Heritage H-157

My H-157 is a Black Beauty (black w/gold hardware) that was built in January 2008. Features are pretty much just like a Gibson Les Paul Custom, including the Nashville-style bridge that Heritage uses nowadays instead of the Schaller roller bridge they used until a couple of years ago. Real Honduras mahogany neck and body with a maple top, just like a Les Paul should have. Ebony fretboard with mother-of-pearl block inlays. White binding on the neck, headstock and both sides of the body--with body binding that is wider than on Gibsons.

No silly "weight relief" holes in this one, unlike what the Gibson folks are doing these days to their Les Pauls. It's a 10.5 lb. monster. If you can't handle the weight, get something else--a Les Paul-style guitar is supposed to be a big ol' heavy beast! That's where its distinctive tone comes from. All of the weight-relieved/chambered Les Pauls I've played sound like a mediocre version of a ES-335 semi-hollow (a guitar I also love), lacking the necessary bite and heft. The totally solid body is reason enough by itself to get a Heritage H-150 or 157 rather than a Gibson Les Paul.

The neck profile on mine is round and fairly thick, but not at all like the 'baseball bat' that is the Gibson '50s profile. It reminds me of the necks on a lot of '70s Les Pauls, actually. Extremely playable.

Mine came with Seymour Duncan '59 pickups in the neck and bridge. I find these pickups to be wrong for the sound I'm looking for, so I replaced them with Duncan Distortions soon after getting the guitar. But lots of other folks love the '59s, so that's just my personal preference and not a bad feature.

Tuners are standard non-locking Grovers, and the nut is plastic. A bone nut and locking tuners would have been nice additions from the factory.

My lead guitar sound is a very intense, high-gain snarl, sort of like John Sykes crossed with Frank Zappa. I use the H-157 as my "tenor voice", sort of the guitar version of the "sheets of sound" that John Coltrane achieved on tenor sax. Not particularly pretty or smooth, but very thick and rich while retaining a lot of edge. My musical style is sort of a jazz/funk/metal/avant-garde hybrid that is guaranteed to scare off your girlfriends and wives. :)

The stock Duncan '59s had too much of an 'icepick in the forehead' effect, coupled with a muddy low end, when used with the high-gain patches in my Fractal Audio Axe-FX studio preamp (I don't play live or through a traditional amp). The '59s might be good in this guitar for classic rock or blues, but that's not what I play. The 157 is somewhat brighter than an H-150/Les Paul Standard because of the ebony fretboard, so the '59s are just too much for it. I've heard that changing the capacitor values on the tone pots can fix this, but I don't have personal experience with that. The Distortion does the trick for me.

Installing the Duncan Distortions absolutely unleashed the beast that lives inside this 157!!! Duncan Distortions add more high mids but round off the top end a bit, which is exactly what I was looking for. Dimarzio Super Distortions would probably be a good choice also, or a set of whatever the hell pickups Gibson was putting in its Les Pauls in the late '70s and early '80s.

The intensity and sustain on my 157 are unreal. It's almost like adding a compressor pedal to a regular guitar setup. I can't get a bad sound out of the damned thing, on either pickup. You can add tons of juicy gain and still get great note definition and expressiveness. Back off the gain, and you get a crisp, full sound that is perfect for rock rhythm guitar.

Cleans are ok on this guitar, but I've always found Les Pauls a bit too "choppy" for recording most clean sounds, and this 157 is no exception. I have other strat-based and semi-hollow guitars for that stuff.

I never rate the setup, simply because I have my own quirks and consider learning to do a basic setup one of the necessary skills for any guitarist. Mine came from the dealer ready to play, but of course I modified the setup right away to fit my preferences.

The frets on mine allow for very low action, which I prefer. I use 8-38 strings, which will buzz and fret-out at the first opportunity, and I have no problems on this guitar.

The fret finishing is better than anything Gibson does these days on its production guitars, but not quite up to the level of smoothness that you get from the Gibson Custom Shop or from vintage Gibsons. The frets themselves are more jumbo than on today's production Gibsons, but not quite as low and fat as what Gibson was doing 30 years ago. I like these frets just fine the way they are and wouldn't change a thing.

The primary fit-and-finish issues on my guitar are with the binding.

The binding around the body is uneven in places, particularly around the lower cutaway. These guitars are made entirely by hand, and it appears that the measuring tools that Heritage uses don't allow perfection when it comes to these things. At first, it seems a bit sloppy, but I've kind of grown to appreciate this aspect of my guitar--made by humans, played by humans. But then, purely aesthetic issues aren't as important to me as they are to some players.

More problematic is how the binding 'nibs' on the neck match up with the frets. This is commonly called "binding over the frets", which is inaccurate. In fact, the frets are chopped off at the ends, and the binding is raised up into little 'nibs' to meet the fret ends. On my 157, some of the fret ends are higher than the raised binding nibs, resulting in a slightly sharp, rough feel. It's not a massive problem, but one I would prefer not to have on a nearly $2,000 instrument.

The only other quality issue is with the nut. The G-string binds and goes out of tune easily, just like with every Gibson ever built. That's easily solved with some Nut Sauce in the slot. The way the nut is cut looks a bit sloppy but is perfectly functional--no string height issues, etc.

Everything seems solid on this guitar. Gold-finished hardware ages quickly on any guitar, so you can't fault Heritage for that.

The finish seems sturdy enough by nitro standards. It'll wear faster than a polyurethane finish would, but the improved tone and vintage look of nitro are worth it.

The strap pins are the old small Gibson type, which are fine as long as you wear a strap with more rigid ends that won't slip off the pins. As leather straps get older, they get more pliable and are more likely to slip off the pins, but newer straps should be fine. I use a Planet Waves wide, padded strap to offset the weight of this guitar, and this strap has very rigid leather ends that won't slip off the pins at all. Gigging guitarists who move around on stage a lot would be well advised to install strap locks--but that's true on any guitar.

I have no doubt that this guitar will outlive me and be used by some rockin' guitarist 50 years from now. I hope they enjoy it as much as I do.

I bought the guitar as a close-out item from a dealer who was ending his relationship with Heritage guitars. The dealer was friendly enough but said he had some issues with the new ownership structure of Heritage.

I haven't had any personal dealings with Heritage, so I can't give an opinion. I've heard nothing but good things from the folks who have contacted them, however.

I've been playing for over 25 years and have owned just about every type of quality electric guitar out there. I last owned a Les Paul (an '81 Black Beauty) in the late '90s but had to sell it for rent money, as I was very poor at the time.

I got the urge to get another Les Paul recently after getting back into classic fusion jazz and grooving on lots of John McLaughlin and Al DiMeola. Unfortunately, the '70s and early '80s Les Pauls that I grew up with have become stupidly expensive in recent years.

Folks, there is *no* reason to pay $3,000+ for a beat-up '70s Les Paul when you can get a brand-new Heritage that is at least as good (and probably better) for less money. My 157 blows away any production Gibson I've played from the last 20 years or so and is the equal of any Gibson I've played from before that. To me, anyone interested in a Les Paul owes it to themselves to check out a Heritage H-150 or 157 before spending big bucks on a new or used Gibson.

Heritage is operated by former Gibson employees in Kalamazoo, Michigan who truly care about the guitars they build, and it shows. They're not perfect, but they are highly playable guitars with lots of sound and soul.

Basiclly a Les Paul Custom Black Beauty, but with a flamed silver/grey maple top. Mine has Seymour Duncan 59 Pick-ups, which I prefer to Schaler pups (I have owned both). Ebony fretboard, real mother of pearl inlays, full binding, locking Grovers. Very nice LP style guiter. Comparable to Gibson Custom Shop LP.

Sounds fat and sweet like a Les Paul Custom should. No major difference from a vintage or high end new Gibson. Sounds and plays better than most new Gibsons.

Here's where this axe crushes almost any modern Gibson (and I have owned quite a few). Superior build quality...highest quality woods, materials, and craftsmanship. What you've heard is largely true...Heritage guitars are better than most modern Gibsons and more resonably priced. These are handmade, like the Gibsons of yesteryear, by some of the same people that made those beautiful vintage Gibsons.

No issues, just treat it well and it'll treat you well.

N/a

Seriously, if you like Gibsons, buy a Heritage. They're made by people who care (not robots and machines). Superior value for the money.

I purchased my Heritage 157 guitar in 2006, in excellent used condition for $1000.00. The Heritage has a black mahogany body with a stained black quilted maple top, with matching wood pickguard. The Fretboard is ebony with abalone block inlay. The guitar has gold Grover tuners, 3-schaller humbuckers, rollomatic bridge. This guitar looks and plays beautifully. The three volume controls can change the sound from parallel to series operation, therefore allowing me strat and humbucker tones. The guitars weighs around 11 pounds and has incredable sustain.****MANY GUITARIST DO NOT REALIZE THAT STRING GAUGE AND PICK THICKNESS EFFECT TONE DRAMATICALLY. MANY GUITARIST UNNECESSARY CHANGE PICKUPS. IF YOU WANT A BRIGHTER TONE USE A LIGHTER GAUGE STRING AND A THINNER PICK. IF YOU WANT A BEEFIER TONE, USE HEAVIER STRINGS AND A THICKER PICK. PICKS COME IN VARIOUS GAUGES,SHAPES,TEXTURES AND MATERIALS. BUY A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT PICKS, NOTICE HOW YOUR TONE CHANGES. Many humbucker manufactures use the same materials wire and alnico 5 magnets. Some pickups have more winding than others. String gauge and pick type WILL change you sound!

The Schaller Humbuckers are excellent,one of the best I've played. When I spoke to Rendell Wall from Heritage, he stated that the Schaller Humbuckers were custom made for Heritage by Schaller. Rendell also stated that he believed that the Heritage HRW's are better quality. Ed Roman's site states that Schaller makes the HRW's
for Heritage, with a few more windings. If you look at both humbuckers mounted on the guitars, they are made from the same configuration...4 adjustment screws. When I asked Heritage for the price of the HRW's, they stated that they cost $150.00 per humbucker. There are no humbuckers worth that much, especially an overwound Schaller Humbucker. When I play my Heritage through my Gibson Les Paul Jr. Plexiglass Amplifier, the tone in series/humbucker mode is pure paf...warm and full bodied tone. Great for blues, jazz and classic rock. When I adjust the volume controls,which create parallel/humbucking strat tone which sounds like a convincing fat-strat tone. Great for SRV and Hendrix tones, with more sustain.

The fit is perfect. I did adjust the pole pieces to the radius of the fretboard...12". Due to that adjustment, the tone of the pickups changed, which resulted in a burstbucker tone. It appears that the extended pole piece length of one coil vs. the other created more of an unbalanced coil.

This guitar is great,no nonsense frills free guitar. The schaller roller bridge never breakes strings. The gold plating looks like new and has not tarnished. There are some gold plating blemishes on the tuning gears, which appears to be as a result of the prior owner using a peg winder.I hand wind the strings, which is faster and allows me better control over the wrapping of the strings around the tuner post.

I've never had a problem with the guitar. Heritage guitars have a 1 year warranty, which I disagree with. A Heritage guitar, unlike Gibson, is a 95% handmade guitar. The guitar top is handcarved...Heritage does not uses CNC machines like PRS and Gibson. The Heritage owners answer the phone and address customer concerns. When ordering parts from Heritage, you need a bank check, due to the fact that they are not set up for credit card transactions...this is unheard of in today's world.

I have been playing for 25 years. I've owned Fender Stratocasters, Telecasters, Gibson Explorer's, Flying V's, and Les Pauls. The Heritage 157 is by far the best guitar I have owned. Where can you get a hand made custom instrument new for under $2,000.00. Gibson's and Fenders will be more valuable in 25 or 30 years from now, but guitars are made to be played,not hanging on someones wall. I will play my Heritage until I wear the ebony fretboard off the Guitar.

Similar to a Les Paul Custom. 2-piece nicely flamed maple top, 2-piece mahogany back, ebony board with mother of pearl, heavily bound, Seymour Duncan pickups, medium Les Paul neck with medium frets. Short neck-tennon, no weight relief (10 lbs). Gotoh hardware, Gibson style; another improvement over the Schaller roller-bridges of yore. Everything is good, but I gotta knock off a point for the 2-piece back.

Heritage has made some nice improvements over the years. One of which is using Seymour Duncan pickups instead of Schaller. These Seymour's sound almost as good as my Crossroads pickups and AS good as Burstbuckers. (All three are great pickups) I like the sound of an Ebony board on a Paul. This guitar has a bright, blusey, sometimes Strat-like sound.

Another improvement Heritage has made is using a Plek machine on all their guitars, and it shows. The fretwork is an issue on the older Heritage's, but it looks like they've solved the problem. I went over this guitar with a magnifying glass and it's all good. One mistake however, the "B" string slot in the nut is cut too low, giving a sitar-like sound when playing an open "B". Most manufacturers measure this before it leaves the factory; I know Gibson does. They shoudn't let this out, forcing the consumer to deal with it. A simple measure with a feeler guage is all they have to do. If I can do the measurement, they certainly can.

No issues here.

The factory number is not on the website, only the marketing number. You call that and get an answering machine. I've heard they are pretty good at returning emails. I think Gibson has them beat here, with someone around to answer the phone. Also, I'm really suprised that they don't ofer a lifetime warranty.

This is my 4th Heritage guitar. I've owned a 150cm, a 335-style and a hollow-body archtop. The 335 and the arch-top were great. The 150 had major fret problems, including low frets. It's great to see that they are continuing to improve their product and listen to their customers. I've owned a variety of Gibson guitars; at least 5 new ones and a dozen used ones. I've owned both custom shop and regular production Gibsons. I would say that the Heritage is now getting close to the custom shop Gibsons, and ahead of the Gibson regular production models. For me it's the nut issue, the 2-piece back and the short tennon that keep it from being at the custom shop level. They've ALMOST got it, and at a significantly lower price of a production model Gibson it's a great guitar.

Black with gold hardware, basic Les Paul type setup,Grover tuners,maple and mohogany woods, A nice U.S.A. made guitar. I think I covered everything I know about mine. BUT keep in mind guitars are like women. All just a little different and you can't have too many!

I play mostly rock (classic to new drop tuned stuff).my 157 does everything you could ask from a BIG FAT HUMBUCKER type guitar. It has Kent Armsrtong pickups, that I really like. They sound very close to my stock 92 les paul custom's pickups. What else can I say about it except it sounds good, plays good and looks good. I have a classic and custom so I have done a lot of side by side comparison. For the money it does Not look good for gibson. If all 157's play and sound this good they will only get more popular. I run into a Mesa Nomad w/Marshall 1960 a/b cabs,using boss effects, and a wah it works for me.

Mine was setup great from the factory (plecked????)All I did was put slinky's on it and BAM! Mine's Black with gold hardware. It is a 2005 I think. I got it new but it didn't come with much info about it or Heritage. It is a Great guitar but alas it is not perfect. So I got it at a STEAL, New for 950+ tax. The reason being finish flaws. 1.there are cracks in the finish on the back of the headstock where the screws hold the tuners down, 4 of 6 cracked. 2. There's a couple places where the finish does not meet the binding and you can see the wood..3.On the back of the neck around the 2nd fret there is a spot under the finish looks like it got sanded a little to deep???? I can see it but not really feel it and it's on the top side so I bought it anyway.4. The low E tuner is not seated all the way down. Since the screw has already cracked the finish I don't want to mess with it. I guess I'll have to give it only a 7 but keep in mind they really discounted the guitar because of these defects.

I have giged with it and I am very pleased, the nitro finish doesn't hold up as well as some other types... but IT IS ALL ABOUT THE TONE!!! if you know what I mean. The gold hardware so far is doing fine. I put straplocks on it first thing and so far they are holding fast (unlike my Wolfgang standard).SEEMS VERY DEPENDABLE but Gig without a backup??? You must be High, that is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. If I had to borrow or steal a cheap backup( Hell a US Kramer can be had cheap enough) I would. I saw a guy break a string without a backup and the rest of the band had to break while he changed it, in a bar full of people!!!! I have a backup for each tuning so all I have to do is unplug my wireless and grab the tuned guitar for that part of the set, if a string breaks.

I have talked to Heritage, before I bought it, explained the defects and told them I would buy it as is for the right price. The rep I spoke to said that was possable and The manager at the local music store took the time to call and work out the details. The 1 year warranty does not cover the finish (one thing I DO NOT LIKE OR UNDERSTAND)but it doesn't matter to me. I have heard nothing but good things about Heritage's customer service.

I have been playing for 20+ years.A lot of that sort of professionally, I have played in bars all over the country and had a ton of gear. I own a wolfgang standard, Ernie Ball axis, U.S. Fender strats,(lonestar,deluxe and standard) Gibsons- Les Paul custom, Classic,Vee, I could go on and on... I am a gear junky. But GOD BLESS MY WIFE, somehow she puts up with it.If someone Stole it I would find and KILL them. I LOVE IT, I would not say it is a better guitar than my gibsons. BUT it is every bit as good in my humble opinion. So if your not stuck on a name play one and see for yourself.

Not in the mood to type a bunch.
Pretty standard stuff

AWESOME

Went to GC, the new gibby's sounded dead compared to this.

Freakin' awesome

Did I say awesome already?

Oh ya.

Called once, very friendly, I think they need better contact info on the web-page though. Answered all of my questions happily.

I think these are a well kept secret. Played a 3500$ Gibby black beauty at GC, I honestly liked my Heritage Black Beauty more.
I play in coverbands and gig alot. Found my guitar. Buy one, you wont be sorry. Be happy to answer your questions.

AWESOME.

Les Paul Custom (Black Beauty) except made b y the REAL Gibson Luthier's...Seriously, i'ma Gibson freak and this guitar has the mojo that many of the newer Gibson's do not. Typical LPC setup with dual humbuckers, nice pickguard, top of the line everything...Very heavy like it's supposed to be. not for the faint of heart or the bad back crowd. This guitar just kicks!

Superb...I only use tube amps and boutique quality effects except for the rare occasion i take out a Vox Tonelab. This guitar produces the heavy, chunky sound that only a mahogany body guitar can....

The best built guitar I have ever played. period. The finish is Nitro...everyhting lines up perfectly. Mine is a bit older and I did have a professional setup and fret dress done. plays like a dream. No buzzing, fretting out, dead spots or bird nests...Plug into a half stack and stand back>.

This will outlast anything. Could be used as a weapon of mass destruction if needed.

I did send an e-mail to heritage and never heard back.....i was disappointed, but it could have been the holidays....oh well, I've only heard good things about the company

A true classic and at far less than a Les Paul custom, a true bargain as well. That's the part that's hard to figure. Gibson must be making a fortune if heritage can put these out for this kind of money!

Usual LP Custom set-up. 22 fret, Chrome hardware, tuners. Double Chrome Humbuckers: Seymour Duncan Custom on Bridge and Seymour Ducan Seth Lover on Neck (my personal chioce). Honduran Mahogany (top of the line stuff) back, maple top. ebony fretboard (drools). REAL mother of pearl inlays. Basic LP set-up, except the wood is better quality than Gibsons. Sent in a nice black TKL case with a plush interior.

No way to put it into words...SO good. I play through a Roland MicroCube (which surprisingly is loud enough for most places I play at) with its own gain and volume. Put it on the Rectifier mode and you've got searing (loud as hell for 2 watts too) distortion, put in in the JC Clean or Black Panel Clean mode, AMAZING cleans). I play everything: classic rock, blues, metal, hardcore/emo/screamo, jazz (not so much though). This guitar can do it all, I'm hoping to get a freakin sweet Marshall tube amp head (possibly dsl or tsl). This thing'll scream, sing, and do everything in between.

Everything was set up so well. GREAT action, though I may get it lowered a tad simply car I want it even lower, though it may not be possible...Anyways, pickups as awesome as all Seymour Duncans are (on the most part), great rhythm distortion with Seth Lover in front, amazing "solo" distortion/OD with Customs in the back. Finish is incredible, all black, but in certain light, the guitar looks purplish or bluish (odd but pretty cool) chrome pups, chrome tuners (not Gibson-y Nickel). Binding is perfect.

Only had this for a few days, but looks like it'll last for a long time. I'm only 17 and look forward to having this for the rest of my life.

Never dealt directly with them. It took awhile, but can't blame Heritage, as of last year 40% of the country (basically everyplace not owned by Guitar Center) dropped Gibson, and many picked up Heritage. I communicated through the store I bought it at, and Heritage was quick to respond to them (not so much them to me, but not Heritages fault). Of course, if something happens to it, Heritages promises to take care of it and actually care about their customers (unlike Gibson or Fender or PRS, who could really care less as I've noticed in my dealings)

I've been playing for a few years and fell in love with the Les Paul sound, for the last year I've been searching for that true LP sound of the late '50s/ early '60s. The new Gibsons sounded too cheap, the PRSs didn't play the way I wanted, and well...Fenders are nice, but I didn't want a bright Strat or twangy Tele sound. So I tried out this...and I was blown away. I thought that this must have been over $2500, but $1599 WITH A CASE?!?! I made my decision and ordered it a few days later...came in about 3 months (great timing considering that Fender & Jackson Custom Shops take a year) anyways. GREAT GUITAR...if you want a REAL Les Paul, pick this (or the H 150 as a more LP Standard approach).
In case no one else has said it, when Les Paul came out playing in his club for this "season", he came out with a HERITAGE...that may say something...This thing OWNS!!!!

Under review is a 2003, stock, black H-157. It comes with all the standard features, which I find good enough for my liking except for the gold hardware, which tarnishes easily and arguably, doesn't really gel with a black finish. My preference is for the vintage-style tuning keys and chrome hardware, hence the 9 for this category.

I tend to view overwhelmingly positive responses with some scepticism. However, I believe the praise is justified in this case because the H157 is a superb sounding guitar. Played clean you can get some very nice jazz tones but this beast is meant to be played loud through a Marshall, preferably with a top-notch overdrive pedal and a touch of reverb. My advice to those who want to capture a fat, thick, overdriven tone is to try it with DOD Yngwie Malmsteen Overdrive, which gives excellent results. A close second would be the MXR Zakk Wylde overdrive or the Boss Blues Driver.
I've not reached this conclusion in isolation - I own 7 Gibsons (one 1998 ES335, one 1999 LP Standard and 5 Customs) and I think the 157 outperforms most of them.

I bought this guitar slightly used, in the sense that it had been on display in the store for about a year. The gold pickup covers had tarnished slightly but otherwise, everything was in tip-top playable condition.

I don't gig live, so I have no idea how this guitar might stand up to heavy use, but my experience with guitars suggests to me that this is one solid beast of a guitar that can be relied on as easily as a Gibson.

Heritage are a very accomodating company - I custom made a 575 Custom a few years back and got a fabulous guitar, certainly better than the Gibson equivalent.

Everyone who knows anything about guitars will tell you that Heritage's value-for-money can't be beat. The only problem is that people think to themselves "well, maybe I'll save a bit more and buy a Gibson''. To me, this is one big obstacle Heritage faces in gaining greater exposure, the challenge of the entrenched Gibson brand name. My suggestion would be to get famous guitar players as endorsees like Fender and Gibson have.
Otherwise, this is one of my favourite guitars, certainly as playable and as appealing as any Gibson I own or have played. If lost, I would certainly buy it again, and maybe pursue an alternative, custom-made finish instead.

2005 Heritage H157 No.23505, specced to Wolfe Guitars specs(trad LP style hardware - Tone Pros, Schaller tuners) with Duncan Alnico II Pro pickups.
Chesnut Burst colour, usual LP Custom combo of maple top on mahogany body with a pearl block inlaid ebony fretboard, only the mahogany is from Honduras (like the original 50s Les Pauls) and the maple top from Michigan (again, like the original 50s Les Pauls).
It didn't come with coil taps or Heritage's VIP system, but it has just what I was looking for in this guitar so it gets a 10.
All the usual LP tricks and idiosyncracies.

I've been in love with the LP sound ever since I first started listening to music, and I think I found what I was looking for in this guitar. It's a tad brighter than some LPs I've played, most likely due to the woods, but adjust the tone controls and the dawkness is there alright.
The bottom end oomph still blows me away. I'm lucky enough to have a PRS Custom 22, which I love and I think is the closest thing to a Swiss army knife (Parker Fly aside)that I've played, but it just can't nail those bottom tones this guitar gets.
I play jazz-influenced ambient rock type stuff and this gets me exactly what I want, playing through Marshalls and a load of effects.
And for when I want to get back to classic rock, all the tones I need are there, instant Duane, Dickey, Page, Santana, Clapton etc. etc....that neck pickup is something else. It's my first guitar with Duncans and the Alnico IIs seem to let the natural tone of the guitar get out, they're transparent. The bridge pickup has all the grit needed and is good for clean too... I even find myself trying out country on it clean and it's good.
I was surprised at the responsiveness of the pots used on this baby. I hate a lot of pots on guitars I've played, only some Gibsons and PRS have tended to get the kind of 'cleanup' I need and this certainly has it.
This one will be staying with me for a long time.

What I have in my room is a handcrafted guitar,one built by people who seem to love what they do. The odd binding inconsistency aside (which DOESN'T affect playability whatsoever), this is MUCH better put together than a lot of Gibsons I've seen.
The finish is real nitrocellulose laquer and no matter how much babying this baby will get, it'll still show wear, but it's a finish that's absorbed by the wood so it's good for the guitar.
The guitar was set up by Graham at Wolfe's Guitars and he did a SUPERB job on it. I had the thing shipped to me in Ireland and the only things that needed to be done to it post shipping were adjusting the bridge pickup and tuning it up - the neck was dead on straight, no fret buzzing... just the way I like it. They use a PLEK machine at Heritage and by Golly it shows - great fretwork.
I like to play with a fast, low action (what I expect from ANY LP guitar) and this delivers in spades.
And can we say SUSTAIN? I've had shorter holidays than the time it takes for notes to decay... perfect.

My hands must be quite acidic because any guitar I play, the hardware always tarnishes no matter how much cleaner I use, but that's not a problem. It's not breaking down as easily as the nickel on my PRS so...
The strap buttons seem to be better than the standard Gibson fare but I might yet invest in a set of straplocks.
Can I depend on it? Is the Pope a Catholic? Of course... no reason to believe I can't.

I've mailed Heritage 3 times and was replied to by Ren, a great guy, no question too much. Wholeheartedly recommend them. I have a feeling that heaven forbid anything were to go wrong, that they'd see me right.

I bought my guitar from Jay Wolfe at Wolfe Guitars and they unhesitatingly get an 11! Brilliant customer service and first class attention to detail, I'll be buying from him again someday.

No questions a 10. Great guitar, ridiculously good price, a very positive experience. I'd like to try their 335 equivalent (the H535) at some point.