Guest HRB853370

Posted
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Gibson is like Budweiser

 

Heritage is more of a fine craft brewery

 

9673612341_430916be24_o.jpg

 

:icon_thumright:

And don't you just wish it was available where you live!!!!

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  • 4 weeks later...
greatmutah Newbie

greatmutah

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I think this scenario is similar to Marshalls and their spinoffs. Marshalls are considered the iconic voice of rock and roll. You see 1960 cabs all over backlines on every stage. But as iconic as the Marshall name is and as popular as it is there are many smaller builders/companies that build a better Marshall so to speak. Wizard amps, Friedman, Metropoulis, Splawn, Blackstar and Ceriatones offer a what could be considered a better Marshall than Marshall does. Whether you're looking for classic sounds or more hotrodded designs, a lot of these manufacturers have been considered heads above Marshall in terms of tones and sounds. Yet at the end of the day, a lot of people will flock to a Marshall because it's iconic. It's THE amp that helped define the sound of rock and roll and has appeared on more stages and on the insides of more album sleeves than most other amps. Before I knew anything about amps, all I wanted was a Marshall stack. Because it was a Marshall. I know better now, having been buying and flipping amps for years now. The difference is, in this case anyway that there are more affordably priced Marshalls floating around than the alternatives (and by alternatives I mean based off Marshall circuits), even though they are better built amps. (This is not me bashing on Marshalls. I currently have a SL-X that I enjoy and have played some good ones. But their build quality, especially during the late 80s and 90s was hit and miss).

 

In my case, I love VHT/Fryette amps. I've had two now. I had a Pittbull 50/CL and now have a Deliverance 60. I strongly, strongly feel these are among the best amps I have ever played or owned. And in my personal opinion, I think my Deliverance does a great Marshall-esque tone, even in higher gain settings, just more hi-fi sounding. That being said, outside of the guitar community and players that are in the know, the Fryette name doesn't turn any heads. It doesn't matter that a Deliverance is as dynamic as it is or powerful sounding or how well built. It doesn't have the Marshall name (or even Mesa name) on it so it doesn't get the same publicity or sales.

 

The point is that the names themselves have become bigger than the product. And that may be due to marketing, paid endorsements, whatever. Which is fine. I rather like Heritage being almost like the best kept secret of electric guitars. Would I rather see bigger success for these guys? Sure. But at the same time, the fact that they can keep their operation to the point where everything is still done by hand and at prices that are comparable to mass produced LPs, then yeah, I'll take it. Even with the rising costs of newer Heritage guitars over the last few years, put in perspective that you're still getting a handcrafted instrument versus a mass produced guitar from Gibson at the same price (no Gibson hate either. I love their guitars too). But since I'm not getting paid to endorse a specific guitar, I'll endorse what I want with my dollar. And if I can educate more people about them, then I will. And if not, hey that's their preference, too. The fact is, we do have options, and some damn good ones at that.

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rockabilly69 Experienced

rockabilly69

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Even with the rising costs of newer Heritage guitars over the last few years, put in perspective that you're still getting a handcrafted instrument versus a mass produced guitar from Gibson at the same price (no Gibson hate either. I love their guitars too).

 

If I was to get endorsed by Gibson, it would only be custom shop guitars, and Heritage does no more handbuilding than Gibson when

comparing them to the custom shop guitars. As a matter of fact I would say there is more attention to detail from the Gibson custom

shop than from Heritage, especially when it comes to the Les Paul type guitars (ie ABR bridges require tighter alignment then Nashvilles,

hide glue used in the neck joint and now the fingerboard to neck joint, better wiring as in braided wire and tighter tolerance pots, etc).

 

I too love Heritage guitars and my two H150s smoke, but I had to replace all the hardware and electronics to get them where I wanted them.

 

We are talking about endorsement deals and why the big names choose Gibson. So...

 

if I'm looking for an endorsement deal, I want a guitar I can pull right off the rack and be done with it. With a new 1960 LP Historic Reissue,

a true vintage J-45, and a F5 Mandolin, I could make music without skipping a beat. If they made a good reso I would be set (they don't)!

 

And as for Marshall, if I was to be endorsed by them, I would only use their handwired reissues, like the 1274X, 1962X, 1958X which are as good as anything out there for my needs.

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