Heritage Guitars

[mastahnke]

I was wondering how many people on the board have a Heritage Guitar made in Kalamazoo Michigan? I have one, HM-150 (Les Paul) made in 1994. I love it.

MIKE

[dave m]

I've played 'em and dug the heck out of 'em. I had my eye on the Johnny Smith model once. Too much moola.
davem

[Treeline]

The story is that when Gibson moved out of town, a bunch of displaced longtime luthiers (with families, kids in Kalamazoo schools, etc.) figured that they knew pretty well what they were doing and stayed put. Heritage guitars is the result. I've only seen one up close, and that sucker was for real! Seems they were right. Very right...

[mastahnke]

Yeah, I don't really know how scare they are. I live near Kalamazoo and I drive up there when I get a chance. Their are a few dealers of them around there. I have never played a bad Heritage, but some are much better than others. When I had the idea to get a Les Paul, I was debating between a $3000 Gibson and $3500 Gibson, I played the Heritages that were only 1200$ and they blew the Gibsons away. I have been sold ever since. Their 335 models are extremely nice as well.
MIKE

[BennyBob]

Woah...you guys are cool...I bought a Heritage H-535 (the equiv. of a ES335, and I LOVE it. It rocks my world...the neck rocks, the seymour duncans rock, although I have been told to put two P-90s in there, any sugguestions on that? I love what they did with the bridge and headstock...stays in tune so well....and it is gorgeous, cherry, with a real wood cherry stained pickguard...cool as heck if you ask me!!!

[Sterling30]

How it all began...

Heritage Guitar Inc. of 225 Parsons Street in Kalamazoo, Michigan was incorporated on April 1, 1985. Although as of this writing the company is barely 12 years old, it has achieved the status of one of the premier guitar companies in the world today. It is, in many instances, the only new guitar line handled by countless vintage shops throughout the world. This indicates it is thought of as the collectible guitar of tomorrow.

The idea to start Heritage Guitar began when the Gibson Guitar Corporation closed its Kalamazoo, Michigan factory in September of 1984 and moved all production to its other plant in Nashville, Tennessee (in operation since 1975). When this took place, some of the employees were asked to move to Nashville. However, since their families had spent many years in Kalamazoo, it made it difficult to uproot and move. Therefore 3 men, Jim Deurloo, Marv Lamb, and JP Moats, decided to start a guitar manufacturing business. In 1985 when the company was incorporated, 2 other former Gibson Guitar Corporation employees, Bill Paige and Mike Korpak, joined as owners. Mike left the company in 1985.

The founders biggest resource is and was the group of craftsmen they could draw from to begin operations. The owners themselves each had in excess of 25 years of hands on experience in making guitars. To this day each of the owners is directly involved in the manufacturing of each instrument.

Heritage started operations in the oldest of five buildings formerly owned and operated by Gibson Guitar Corporation. That building was completed in 1917 and has been a center for guitar manufacturing ever since. Much of the machinery that Heritage uses today was purchased from Gibson Guitar Corporation.

The first guitar Heritage introduced was the H140 solid body single cutaway electric guitar. This model was shown at the NAMM show in June of 1985.

Since that time Heritage has added many instruments. Currently Heritage manufacturers Custom Carved Hollow Body Guitars, Semi Hollow Body Guitars, Solid Body Guitars, Basses, Acoustic Guitars, Mandolins, and a Banjo. This is to say nothing of the countless number of custom instruments made in each of the groups previously mentioned.

Heritage is proud of its employees’ 25 years of average experience and what is has accomplished in 12 years.

[link]www.heritageguitar.com/company/model_history.htm[/link]