Are Artisan Aged guitars always Custom Core?

[eljay]

Hi, everyone!

I have my eye on this: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/H535AADLB--heritage-artisan-aged-h-535-electric-guitar-dirty-lemon-burst-sweetwater-exclusive

The SW price and the headstock make me think the guitar is a standard, not a CC.

It has Seth Lovers, which is what stirs my interest apart from the kool finish.

Information is welcome! eljay

[Spectrum13]

Yes it says it is artisan aged NOT custom Core  so AA not CC

Don't know about the scratch guard.

 

 

[DetroitBlues]

17 minutes ago, eljay said:

Hi, everyone!

I have my eye on this: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/H535AADLB--heritage-artisan-aged-h-535-electric-guitar-dirty-lemon-burst-sweetwater-exclusive

The SW price and the headstock make me think the guitar is a standard, not a CC.

It has Seth Lovers, which is what stirs my interest apart from the kool finish.

Information is welcome! eljay

The aged Heritages started four or five years ago, long before the CC lineup existed.  So you can find both Standard and CC that are Artisian Aged.

This particular example ss a standard core H535, you can tell by the lack of inlays in the headstock and dot inlays on the neck.  As early as 2023, Heritage changed the headstock size for the Standard Core to be the same as the custom core.  

Plus CC only have hand-wound pickups from the factory.

This one was $3499, the CC H535 starts at $3999

Looks like you cannot buy this one now anyway, and if rumors are true, you won't be able to at all

[eljay]

Thanks, Josh.

Learning what I have, I think I'll take a different tack to get a H with Seths . . . right now, standard H535s and 530s are heavily discounted at Daves and Sweetwater (and probably other shops). So, it would make better financial sense for me just to get one of these and a new set of Seths.

What intrigues me is the idea of Seths in a 530. Unpotted pickups in full hollow might be a feedback machine but tonally it seems like it would be delightful at lower volumes.

Can anyone tell me if the wiring components are the same for 530s and 535s? That is, if I got a 530, would changing from P90s to Seths be a quick one and done (well, two actually) or are the capacitors or other wiring stuff different?

Many thanks!

[Spectrum13]

You first consideration might be how the top was routed to fit the pickup rings and where the holes for the screws were placed.   On second thought the first consideration might be the neck angle as the height of a humbucker with adjusting screws vs a p90 that has just two screws to attach to the top and no vertical play other than pole pieces just might be problematic.

[TalismanRich]

It will take some work to get Seths into an H-530.   It comes with dogear P-90s, so you would most likely need to reroute the pickup holes.   Plus you have two holes from the P-90s.    I don't know if you could get SD to make a pair of Seths in dogear.   

[TalismanRich]

3 hours ago, eljay said:

Can anyone tell me if the wiring components are the same for 530s and 535s? That is, if I got a 530, would changing from P90s to Seths be a quick one and done (well, two actually) or are the capacitors or other wiring stuff different?

Many thanks!

I don't know what exactly Heritage is using, but Lollar recommends 500K pots with 0.022uF caps,  same as for humbuckers.   If I had to guess, the wiring would be the same.

But doing wiring on a Semi or Hollow body with f-holes is never a quick and easy project.  

One last comment.... the neck pickup has one spacer, so the height is not drastically different from a humbucker.   

Edited 19 hours ago by TalismanRich

[TalismanRich]

8 hours ago, DetroitBlues said:

The aged Heritages started four or five years ago, long before the CC lineup existed.  So you can find both Standard and CC that are Artisian Aged.

This particular example ss a standard core H535, you can tell by the lack of inlays in the headstock and dot inlays on the neck.  As early as 2023, Heritage changed the headstock size for the Standard Core to be the same as the custom core.  

I don't know the headstock dimensions of the CC, but I measured my H-535 and the top was 1 3/4" and 2 5/8" at the widest point.   My '25 H-530 is 2 1/8" at the top but still 2 5/8" on the bottom.   

[eljay]

Thanks, everyone! My guitar repair guy told me that a P90 guitar should stay a P90 guitar, way too much hassle to change to HBs.

[big bob]

Mini hums swap out perfectly into P-90 routs. 

[Gitfiddler]

4 hours ago, eljay said:

Thanks, everyone! My guitar repair guy told me that a P90 guitar should stay a P90 guitar, way too much hassle to change to HBs.

Good decision.  It's much easier to convert a humbucker equipped guitar to P90 than the other way around. 

There are many quality humbucker-sized P90 on the market.

Sometimes the best solution is to buy another guitar.  At least, that's what I've been telling my wife over the years.  🙂