Heritage H-150CM Class of 59

Features pretty much all been listed.
Just to clarify I believe these all have ebony fretboards but are not stained dark so it looks like Brazilian at times.
Mine has Seymour Duncan Pick ups I believe (never lifted them)
a very nice thick Flamed maple top with a Natural to Blueburst finish (Natural in center, Ocean blue on the outside)
Big reason to get this guitar was the White Limba / Korina wood for the 3 piece neck and 2 Piece Body (I think it is 2 piece, hard to tell could be 1)
No real features here though.

I got this guitar pretty much unplayed and set up terribly.
The sound though is nice. The Korina makes it a bit more tone ful, less harsh. Besides that it has excellent crunch and power to it.
Looking into the future this guitar should sound pretty incredible as it ages.

As far as I can tell everything perfect in the fit and finish, action pretty terrible but that wasn't a factory thing.

This guitar to me looks like a new Classic in the Making just like the '59 was back then. Looks like it will last and last.

Did not deal with them at all so far.

Overall I think this is a great guitar. A nice change from the Les Paul sound and yet still a Les Paul sound.
Very beatiful top, nice finish. All in all this is really an excellent guitar to put your money in and your hands onto.
Having said that, I did have a Black Limba guitar that sounded better but that one was made by Kevin L. Pederson of Abyss guitars and few guitars can touch what that man makes!

Regular Les Paul type guitar, made in 2002, Korina back and neck, Flame top, Duncan pickups, Tone pros bridge. Average quality case (not so good for a guitar this quality and price)

Plugged straight to a THD bivalve the range of attainable sounds is ample. The pickups are fairly high output which allows me to dial the amount of distortion straight from the guitar. Sustain is the best in any guitar that I have ever played. It is perfectly suited for blues and rock.
As far as pickup sounds, the guitar comes with Duncan Black Backs. The neck pickup is deep and bassy, the best word to describe it would be mellow. The bridge pickup to my ears sounds exactly like a Duncan Custom Custom.

This guitar crossed the ocean a couple of times before making it into my hands (more on this issue in Customer Support) and therefore the action had to be readjusted. Additionally instead of the tone pros bridge the guitar was confirmed to be sent with, it arrived with a regular bridge which required swapping and readjusting after the Tone Pros was received.
These are minor issues, as far as finish it was flawless. The top is outstanding, the fretwork as top notch as I have seen.

I hasn't been played long enough to judge this category. The quality of all parts is excellent and I presume it will perform flawless for a long time.

I have not had to deal with Heritage and thus can not rate their support quality.
For the benefit of anyone considering the purchase of a guitar from Ed Roman I will provide an account of the problems encountered when dealing with him.
This guitar was purchased over the phone, speaking directly to Ed Roman. It was meant to be a gift purchased from overseas and sent to a pro-player in California. Mr Roman was given two addresses, one for the invoice and one for the guitar. Despite confirming the addresses and instructions of the purchase in written form through an email both items went to Europe. The purchaser was charged with over one thousand euros in expenses, import duties and taxes. When Mr. Roman was contacted and informed of the mistake initially became very defensive stating that he "receives over 60 phone calls a day and can not be expected to get everything perfect all of the time" Eventually when the written proof of the transaction was produced he accepted that his shipping department was at fault and offered to pay the shipping to California, send all the "missing items", and the best he could do with the incurred expenses was to offer the purchaser one of his guitars at cost. Obviously after the experience and the 1,000+ dollars of the ordeal this was not satisfactory. The minimum expected would have been to share in these costs caused by his mistake with his profit on the transaction.
My recommendation would be to use common sense and caution and if you MUST purchase something from Ed Roman do not do it over the phone, document every step of the way in written form, and judging from my experience, do not have any expectations of after sales customer support. I'm surprised that a company with the reputation of Heritage guitars allows this type of "support" from his dealers, perhaps this has been the only instance. Let this horror story serve as warning.

Played for ten years and own four other guitars, Gibson SG, Standard Stratocaster and a couple of acoustics.
This guitar was purchased as a gift, but I'm impressed enough with it to consider buying it again, although I would find a different Heritage dealer. Additionally instead of paying extra for the black backs I would go for Duncans own Custom Custom.

Like the others reviewed here but natural finish flamed maple top, white korina body and neck, standard LP electronics configuration with Duncan "black back" pickups. Regular Gibson-style stop bar bridge. Grover Imperial tuners. Full binding (head, neck, body). Probably 2001 production. Decent case included but no paperwork except the recipt.

Amazing sound. Through a Cornford Harlequin, mellow, deep and rich from the neck and plenty of edge from the bridge but it is not thin or harsh at all. Both pickups are a beautiful balanced, smooth tone. No noise or hum to speak of. I will probably replace the supplied pickups with some Lindy Fralins but there isn't a real need, it's just that I have them.

Good action, just the height I like but the nut is BAD. Slots far too deep, three of four strings snagging when tuned. Graphite helped but I'll be getting it replaced by someone who knows how to do this properly. This is the only fault - but it's such a basic one it costs two points. The bridge tailpiece was screwed down about as far as it goes, and some people prefer that but it means the strings are resting on the back of the bridge. Simple to adjust so that the strings rest only on the grooved uprights. The theory is that you get more sustain with the stop bar bolted down tight but it lost none when adjusted upwards. I agree with Dan Erlewine on this one. The rest of the guitar is perfect, no adjustments required.

Dependable, solidly built, top quality hardware. No problems about having this as an only guitar, although maybe you need to keep a cheap one around for those times when someone else wants to play something - you wouldn't feel comfortable handing over this guitar to someone you don't fully trust. The finish is excellent, no imperfections I can see and it feels hard and durable. The binding will protect the edges somewhat and it is much easier to replace binding than refinish wood. Strap buttons are very solid, with large screws. I would never gig this guitar at all, no more than I would take a $30,000 stereo to a party. If I was crazy enough to take it to a gig I could depend on it.

Heritage guitars - friendly guys, happy to chat and explain the Ed Roman/Heritage relationship. Offered to supply a letter about its origins and warranty to make up for the lack of paperwork from Ed.
Ed Roman World Class Guitars - Dealing with Ed is an experience. He has been called every name you can think of on usenet. Read his website carefully and understand the rules he sets. Understand that what he writes are opinions and don't take them as personal affronts. If you don't like his rules but you deal with him anyway you have no business complaining! If you accept them and buy from him you get what you pay for, no question about that. Perhaps he is as difficult personally as many say but noody denies that he delivers what he promises. Go to Ed to buy a great guitar, not to kick tires or dream. I would go back.

Been playing a few years, have had a 1992 MIJ '62 RI Strat, SG Special, Fernandes Nomad, Epiphone LP, a few acoustics, several amps. Like the Cornford amp I feel like I have the best there is, barring the sloppy nut job and that is easily fixed. Favorite features are the look and the feel, no other guitar I have owned has felt or looked so perfect. Even my wife likes it.
No question it is expensive, and this is what hurts the value - I suspect Ed Roman has been increasing the price as time goes by from reading the other reviews here. But it's all I want in a guitar and since the search stops here, that's reasonable value. I'd try to scrape together the money for another if it was lost or stolen. Perhaps with nickel hardware, the gold is kind of tacky but not bad with the natural finish.
Compared to a Gibson of equivalent price this guitar is twice the value. I suspect Gibson are not even capable of making a guitar this good any more.

Purchased from World Class Guitars in Aug. 2001. AAAA Amber Flame maple top with a solid Korina back and neck. Duncan "black back" pickups with a Tune-O-Matic bridge and Gibson stop piece. Has a rosewood stab with real MOP crowns (not plastic like Gibson) and Grover Imperial tuners. All in all an outstanding Les Paul style guitar by the guys who invented the orginal thing! Came with a so-so quality case and no paperwork - Ed Roman, you can and should do better in this regard - but this does not stop the guitar from from being a 10

I've played on and off for over 35 years and do blues to 60's rock to hard rock. Both a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe and a Marshall JCM 2000 DSL201 are my current amps and the combination of the finest tone woods in the world and Duncans make this thing sing. Now on;y if I could still play!

Fit, finish, are outstanding, but the action is a little high. Before the guitar was shipped to me by World Class they noticed a "finish flaw" on the back. They shipped it to Heritage for repair and then Heritage shipped it directly to me. Whatever the issue was, it now perfect. This thing is the most beautiful guitar I have ever owned. It puts 99% of the Gibson's. even those at twice the price)to shame.

This thing is so beautiful I'm afraid to scratch it! Hey it's a Les Paul and it should stand up well. I will be replacing the strap buttons with Schaller's, but I do that with all of my guitars.

Outstanding! While this guitar was at Heritage, I spoke to Bill Paige numerous times. He and everyone there were always extremely informative and friendly. These people are the best! The warranty is only for one year, but I have no worries as these people stand behind their product.

I've been playing over 35 years and have been a Gibson player most of that time. I started playing at the early age of 10 on a Gibson Melody Maker and graduated to a '65 335 TDC by the time I was 13.I have owned 2 additional 335's, an Ibanez AS200, and currently have a '95 Fender American Stat and a Taylor 301 in addition to this Heritage. At the ripe old age of 50, I still enjoy playing but find that half the stuff I could play before is only a memory. I had a hard time chosing a Heritage due to my past association with Gibson, But the combination of features and the fact that these are the same people that built my old Gibsons made me put down my dollars. Guess what? This is the real deal! It's bitch to get old, but great to see that real craftsmen do stll exist. This is a superior guitar made by people who still care. Gibson just doe not produce a product of this quality any longer at even two to three times the price.

2001 model. Korina body and neck. Fancy quilted maple top in Almond sunburst with binding on body, neck and headstock. Top notch finish job.
2 Seymour Duncan Black Back humbucker pickups. Grover Imperial tuners.
Overall a great Les Paul 59 style guitar. Great case included in the price. For a Les Paul style guitar it has all the features you need.

Sounds like a great Les Paul style. I play through several amps including a Carr Slant 6V and Fender Vibro King. Plays very well as you would expect from a quality guitar. Very good blues and hard rock sounds and that great hollow sound from the neck pickup. The pickups have plenty of power but don't overdo it.

I've only had it a couple weeks. Haven't observed any problems at all. Played great from the minute I picked it up. The maple top and finish are very high quality. Looks impressive.

Doesn't seem to be anything about this guitar that would cause a reliability problem. The only issue I can guess at would be somebody trying to run off with it. Or you could scratch it yourself and feel bad about wrecking such a nice instrument.

No problem buying the guitar from Ed Roman. Took a while to get because I sent a personal check.
If he had another guitar I liked on his web site I would buy it from him. I didn't order any special options, just took a model he had available. I got it and so far I am a new Heritage fan.

I have been playing on and off for 30 years. I have several other guitars including a McInturff Glory, Guild Custom Shop P90 mahagony, Guild AAA BluesBird, Les Paul Standard Lite, Parker Jazz, Martin M36, Taylor 614ce, Guild SC4ce, Tom Anderson Drop Top, Rickenbacker 660-12, Les Paul Studio, Fender Tex-Mex Strat. I bought this guitar off the web because it sounded interesting with the special pickups and korina wood and Heritage has a good reputation. I wanted a Les Paul style guitar with above average features. I chose a guitar that was available rather than ordering special options.
I would buy this guitar again. If you like a Les Paul style guitar with heavy duty rock and blues sounds and have the money you won't be dissapointed. If you want a les expensive Les Paul style guitar that is still very good, try a Guild Bluesbird. If you want to try out another great type of guitar get a McInturff or a high end Parker Fly.

Korina body and 3 piece neck, Duncan Black-Back pickups, quilt maple top, grover tuners, Brizilian rosewood fingerboard, real mother of pearl fret inlays, Nashville style bridge - a 10 for a Les Paul style guitar given the excellence of woods, pickups, and hardware used.

I've been playing for 15 years and play mostly heavy rock (think Zakk Wylde meets Ted Nugent), and some blues. I play through a Marshall JTM-60 and a host of effects (Wah, delay, distortion, etc.), as well as clean with only reverb. This guitar has excellent tone (korina) and sustain, and the pickups are superb at going from clean to growl using just the volume knob. Easily as fat and chunky as any Gibson LP Standard, but also as hot as any Gibson LP Classic (I own both). Truely the most versatile Les Paul style guitar I have ever played or heard (can also be ordered with Vari-Phase electronics and/or Piezo for even more versatility).

The craftsmanship and attention to detail on this guitar is excellent, especialy since the guitar is 90% made by hand (or so I'm told). Pickups are correctly adjusted, straight neck, zero flaws - it even smells good (nothing like that "new guitar smell"). My only issue was with the action. The guitar was supposedly set up by dealer (unsure if this actually happened) and action was too low causing strings to buzz (also was shipped to me during cold weather in March and could have been affected by this). Although I was uneasy at first (having battled my other Les Pauls to get the perfect setup only to have to take them to a luthier to fix my tinkering), I was more than pleasantly surprised to find that by simply raising the bridge (no tools required) the buzzing completely disappeared. Not only that, but the guitar did not even go out of tune. Some guitars seem to have a little magic to them, and I think this is one of those guitars.

I have not played out with this guitar yet, but would be comfortable having it as my only guitar at a gig. It is not, however, a "beater" guitar or one that I will subject to any quantity of hard use. The finish seems like it will last many years with proper care ad the hardware is all durable top quality stuff. The only issue I found was that when removing the strap buttons to install strap locks I noticed that one of the screws was bent, which then made it a little difficult to install the new screw that came with the strap locks. However, still a 10 in my book...

Have spoken with Heritage twice and they have been extremely nice, helpful, and seem willing to do whatever it takes to make their customers happy. Believe the warranty from Heritage is only 1 year and that World Class Guitars extends that another year. A 9 because although I'd lean towards a seven given the short warranty I'd also lean towards a 10 given Heritage's reputation.

I've been playing for 15 years and also own Taylor acoustic, PRS CE24, Gibson LP Custom and Gibson LP Classic. I am a die hard Les Paul player and am definitely biased towards that design/sound/feel of guitar. On that note, this guitar blows away every other Les Paul I've ever played. It's about 1.5 pounds lighter, has better sustain, better overall tone, better looks, better hardware, better finish, etc. I am definitely still a Gibson fan and don't mean this review as a bash session towards them, but since they are the industry standard that most people are familiar with feel that a comparison that utilizes their guitars is applicable for more people. Overall the Heritage is a great value (not cheap, but price and value don't necessarily equate), especially when you consider that a Gibson Les Paul with all of these features (korina isn't even an option) would easily cost $3500 (probably $5000+ list). In all I love eveything about this guitar.

This is your basic Les Paul copy by Heritage. The Class of 59 model is a limited edition offered by World Class guitars. Features a korina body and neck with a AAAAA flame maple top. 22 fret Brazilian rosewood board with real MOP inlays. It came with Dimarzio pickups, but I'm not sure which model. I changed those to a Duncan Custom in the bridge and Rio Grande in the neck. The finish is Amber Sunburst which looks similar to Gibson's Butterscotch or Tea Burst finish you see on most of the original 50's Sunburst Les Pauls. The tuners are Grover Imperials and the bridge is the standard Stop Bar, Tunomatic combination. With the exception of the headstock the guitar looks and plays like a Les Paul except of course that it a much better instrument at about half the cost.

Best sounding Les Paul I've even heard. The Korina wood is sonically much better than Mahagony. The guitar resonates really well and has a really warm tone. It has an excellent blues tone but can really scream out the metal too. I think I'll be leaving my strat in the case for a while.

The quality of this guitar was perfect. World Class Guitars always setups up all Heritage guitars before the leave the store so when I recieved it everything was fine. The guitar did have a small ding on the back of the neck but that's why I only paid $1500 instead of $2500+.

I don't anticipate any problems with this guitar. I would like to have a backup but I don't have a guitar worthy enough the share the stage with this one.

Heritage stands behind all their instruments so I don't forsee and problems.

I've been seriously playing for over 10 years now and I've owned a lot a guitars. That trend will stop now that I've found this guitar. I also own a Fender "Frankenstein" Strat I built from various parts and a Yamaha Compass acoustic. I play a Mesa Boogie DC-3 combo amp with a few Boss pedals and a Hendrix Wah. I've owned a Gibson Les Paul Deluxe, Les Paul DC Standard, and a Les Paul Custom and none of them hold a candle to Heritage. It's a fantastic value and the quality is much better than any new post-Kalamazoo Gibsons. If it were lost I'd be really pissed off, but I would be on the phone to Ed Roman really soon to order a replacement.