Old Friend Home Again

[DetroitBlues]

About 2007, I purchased a used H140 from another member.  At the time it was my dream to own a Heritage.

This particular example was from 1985, loaded with unique features unlike any other H140 of the time.

Over the years, I had the top refinished, swapped pickups, and hardware.  Eventually I sold it for whatever reason like I did with nearly every guitar over the last 15+ years.

A few years ago, I bought it back.  It had a few more mods, nothing terrible.  I lent the guitar out to Heritage in hopes it would be used in their museum.  But that never happened and the guitar remained in a closet up until the last couple of months.

Heritage offered to restore the guitar to resemble its original appearance such as Schaller pickups and hardware when they found NOS parts in an old cabinet of Ren's.  While it looks more like its original state, sans the color, ultimately, there were some problems. 

The pickups were dead, so Heritage dropped in a set of Seymour Duncan's.  Seth Lover in the bridge and a 59 in the neck with new wiring harnesses.  The Schaller bridge and tailpiece were added, but there is some odd issue with it fretting out around the 15th fret (bridge may have slightly collapsed)

But there is a lot more going on.   The guitar had a headstock repair long before I bought it, but there was so much done during the repair, access to the truss rod nut is nearly impossible.  So, it cannot be adjusted; over time that wasn't an issue, but now the guitar sat for so long, the neck can no longer be adjusted, and the guitar is all but unplayable.

Looking at the guitar, I know what it needs, but I do not have the means to fix it.  This needs a new neck and Heritage can't provide one.

Unfortunately, it's only use is a slide guitar at best.  It's so beautiful, but it's a 40-year-old guitar that needs some serious TLC.

Edited 5 hours ago by DetroitBlues

[Steiner]

Beautiful guitar DBlues.  IIRC, you sold it because of the neck.  The top also has mineral streaks and, at that time, some here considered the streaks to be a bad sign; it is not a bad sign.  With a little research you’ll find mineral streaks are indicative of maple grown in wet areas where the ground has plentiful minerals.  The maple that grows best in wet areas is the red maple AKA swamp maple.  A fair number of ‘59 Pauls also have mineral streaks.  I’m not at all opposed to mineral streaks and even covet them; so much so that I’ve planted red maples in the wettest terrain at the ranch for the next generation.
That’s my, long winded, way of saying Happy New/Old/Refurbished Guitar Day.  She’s a Looker!

[DetroitBlues]

You're right about the neck size, but I'm not so picky about that much anymore.  I've learned to adjust how I'm playing, but I think a lot has to do with touch.  I don't need to push down as hard as I used to as my fingers are tougher now.  My touch is lighter as I don't have to work as hard.  I found myself to be much faster when my hand is relaxed, sort of negates the need of a thicker neck.  

I'm going to break out some more tools tonight and see what I can do.  I have a proper Nashville bridge and tailpiece I'm going to install.  I think I can get the truss rod, may take a little clean out of the cavity to get to the nut.  With any luck I'll get a turn or two out of it and see if it makes a difference.