RJLII Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Greetings to all, Long time Heritage owner, short time lurker, new member. I've got a '94 H550 that I really love, but the tone is kinda dark. It has the Schaller pickups. Anyone play an H550 with other pickups that have a livelier tone? All input appreciated. - RJLII Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluzman54 Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 I owned a 2008 H550 Custom with HRWs. I too found the tone to be too dark for my liking. I played it through a Twin, Polytone, JC-90 and various other amps I owned and it always seemed like it was almost there for tone, but not quite.....very frustrating. I had purchased it new from Wolfe's and had them adjust the p'ups several times, but could never achieve the tone I was looking for. I really liked the guitar and considered changing the p'ups, but in the end traded it back to them after owning for about 6 months. I now have a 1988 Eagle with a single floating Kent Armstrong p'up and it is a tone monster....a bit bright but I can adjust an amp to dial in the tone I want. Jim C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoslate Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Greetings to all, Long time Heritage owner, short time lurker, new member. I've got a '94 H550 that I really love, but the tone is kinda dark. It has the Schaller pickups. Anyone play an H550 with other pickups that have a livelier tone? All input appreciated. - RJLII RJL: That's only part of the equation.... What amp, with what speakers, pedals, et.al., are you using with that box? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluzman54 Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 That's only part of the equation.... What amp, with what speakers, pedals, et.al., are you using with that box? Yos.... I can feel his "pain". I played mine straight up through many amps and it was just too dark. It played great.....looked even better, but sounded dark. I couldn't figure out how it could be dark through a JC-90 or the Polytone, but it was. I actually met a couple other owners at Wolfe's and they commented about the darker tone of theirs. Maybe its just the style music (and my bad, ringing hearing) I play that made it sound that way. JMHO Jim C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJLII Posted April 13, 2009 Author Share Posted April 13, 2009 Here she is with her 'burst buddies Let me flesh this tone equation out a bit........... Strings - Boomer .010's Amp - Fender Blackface Deluxe Reverb. All Tube Effects - None really needed. Occasional Tube Screamer. Signal Chain - Pro quality cord. My Hearing - Quite Exceptional I've thought about some Duncans, perhaps the Phat Cats, in order to get a bit more top end. I'd rather keep 'buckers in her if I can. Guitars2.jpg Guitars2.jpg_thumb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ingeneri Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 I owned a 2008 H550 Custom with HRWs. I too found the tone to be too dark for my liking...I had purchased it new from Wolfe's and had them adjust the p'ups several times, but could never achieve the tone I was looking for. I really liked the guitar and considered changing the p'ups, but in the end traded it back to them after owning for about 6 months. I now have a 1988 Eagle with a single floating Kent Armstrong p'up and it is a tone monster....a bit bright but I can adjust an amp to dial in the tone I want. Jim C I believe carved tops like the Eagle generally sound brighter than laminated archtops like the 550 or ES-175. The floating pups are also generally brighter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluzman54 Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 I believe carved tops like the Eagle generally sound brighter than laminated archtops like the 550 or ES-175. The floating pups are also generally brighter. I totally agree with you. I wonder what a 550 would sound like with Seth Lovers.... Before trading mine back to Jay, I considered such a change. Anybody out there tried it? Jim C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoslate Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Yos.... I can feel his "pain". I played mine straight up through many amps and it was just too dark. It played great.....looked even better, but sounded dark. I couldn't figure out how it could be dark through a JC-90 or the Polytone, but it was. I actually met a couple other owners at Wolfe's and they commented about the darker tone of theirs. Maybe its just the style music (and my bad, ringing hearing) I play that made it sound that way. JMHO Jim C Jim (and RJL, too....) That 550 is a 17" body, isn't it, and, what, 2 3/4" + deep? Has a center block, too, no? I'm with ingeneri, here. I have a Super Eagle with Lollar P-90's...no problem with dark, there! And I have a 576, as well. The 576 is basically a single cutaway 535, with a 2 1/2" deep body. As I've allowed here many times (sorry, guys) I have Phat Cats in that guitar, and it's one of the best sounding, most versatile instruments I've ever owned. Phat Cats are very, very toneful, useful p'ups. Ask Randy (fxdx) how that guitar sounded through a Vibrolux Reverb, at PSPI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJLII Posted April 13, 2009 Author Share Posted April 13, 2009 Jim (and RJL, too....) That 550 is a 17" body, isn't it, and, what, 2 3/4" + deep? Has a center block, too, no? It's full hollow, but it does have a slab o' maple running down the center of the top acting as a brace. I really feel the dark tone is rooted more in the pickups than in the top construction though. When played "unplugged" there is plenty of zing in the tone. Plugged in, not so much. Do you have many issues with noise/hum using the Phat Cats? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoslate Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Do you have many issues with noise/hum using the Phat Cats? They'll 60cycle a little, but I can re-orient myself to the amp and usually take care of that. I've found they buzz less than, say, the p'ups in my '52 re-ish Tele or my G&L Legacy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fxdx99 Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 ... And I have a 576, as well. The 576 is basically a single cutaway 535, with a 2 1/2" deep body. As I've allowed here many times (sorry, guys) I have Phat Cats in that guitar, and it's one of the best sounding, most versatile instruments I've ever owned. Phat Cats are very, very toneful, useful p'ups. Ask Randy (fxdx) how that guitar sounded through a Vibrolux Reverb, at PSPI. I'll vouch for 'slate's 576 w/phat cats thru the vibrolux. Sent that guitar straight to the top of my GAS list -not just any 576, but THAT 576. Something about the phrase '... from my cold dead hands' in the coversation led me to believe that it wasn't to be, tho. Great tone, very versatile, wouldn't classify it as dark at all... just full, fat, airy. A thick/full/present 535 type of tone w/single coil attack/brightness. Can't say as I noticed hum noise, but we were in a band context w/drums/bass/another guitar, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzpunk Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Here she is with her 'burst buddies That is one handsome 550 and a fine looking trio you got there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJLII Posted April 13, 2009 Author Share Posted April 13, 2009 That is one handsome 550 and a fine looking trio you got there! Thanks! The three of them really cover a broad range of the tone spectrum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brentrocks Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Very nice trio ;D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 Hi RJ The only guitar I seem to play these days is my H-550 ..it has HRW pickups..,,I play it through an accoustic amp ..AAD Cub, kind of like an AER..very pure no coloration so you really hear what the guitar is sounding like..I think the H 550 was built for darker tone, if anything I find the HRW's too hot, and with more sustain than I like..i play some swing and a be bop so I really dont want the notes running into each other.. I use only the neck pup..and i have it way down and even raised the bridge up a little to 'cool' down the pickup.. I am considering throwing on a Kent Armstrong handwound humbucker to see if I can get more of the tone I am looking for. Rightly or wrongly I compare the 550 with a GibTal Farlow (because I get to play one every so often) .the TF has PAF humbucks on it thatare much crisper without being bright.I notice on the TAL though that the pup is much closer to the strings..probably because the HRWs are much hotter They are great guitars for the stuff I play, and with the bridge pickup spanked up, its great for a funk groove Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gitfiddler Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 RJL~ Glad to have you here at the HOC, and man, your 550 is sweeet. Yet another Heritage model I'd like to flirt with. As far as its dark tone, have you considered putting an Equilizer pedal in front of your amp? That's if your Deluxe Reverb doesn't have adequate eq to liven up the 550's dark side. Most DR's are fairly sparkly on the high end without adding pedals to compensate. In other words, wouldn't a bit more knob twisting bring out the highs of your git? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodboatguy Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 I own an H550 with stock Schallers and while I love the quality and playability of the instrument, I'm not crazy in love with the tone. I am going to try TV Jones pups as I would like more of a Gretsch tone for the stuff I play. I didn't want to pay $2400 for a so-so quality Asian Gretsch and knew the quality of Heritage since I also own a 535. On the 535, I changed out those pups to SD 59's and am happy with that tone. When using the 550 I do have to do a fair amount of dialing in on the Fender Hot Rod DeVille I'm currently using to get close to the tone I'm happy with. Pretty much reduce the mids to 1 or it's way to dark for me. The only pedal in the chain is an Ibanez Tube Screamer that really doesn't get used much for the 550. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthpawGuy Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 Another vote for using some sort of eq pedal before your amp. Just lately I bought a Nobels Pre-1 preamp. A very handy little unit indeed. It can be used to increase or decrease the signal from a guitar to an amp as well as to modify the tone if required. I use it to match a guitars output to whichever amp I may be using http://www.nobels.com/cgi-bin/products/show.pl?e_pre-1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffB Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 I have the opposite problem to you. I have a guitar that is very bright no lower mids, only upper and lots of sizzle. Ive tried all kinds of p/ups in attempt to get some warmth into it and cut the the top end bit and harshness. Even rolling of the tone doesnt seem to achieve what I want to get out of it. Doesnt matter what amp I play through. I think its just the way it resonates naturally. I dont know. Be interesting to see if you have any luck with a p/up swap if thats what you decide to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heritage525 Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 When I put SD Pearly Gates in my 550, it became a tone monster!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJLII Posted April 14, 2009 Author Share Posted April 14, 2009 When I put SD Pearly Gates in my 550, it became a tone monster!! Did it brighten things up a bit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodboatguy Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 Tully: Just a thought, but are you certain that the selector switch isn't shorted somehow and only connected to the bridge pick up? Tapping a metallic object on the pick up would make a loud click on the amp to confirm switch position. My 2 cents anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heritage525 Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 the Pearly Gates brightened things up VERY nicely! Trust me on this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJLII Posted April 16, 2009 Author Share Posted April 16, 2009 the Pearly Gates brightened things up VERY nicely! Trust me on this! Did you install the versions with covers or without? I'm not sure how open coils would look on an archtop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heritage525 Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 I bought some nickel covers septerat and soldered them on. Worked great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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