Introducing the Heritage Custom Shop Core Collection H-717

[pressure]

Wowzers. Fab new guitar from Heritage.

 

[golferwave]

Gotta love HJ!  Great guitar and great player!  Thanks for posting!

[skydog52]

A new model. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

[Gitfiddler]

Now that's a gorgeous archtop!  And Henry Johnson is the perfect player to endorse it.  Unfortunately it's priced over my pay grade at $12,999. 

https://heritageguitars.com/products/custom-shop-core-collection-h-717-archtop-guitar-honey-burst

[pressure]

I haven't seen the body size listed. I'm guessing 18" like their large jazz guitars. From the pictures published I don't see fretboard markers, my preference for them is 4mm pearl dots. I wonder if you can specify a "Ghost Stinger" as an option?

[MartyGrass]

I've had the chance to play the prototype a little while ago.  The guitar is very light and resonant.  Compared to the Benedetto next to it,  it's a toss up.

The bracing is carefully shaved.  I don't know if it's tap tuned, but the plate was carefully carved and is thin.  It takes significantly more time by the best luthiers at Heritage to make this.  That was the goal, sort of like the Citation.

Another reason the price may be higher than you expect is that there was quite a bit of time put into creating the design and execution of the first guitar.  I'll bet Heritage makes 5-10 of these per year max.

I would have to be in a much higher tax bracket to get one of these.  The first reason is that I would be fearful of the first ding.  The second reason is that the tone caters to those with exquisite tonal taste when in the hands of a master.  That's not me.

The design, and yes, the headstock, is elegant.  When you see and hold it, you'll know you are in the presence of something special.

I wish Heritage all the luck with this.  It brings the company to a notch higher in the acoustic jazz world, for sure.

Personally I'd like inlays for appearance sake.  I don't know if that's guilding the lilly though.

 

  

[Kuz]

OK, I'll say it.... for me, personally.... I find the guitar FUGLY.   I don't understand Heritage's design concept here.  Are they going for the Benedetto modern jazz box look with that finger rest?  The finger rest/pickguard is fugly and looks especially strange on a Heritage.  If they were going with a modern look, then why use the gaudy, over-ornate tail piece?  This guitar looks like they didn't have a design plan for either a sleek modern look or an old school classic look.

On a positive side, I do love the new headstock.  It looks like Collings "hair cut" headstock that I love.

Even if it was $5-7K, I would pass on looks alone.  

Anyone agree with me, or anyone disagree and love it?  All opinions are welcomed.

[pressure]

Fab guitar, I love it.

[MartyGrass]

3 hours ago, Kuz said:

OK, I'll say it.... for me, personally.... I find the guitar FUGLY.   I don't understand Heritage's design concept here.  Are they going for the Benedetto modern jazz box look with that finger rest?  The finger rest/pickguard is fugly and looks especially strange on a Heritage.  If they were going with a modern look, then why use the gaudy, over-ornate tail piece?  This guitar looks like they didn't have a design plan for either a sleek modern look or an old school classic look.

On a positive side, I do love the new headstock.  It looks like Collings "hair cut" headstock that I love.

Even if it was $5-7K, I would pass on looks alone.  

Anyone agree with me, or anyone disagree and love it?  All opinions are welcomed.

I have first hand experience with the prototype several times and talked with the designer each time.  It is my belief that this guitar is a superb acoustic jazz box.  Imagine a 1920s L-5 with more attention to bracing and plate carving and with also primo wood.  I owned a 1920s L-5 in my teen years and practiced on it like a maniac.  The guitar was heavier.  The 717 is significantly lighter.

The 717 involved a lot of thought and went through the highest levels in the Heritage organization, including the CEO from Asia, who is a master jazz player.  This was a long term project.  Even the pickups went through several iterations to get it right.

The build quality of the one I saw is flawless.  The woods are superb in appearance.  You can hear how clear and full the notes are.

There are a couple of cosmetic things I'd want, but I would never use such a guitar.  To me, it's delicate and expensive.  I have a Golden Eagle and a H-575 that work just fine.  But there are those who deserve the caliber of such an acoustic archtop.  I hope this serves them well.

 

 

 

[skydog52]

Ultimately the tone and playability are the true test to a model like this.

At the price point of this one, I would have liked to have seen at the very least some nice fret markers.

The build I think is elegant.

Edited April 6 by skydog52

[Steiner]

It needs, at least, two pickups or it hasn’t sufficient range.

For such a costly guitar, it screams budget.  

[bolero]

Did they explain why they chose 717 as the model #?

So far, numerical prefixes have been 1,3,5

No 7's until now?

any others?

why no 2,4,6's?

I can maybe understand why no 2's or 4's. Avoids all the 2x4 jokes

Edited April 7 by bolero
7

[Kuz]

20 hours ago, MartyGrass said:

I have first hand experience with the prototype several times and talked with the designer each time.  It is my belief that this guitar is a superb acoustic jazz box.  Imagine a 1920s L-5 with more attention to bracing and plate carving and with also primo wood.  I owned a 1920s L-5 in my teen years and practiced on it like a maniac.  The guitar was heavier.  The 717 is significantly lighter.

The 717 involved a lot of thought and went through the highest levels in the Heritage organization, including the CEO from Asia, who is a master jazz player.  This was a long term project.  Even the pickups went through several iterations to get it right.

The build quality of the one I saw is flawless.  The woods are superb in appearance.  You can hear how clear and full the notes are.

There are a couple of cosmetic things I'd want, but I would never use such a guitar.  To me, it's delicate and expensive.  I have a Golden Eagle and a H-575 that work just fine.  But there are those who deserve the caliber of such an acoustic archtop.  I hope this serves them well.

 

 

 

I have no doubt that the build qualify is top notch, my beef is only with the cosmetics.  My 575 and my Florentine Golden Eagle were (to my eyes) GORGEOUS.  Again, my only beef with the H 717 is the cosmetics.  I am sure it is an amazing built and exceptional sounding guitar.

To me, this is what a classy jazz box should look like..... 

[MartyGrass]

8 hours ago, Kuz said:

I have no doubt that the build qualify is top notch, my beef is only with the cosmetics.  My 575 and my Florentine Golden Eagle were (to my eyes) GORGEOUS.  Again, my only beef with the H 717 is the cosmetics.  I am sure it is an amazing built and exceptional sounding guitar.

To me, this is what a classy jazz box should look like..... 

I own its twin.  It sounds as great as I could want.

[bolero]

there was a 225 parsons st model too

Did the eagle have a model #?

[Steiner]

13 hours ago, bolero said:

there was a 225 parsons st model too

Did the eagle have a model #?

No.  Eagles were Classic, Golden and Super.  Never a number that I saw.