The wooden bridge is aimed at a wound G string and subsequent intonation. The Thomastik sets you tend to use have an unwound G string, which intonate at a longer string length than a wound string. Indeed your luthier will have to craft you a new wooden bridge, or you can switch to a tune-o-matic style, but this affects your sound quite a lot.
My 175 has the wood bridge, and while I prefer that (I'm used to the wound 3rd string), I encourage you to try the tune-o-matic -- it might solve your problems and still sound good.
Just a note that your luthier can round the fret board edges for you and touch up the f-hole edges. A nice sounding guitar, the wood bridge has a lot to do with the sound.
I agree with what others said on the intonation of the bridge when it comes to wound vs unwound G string. As for the acoustic sound, the maple top doesn’t resonate as well as a spruce top like you had on the Eastman. But to me, the electric sound from a maple top is better.
A friend of mine owns an H575, a Gibson L5, and L4 and a few other high end guitars. I myself own a Heritage H555. I can only say that it is such a shame that Gibson, and unusually, in this instance, Heritage, can not keep their quality control to a high standard. The H575 owned by my friend is wonderful, his is a fabulous example. At $5k, any guitar should be beautiful from the word go.
Nice video. The white material inside the F holes may be buffing compound leftover from when the guitar was polished. I agree that the bridge may require a wound 3rd string for correct intonation. You could try one in the proper gauge and see if the intonation improves.
Really appreciate your honest review! There are so many channels that only provide the good and are basically glorified commercials for the products they are demonstrating. Kudos to you! Greetings from Hungary.
Just because someone is negative doesn't actually make them more honest automatically. If everyone lives this guitar but one then maybe the one person is wrong
@@allensaunders449 I totally agree with your first point. Regarding your second statement, I don't think reviews of guitars are necessarily about being right or wrong. There are things that people may like or dislike and they are subjective - meaning it's down to the individual person's perspective. What I don't like seeing are review videos that are very thinly disguised advertisements. I felt like Sandra was giving a nice honest statement of her opinion of the guitar. It'd be nice to see more of that from others in the guitar community.
Thanks Sandra! You just saved me 5k worth of euros 😃. I was going to upgrade from my Korean Epi ES-175 and was thinking exactly of buying a Heritage. The guitar sounds great but, those issues you described are unacceptable. BTW I would use a tune-o-matic, nothing beats that for intonation. Sure, the sound is very different but intonation first.
Thank you for your honest review. It's a shame that you find those issues in a 5000 guitar. If I bought that from a dealer, I expect them to set it up properly, check the electronics, alignment, action, intonation, etc. Coming from the manufacturer it self, their standard should've been higher than what is expected from the dealer. This seems like it was just pulled out of the hanger, maybe dusted off a bit, put in the box and shipped.
Exactly! And for what I have read, people were praising Heritage guitars for the quality control that Gibson didn’t have anymore etc… That price tag and that F hole job is a joke.
I had an Eastman 905 a while back but sold it after a year. It was a little too big to be comfortable for me and had only one pickup. I also ended up a Heritage H-575 guitar like you did. It's a gorgeous instrument and mine did not have the setup problems yours did. I agree with the comment about the strings. I think if you used a wound 3rd string it would make a difference. Also, I think the bridge can be slanted a bit to get the intonation correct. I don't think you will need to spend a lot with a luthier to fix these things. Plus, if you bought it new, you can get the work done under warranty. I love my 575!
I got a H530 around June by pre-ordering a newly made one as I am a frequent customer of the parent company that bought over heritage and heard they stepped up their worksmanship quality. I was kinda disappointed the binding on mine wasn’t smooth at all around the 3rd fret. It looked like someone dented the binding with some kind of tool or clamp but instead of replacing the binding decided instead to sand it down as best as they could. The guitar sounded awesome but it took away the flawless impression it could have made for a first time Heritage owner.
I recently picked up an Eastman 601 and I have since, not been able to put it down. This instrument has such a beautiful, robust voice and such clarity throughout the entire register. Played softly, it delivers notes with wonderful projection and when you dig into it, it just sounds so inspiring. To be honest, it has been here for over two weeks and I have not even plugged it in yet! Sandra, I am sorry to hear your Eastman was dimensionally challenging for you from a comfort standpoint, but I'll bet you really do miss that incredible voice. I have become an Eastman devotee now, having also recently taken delivery on an SB59 Goldburst. Another example of the fine craftsmanship coming out of that company. And this interest all began a few years ago when I acquired an Eastman 505 mandolin. And I did look at the Heritage BTW, but as soon as I played the Eastman, the choice was really easy! These people simply make wonderful instruments.
I sold the Eastman, though, bc it had an unfixable dead spot. 8th fret low E-string just had no sustain at all. 2 very experienced luthiers couldn fix it.
For 5k I would expect all strings to be intonated and no over spray on the F hole edges. I would either return the guitar and request a replacement, (or this one repaired free of charge), else Heritage pay for your luthier to correct their poor final quality inspection. This guitar should never have been sent out in this condition.
I'd be pissed after spending 5,000 that they missed some of those details. The f-holes and bridge issues are pretty glaring for a pro level instrument. Great, honest review.
How about just add a 1 screw little Square Brass offset piece, after deciding where exactly it should sit? I just did an Ebony/Bone bridge for an es175 missing that part.
You think you could spend 2k and get a guitar that was set up perfectly, but you really have to be lucky now a days. I did like the sound of the pick ups in the heritage over the gibson, not saying the gibson was not good, both tones were very pleasing. I'm thinking of getting a jazz box with a floating humbucker or without for a couch guitar. I am thinking an Eastman, I'm a large to xl guy, so the size shouldn't bother me too much.
Sandra! What a treat to “hang out with you for lunch,” and listen to your review. And, well done - you hit the playability points, which are so important. I can really relate to the sharp fretboard edges issue. I bought a $4+K Tele made by Victor Baker (renowned archtop luthier), who was trying his hand at a solid body for jazz guys. Since I love Teles, I bit, and bought it. Upon arrival and testing, the finish and pickups were excellent. But, if I held the guitar out from my body by the neck, say at the 12th fret, and let the guitar slide down in my hand to let it rest on a stand… that action of sliding through my hand was like running a file through my hand. Maybe hard to visualize, but there was NO rolling to the fretboard edges at all - painful! Plus, as you pointed out, it’s important to have pickup screws line up with the strings. This one was off by a good 1/8” on the high E. Just not what I’d expect for a guitar in that price point. I sent it back - and, to his credit, he was cool with it, crediting a full refund. Point being, crazy high prices should get us a very high degree of satisfaction! Nice hang👍😁
Wow, you were lucky, that he took it back. I heard that in the US it's harder to return stuff. I guess one has to fall in love with a guitar. You know with me and the Gibson HRF it was love at first sight. I saw it and knew she was mine 😊. I bought several jazz guitars in the meantime, but the HRF is still the love of my life.
Greetings Sandra from the land of Oz in the USA. As others have said, thank you for imparting such excellent jazz knowledge. After watching your guitar reviews, it is obvious to me that you and I have very similar tastes in what we like in a jazz guitar; shape, size, beveled board edges, frets, etc. That said, I strongly encourage you to get your hands on a Sadowsky Semi-Hollow and try it out. I acquired mine about five years ago, and for me, it just checks all the boxes. I still have a few other objectively great guitars that I occasionally play for a change, but the Sadowsky is my #1. I have a feeling you would really bond with one of these too. All the best, Paul.
Ouch! Yes that must hurt. Keep your eyes open for one, and you might snag a good one used. They are fantastic guitars, and to be honest, I would not have taken up your time telling you about them if I did not think so much of them. The Spruce center block is one ingredient that contributes to the stellar jazz tone of these guitars. They sound better than most fully hollow guitars I've played, and there are no feedback or intonation issues, two things I am not willing to tolerate. If I were a rich man, I would purchase one and send it to you, but hey, I'm a jazz guitarist! That's the name of that tune. Paul.
Sounds wonderful. Hope the buffing compound comes off. It’s a shame it was not perfect but this is the world we live in. I hope it all turns out in the end. Loved your video. (Of course I am biased as I have a lot of Austrian genes in me)❤
The intonation issue occurs because the bridge is carved for a wound G. If you're using an unwound G, you'll need a bridge cut for that (which is not an expensive replacement). This is standard for wodden bridges, not unique to Heritage.
Oh, and the white in the F-holes is unfortunate, but it's just residue from the polishing process. They would have cleaned it, but you can do that yourself as well. If the guitar feels and sounds good to you, these are both totally fixable things. And if you want rolled fretboard edges, that's super simple to accomplish, there's hundreds of instructional videos on TH-cam.
That seems to be an issue with the plain g-string, you're correct. That the g string was super clise to the b string isnt. And the white residue is hard to get rid if. I would have ti sand it down, bc its super hard. I'll have it checked by my luthier. I just didn't have the time yet.
@@GuitarversumSandraSherman Try Naptha (lighter fluid) and a soft polishing cloth, it flashes off quickly, leaves no residue and won't harm the lacquer.
I wonder how your Gibson would sound like with a set of two Seth Lovers for around 400€? Since the pickups make up for 90% of the amplified sound the 5k€ might become even more questionable. To make the acoustic sound a little better you could try out the trick of Rich Severson to decouple the pickup frames with small rubber washers from the wooden top allowing for more resonance.
I was thinking about doing that, actually. But I love the HRF as it is. I paid 2800 for the Heritage (I don't have to pay VAT). They raised the price tag up a grand within a few months. Crazy!
Hi Sandra, I bought some years ago an H575 in Northern Island. I had a choice between the Howard Roberts and the Heritage. ine is from the year 2000, so it came with Schaller Tailpiece, Schaller adjustable roller bridge and Schaller Pick Ups, which also sound great by the way. The Roller bridge was a bit too metallic to my taste, so I replaced it with an Aluminum Graph tech adjustible gibson style bridge with graphtec saddles. I had one on another guitar. With that the sound is more to my liking, a little more woody. Just my two cents of input if you care. And yes I find it a great sounding guitar. You make it sound great.
Gorgeous guitar but as you mention the relatively poor finishing work does not help to justify the cost. There are fantastic archtop guitars out there for less than half the cost of the Heritage H575 and most are beautifully crafted. I really enjoy your guitar playing and your reviews and tutorials.
First, I'm a big fan of your guitar skills! I absolutely LOVE your videos! Second, I feel really bad about that fingerboard issue with your Heritage. As a 40 year (retired) guitar tech, I'm certainly no luthier, but I'm pretty sure it would be a really easy and simple fix, to have your luthier "roll" that fingerboard for you, at least on the bass side. I've hand rolled the boards on every guitar I've owned since 1972 and when done professionally it is not obvious. But, It WILL eliminate that harsh edge which rubs against your thumb, and bothers you. If I were you, I would contact my luthier and get his professional opinion (if you haven't already) Best Regards! 🙂
I’m sorry to hear your experience, Sandra. I have a 575 I love. Single humbucker with a spruce top so a bit more acoustic sound. I used to have the same Eastman archtop you did and what you are hearing is the difference between a floating pickup and set humbuckers. Also, your maple top isn’t going to resonate like a spruce top. I hope you are able to sort out the issues. The dealer should take care of the bridge issue as that shouldn’t be your responsibility to fix on a new instrument. I wish you luck wit it.
Regarding the G string: you might want to try a wound G to see if tuning improves. Bridges like that are designed for specific string gauge. Also, I believe the material around the f-hole is residue from the polishing process. If so, it should be removeable with a damp cloth.
intonation problem is because the bridge is designed for a wound G string...If you look at older model jazz guitars with a floating wood bridge, they all have the G string set forward on the bridge to compensate for the wound G string...the white stuff in the F holes is polishing compound.
That's true, although Heritage has a newer model bridge, that does not have that problem(I goes its a happy medium comoromise for wound and unwoubd g-strungs). They sent it to me already. Let's see how that works.
Hi Sandra, been a fan of your videos for a while. I picked up this guitar in sunburst earlier this year direct from Heritage. I had some issues with the fret ends, but it could have been from shipping in the middle of winter. I had my luthier clip and polish out the fret ends when I got it. For what it's worth, he also told me that the G needs to be a wound G in order to keep intonation on the wooden bridge. I use D'Addario Chromes 11-50 and have nearly spot on intonation. He ultimately recommended getting a Gibson Tune-o-matic and sticking the rosewood in the case. The Tune-o-matic should drop right on top of the studs, so no custom bridge required.
That is interesting about the flat wounds. Makes sense. But it should nearly be an option you have to choose from then. Or at least state, “bridge set up for flatwounds”
@@andyd9725 I forgot about this -- I think when you buy the Sadowsky you get both bridges. An archtop can play well with lighter strings, but it does need some setup work when you do that.
Yes. I have a 1996 Mexican Strat. Whoever picked the parts, put them together and dressed the frets was having a VERY good day! I bought is used for 150 bucks. It's easily as good as an American Strat worth $2-3000! Unplugged it has unbelievable tone and volume.
Thank you for this review- I would say most of us do not put our thumb around the neck to fret a note- there is certainly no vibrato available, or keying into the note with your thumb.
The dealer should make good on the bad intonation -- that's just a bad setup and it's pretty easy to fix. A little filing may be all that's required. Check the nut against the frets to make sure that's not the problem. Either way it's easily adjusted. The unfinished f-holes are easy to fix too -- black paint and a small artist's brush and some time is all it takes. Make sure you stuff a rag in the hole while you're painting so you don't drip inside the body. For $5K you shouldn't have to deal with this stuff but if you like the sound and feel of the guitar it's worth fixing to make you happy.
Back and side are solid, its more like a Gibson L4, its a very good guitar, and be sure it will become better in time. Mine is a 1989 model. Have a nice day
Hi Sandra, Love the video and your playing! I am considering a Heritage 575 myself, so your video is very useful. One thing to note, however - the H575 is more of a clone of the Gibson L4 rather than the ES-175. Look at the neck pickup on the '175, it is not placed right at the beginning of the neck. The L4, however is, and so is the H575. That makes a big difference in the sound, and as you noted, you play almost exclusively the neck pickup. So for anyone wondering about that, take a close look at the 175's pickup locations vs. the H575. Thanks!
I think the white residue inside around the f-holes is from polishing the top. You could get a Gibson brass bridge with movable saddle and Rosewood bottom and have it sanded to fit the arch of the guitar top. I personally do not hear the metallic sound but rather a brighter acoustic tone. Very well balanced.
The white stuff in the F-holes looks like it might be polishing compound. You should be able to remove it. You can have the fretboard edge rolled but the fret ends will have to be done again. Beautiful guitar and it sounds great.
Nice guitar. Virtually every instrument is a compromise unless you are spending large amounts for bespoke/custom made. Given that you aren't keen on a deeper bodied instrument, I thought the acoustic sound was very good (and much better, as would be expected, than your Gibson). I really liked the plugged in sound (as do you). Given that you like the neck profile, fretting and sound, I hope you'll keep it and get the things you don't like fixed. The finish and quality control issues (and especially the bridge/intonation problems), are not acceptable on a pro level instrument. If I had paid over 5k for it, I'd be insisting that the shop put them right under warranty. A good luthier should be able to make you a new bridge top (no point in replacing the whole thing if the base is well fitted to the instrument) and correct the intonation. I wouldn't go for a tune-o-matic. The acoustic sound will suffer (It would be interesting to hear what your Howard Roberts would sound like with a solid bridge top. I bet the acoustic sound would improve). Provided you don't decide to alter string gauges, it wouldn't hurt to swap to a non-adjustable bridge (and you can always put the adjustable top back on if you do). Rolling the fingerboard edge to soften the angle is not a difficult task for a good luthier. All part of the fun of getting a new instrument to ones liking.
I had a h575 custom for years ( the one with the wood pickguard). I was never really happy with it. I had the same finish issues in the F holes, but my main complain was a poor acoustic sound for such a big body. I ended up selling it when I found a used Collings City Limit Jazz for a little more than than a h575 new ( it would be a bargain today as all the used CL jazz I see nowadays are north of $10K). That guitar is incredible. With a body depth of just 1 5/8" it is louder than a L5 with a very woody sound and the Lollar Johnny Smith sings.
First of all, it’s so refreshing to hear a full size jazz box! I have been in Ibanez GB10 land for a while. The woodiness of the Eastman also adds a in part due to its wooden tailpiece. (You know that. You’re a smart lady.)
Hi, sometime ago I was up to buy a Heritage sweet 16 because it's small and solid top and 25.5 " scale but I did not buy it. It was also to replace an Eastman (AR810) because is to big, even if I'm tall. I came to this conclusion - Heritage guitars are not planned having acoustic feel in mind. I think we can be better with a Bendetto Bravo laminated because they THINK acoustic when designing stuff. I still have my amazing Eastman but I have to play it in the left leg as a classical player so it does not hurt. Very nice video, thank you.
I worked in Kalamazoo and went looking for Heritage Guitars. I found them in a sort of a business center...a hot glue pot was out in the hall. I got there too late for the tour! Had a nice chat with the lady at the front desk.
I have an old H575, it's probably not perfect, but neither am I. It does play really well. Seems I never have to tune it. It's very stable. Great video.
Heritage Guitars have a Custom Shop Golden Eagle (which has a Tune-O-Matic Bridge) on sale for only $8,999. A backed razor is best for rounding the fingerboard edges, then finish of by rubbing with abrasive paper. The F-Holes have probably not been badly finished as it just looks like polishing compound which is removable. Thanks for the video.
The bridge is copy of the Gibson ES 175 bridge called a compensating bridge which is designed make the intonation correct. However it has exactly the opposite effect. Replacement with a straight line ebony or rosewood bridge will correct that. Or a tune-amatic one, but that won't give you as nice a tone as a wooden one.
I have the same exact guitar from about 25 yrs ago, same problems as yours too,and like yours the guitar was acoustically unsatisfactory upon arrival sI swapped to adjustable saddles and had the bridge sanded to make it flush to the arch of the top, gaps of air between are tone killers. and pinned and it's much better. The input jack built into in the strap button has given me trouble before, kind of a lame spot to put it. The sound plugged in is amazing as you said and can sound almost jazz organ like with certain chord voicings. I was really excited to see you did a Heritage video and you like motorcycles. Living across the world from you our paths may never cross beyond virtually, but who knows, So I want to thank you for your hard work. Your videos clearly show the huge amount of love that is in you for good music, and good people.
Thanks so much for your kind words, Rob! I found the quality until 2013 was really good with Heritage. Surprised to learn you had the same issues 25 years ago.
Hi Sandra. I love your video series and your playing. At this price, you rightfully expect the guitar to be perfectly finished and set up. The guitar has a fantastic sound, and I will pass along a variation I used to upgrade my 25 year inexpensive Epi Joe Pass that had always had intonation and setup issues. I was able to find a roller bridge designed for archtops in the aftermarket, and once fitted gave me complete intonation control, no matter the strings, and kept the warm tone that was always in the guitar. Love your music!
Thanks so much for your kind words! ❤️ Yes a Tune O Matic or roller Bridge would help, but I really want a woiden bridge. I paid only 2.8k (new, made a great deal), so having the bridge repkaced will be worth it!
Hi Sandra. I had an ES-175 for a while back but I built my own archtop as a personal project from a Bob Benedetto book and I ended up selling my Es-175 because I loved the sound on the one I made (I made a second one since then and have a couple more under construction...). You see I made a real 'solid-spruce-top' archtop and it's easy to sounds 'woody' compared to the ply-top of the es-175. I was surprised that you did not mention that the heritage was a ply-top in your review as it has a big impact on sound. As far as the small problems with the strings not be positioned properly on the bridge, I see this as being normal for a guitar with a floating bridge being shipped from US to Europe. it's just that most guitarist really don't spend much time understanding their instrument enough in my opinion. To me it's not worth mentionning. Also for the F-hole side finish, I can tell you that my Es-175 was NOT perfect either. You do get a fantastic sound when plugged in... wow!!! of course your playing has something to do with this. One last thing I want to share with you is about the nut on the Gibson. Normally, if you measure de distance between the open string and the top of the first fret (near the nut), you should have around 0.015 to 0.020 inches (15 to 20 thousands of an inch). Sorry I am still using the old imperial measurement for this. On both my Es-175 AND a Les-Paul that I have, from the store, they had exactly 0.030 inches - almost double what would be ideal. Being systematically the same value for two guitars that I bought at different time, I figured out that it was a factory spec and they ship it like that to make sure that there is no chance of string buzz when you go try one of those guitars in a store. I think that it is expected for all guitar owners to take their new guitar to the luthier to optimize this by filing the nut. This also can help with intonation. Too bad I live in Canada and not Europe. I would have loved for you to try one of mine... but they are 17 inches wide... a little big. Thanks for your review and congratulation, it's a beautiful guitar event though nothing is perfect.
Thank you for the tip! Of course I moved the Brosche around as soon as I found out the g-string intonates not correctly. All the other strings intonates very well, so it's the g-string. What I learned in the meanwhile is, that this bridge is inzernet for a wound g-string, while I use a plain g-string. But I don't want to change my strings. I've played this brand/type for decades. I made a great deal on that guitar (2.8k) so having the bridge replaced is worth it.
@klopek24 A carved top made of maple.... that's the first time I hear about it - I checked the specs and you are right. All the solid-top guitars I know use some kind of spruce or fir or cedar for the top except from a very few made of mahogany. The spruce (and like) is chosen because it's the wood that has the best overall ratio of stiffness over weight. More weight means more inertia builders say that it prevents some of the higher frequencies from being reproduced. But since Heritage know what they are doing, I have no choice but admitting that it must be ok. I would love to be able to test one in my own hands to evaluate it.
Hi Sandra, thanks for this video... You got a nice guitar play. :) I got my Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion since 1982 ! It's a 1981 one, so among the first ones in production... It's a over the top guitar. However, the Heritage is a guitare over the top as well... It was build in the same factory, in Kalamaoo, michigan. See you. Take care!
I spent a few years hunting for a guitar that would have a good acoustic sound and be usable in a jazz context. Eventually, I went with a full acoustic guitar. If/when I want the "jazz sound," I can accomplish it with filtering. Also, the tone of an acoustic steel-string guitar is greatly affected by the type of strings. For instance, placing typical electric guitar strings on an acoustic guitar does not produce a typical acoustic guitar sound.
Well, you certainly plays well Sandra. It is not my go to music but this is stuff that if you start listen to it, certainly half an our passed and I realize I had been hypnotized by it. I recognize the sound thing with guitars. I have some a bit expensive and 2 dirt cheap. I use one of the real cheap a lot now just because I like how it sounds.
Well done. It's rare to have such honest review on TH-cam. I think you should have send yours back (especially about the bridge problem). I have a H757 with none of these problems. I bought mine in a store. At that price point, I will not have been comfortable to buy it online without trying it. But there are hard to find in stores.
I bought the George benson cheaper version I paid us$575 and now after your video I check the finish of my guitar and really look pretty good but the sound of your guitar is amazing!
Great honest review Sandra, really like the acoustic sound of the Heritage but was surprised at the weakness of the acoustic sound of the Gibson. Could you try a tunomatic bridge on the Heritage ? although I think it would affect the tone as well, to be honest if it were me for a 5K guitar it would have been returned as it has the poor finish in the F holes as well
I can't tell from the video but if you don't have a wound G on there, installing one will probably fix the intonation issue. The difference in plain versus wound is dramatic, regarding required saddle position. A wound G needs the saddle way forward like that, in my experience. I think the white stuff in the F-holes is merely polishing compound that certainly should have been cleaned properly at the factory (if that is indeed where it came from) but will probably come off easily. Some sandpaper on a stick will take care of those freboard edges in less than an hour's time. Make it how you like it!
Yes, they have a bew bridge model now, which is more compatible for both wound and plain g-string. I'll get an update video on how Heritage contacted ne to solve the issues. Super nice folks there.
I got a Gibson ES 165 new in 1994, as it aged the guitar changes. Yes the bridge can be moved on the top, but I have needed to re-intonate the adjustable saddles to have it intonate perfectly. a plain G string is the way to go. They allow you to bend for more expression. The laminate body has aged well sound wise. Originally the guitar was duller in tone. Now it rings with life and a fine jazz tone. Good Luck.
Great review Sandra. I appreciate your down-to-earth honest style and your nice manner. I found your review very interesting and I learned a few things from it. I agree with you 100% about the poor finish on the inner edges of the f holes - I have seen this on other guitars and it is quite disappointing, and it could so easily be fixed with a bit more attention to detail. Thanks for sharing. Cheers. Ray (Australia)
Great review, the guitar sounds great and looks beautiful. Since Gibson stopped making the 175 jazz guitar which I think was a mistake. I agree the 575 is not as warm sounding as thr Gibson it has its own voice. It has a louder acoustic sound but I agree it is not woody or dry sound. In one way, it's disappointing however it has its own sound. The only other guitar option is the Ibanez George Benson guitar. If you reduce the treble control on the amp or guitar, I'm sure you can remove some of that top end clarity and get a warmer sound. It sounds like Heritage has the quality control issues of the old Gibson company. Thank you for bringing the issues to our attention. I would consider ordering two 575's and keep the one that was made and sounds better. If this is a new guitar, I would return it and ask for a new one. Paying that much money for a guitar, you want the F holes and the tuning to be correct. On another note, I purchased a 2021 Gibson 335 60's guitar. I found the frets were not sanded properly, there was a knot in the fretboard on the 3rd fret that had a small hole, and the binding was not smooth and was done very sloppy. I ordered a 2nd one, and the quality on that one was much better. However the original guitar top looked better and it had more of an open sound. However the craftmanship was the most important thing, so I kept the 2nd one and returned the original. You don't have these type of issues with PRS or Ibanez so its important to really check out the guitar before accepting it as a keeper.
Your review of the Heritage H-575, including your playing, is well done for its completeness and demeanor. I say that even though I am not really a "jazz guy". But the large "Heritage" title to your review got my attention as I browsed TH-cam, since I'm writing this from Kalamazoo, MI, the home of Heritage, and as an owner of four Heritage guitars. Sorry to hear about the neck edge, f-hole, and bridge issues you found. I am curious about the guitar's build date, but that would not be a factor in these issues. Hopefully, you can present an update after your luthier works on your attractive H-575.
Hi Sandra, hello from a fellow Austrian living in England. Nice review! I had a Heritage H535 for a while but sold it when I found my Gibson ES335 from the 90s, which I prefer. For Jazz I use an old Ibanez GB10, which sounds acoustically much woodier than my ES175, plus it is super comfortable to play. New GB10s have become quite expensive - like all American & Japanese made instruments...
Thanks for your review Sandra. After listening again to the tone of this guitar I am more than happy to be buying mine next month. At the end of the day the guitar that sounds the best, wins for me. Heritage QC issues are poor but they are not alone. This lack of quality cf. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintainance - is rampant accross most brands now and most products. I bought a VW Golf a few years back and it's great when it's running well but there are so many shortcuts and cheap parts and so problems arise. I think that money doesn't lead to quality anymore. Having said that, I am going to ask the dealer to send me a photo of the bridge and f holes and have them sort it out before sending. The bass tones are so sublime on the H-575 that I couldn't not have it! I would love to hear your take on George Benson's Dance if you ever feel so inclined!
That's buffing compound residue in the f-holes. It should wipe off with a bit of rubbing with a soft cloth. Your bridge is compensated for a wound G string. Try that and your intonation will probably be right. I have an older H-575 that came with Schaller pickups, also a great guitar after having a bit of work done to it.
The white stuff in the f holes is very hard, feels like cement. You can't wipe it off. Yes I heard that about the g-. But I don't want to change my beloved strings, that I'm used to. If rather have a new bridge made for my pain g-string.
Absolutely love your playing! The 575 is a beautiful guitar as is your Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion. Couple of comments to add here, your guitar is a bit older of a Heritage. I'm guess 2016 or older with the single ply pickguard and the older TRC cover. The body won't sound acoustically as good as most acoustic or archtops that use spruce tops instead of maple. That's a whole maple guitar; back, sides, and top. Might want to compare to to another jazz box with that construction. Other than a Gibson SJ200, acoustic guitars are either mahogany or spruce tops for that very reason. Maple does project like tonewoods used on acoustics. You could try a Heritage Eagle which has a stika spruce top. As far as the finish goes in the f-holes, that's polishing compound. It does commonly get stuck in f-holes and is hard to get out sometimes. May want to see if it wipes/scraps off with a lightly damp cloth. Your Gibson HRF has a bound neck which would hide the sharper fretboard edges, a rounded fretboard is something players came up with in recent years to simulate a worn in fretboard. A light grit sandpaper and about ten minutes of time will make it feel like a worn in fretboard. You are right, Heritage builds their guitars by hand, one at a time, using some of the oldest tools in the industry. For archtops, some of those tools are nearly 100 years old (the just don't make them like they used to) The 575 is a jazz box and usually has a wound G string, looks like you're using a thinner gauge string. That may impact the innotation. Otherwise, you'll probably have to replace the bridge to match your preferences. I think flatwounds sound fantastic on these Heritages. Have you tried that yet?
Hi, Sandra. It seems to me the biggest difference you are noticing in sound is the Heritage has a maple top while your Eastman had spruce. Spruce is much softer, lighter, and therefore more resonant where a maple top will be stiff and less airy. I have an old Heritage Sweet 16, that's got the dimensions you need plus a carved spruce top. The neck, while not tapered at the edges, is smaller than most Gibsons. The only issue you might face is that it is a single pickup instrument, although it sounds as though that's of secondary importance for you. FWIW I haven't encountered an Eastman that can match its responsiveness. Nonetheless, I hope you find success in searching for your next instrument!
Great honest review. Played an almost identical Heritage H575 guitar in Mak’s Guitars in London recently and was disappointed with the sound. Prefer my blonde Comins GS 16-1 instead. Does seem that Heritage has lost its quality assurance edge.
I have one of these with a tun-o-matic bridge which I much prefer. It came that way because someone ordered it with that bridge and didn't buy it so I got it. You should be able put a Tun-o-matic bridge on it. Mine actually has a lovely woody sound acoustically. There is no metallic kind of sound at all even although it has a metal bridge. Mine is about 13 years old. Heritage has always had some quality control issues with their finishing off which for many people could be very annoying but fixing those yourself is worth it because otherwise their guitars are fantastic.
Production of the H575 began in 1984 shortly after the closure of Gibson's Kalamazoo factories. Before the prices levitated indecently it was one of the best purchases especially compared to the quality level of the Gibsons to which it was clearly superior. Mine is from 1990 (bought on the second-hand market) and the only difference I was able to notice is the absence of a black stripe on the tailpiece in the new model. I don't know if they mounted the Seth Lover at that time but the first thing I did was to change the pickups and install the Antiquities. I think that over time the "woody" character of the 575 will come out with greater prominence. In any case, you made a great purchase and that guitar will be very difficult to get out of your hands. Connected to a 5 watt amp of the same level it will give you some great moments. You'll have a good time 🙂
Servus aus Kanada! I think the 575 is brighter than the gibson but I like that dark sound that approaches muddy but not quite. Some high end is always good
I don't own a Heritage H-575 guitar but I've considered getting one. I love the classic look of the florentine cutaway. I'm glad that I watched your review. Too bad for the Heritage H-575.
Most online music stores provide a money back guarantee. It's give it a chance and test it. They're great guitars and not each one of them arrives in such a questionable quality. Thus said, Heritage also has been very nice and sent me a replacement bridge and offered to pay for the luthier to finish and moubt the bridge (a new wood bridge always needs string slots carved).
Great honest review. I feel like heritage does not care about arch tops anymore like they used to. Which is why the stopped production of their large, spruce tops hand carved models around 2016/2018. It seems it’s far to skill/time consuming so they just focus on their core solid body line and give no attention to their current 2 arch tops they only offer. A shame because I tried one from 2012 and it was amazing. No different than a Gibson L5 I played.
Yes, the old ones were great. But this seems to be the case with a lot of those brands. I have a Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion, which I bought in 1996 for medium money. Today I'd have to pay 6k+ to get the same build quality. That's because only custom shops Gibsons get the tratment that every average guitar used to get back then. What a shame.
Great review! It sounds great, and those issues should be able to fix. I tried a H-576 today and totally loved it. Im not a jazz player, for now anyway, but it had amazing tone for blues and rock, and was absolutely beautiful. I did notice the fretboard was a bit squared, but not bad at all. It was a friends guitar that he's selling fairly cheap, so im really considering it.
Many years ago I had a Guild X-500 from Westerly RI that cost over $3000.00. I bought it because I liked the fullness of sound over a Gibson ES175. Sadly I had to sell it. Recently I wanted a jazz box but I can't afford anything as expensive as the Gibson or Eastman. I finally settled on an Ibanez AF95FM. I was pleasantly surprised by the sound of it considering the price.
I have the Seth Lover PUs in my Epiphone Les Paul Standard 50s and they sound amazing. They are more mellow as the Gibson Burstbuckers that come with the Gibson Les Pauls. The Burstbuckers sound much brighter. So the Seth Lovers are perfect Jazz PUs. However it is a shame that this guitar has quality problems. Heritage guitars normally get very good results in reviews. How is this possible? Thank you for this honest review!
It'as been 40 years now and I still have not ridden a bike with ABS. Rounded off necks are nice. You could always do it yourself or have a luthier do it if you are not comfortable doing it yourself. I can understand not wanting to have to mod a new guitar.
Well I rode bikes without aBS for a long time too. But when I bought a BMW, that had it, it really fekt so much better. I feel the rattling under me foot quite often, which tells me sticking to ABS ever since was a good choice. Also in Europ it's mandatory for new bikes to have ABS. Well, I'm a comfort girl, I guess 😊
I just found this review, and Sandra, loved your playing. It always shows viewers more about the instrument when an expert is playing in the review. You clearly know know what you are doing. But I don’t think it was entirely fair to the folks at Heritage. The fingerboard issues do sound like a fret dress and fingerboard prep problem. That’s a shame. As others pointed out, the f-hole is likely some leftover polishing compound. Unsightly, a bit disappointing, but not about paint or varnish quality. Fair to call it out as a lack of attention to detail on a $5000 premium instrument. The G string intonation is a known challenge and requires a choice to set up for wound or unwound. A lot of posters suggested changing the G string, but if that’s not your preference, it’s OK. That decision does require modifying the bridge at the G saddle. It would be different for a bridge with individual string saddle adjustments, like a Tune-O-Matic from Gibson, but that would also change the arch top response dramatically. It would effectively be a different guitar. This is just how these bridges are designed. As far as the position of the bridge, it is a floating bridge, so this is not unheard of. It could have been knocked out in shipping and handling, or on the display floor if it was a purchased from a retailer. From everything I’ve observed with Heritage guitars (I have 3 but not they are not archtops), I doubt they let it out of the factory that way. Maybe - but more likely it was moved. I don’t want to minimize your observations - they are your honest findings. But I wonder if maybe some of this falls on the retailer (who one would hope is more than a distributor and actually makes sure a customer of a premium instrument gets a full set-up before receiving it … including aligning the bridge and asking “What kinda G do you prefer?). All that aside, it did sound great (as was your playing). Hope you enjoy many years with it.
I love that guitar and maybe I was a little too strict with Heritage. They cobtaxted me and were so kind to sent me a replacement bridge. The thing is, that I witnessed a lot of the same problems with many Heritage guitars from my students. Mostly the pole pieces of the pickup not aligning with the strings. The cavities aren't shaped correctly, so the pickup doesn't fit perfectly. I saw 5 or 6 guitars (most were the 335 shape) I have a student who returned his guitar, bought one from online from another dealership and got his own guitar (same serial) back! And it still had the same problems. That means that Heritage takes these returned guitars, doesn't fix them and sends them to another dealership, where they're sold as new. That's an absolute no-go.
That's ok. Can't always be positive. I do honest reviews, not paid ones. Also I think Ioztlined, that I like the guitar very much. I just think that at a price tag of €5300.- it shouldn't have those flaws.
Hello Sandra, an interesting topic! I had very similar criteria - smaller body, very woody, oldschool gypsy sound unplugged (I call it rustling) and mellow warm "Joe Pass" tone when plugged in. I found my solution by chance. It is a second hand Godin 5th Avenue, the first version without pickup. Original owner put floating Kent Armstrong on it. A love playing it both unplugged and plugged. It was very affordable, the build quality is perfect and playability as well. An issue may be missing cutaway but there are versions with. It has got pretty flat fingerboard (16"). I miss position markers beyond 12th fret :) Considering intonation: I'm very sensitive for being not in tune. This guitar is set up perfectly, but I guess G string intonation can be influenced by using plain vs. wound string. I personally use wound G (and use flat wounds). Thank you for all your YT stuff!
Yes, that bridge is made for a wound g-string, while I User a plain one. Heritage made better compatible bridges after 2020, and they'll send me one of those. Very kind people there.
Besides having greater air volume your Eastman had a single floating pickup while your Heritage guitar has two full sized humbuckers mounted to the top. That much hardware will dampen the acoustic sound you can generate from the guitar.
I’ve heard more positives about Heritage guitars than newer Gibsons. The consistent negative I hear about Heritage guitars are the neck/fret edges. But, it is pretty much the main complaint. Again, I hear more pros than cons on Heritage reviews. Brand name guitars aren’t always worth the money. Most of the time you’re paying for the name, with subpar quality. Edit: Holy crap! My ‘71 Yamaha SA-50 has more acoustic volume than your Gibson and it’s a thinner body.
That's why I ALWAYS buy the actual guitar I try out. That said, I have a 1996 Mexican Strat. Whoever picked the parts, put them together and dressed the frets was having a VERY good day! I bought is used for 150 bucks. It's easily as good as an American Strat worth $2-3000! Unplugged it has unbelievable tone and volume.
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The wooden bridge is aimed at a wound G string and subsequent intonation. The Thomastik sets you tend to use have an unwound G string, which intonate at a longer string length than a wound string. Indeed your luthier will have to craft you a new wooden bridge, or you can switch to a tune-o-matic style, but this affects your sound quite a lot.
or use a wound G
I would never. I'm too used on what I've been playing for 20+years and a wound g string would be hard on my fingers. I don't like it.
True. Heritage sent me a new bridge which my luthuer can carve new slots into.
My 175 has the wood bridge, and while I prefer that (I'm used to the wound 3rd string), I encourage you to try the tune-o-matic -- it might solve your problems and still sound good.
A tune-o-matic bridge might be the best option for good intonation.
Just a note that your luthier can round the fret board edges for you and touch up the f-hole edges. A nice sounding guitar, the wood bridge has a lot to do with the sound.
Pretty much every Eastman archtop I’ve played has a great acoustic tone - solid, laminate, doesn’t matter
The acoustic metallic sound may just require different strings size or make.
Eastman son una mierda !
I agree with what others said on the intonation of the bridge when it comes to wound vs unwound G string. As for the acoustic sound, the maple top doesn’t resonate as well as a spruce top like you had on the Eastman. But to me, the electric sound from a maple top is better.
I regret not buying an H575 I tried in a shop 5/6 years ago. I found it very comfortable to play and I love how 'open' the sound is. Great guitars.
Excellent review, Sandra. Thank you so much for sharing your experience and great knowledge with us. Best wishes for you and your family!
Hope all is well with you and you're having a good time.
A friend of mine owns an H575, a Gibson L5, and L4 and a few other high end guitars. I myself own a Heritage H555. I can only say that it is such a shame that Gibson, and unusually, in this instance, Heritage, can not keep their quality control to a high standard. The H575 owned by my friend is wonderful, his is a fabulous example. At $5k, any guitar should be beautiful from the word go.
Generally, looks dont matter much to me. At least not as much as feel and sound. But I agree. At 5k, it should be perfect.
Nice video. The white material inside the F holes may be buffing compound leftover from when the guitar was polished. I agree that the bridge may require a wound 3rd string for correct intonation. You could try one in the proper gauge and see if the intonation improves.
That white build-up 100% looks like leftover polishing compound to me.
Really appreciate your honest review! There are so many channels that only provide the good and are basically glorified commercials for the products they are demonstrating. Kudos to you! Greetings from Hungary.
Just because someone is negative doesn't actually make them more honest automatically. If everyone lives this guitar but one then maybe the one person is wrong
@@allensaunders449 I totally agree with your first point. Regarding your second statement, I don't think reviews of guitars are necessarily about being right or wrong. There are things that people may like or dislike and they are subjective - meaning it's down to the individual person's perspective.
What I don't like seeing are review videos that are very thinly disguised advertisements. I felt like Sandra was giving a nice honest statement of her opinion of the guitar. It'd be nice to see more of that from others in the guitar community.
Thanks Sandra! You just saved me 5k worth of euros 😃. I was going to upgrade from my Korean Epi ES-175 and was thinking exactly of buying a Heritage.
The guitar sounds great but, those issues you described are unacceptable.
BTW I would use a tune-o-matic, nothing beats that for intonation. Sure, the sound is very different but intonation first.
Try to find a used one from our 2013!
Thank you for your honest review. It's a shame that you find those issues in a 5000 guitar. If I bought that from a dealer, I expect them to set it up properly, check the electronics, alignment, action, intonation, etc. Coming from the manufacturer it self, their standard should've been higher than what is expected from the dealer.
This seems like it was just pulled out of the hanger, maybe dusted off a bit, put in the box and shipped.
Exactly! And for what I have read, people were praising Heritage guitars for the quality control that Gibson didn’t have anymore etc… That price tag and that F hole job is a joke.
It doesn’t surprise me though. Made in USA is not really a sacred cow since American workers have a history of being sloppy
@@robsondiem it looks like polishing compound. Should've been cleaned up, and there's no excuse for that, but it can easily be taken care of.
I had an Eastman 905 a while back but sold it after a year. It was a little too big to be comfortable for me and had only one pickup. I also ended up a Heritage H-575 guitar like you did. It's a gorgeous instrument and mine did not have the setup problems yours did. I agree with the comment about the strings. I think if you used a wound 3rd string it would make a difference. Also, I think the bridge can be slanted a bit to get the intonation correct. I don't think you will need to spend a lot with a luthier to fix these things. Plus, if you bought it new, you can get the work done under warranty. I love my 575!
I got a H530 around June by pre-ordering a newly made one as I am a frequent customer of the parent company that bought over heritage and heard they stepped up their worksmanship quality. I was kinda disappointed the binding on mine wasn’t smooth at all around the 3rd fret. It looked like someone dented the binding with some kind of tool or clamp but instead of replacing the binding decided instead to sand it down as best as they could. The guitar sounded awesome but it took away the flawless impression it could have made for a first time Heritage owner.
Yeah, that's a bummer.
I recently picked up an Eastman 601 and I have since, not been able to put it down. This instrument has such a beautiful, robust voice and such clarity throughout the entire register. Played softly, it delivers notes with wonderful projection and when you dig into it, it just sounds so inspiring. To be honest, it has been here for over two weeks and I have not even plugged it in yet! Sandra, I am sorry to hear your Eastman was dimensionally challenging for you from a comfort standpoint, but I'll bet you really do miss that incredible voice. I have become an Eastman devotee now, having also recently taken delivery on an SB59 Goldburst. Another example of the fine craftsmanship coming out of that company. And this interest all began a few years ago when I acquired an Eastman 505 mandolin. And I did look at the Heritage BTW, but as soon as I played the Eastman, the choice was really easy! These people simply make wonderful instruments.
I sold the Eastman, though, bc it had an unfixable dead spot. 8th fret low E-string just had no sustain at all. 2 very experienced luthiers couldn fix it.
For 5k I would expect all strings to be intonated and no over spray on the F hole edges.
I would either return the guitar and request a replacement, (or this one repaired free of charge), else Heritage pay for your luthier to correct their poor final quality inspection. This guitar should never have been sent out in this condition.
I'd be pissed after spending 5,000 that they missed some of those details. The f-holes and bridge issues are pretty glaring for a pro level instrument.
Great, honest review.
I only paid 2.8k. That's why I didn't return it. A new one would've been 4.3k. Heritage just jacked their prices up a few months ago.
The F-holes are a 2 hour, at home fix, if you stop for a coffee break.
How about just add a 1 screw little Square Brass offset piece, after deciding where exactly it should sit? I just did an Ebony/Bone bridge for an es175 missing that part.
You think you could spend 2k and get a guitar that was set up perfectly, but you really have to be lucky now a days. I did like the sound of the pick ups in the heritage over the gibson, not saying the gibson was not good, both tones were very pleasing. I'm thinking of getting a jazz box with a floating humbucker or without for a couch guitar. I am thinking an Eastman, I'm a large to xl guy, so the size shouldn't bother me too much.
It’s a shame. My budget Epiphone is perfect and I love it. Fortunately my more expensive Gibson is also good too from the factory
Sandra! What a treat to “hang out with you for lunch,” and listen to your review. And, well done - you hit the playability points, which are so important. I can really relate to the sharp fretboard edges issue. I bought a $4+K Tele made by Victor Baker (renowned archtop luthier), who was trying his hand at a solid body for jazz guys. Since I love Teles, I bit, and bought it. Upon arrival and testing, the finish and pickups were excellent. But, if I held the guitar out from my body by the neck, say at the 12th fret, and let the guitar slide down in my hand to let it rest on a stand… that action of sliding through my hand was like running a file through my hand. Maybe hard to visualize, but there was NO rolling to the fretboard edges at all - painful! Plus, as you pointed out, it’s important to have pickup screws line up with the strings. This one was off by a good 1/8” on the high E. Just not what I’d expect for a guitar in that price point. I sent it back - and, to his credit, he was cool with it, crediting a full refund. Point being, crazy high prices should get us a very high degree of satisfaction! Nice hang👍😁
Wow, you were lucky, that he took it back. I heard that in the US it's harder to return stuff.
I guess one has to fall in love with a guitar. You know with me and the Gibson HRF it was love at first sight. I saw it and knew she was mine 😊. I bought several jazz guitars in the meantime, but the HRF is still the love of my life.
@@GuitarversumSandraSherman I know that’s (HRF) your baby. I love mine too! Cheers!
Greetings Sandra from the land of Oz in the USA. As others have said, thank you for imparting such excellent jazz knowledge. After watching your guitar reviews, it is obvious to me that you and I have very similar tastes in what we like in a jazz guitar; shape, size, beveled board edges, frets, etc. That said, I strongly encourage you to get your hands on a Sadowsky Semi-Hollow and try it out. I acquired mine about five years ago, and for me, it just checks all the boxes. I still have a few other objectively great guitars that I occasionally play for a change, but the Sadowsky is my #1. I have a feeling you would really bond with one of these too. All the best, Paul.
Oh, I'd totally love to. I was already looking into them, but the custom fees and VAT are a nightmare.
Ouch! Yes that must hurt. Keep your eyes open for one, and you might snag a good one used. They are fantastic guitars, and to be honest, I would not have taken up your time telling you about them if I did not think so much of them. The Spruce center block is one ingredient that contributes to the stellar jazz tone of these guitars. They sound better than most fully hollow guitars I've played, and there are no feedback or intonation issues, two things I am not willing to tolerate. If I were a rich man, I would purchase one and send it to you, but hey, I'm a jazz guitarist! That's the name of that tune. Paul.
Sounds wonderful. Hope the buffing compound comes off. It’s a shame it was not perfect but this is the world we live in. I hope it all turns out in the end. Loved your video. (Of course I am biased as I have a lot of Austrian genes in me)❤
Ahh I bet you're right that's what's probably on the edges of the f holes.
Have your luthier round the fret board edges.. Mine is used from 86.. got a killer deal.. and they are out there.. thanks for a great review... !!!!!
Amazing sound. Sad the quality isn't par with the sound.
The intonation issue occurs because the bridge is carved for a wound G. If you're using an unwound G, you'll need a bridge cut for that (which is not an expensive replacement). This is standard for wodden bridges, not unique to Heritage.
Oh, and the white in the F-holes is unfortunate, but it's just residue from the polishing process. They would have cleaned it, but you can do that yourself as well.
If the guitar feels and sounds good to you, these are both totally fixable things. And if you want rolled fretboard edges, that's super simple to accomplish, there's hundreds of instructional videos on TH-cam.
That seems to be an issue with the plain g-string, you're correct. That the g string was super clise to the b string isnt. And the white residue is hard to get rid if. I would have ti sand it down, bc its super hard. I'll have it checked by my luthier. I just didn't have the time yet.
@@GuitarversumSandraSherman Try Naptha (lighter fluid) and a soft polishing cloth, it flashes off quickly, leaves no residue and won't harm the lacquer.
@@GuitarversumSandraSherman Hopefully the luthier can take care of the f-hole residue. Maybe he can work on the neck as well.
Hi Sandra, love your stuff. About the 575: evidently has a carved maple top not a laminate like a 175, making it more similar to an L-7.
I wonder how your Gibson would sound like with a set of two Seth Lovers for around 400€? Since the pickups make up for 90% of the amplified sound the 5k€ might become even more questionable. To make the acoustic sound a little better you could try out the trick of Rich Severson to decouple the pickup frames with small rubber washers from the wooden top allowing for more resonance.
I was thinking about doing that, actually. But I love the HRF as it is. I paid 2800 for the Heritage (I don't have to pay VAT). They raised the price tag up a grand within a few months. Crazy!
Hi Sandra, I bought some years ago an H575 in Northern Island. I had a choice between the Howard Roberts and the Heritage. ine is from the year 2000, so it came with Schaller Tailpiece, Schaller adjustable roller bridge and Schaller Pick Ups, which also sound great by the way. The Roller bridge was a bit too metallic to my taste, so I replaced it with an Aluminum Graph tech adjustible gibson style bridge with graphtec saddles. I had one on another guitar. With that the sound is more to my liking, a little more woody. Just my two cents of input if you care. And yes I find it a great sounding guitar. You make it sound great.
The old Heritage guitars had great quality. Good choice on changing the bridge. I wonder how the Schaller pickups comoare to the Seth Lovers.
Gorgeous guitar but as you mention the relatively poor finishing work does not help to justify the cost. There are fantastic archtop guitars out there for less than half the cost of the Heritage H575 and most are beautifully crafted. I really enjoy your guitar playing and your reviews and tutorials.
First, I'm a big fan of your guitar skills! I absolutely LOVE your videos!
Second, I feel really bad about that fingerboard issue with your Heritage.
As a 40 year (retired) guitar tech, I'm certainly no luthier, but I'm pretty
sure it would be a really easy and simple fix, to have your luthier "roll" that
fingerboard for you, at least on the bass side. I've hand rolled the boards
on every guitar I've owned since 1972 and when done professionally it
is not obvious. But, It WILL eliminate that harsh edge which rubs against
your thumb, and bothers you. If I were you, I would contact my luthier and
get his professional opinion (if you haven't already) Best Regards! 🙂
I’m sorry to hear your experience, Sandra. I have a 575 I love. Single humbucker with a spruce top so a bit more acoustic sound. I used to have the same Eastman archtop you did and what you are hearing is the difference between a floating pickup and set humbuckers. Also, your maple top isn’t going to resonate like a spruce top. I hope you are able to sort out the issues. The dealer should take care of the bridge issue as that shouldn’t be your responsibility to fix on a new instrument. I wish you luck wit it.
Good points!
Regarding the G string: you might want to try a wound G to see if tuning improves. Bridges like that are designed for specific string gauge. Also, I believe the material around the f-hole is residue from the polishing process. If so, it should be removeable with a damp cloth.
It's bugging compoubd. It's hard. Naphta will probably do the trick.
intonation problem is because the bridge is designed for a wound G string...If you look at older model jazz guitars with a floating wood bridge, they all have the G string set forward on the bridge to compensate for the wound G string...the white stuff in the F holes is polishing compound.
That's true, although Heritage has a newer model bridge, that does not have that problem(I goes its a happy medium comoromise for wound and unwoubd g-strungs). They sent it to me already. Let's see how that works.
Ibanez all the way, when it comes to jazz boxes or semi-hollows, best quality control out there.
Hi Sandra, been a fan of your videos for a while. I picked up this guitar in sunburst earlier this year direct from Heritage. I had some issues with the fret ends, but it could have been from shipping in the middle of winter. I had my luthier clip and polish out the fret ends when I got it. For what it's worth, he also told me that the G needs to be a wound G in order to keep intonation on the wooden bridge. I use D'Addario Chromes 11-50 and have nearly spot on intonation. He ultimately recommended getting a Gibson Tune-o-matic and sticking the rosewood in the case. The Tune-o-matic should drop right on top of the studs, so no custom bridge required.
That may be the case. I don't use a wound g string, it's a plain 20.
That is interesting about the flat wounds. Makes sense. But it should nearly be an option you have to choose from then. Or at least state, “bridge set up for flatwounds”
Sadowsky makes a wooden bridge specifically compensated for a plain G string. He did it for Jim Hall. It’s about $75US.
@@andyd9725 I forgot about this -- I think when you buy the Sadowsky you get both bridges. An archtop can play well with lighter strings, but it does need some setup work when you do that.
Guitars are like people.....some turn out great...some don't.
Find one you like and don't let go.
Love that Howard Roberts Fusion.
Yes. I have a 1996 Mexican Strat. Whoever picked the parts, put them together and dressed the frets was having a VERY good day! I bought is used for 150 bucks. It's easily as good as an American Strat worth $2-3000! Unplugged it has unbelievable tone and volume.
Thank you for this review- I would say most of us do not put our thumb around the neck to fret a note- there is certainly no vibrato available, or keying into the note with your thumb.
The dealer should make good on the bad intonation -- that's just a bad setup and it's pretty easy to fix. A little filing may be all that's required. Check the nut against the frets to make sure that's not the problem. Either way it's easily adjusted.
The unfinished f-holes are easy to fix too -- black paint and a small artist's brush and some time is all it takes. Make sure you stuff a rag in the hole while you're painting so you don't drip inside the body. For $5K you shouldn't have to deal with this stuff but if you like the sound and feel of the guitar it's worth fixing to make you happy.
The luthier will be worth it, since I only paid 2.8k (new, made a good deal 😊).
I used to have that problem with the g string, I did put wounded g string and It got better.
Great review!!!
I was wondering if the bridge had been made for a wound 3rd. string ?
Back and side are solid, its more like a Gibson L4, its a very good guitar, and be sure it will become better in time. Mine is a 1989 model.
Have a nice day
Hello , Sandra
I have found a Heritage 550
It's a real nice partner to my Gibson Charlie Christian es 175
Old flat strings On both , I am so fortunate
Since it is sharp at the G string you can just carve a bit out of the bridge to compensate, but surprised to hear about the quality control issues.
Hi Sandra, Love the video and your playing! I am considering a Heritage 575 myself, so your video is very useful. One thing to note, however - the H575 is more of a clone of the Gibson L4 rather than the ES-175. Look at the neck pickup on the '175, it is not placed right at the beginning of the neck. The L4, however is, and so is the H575. That makes a big difference in the sound, and as you noted, you play almost exclusively the neck pickup. So for anyone wondering about that, take a close look at the 175's pickup locations vs. the H575. Thanks!
I love the Heritage. Does jazz, blues and even rock wonderfully and my favorite hollow body. They just sound and play incredibly well.
I think the white residue inside around the f-holes is from polishing the top. You could get a Gibson brass bridge with movable saddle and Rosewood bottom and have it sanded to fit the arch of the guitar top. I personally do not hear the metallic sound but rather a brighter acoustic tone. Very well balanced.
The white stuff in the F-holes looks like it might be polishing compound. You should be able to remove it. You can have the fretboard edge rolled but the fret ends will have to be done again. Beautiful guitar and it sounds great.
Yes, it's polishing compound. Maybe the edges are a bit rough and the compound stuck there but a damp cloth will remove it.
Nice guitar. Virtually every instrument is a compromise unless you are spending large amounts for bespoke/custom made. Given that you aren't keen on a deeper bodied instrument, I thought the acoustic sound was very good (and much better, as would be expected, than your Gibson). I really liked the plugged in sound (as do you). Given that you like the neck profile, fretting and sound, I hope you'll keep it and get the things you don't like fixed. The finish and quality control issues (and especially the bridge/intonation problems), are not acceptable on a pro level instrument. If I had paid over 5k for it, I'd be insisting that the shop put them right under warranty. A good luthier should be able to make you a new bridge top (no point in replacing the whole thing if the base is well fitted to the instrument) and correct the intonation. I wouldn't go for a tune-o-matic. The acoustic sound will suffer (It would be interesting to hear what your Howard Roberts would sound like with a solid bridge top. I bet the acoustic sound would improve). Provided you don't decide to alter string gauges, it wouldn't hurt to swap to a non-adjustable bridge (and you can always put the adjustable top back on if you do). Rolling the fingerboard edge to soften the angle is not a difficult task for a good luthier. All part of the fun of getting a new instrument to ones liking.
Excellent review but I always liked the look and sound of the Ibanez gb10 at £600 a bargain.
That walking bass line you played at 07:30 was fantastic - I could listen to that all day!
Thank you! Glad you enjoy the videos. I'm trying my best 😊
I had a h575 custom for years ( the one with the wood pickguard). I was never really happy with it. I had the same finish issues in the F holes, but my main complain was a poor acoustic sound for such a big body. I ended up selling it when I found a used Collings City Limit Jazz for a little more than than a h575 new ( it would be a bargain today as all the used CL jazz I see nowadays are north of $10K). That guitar is incredible. With a body depth of just 1 5/8" it is louder than a L5 with a very woody sound and the Lollar Johnny Smith sings.
That Collings seems to be a dream guitar.
First of all, it’s so refreshing to hear a full size jazz box! I have been in Ibanez GB10 land for a while. The woodiness of the Eastman also adds a in part due to its wooden tailpiece. (You know that. You’re a smart lady.)
Hi, sometime ago I was up to buy a Heritage sweet 16 because it's small and solid top and 25.5 " scale but I did not buy it. It was also to replace an Eastman (AR810) because is to big, even if I'm tall. I came to this conclusion - Heritage guitars are not planned having acoustic feel in mind. I think we can be better with a Bendetto Bravo laminated because they THINK acoustic when designing stuff. I still have my amazing Eastman but I have to play it in the left leg as a classical player so it does not hurt. Very nice video, thank you.
I worked in Kalamazoo and went looking for Heritage Guitars. I found them in a sort of a business center...a hot glue pot was out in the hall. I got there too late for the tour! Had a nice chat with the lady at the front desk.
I have an old H575, it's probably not perfect, but neither am I. It does play really well. Seems I never have to tune it. It's very stable. Great video.
Heritage Guitars have a Custom Shop Golden Eagle (which has a Tune-O-Matic Bridge) on sale for only $8,999. A backed razor is best for rounding the fingerboard edges, then finish of by rubbing with abrasive paper. The F-Holes have probably not been badly finished as it just looks like polishing compound which is removable. Thanks for the video.
Thanks for the info. The f holes need to be polished using naphta and a sander. This can't be wiped off, it's hard as concrete.
The bridge is copy of the Gibson ES 175 bridge called a compensating bridge which is designed make the intonation correct. However it has exactly the opposite effect. Replacement with a straight line ebony or rosewood bridge will correct that. Or a tune-amatic one, but that won't give you as nice a tone as a wooden one.
I have the same exact guitar from about 25 yrs ago, same problems as yours too,and like yours the guitar was acoustically unsatisfactory upon arrival sI swapped to adjustable saddles and had the bridge sanded to make it flush to the arch of the top, gaps of air between are tone killers. and pinned and it's much better. The input jack built into in the strap button has given me trouble before, kind of a lame spot to put it. The sound plugged in is amazing as you said and can sound almost jazz organ like with certain chord voicings. I was really excited to see you did a Heritage video and you like motorcycles. Living across the world from you our paths may never cross beyond virtually, but who knows, So I want to thank you for your hard work. Your videos clearly show the huge amount of love that is in you for good music, and good people.
Thanks so much for your kind words, Rob! I found the quality until 2013 was really good with Heritage. Surprised to learn you had the same issues 25 years ago.
Hi Sandra. I love your video series and your playing. At this price, you rightfully expect the guitar to be perfectly finished and set up. The guitar has a fantastic sound, and I will pass along a variation I used to upgrade my 25 year inexpensive Epi Joe Pass that had always had intonation and setup issues. I was able to find a roller bridge designed for archtops in the aftermarket, and once fitted gave me complete intonation control, no matter the strings, and kept the warm tone that was always in the guitar. Love your music!
Thanks so much for your kind words! ❤️
Yes a Tune O Matic or roller Bridge would help, but I really want a woiden bridge. I paid only 2.8k (new, made a great deal), so having the bridge repkaced will be worth it!
Hi Sandra. I had an ES-175 for a while back but I built my own archtop as a personal project from a Bob Benedetto book and I ended up selling my Es-175 because I loved the sound on the one I made (I made a second one since then and have a couple more under construction...). You see I made a real 'solid-spruce-top' archtop and it's easy to sounds 'woody' compared to the ply-top of the es-175. I was surprised that you did not mention that the heritage was a ply-top in your review as it has a big impact on sound. As far as the small problems with the strings not be positioned properly on the bridge, I see this as being normal for a guitar with a floating bridge being shipped from US to Europe. it's just that most guitarist really don't spend much time understanding their instrument enough in my opinion. To me it's not worth mentionning. Also for the F-hole side finish, I can tell you that my Es-175 was NOT perfect either. You do get a fantastic sound when plugged in... wow!!! of course your playing has something to do with this. One last thing I want to share with you is about the nut on the Gibson. Normally, if you measure de distance between the open string and the top of the first fret (near the nut), you should have around 0.015 to 0.020 inches (15 to 20 thousands of an inch). Sorry I am still using the old imperial measurement for this. On both my Es-175 AND a Les-Paul that I have, from the store, they had exactly 0.030 inches - almost double what would be ideal. Being systematically the same value for two guitars that I bought at different time, I figured out that it was a factory spec and they ship it like that to make sure that there is no chance of string buzz when you go try one of those guitars in a store. I think that it is expected for all guitar owners to take their new guitar to the luthier to optimize this by filing the nut. This also can help with intonation. Too bad I live in Canada and not Europe. I would have loved for you to try one of mine... but they are 17 inches wide... a little big. Thanks for your review and congratulation, it's a beautiful guitar event though nothing is perfect.
Thank you for the tip! Of course I moved the Brosche around as soon as I found out the g-string intonates not correctly. All the other strings intonates very well, so it's the g-string. What I learned in the meanwhile is, that this bridge is inzernet for a wound g-string, while I use a plain g-string. But I don't want to change my strings. I've played this brand/type for decades. I made a great deal on that guitar (2.8k) so having the bridge replaced is worth it.
@klopek24 A carved top made of maple.... that's the first time I hear about it - I checked the specs and you are right. All the solid-top guitars I know use some kind of spruce or fir or cedar for the top except from a very few made of mahogany. The spruce (and like) is chosen because it's the wood that has the best overall ratio of stiffness over weight. More weight means more inertia builders say that it prevents some of the higher frequencies from being reproduced. But since Heritage know what they are doing, I have no choice but admitting that it must be ok. I would love to be able to test one in my own hands to evaluate it.
Hi Sandra, thanks for this video... You got a nice guitar play. :) I got my Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion since 1982 ! It's a 1981 one, so among the first ones in production... It's a over the top guitar. However, the Heritage is a guitare over the top as well... It was build in the same factory, in Kalamaoo, michigan.
See you. Take care!
I spent a few years hunting for a guitar that would have a good acoustic sound and be usable in a jazz context. Eventually, I went with a full acoustic guitar. If/when I want the "jazz sound," I can accomplish it with filtering. Also, the tone of an acoustic steel-string guitar is greatly affected by the type of strings. For instance, placing typical electric guitar strings on an acoustic guitar does not produce a typical acoustic guitar sound.
Well, you certainly plays well Sandra. It is not my go to music but this is stuff that if you start listen to it, certainly half an our passed and I realize I had been hypnotized by it.
I recognize the sound thing with guitars. I have some a bit expensive and 2 dirt cheap. I use one of the real cheap a lot now just because I like how it sounds.
Well done. It's rare to have such honest review on TH-cam. I think you should have send yours back (especially about the bridge problem). I have a H757 with none of these problems. I bought mine in a store. At that price point, I will not have been comfortable to buy it online without trying it. But there are hard to find in stores.
I only paid 2.8k (got a great deal).
@@GuitarversumSandraSherman Lucky you! 😀
I bought the George benson cheaper version I paid us$575 and now after your video I check the finish of my guitar and really look pretty good but the sound of your guitar is amazing!
By the way I bought my guitar based on your review and your guitar review help us to learn about it I appreciate everything you do Sandra
Ibanez has a great Quality Control! Glad my reviews help you.
Great honest review Sandra, really like the acoustic sound of the Heritage but was surprised at the weakness of the acoustic sound of the Gibson. Could you try a tunomatic bridge on the Heritage ? although I think it would affect the tone as well, to be honest if it were me for a 5K guitar it would have been returned as it has the poor finish in the F holes as well
I paid "only" 2800. It was 3400 vs as a business I don't have to pay VAT. A few months later Heritage jacked up the price to 5300. Insane!
The sound difference is primarily because the 175 is laminate while the 575 is solid carved maple. Totally different resonance.
I can't tell from the video but if you don't have a wound G on there, installing one will probably fix the intonation issue. The difference in plain versus wound is dramatic, regarding required saddle position. A wound G needs the saddle way forward like that, in my experience.
I think the white stuff in the F-holes is merely polishing compound that certainly should have been cleaned properly at the factory (if that is indeed where it came from) but will probably come off easily.
Some sandpaper on a stick will take care of those freboard edges in less than an hour's time. Make it how you like it!
Yes, they have a bew bridge model now, which is more compatible for both wound and plain g-string. I'll get an update video on how Heritage contacted ne to solve the issues. Super nice folks there.
I got a Gibson ES 165 new in 1994, as it aged the guitar changes.
Yes the bridge can be moved on the top, but I have needed to re-intonate the adjustable saddles to have it intonate perfectly.
a plain G string is the way to go. They allow you to bend for more expression.
The laminate body has aged well sound wise.
Originally the guitar was duller in tone. Now it rings with life and a fine jazz tone.
Good Luck.
Yes, age makes these kind of guitars even better.
Great review Sandra. I appreciate your down-to-earth honest style and your nice manner. I found your review very interesting and I learned a few things from it. I agree with you 100% about the poor finish on the inner edges of the f holes - I have seen this on other guitars and it is quite disappointing, and it could so easily be fixed with a bit more attention to detail. Thanks for sharing. Cheers. Ray (Australia)
Thank you for your kind words! ❤️ Glad you find it helpful, Ray.
Great review, the guitar sounds great and looks beautiful. Since Gibson stopped making the 175 jazz guitar which I think was a mistake. I agree the 575 is not as warm sounding as thr Gibson it has its own voice. It has a louder acoustic sound but I agree it is not woody or dry sound. In one way, it's disappointing however it has its own sound. The only other guitar option is the Ibanez George Benson guitar.
If you reduce the treble control on the amp or guitar, I'm sure you can remove some of that top end clarity and get a warmer sound.
It sounds like Heritage has the quality control issues of the old Gibson company. Thank you for bringing the issues to our attention. I would consider ordering two 575's and keep the one that was made and sounds better. If this is a new guitar, I would return it and ask for a new one. Paying that much money for a guitar, you want the F holes and the tuning to be correct.
On another note, I purchased a 2021 Gibson 335 60's guitar. I found the frets were not sanded properly, there was a knot in the fretboard on the 3rd fret that had a small hole, and the binding was not smooth and was done very sloppy. I ordered a 2nd one, and the quality on that one was much better. However the original guitar top looked better and it had more of an open sound. However the craftmanship was the most important thing, so I kept the 2nd one and returned the original. You don't have these type of issues with PRS or Ibanez so its important to really check out the guitar before accepting it as a keeper.
Your review of the Heritage H-575, including your playing, is well done for its completeness and demeanor. I say that even though I am not really a "jazz guy". But the large "Heritage" title to your review got my attention as I browsed TH-cam, since I'm writing this from Kalamazoo, MI, the home of Heritage, and as an owner of four Heritage guitars. Sorry to hear about the neck edge, f-hole, and bridge issues you found. I am curious about the guitar's build date, but that would not be a factor in these issues. Hopefully, you can present an update after your luthier works on your attractive H-575.
The guitar is from 2020.
Those guitars are surprisingly good for hard rock . Alex Lifeson rocked the Howard Robert's and izzy stadium of GNR played a 175 .
Hi Sandra, hello from a fellow Austrian living in England. Nice review! I had a Heritage H535 for a while but sold it when I found my Gibson ES335 from the 90s, which I prefer. For Jazz I use an old Ibanez GB10, which sounds acoustically much woodier than my ES175, plus it is super comfortable to play. New GB10s have become quite expensive - like all American & Japanese made instruments...
The GB 10 is awesome but to deep for my sore shoulders.
Thanks for your review Sandra. After listening again to the tone of this guitar I am more than happy to be buying mine next month. At the end of the day the guitar that sounds the best, wins for me. Heritage QC issues are poor but they are not alone. This lack of quality cf. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintainance - is rampant accross most brands now and most products. I bought a VW Golf a few years back and it's great when it's running well but there are so many shortcuts and cheap parts and so problems arise. I think that money doesn't lead to quality anymore. Having said that, I am going to ask the dealer to send me a photo of the bridge and f holes and have them sort it out before sending. The bass tones are so sublime on the H-575 that I couldn't not have it! I would love to hear your take on George Benson's Dance if you ever feel so inclined!
It's the best sound I've ever had. Just make sure you can return it, if it's really bad quality!
That's buffing compound residue in the f-holes. It should wipe off with a bit of rubbing with a soft cloth. Your bridge is compensated for a wound G string. Try that and your intonation will probably be right. I have an older H-575 that came with Schaller pickups, also a great guitar after having a bit of work done to it.
The white stuff in the f holes is very hard, feels like cement. You can't wipe it off.
Yes I heard that about the g-. But I don't want to change my beloved strings, that I'm used to. If rather have a new bridge made for my pain g-string.
Wondered what Heritage instruments were like so far as craftsmanship is concerned. My main concerns were addressed. I'd already given up on Gibson.
I owned a Heritgae HS 140 which is a small bodied les paul it was excellent, the quality was outstanding
Absolutely love your playing! The 575 is a beautiful guitar as is your Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion.
Couple of comments to add here, your guitar is a bit older of a Heritage. I'm guess 2016 or older with the single ply pickguard and the older TRC cover.
The body won't sound acoustically as good as most acoustic or archtops that use spruce tops instead of maple. That's a whole maple guitar; back, sides, and top. Might want to compare to to another jazz box with that construction. Other than a Gibson SJ200, acoustic guitars are either mahogany or spruce tops for that very reason. Maple does project like tonewoods used on acoustics. You could try a Heritage Eagle which has a stika spruce top.
As far as the finish goes in the f-holes, that's polishing compound. It does commonly get stuck in f-holes and is hard to get out sometimes. May want to see if it wipes/scraps off with a lightly damp cloth.
Your Gibson HRF has a bound neck which would hide the sharper fretboard edges, a rounded fretboard is something players came up with in recent years to simulate a worn in fretboard. A light grit sandpaper and about ten minutes of time will make it feel like a worn in fretboard. You are right, Heritage builds their guitars by hand, one at a time, using some of the oldest tools in the industry. For archtops, some of those tools are nearly 100 years old (the just don't make them like they used to)
The 575 is a jazz box and usually has a wound G string, looks like you're using a thinner gauge string. That may impact the innotation. Otherwise, you'll probably have to replace the bridge to match your preferences. I think flatwounds sound fantastic on these Heritages. Have you tried that yet?
I've had my H575C for years , its a total sweetheart
Hi, Sandra. It seems to me the biggest difference you are noticing in sound is the Heritage has a maple top while your Eastman had spruce. Spruce is much softer, lighter, and therefore more resonant where a maple top will be stiff and less airy. I have an old Heritage Sweet 16, that's got the dimensions you need plus a carved spruce top. The neck, while not tapered at the edges, is smaller than most Gibsons. The only issue you might face is that it is a single pickup instrument, although it sounds as though that's of secondary importance for you. FWIW I haven't encountered an Eastman that can match its responsiveness. Nonetheless, I hope you find success in searching for your next instrument!
So are you selling your Sweet 16?, 😁
@@GuitarversumSandraSherman hehe, no, I just got it this year! It's my new baby.
Great honest review. Played an almost identical Heritage H575 guitar in Mak’s Guitars in London recently and was disappointed with the sound. Prefer my blonde Comins GS 16-1 instead. Does seem that Heritage has lost its quality assurance edge.
I have one of these with a tun-o-matic bridge which I much prefer. It came that way because someone ordered it with that bridge and didn't buy it so I got it. You should be able put a Tun-o-matic bridge on it. Mine actually has a lovely woody sound acoustically. There is no metallic kind of sound at all even although it has a metal bridge. Mine is about 13 years old. Heritage has always had some quality control issues with their finishing off which for many people could be very annoying but fixing those yourself is worth it because otherwise their guitars are fantastic.
Production of the H575 began in 1984 shortly after the closure of Gibson's Kalamazoo factories. Before the prices levitated indecently it was one of the best purchases especially compared to the quality level of the Gibsons to which it was clearly superior. Mine is from 1990 (bought on the second-hand market) and the only difference I was able to notice is the absence of a black stripe on the tailpiece in the new model. I don't know if they mounted the Seth Lover at that time but the first thing I did was to change the pickups and install the Antiquities. I think that over time the "woody" character of the 575 will come out with greater prominence. In any case, you made a great purchase and that guitar will be very difficult to get out of your hands. Connected to a 5 watt amp of the same level it will give you some great moments. You'll have a good time 🙂
Good point on the sound to enhance in the upcoming years! Wood ages well. 😊
Hi Sandra
Awesome review. Regarding the G string intonation because of a defect in the bridge, isn't that covered by the warranty (if bought new)?
Made for a wound G.
@@robertmitchell2178 you're right I thought thats what she was using but no. Good catch
Fabulous tones. You were unlucky with the finish issues. Best of luck with it.
Servus aus Kanada! I think the 575 is brighter than the gibson but I like that dark sound that approaches muddy but not quite. Some high end is always good
I don't own a Heritage H-575 guitar but I've considered getting one. I love the classic look of the florentine cutaway. I'm glad that I watched your review. Too bad for the Heritage H-575.
Most online music stores provide a money back guarantee. It's give it a chance and test it. They're great guitars and not each one of them arrives in such a questionable quality. Thus said, Heritage also has been very nice and sent me a replacement bridge and offered to pay for the luthier to finish and moubt the bridge (a new wood bridge always needs string slots carved).
I have 4 Eastmans and I love them all! Pick choice makes a big difference. Big Stubby 3 mm give big round tone.
Great honest review. I feel like heritage does not care about arch tops anymore like they used to. Which is why the stopped production of their large, spruce tops hand carved models around 2016/2018. It seems it’s far to skill/time consuming so they just focus on their core solid body line and give no attention to their current 2 arch tops they only offer. A shame because I tried one from 2012 and it was amazing. No different than a Gibson L5 I played.
Yes, the old ones were great. But this seems to be the case with a lot of those brands. I have a Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion, which I bought in 1996 for medium money. Today I'd have to pay 6k+ to get the same build quality. That's because only custom shops Gibsons get the tratment that every average guitar used to get back then. What a shame.
Great review! It sounds great, and those issues should be able to fix. I tried a H-576 today and totally loved it. Im not a jazz player, for now anyway, but it had amazing tone for blues and rock, and was absolutely beautiful. I did notice the fretboard was a bit squared, but not bad at all. It was a friends guitar that he's selling fairly cheap, so im really considering it.
Many years ago I had a Guild X-500 from Westerly RI that cost over $3000.00. I bought it because I liked the fullness of sound over a Gibson ES175. Sadly I had to sell it. Recently I wanted a jazz box but I can't afford anything as expensive as the Gibson or Eastman. I finally settled on an Ibanez AF95FM. I was pleasantly surprised by the sound of it considering the price.
The AF95 is a great guitar. I was also surprised by it's acoustic sound.
I have the Seth Lover PUs in my Epiphone Les Paul Standard 50s and they sound amazing. They are more mellow as the Gibson Burstbuckers that come with the Gibson Les Pauls. The Burstbuckers sound much brighter. So the Seth Lovers are perfect Jazz PUs. However it is a shame that this guitar has quality problems. Heritage guitars normally get very good results in reviews. How is this possible? Thank you for this honest review!
Note sure why, but the quality control is not on par with the sound and the price tag.
It'as been 40 years now and I still have not ridden a bike with ABS. Rounded off necks are nice. You could always do it yourself or have a luthier do it if you are not comfortable doing it yourself. I can understand not wanting to have to mod a new guitar.
Well I rode bikes without aBS for a long time too. But when I bought a BMW, that had it, it really fekt so much better. I feel the rattling under me foot quite often, which tells me sticking to ABS ever since was a good choice. Also in Europ it's mandatory for new bikes to have ABS.
Well, I'm a comfort girl, I guess 😊
I just found this review, and Sandra, loved your playing. It always shows viewers more about the instrument when an expert is playing in the review. You clearly know know what you are doing. But I don’t think it was entirely fair to the folks at Heritage.
The fingerboard issues do sound like a fret dress and fingerboard prep problem. That’s a shame.
As others pointed out, the f-hole is likely some leftover polishing compound. Unsightly, a bit disappointing, but not about paint or varnish quality. Fair to call it out as a lack of attention to detail on a $5000 premium instrument.
The G string intonation is a known challenge and requires a choice to set up for wound or unwound. A lot of posters suggested changing the G string, but if that’s not your preference, it’s OK. That decision does require modifying the bridge at the G saddle. It would be different for a bridge with individual string saddle adjustments, like a Tune-O-Matic from Gibson, but that would also change the arch top response dramatically. It would effectively be a different guitar. This is just how these bridges are designed.
As far as the position of the bridge, it is a floating bridge, so this is not unheard of. It could have been knocked out in shipping and handling, or on the display floor if it was a purchased from a retailer. From everything I’ve observed with Heritage guitars (I have 3 but not they are not archtops), I doubt they let it out of the factory that way. Maybe - but more likely it was moved.
I don’t want to minimize your observations - they are your honest findings. But I wonder if maybe some of this falls on the retailer (who one would hope is more than a distributor and actually makes sure a customer of a premium instrument gets a full set-up before receiving it … including aligning the bridge and asking “What kinda G do you prefer?).
All that aside, it did sound great (as was your playing). Hope you enjoy many years with it.
I love that guitar and maybe I was a little too strict with Heritage. They cobtaxted me and were so kind to sent me a replacement bridge.
The thing is, that I witnessed a lot of the same problems with many Heritage guitars from my students. Mostly the pole pieces of the pickup not aligning with the strings. The cavities aren't shaped correctly, so the pickup doesn't fit perfectly. I saw 5 or 6 guitars (most were the 335 shape)
I have a student who returned his guitar, bought one from online from another dealership and got his own guitar (same serial) back! And it still had the same problems. That means that Heritage takes these returned guitars, doesn't fix them and sends them to another dealership, where they're sold as new. That's an absolute no-go.
I don’t like your negative comments, but I love the sounds of that guitar, acoustically & electrically.
That's ok. Can't always be positive. I do honest reviews, not paid ones. Also I think Ioztlined, that I like the guitar very much. I just think that at a price tag of €5300.- it shouldn't have those flaws.
Hello Sandra, an interesting topic! I had very similar criteria - smaller body, very woody, oldschool gypsy sound unplugged (I call it rustling) and mellow warm "Joe Pass" tone when plugged in. I found my solution by chance. It is a second hand Godin 5th Avenue, the first version without pickup. Original owner put floating Kent Armstrong on it. A love playing it both unplugged and plugged. It was very affordable, the build quality is perfect and playability as well. An issue may be missing cutaway but there are versions with. It has got pretty flat fingerboard (16"). I miss position markers beyond 12th fret :)
Considering intonation: I'm very sensitive for being not in tune. This guitar is set up perfectly, but I guess G string intonation can be influenced by using plain vs. wound string. I personally use wound G (and use flat wounds).
Thank you for all your YT stuff!
Yes, that bridge is made for a wound g-string, while I User a plain one. Heritage made better compatible bridges after 2020, and they'll send me one of those. Very kind people there.
Besides having greater air volume your Eastman had a single floating pickup while your Heritage guitar has two full sized humbuckers mounted to the top. That much hardware will dampen the acoustic sound you can generate from the guitar.
Sure. But I heard (and have) other archtops with body mounted hunbuckers, that have way more volume than the Heritage.
I own a H575 from ‘92 in dark amber. Great ,gorgeous looking guitar
That does sound like it looks gorgeous indeed! ❤️
I’ve heard more positives about Heritage guitars than newer Gibsons.
The consistent negative I hear about Heritage guitars are the neck/fret edges. But, it is pretty much the main complaint. Again, I hear more pros than cons on Heritage reviews.
Brand name guitars aren’t always worth the money. Most of the time you’re paying for the name, with subpar quality.
Edit: Holy crap! My ‘71 Yamaha SA-50 has more acoustic volume than your Gibson and it’s a thinner body.
That's why I ALWAYS buy the actual guitar I try out. That said, I have a 1996 Mexican Strat. Whoever picked the parts, put them together and dressed the frets was having a VERY good day! I bought is used for 150 bucks. It's easily as good as an American Strat worth $2-3000! Unplugged it has unbelievable tone and volume.
Oh no - I missed the live chat for a few minutes 😭. Guitar looks so cool. Now listening to the sounds.
Nice review. The acoustic sound will get more woody if you put bronze or phosphor bronze strings on it. You will lose electric tone however..
Interesting. Like acoustic strings?
Maple has that acoustic tone
Great playing and review Sandra. I am guessing the white powder substance in the F-holes may be polishing compound and can be wiped away. Good luck.
It's hard, like cement. Can't wipe it off.
Great review...
Big diff. between the two.
It's nice that you where able to purchased both of them...
Having options is great!
J.p.