Incoming: Heritage's answer to the Gibson Chet Atkins

[MartyGrass]

I got a David Paul H-550.  There were not that many made.  The incoming is in translucent blue.  A few were made in cherry.  It's a thinline 17" body with a 25.5" scale and HRWs.

It has a center block, but I don't know if it runs the full length of the body.

Here is a link of David Paul playing the model.  He used a Les Paul for the distorted part though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-XeMwpCNzY

David is an excellent player in the style of Chet Atkins.  He ran into some troubles in the late 2000s, including a brain tumor I'm told.

Jay Wolfe had some of David's model in stock.  I came close to buying one.  They are gorgeous in person.  Some are heavy.  This one is 9.5 lbs.

This listing is not the exact guitar but shows details better than the pics of the incoming one.

https://ish.guitars/collections/heritage-guitars/products/2005-heritage-h-550-david-paul-signature-translucent-blue

I had an orangeburst of a similar guitar with a single humbucker and no f holes, but it was 18".  It was not hard to play at all.

What I can gather about the history of this model is that there first was a prototype in blue with a rosewood fretboard and dot inlays but with his name on the peghead.  The next on built is also a prototype but has the toggle switch on the bass horn with a master volume and either a partial or full center block.  It also has a fretboard just like the H-555.  It doesn't have David's name on the headstock and the bridge has posts into the block.  I think this was "too light" of a guitar for him.  The final version had a full center block and his name on the headstock veneer.  These weighed a lot, up to 14 lbs I read.  The extra heft was to add sustain they say.

The first prototype came out in 2004.  The incoming one is from 2005.  The heavier ones followed.

Here is an old thread that has Jay Wolfe commenting on the model.

http://www.heritageownersclub.com/forums/topic/6948-heritage-david-paul-signature-guitar/

I'll send pics when it arrives.

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

[skydog52]

Can’t wait to see it. 

[Genericmusic]

[TalismanRich]

I guess it will look a bit like this one, eh?

[MartyGrass]

There's a few differences.  The Bigsby handle is the standard paddle.  The bridge has posts stuck into the center block.  My guess is that it is a partial center block like the usual H-550, not like a H-555.  The pickguard doesn't have his signature.  The peghead doesn't have his signature, which those that were built after the prototypes have.  The truss rod cover has no name on it.

Another way to look at it, and probably a reasonable way, is that it is a thinline H-550 in blue with a Bigsby and a master volume control and HRWs.  The incoming guitar is the second to the left.  The pic doesn't show the maple figuring.  The other blue pics are my old Super Eagle, which made me fond of big and blue.  I realize not everyone is fond of blue.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbdz44qbaGs

[MartyGrass]

Bigsbys also came from Kalamazoo.  They do what they're supposed to do very well but aren't good for dive bombing.  They are more subtle.

Heritage got it right when they anchored the bridge to the center block.  Alternatively, a rocker bridge, like Gretsch uses, works well.  The strings do best on rollers instead of string slots.  The break angle shouldn't be too steep.

I view the vibrato as something to be used sparingly or it gets boring.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zE22EmIGhSA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfXL7m2889k