The Heritage guitars ?

tjmangum

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Heritage makes better Gibson electrics than Gibson. Many original employees and equipment from when they left for Nashville. It's a great story about how they are still making great guitars in Kalamazoo. They just celebrated their 30th anniversery. Boy, the news was slow getting to your neck of the woods!
I have an early H140, BTW, which is a Les Paul style model. Many jazz players swear by their hollow bodies.
Well worth tracking one down.
T
 

Quantum Strummer

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Heritage inhabits part of the old Gibson factory in Kalamazoo, MI. I imagine most of the ex-Gibson folks are retired by now, though. I own a 1988 Eagle, their base model (at the time) archtop. It's a fine & dandy guitar!

-Dave-
 

JohnW63

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I've been an acoustic guys most of my life. I only started learning about semi-hollow and hollow bodies when I found this forum. Looks like a Starfire would be a better bargain, based on my initial searches. Some of those Heritage guitars look really cool though !
 

The Anal Finn

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Heritage was started by Marv Lamb, JP Moats and Jim Deurloo, who all made guitars for Gibson before Gibson abandoned Kalamazoo. All three are still with Heritage, and still making guitars in the same building and with the same equipment that Gibson left behind. It's a cool company that makes great guitars. They build custom, so tell them what you want, and they will build it.
 

chazmo

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Finn, Wasn't Jim Duerloo a prominent Guild person too? That name rings a bell! I think he's mention in Hans' OT.
 

hansmoust

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Finn, Wasn't Jim Duerloo a prominent Guild person too? That name rings a bell! I think he's mention in Hans' OT.

Chazmo,

Not only is he mentioned in there, but there's a big photo of him standing next to Alfred Dronge on page 16 of 'The Guild Guitar Book'.
At that time he was the plant manager. A very nice person!

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl
 

chazmo

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:) Thanks, Hans!!! It must have been great getting to know some of those Guild legends back when you did the research for your book.

Back in the day, did you ever meet Al Dronge himself, Hans? I know you've been a lifelong Guild guy, so I was just wondering...
 

guildman63

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I've been an acoustic guys most of my life. I only started learning about semi-hollow and hollow bodies when I found this forum. Looks like a Starfire would be a better bargain, based on my initial searches. Some of those Heritage guitars look really cool though !

The Heritage makes excellent guitars, and I have tried several of their archtops. While they sounded very good, for me they weren't as comfortable to play as Guilds are. The vintage Starfire also has a very unique tone and is my preference. If you're looking for more of a Gibson tone The Heritage is a great, and probably a more affordable and possibly even a higher quality option. That said, it's all personal preference.
 

txbumper57

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Heritage makes some awesome guitars. I would reiterate what others have stated in that they make higher quality Gibsons than Gibson does. I had a chance to play a heritage Eagle Hollowbody and it was fantastic. Quality was some of the highest I have seen but the price was there as well. The only thing I didn't like was that the neck was closer to the Gibson profile than I am used to. I could have ordered one with any neck profile I wanted but just didn't want to go through the wait time for the build. Like others I am more partial to the later Guild / Gretsch Profile necks. A friend of mine has a 91 or 92 model Heritage Les Paul style and it is his forever guitar.
 

banjo

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I have a 1999 Heritage Sweet16 and I can vouch for the quality. It's the best sounding electric I own, missing out on playability only to a Yamaha SA2000 that I also own. Nice!
I seem to recall that it was four ex Gibson employees that remained behind and subsequently started the Heritage company, but whilst I concur with the three folks already quoted, I cannot recall the fourth name. Quality instruments. I would love one of the (discontinued) double cut Lester-a-likes.
 

Quantum Strummer

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This reminds me: it was Jim Deurloo who re-purposed Seth Lover's 1960s Epiphone mini-humbucker design for use with certain Gibson models (in particular the Les Paul Deluxe and SG Special) in the 1970s. The two pickups are the same except that the Gibson-branded variant uses a single steel bar instead of individual steel slugs in the non-screw coil.

I've read several print & online histories claiming that Epi's mini-hum predates CMI's (Gibson's owner at the time) purchase of Epiphone. This is not true.

-Dave-
 

mad dog

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Heritage update: since my last post, I stumbled into a blueburst Heritage H575 custom, and last month an H525. Not every Heritage (or any brand/model) is going to be a winner, but these two certainly are. Outstanding instruments.

MD
 
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