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  #1  
Old 05-17-2002, 08:11 AM
alchu alchu is offline
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Default Heritage Guitars

Anyone know anything about these?

I want an archtop =) Gibsons are expensive...
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  #2  
Old 05-17-2002, 08:16 AM
Taylor007 Taylor007 is offline
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Yep, check out edroman.com.
This guy swears by heritage and provides historical insight to the company. According to Ed, Heritage makes real Gibson guitars! You will see what I mean.
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Old 05-17-2002, 10:51 AM
leftydude leftydude is offline
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Heritage make great guitars. Also check out Hamer. Their Newport model beats everything I've ever played hands down.
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Old 05-17-2002, 08:41 PM
fretsandstrings
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they have a website too, you should check out. It tells their story of how they came to be "Heritage" from "gibson". I was (am) looking for an archtop as well. I read a review somewhere on the Heritage archtops, and one guy really liked it---after he put an original Gibson bridge and there was something else he replaced, cant' remember what it was. Personally, it seems the times have left gibson and all the spin-offs. I'm sort of looking for other options, but haven't ruled out heritage.
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Old 05-18-2002, 01:35 PM
tillamook tillamook is offline
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Default heritage

Heritage makes excellent guitars! Also, check out this website: http://www.devoearchtop.com
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  #6  
Old 05-18-2002, 11:03 PM
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Livingston Livingston is offline
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Hey Allan,

Geez, you just got that K10. Man, you must be rich.

You do get good bang for the buck with Heritage. Probably the best value of any archtop on the market. My understanding is the Heritage factory employed many Gibson builders, after Gibson moved their factory.

They have a new model - I think its the 516. No frills. It has a laminated top and back with solid sides. It has two chrome humbuckings. I played one through a polytone and A/B'd it with a Gibson ES175. It plays and sounds as good as the ES175 in my opinion and it's more reasonably priced.

I personally have an Ibanez George Benson GB-100. It's laminated maple back, sides and (flamed) top. 14.5" bout with 2.75" depth. 2 floating mini Humbuckings. Being of smaller stature, I like the feel of this guitar very much. The floating mini Humbuckings are very warm sounding. I play it through a Polytone and I think it sounds out of sight.

I'm waiting for Taylor to come out with a solid wood version with a 3" depth instead of 2.75" and an ebony tail piece ala Bob Benedetto. Do you think I could order one from the Taylor custom shop?
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Old 05-21-2002, 01:49 PM
alchu alchu is offline
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Liv:

I know, I know. I am *not* rich. I just don't have any dependents =)

I'm just doing research for now. the H550 also got my interest - how does the 550 compare to the 516?

ALtho gibsons are really pretty.

A friend of mine called up a store and was quoted $2350 for the natural es-175, $2225 for the vintage burst, and $2250 for the steve howe sig model.

I was really interested in maybe an x12 or nylon for my purposes. but as I said to you before, I'm gonna wait it out. I'm just doing my research now, that's all. (of course, that tends to move ones purchases forward..)

thanks, all, for the advice.

Allan
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Old 05-21-2002, 04:48 PM
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Hey Allan,

Just giving you heat. Have fun with your research. You really can't play too many guitars and it's fun to try all kinds.

The 550 is a pretty nice axe. I played one but it was quite a long time ago. It was a cherry sunburst with a single floating pick up - someone custom ordered it and then backed out of the deal. It was very mellow sounding and perfect for Joe Pass fingerstyle guitar.

By the way, just for fun you should check out some of the higher end archtops if you can. Gibson L5's, Super 400's, etc. as well as the more custom models by Benedetto and the like. Should give you a broad idea of what archtops sound like.

Have fun and keep posting your thoughts as you try these great guitars.
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Old 06-08-2002, 07:23 AM
RobertC RobertC is offline
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I did some research on Archtops and semihollow bodies recently....I believe Heritage is the way to go; Ed Roman seems like a bit of a jerk (see his website) but if you know what you want he may have the best deal. He special orders his own specs from Heritage in many cases, the guy is super -opinionated...I also talked to Ren at the Heritage shop directly . It's not a bad idea to call them with questions, they are very accessible. Also check out Wolfe guitars in florida...I have heard great things about Mr. Wolfe and his prices are excellent too. he carries a lot of heritage. he has a website, check Google.

Finally, I know Gibson has the great name, but I have to warn you, I have talked to several dealers (and one ex-authorized repair man) who have dumped them for lack of quality control and after sale service. Try calling the Gibson shop with a question and see how hard it is to get somebody. If you buy a new one , be careful. They are gorgeous but you're paying extra for the name definitely.
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Old 06-09-2002, 02:50 PM
Bonenut Bonenut is offline
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Talking Heritage Guitars

I bought a "Sweet 16" off Ebay, and I'm a happy camper. There's no substitute for the sound of an archtop. The Sweet 16 has a carved spruce top, solid flamed maple back and sides and has full binding of edges, fret board and f holes.
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  #11  
Old 06-09-2002, 06:41 PM
sneaky2002 sneaky2002 is offline
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at the risk of being excommunicated from the group for this...I`d like to suggest...Yamaha. HEY...stop laughing. I have an SA-2200 335 type that is so good I sold my Gibson Chet Atkins Tennessean after buying it. US made pups and craftsmanship that rivals any other builder. Splittable buckers add a different flavor to the mix. They also make a smaller bodied version of a semi hollow, the SAS-1500, then there is the AEX-1500 a single pick up jazz box that sports a piezzo as well. Since you`re in the research phaze of your quest if you can find any of these in your neighborhood you should at the very least give them a try. From what I`ve read used Yamahas can be had for next to nothing Stateside. They are the Rodney Dangerfield of the guitar world...they deserve more respect. OK OK it`s over...
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Old 06-11-2002, 08:24 AM
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Sneaky,

Don't worry. People on this forum are pretty cool. Actually, I would say Yamaha makes excellent guitars for the money.

I did come across a Yamaha archtop (looked like a copy of an L5 sort of - venetian cutaway and 17" lower bout, but kind of shallow) in a swap shop years ago. Unfortunately, it did not play very well - probably due to abuse from previous owner(s). Also, it seemed like a pretty low end guitar. However, I trust your assessment of your SA2200.

By the way, I see you are located in Japan. I noticed the Asian market (particularly Japan and Hong Kong) have several Yamahas and Ibanez guitars that are not as available in the U.S. market. For example, I found an Ibanez GB-100 (George Benson model that is 1/2" deeper than the GB-10 and has a lam maple top) in Hong Kong. I was told when I returned to the states that it is not distributed in the U.S. The next time I returned to HK, I purchased it. In my opinion, quality and playability is better than Gibson and sound is equal to. I'm sure many will disagree, and I may stand to be persecuted along with you and your comments regarding Yamaha! Nonetheless, I play it regularly in a jazz combo and compared to an L5 Studio I once borrowed for an extended time, the neck set-up and feel, overall finish and intonation is much better.

I also noticed in Japan, many of the models are domestically produced (in Japan of course) and quality seems to be pretty good. If they have similiar models available in the U.S., they are typically built in Korea. Don't want to start a race war but it seems that typically guitars from Korea are not as nice (but also not as expensive).

Okay, that's my unrequested, unauthorized 2 cents.
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Old 06-11-2002, 06:36 PM
sneaky2002 sneaky2002 is offline
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I`ve seen the GB guitars and they look great. There were 3 models at one point. Never played one...afraid to, worried it would have followed me home. There seem to be more and more good makers here, but too many are over priced. You know about the economic situation is not what it used to be in Japan and I don`t know how many get sold. Judging by the shops in this city...evidently not many. I think the used market is developing quickly in the city I live in.
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  #14  
Old 06-12-2002, 08:58 AM
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I played Heritage guitars on stage for 10 years(or more) They build a super electric and archtop guitar. The best hardware and super service and a much better guitar than Gibson. A lot cheaper I may add. JW
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