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Heritage H-575 Review... from a Gibson player

jb_abides

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Joined
Apr 6, 2005
Messages
5,276
Not me. I just found this to be a good review.

For those who exclaim 'get a Heritage' whenever people experience issues with Gibson, take note.


She experienced QC issues including intonation stemming from fixed saddle bridge, finish issues with the f-holes, and wasn't happy with the lack of rounded fretboard edges.

She liked the pickups. I appreciate the clarity she remarked upon; however I actually preferred her Howard Roberts when amplified. Perhaps I am biased to a particular Gibson jazz tone.

I am left wondering why she didn't look for a used ES-175?
 

deytookerjaabs

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Joined
Nov 6, 2016
Messages
1,592
People like this are why we can't have nice things, airing their lofty headed complaints to the world.

The strings on a floating bridge popped out so she "fixed" the intonation issues? Really? Give me a break, holy smokes that's a lame thing to even mention. Fretboard edges aren't rounded? I've owned plenty of these guitars, no they aren't rounded like a '54 strat but they're like every non bound Gibson made then or since. I mean...the factory dust in the F-Holes? That's a complaint, seriously. This magnifying glass mentality is getting worse and worse every day.


It's not a 175 and they're not comparable either just because the shape is similar.

The H-575 is a tuned/carved solid two piece flame maple top & back archtop guitar with a regular neck set. And, it's made in the USA for under 5K. Yeah, good luck getting a carved top & back proper archtop from Gibson even close to that in price. And, they're incredible instruments with a voicing all their own like some hybrid acoustic Les Paul. They don't have that raunchy boxiness you get from a 175, nor does a junior sound like a Les Paul. What on earth, lol. Even the vid she showed you saw the high quality of the extra thin lacquer finish job too, that instrument is the definition of attention to detail. But, the strings popped out, the fretboard ended at some point and dust in the F-Holes.

1 out of 10 stars for this lady.
 

jb_abides

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 6, 2005
Messages
5,276
The strings on a floating bridge popped out so she "fixed" the intonation issues? Really? Give me a break, holy smokes that's a lame thing to even mention.

My take was her compliant wasn't to do with correcting the 'floating' it was when the bridge was properly positioned the fixed saddles carved into the wood were not properly placed. Otherwise, agree these as 'nits'... have a luthier roll the board, or do it yourself.

My point was... most of the issues I've experienced/seen with Gibsons are at the same level of quibble-y. [A noted exception was the litany of small issues I had with an SG (major fretboard lip, too much orange peel, etc. made me worry it was a rush job that would prove dicey down the line... but it's fine). Maybe it was my expectations there, too.]

Also, I don't think you need a carve for a good jazz box, a laminate works for many. That said, anyone wishing to contribute to my L-5CES fund, feel free to send BTC.
 
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deytookerjaabs

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 6, 2016
Messages
1,592
My take was her compliant wasn't to do with correcting the 'floating' it was when the bridge was properly positioned the fixed saddles carved into the wood were not properly placed. Otherwise, agree these as 'nits'... have a luthier roll the board, or do it yourself.

My point was... most of the issues I've experienced/seen with Gibsons are at the same level of quibble-y.

Also, I don't think you need a carve for a good jazz box, a laminate works for many. That said, anyone wishing to contribute to my L-5CES fund, feel free to send BTC.


With a wound G there's nothing wrong with that bridge as far as the evidence in the video shows. It's properly spaced for a normal set of wound G strings. How is that a "quality" problem? It's an archtop, most use a wound G, some folks don't though and that's fine, get another saddle...they're not expensive.

The fretboard edge... I've owned and played many of these, if that edge is the problem it's not a QC issue, it's her problem as it's identical to everything else out there. Some folks say the knobs on a strat "get in the way," well that's their problem and not a QC problem.

And, we then have not buffing inside the F-holes.

So, here's a hyperbole laden title "THE UGLY TRUTH" implying there's something wrong with the QC of a guitar that's literally the best priced instrument out there per build spec yet the only QC issue you can pretend exists is wood dust in the F-Holes.


Edit, the other thing I don't "get" which says a lot about this consumer is she wants a good unplugged tone. The standard for that in archtops is carved spruce and has been since forever. If she wants tone close to an L-5 why didn't she buy a Heritage Eagle that is a carved spruce top with Ebony board for a bit more? Again, you're not getting anything close to old Kalamazoo archtops at this price point new in the US. That's why this is so frustrating to watch, Heritage is keeping a damn good tradition going but dust in the F-Holes is now some glaring QC problem consumers will now rage about on YouTube.
 
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jb_abides

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 6, 2005
Messages
5,276
Yeah, I thought about the maple being maple thing, too. I like what it is but would have gone somewhere else. I like the tone but prefer the Howard Roberts, it's what I prefer.
 

mdubya

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 31, 2010
Messages
1,020
The big ugly F holes bothered me the most. They look like they belong on a $300 Chinese guitar. The over spray/not completely finished paint in the F holes is "authentic" too.

I am always surprised when people can feel the edges of the fretboard while playing.

Beautiful maple on that guitar.
 

deytookerjaabs

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 6, 2016
Messages
1,592
It gets even better.

She admitted in the comments section that she...

Is the one who used non-wound G strings hence it's not like the guitar came from the factory with the wrong string compensation....she put unwound G's on a guitar compensated for wound G bridge then blamed Heritage for the flaws of the bridge!

People told her that those bridges are cheap to buy and easy to swap. But then she claimed she will have to spend a lot of money to "have a bridge made" for the guitar which is obviously not true.

She admitted she bought the guitar used, for 2.8K. So the whole "This is a $5,000 guitar" might be true overseas but not as it applies to her, she bought a deal used and the fact that the strings weren't in the bridge slot when she got the guitar has nothing to do with Heritage.

...Wow.
 

Amp360

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 16, 2012
Messages
852
People like this are why we can't have nice things, airing their lofty headed complaints to the world.

The strings on a floating bridge popped out so she "fixed" the intonation issues? Really? Give me a break, holy smokes that's a lame thing to even mention. Fretboard edges aren't rounded? I've owned plenty of these guitars, no they aren't rounded like a '54 strat but they're like every non bound Gibson made then or since. I mean...the factory dust in the F-Holes? That's a complaint, seriously. This magnifying glass mentality is getting worse and worse every day.


It's not a 175 and they're not comparable either just because the shape is similar.

The H-575 is a tuned/carved solid two piece flame maple top & back archtop guitar with a regular neck set. And, it's made in the USA for under 5K. Yeah, good luck getting a carved top & back proper archtop from Gibson even close to that in price. And, they're incredible instruments with a voicing all their own like some hybrid acoustic Les Paul. They don't have that raunchy boxiness you get from a 175, nor does a junior sound like a Les Paul. What on earth, lol. Even the vid she showed you saw the high quality of the extra thin lacquer finish job too, that instrument is the definition of attention to detail. But, the strings popped out, the fretboard ended at some point and dust in the F-Holes.

1 out of 10 stars for this lady.
I get less into gear all the time because of the internet. I used to love going to guitar stores, reading magazines and books on guitars, and talking to people about guitars. More than that I've always loved playing guitar.

With more iconic brands (Gretsch, Guild, Fender, D'Angelico, etc.) becoming third-world knockoffs and internet confirmation bias it's exhausting. I'm sure when my old guitars came off the factory floor they may have had a flaw somewhere, but I don't care. If it sounds good and is well made I'm happy.

The whole nit-picking review process is mind-numbing. I didn't watch the video but these days people seem to want a large collection, usually made up of Asian-made guitar-shaped objects representing the right names, that never get played, but are often photographed.

Count me out.
 
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