Heritage H-535

2002 Model in Natural finish purchased directly from UK importers (not many retailers in the UK stock these guitars). Stock Schaller pickups but Gibson style Tunomatic bridge and matching tailpiece.

Sounds a bit more like a solid guitar than i was expecting, but still has that really nice compression on the notes you get on a semi. very usable for the kind of blues/r'n'b we play. I also have a PRS Custom 24 and a Les Paul Standard - compared to these I have to say the Schallers don't seem to have a very distinctive 'voice' of their own, more just a generic humbucker. Perhaps I'll upgrade them in a couple of years...

Cosmetically guite pretty, although a natural finish doesn't do as much for the wood as a deeper colour. A little flamed but not lots. The detailing on this guitar however lets it down. Other reviewers have commented on set up etc and I must agree. The nut was way too high - even for a budget guitar, the fret finishing left a lot to be desired (it seemed like it had been done with a radius block that was different to the actual fingerboard) and there was a real ramp in the fret levels at the body end so that with anthing approaching a sensible action height, bends would choke out. The finish was OK but certainly not up to the standard of my PRS. The saddle notches were inconsistently spaced and the top E was way too close to the edge of the fingerboard (I've now repaced the bridge and saddle with Tone Pros). Finally the positioning of the neck pickup and the cavity rout meant that you couldn't adjust it down without it snagging on the body within the cavity. I had to use a Dremel tool to ease this - not what I would expect on a GBP 1000+ guitar!

I have to say that for a company with Heritage's background position this is unnaceptable. I really love the idea that there are still craftspeople who really care about what they're doing, and that not everything is produced by soul-less machines in the far east, but my experience - particularly of Japanese guitars - is that although they sometimes lack the feel of more handmade stuff, their attention to detail is spot on. Heritage really needs to get its act together on this one.

Semis are less robust than solids but given TLC it should see me out. I always take 2 guitars to gigs, but I'm sure this wouldn't let me down.

Jason at Frontrunner was very helpful. Never dealt with Heritage direct

I have many other guitars - PRS, Gibson, Fender, GandL, Charvel etc and use a Cornford MK50 (UK boutique valve amp) and matching 2x12. The general vibe of the guitar is very god - it's just let down by lack of attention to detail. The fret dress cost me 80 pounds and has made a world of difference. Although I expect to set any guitar up to my taste and style, decent fret dressing should be a give at this level. I would probably buy another (and Gibsons do seem very overpriced) but I'd check it out very carefully first.

This guitar, the Heritage H-535 is very similar to a Gibson ES-335. The same guys that used to make and work for Gibson bought the building and the machinery from Gibson in 1985 and started Heritage Guitars. I bought mine used from Gruhn guitars for 1000.00 and immidiatly changed the pickups, not that the Schaller pickups were bad, but I prefer EMGs. The only problem with this instrument is that I have broken strings at various gigs so I ordered string saver saddles. The finish is what they reffer to as Almond Sunburst and the top and back are laminated curly maple. The year is Feb, 1999. The case is solid but I hate heavy cases so I am buing a Reunion Blues gig bag for this guitar. It came standard with Grover tuners.

I am recording contemporary Jazz music and this guitar works well for this style but since it has a center block, You can play distoted without much feedback. I tried it though alot of amps and my favorite is a Fender Deville 2x12 amp. This Heritage H-535 guitar sounds very fat and sweet with alot of authority but lacks the cutting ability of a tele or a strat. I really like the way it souns turned up because you can get a tone that feeds back when you want it and lots of sustain due to the tilted head-stock.

As I stated before, the Bridge that this guitar came with brakes strings. but the solution is string saver saddles. The finish is great looking especilly is the sun light. There are slight imperfections at the edges at one of the cutaways between the binding and the finish but this is minor. I'm really nit picking. The setup was good but I tweaked it to my taste when I changed strings.

I trust this instrument . It,s top notch except for the string breaking saddles it feels really sturdy. As with any hollow or semi- hollow instrument it is more deliate than say a Fender Strat. If you drop a Heritage H-535 I feel it may get hurt easier than a Fender.

Te guys at Heritage were very friendly and answered all my questions when I called.

I have been playing guitar for 37 years and I am arecording artist, record producer, band leader and teacher. I chose this guitar because after lots of research, I realized that Heritage makes good quality guitars for a reasonable price and many more high profile companys sell based on their name not their top quality. I would buy this guitar again because it lived up to my expectations except for the string breaking saddles.

2002 Model, Beautiful natural maple finish. I ordered from Buffalo Bros. Guitars, they have excellent prices an servcie. It features the option HRW pickups. This is a really beatiful guitar.

I have had this guitar for about a month and I am still amazed at the tones this guitar will get. It will go from purring kitten to roaring lion and everthing in between. I would recommend anyone thinking of getting a heritage guitar to get the HRW pickups. They are the best sounding humbuckers I have ever heard. Very complex and rich. Roll of the tone controls and you can get great jazz sounds. Turn up distortion and it screams. I really love the tone of this guitar. Feeds back a little, but not bad for a semi-hollow guitar.

Setup from factory was too low and buzzy. THe neck had now curve at all so I adjusted this and it plays great how. I am not able to get a real low action with major buzz, but a medium height action works great. I don't like it real low anyway. The finish is absolutely stunning, you can tell this is a handmade high quality instrument.

lOoks like it will last long, hs quality hardware and finish is superb.

Have not dealt with them yet

I have been playing for a year and a half. I have played sax for 25 years. I would reccomend this to anyone wanting a 335 type guitar. I looked at several Gibson 335's and 333's and this guitar beats them all in tone and finish. I also own 3 G&L's, which are also hand made, and it is up with them in quality. I really love this guitar, so much that I have a nickname for it, SWEET!!

This beauty was custom made for me, ordered in 2/02, delivered in 12/02-long time, but worth the wait.
This is a semi-solid thinline (think 335, but only as a start). Laminated top and back, solid rims.
I ordered this in Translucent Amber, with an "Ultra" wood upgrade. This is three upgrades above the standard. The flame is intense, acually 3D in spots, on both top and back. Very rippley, very deep.
I also ordered the pickguard ,which is wood, and the headstock, to match the body.The headstock worked out fine, but not so the color of the pickguard. More on that later.
Instead of "The Heritage" painted (or decal)on the headstock, mine is inlayed abalone. Headstoch is bound, as is neck and body top and back.
I also ordered pearl block markers on the fingerboard. Also Sperzal tuners.
Thsi is why it took nine months!!!!!!
I stayed with the stock pickups-Schallers. Two Hums.
The neck is mahogany, it is beautiful to look at (wonderful medium-dark brown, lots of grain showing.
Overall nitrocellulose finish is deep, smooth-I can't see any flaws.
Tune-o-matic bridge upgrade, as well.
One importentitem. This comes standard with 17 degree headstock. Gibson uses 14 degree. The Heritage is pitched back at a sharper angle, increases the srting pull and sustain-also uses a lot more wood. One of the reasons this baby sounds so good.
Came with a very solid black hardshell case.

The sound of this is beautiful-very clear, very versitle. Not a shreader, but very nice for rock, blues, jazz.
It is very quiet, even on the bridge PU only.
Play through a 2002 Hot Rod Deluxe, an original 65 Deluxe Reverb, and a mutli track recording system using smal powered speakers-sound great each time, every time. I'm not too crazy about just the bridge PU- I prefer to mix them both.

Fit and finish are top notch. I don't know how Heritage does it. I love what they do . If I had ordered a similar guitar through the Gibson Custom Shop, It would have been at least double the cost!
The top is one piece (laminated), so the flame stretches across the full 16 inches. Something to see.

This is a veryhigh quality guitar. I'm kind of surprised it only came with a one year guaranty. Fender gives you five years!!
It is rock solid, and my feeling is that Heritage would stand behind their product.
I would gig W/O a back up. High confidence in this .

I would like to rate Heritage an ELEVEN! They are amazing to deal with, I called the factory several times, and always got an owner on the phone. Helpful, took their time, always treated me very nicely.
Now, about the headstock. I ordered it to match the body, but it came to me several shades darker. Looks good, but not what I ordered. Called them up, and they told me to take a few pictures, send them in, and they would make me one to match. I'm surprised it got out the door without someone looking at the order, but their willingness to fix the problem is commendable. High marks.

Also, Jay Wolfe was a pleasure to deal with. I highly recommend him. Thanks, Jay.

I have been playing for almost 40 years. Saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan and picked up the worst acoustic you ever saw, and wouldn't let go.
I also have a 1966 Gibson ES 125TC, a 1979 Guild D-50N, a 1990 PRS CE, a 1990 Laravee bass, a Dano 12 string, and a 2001 Tele. They go through a 2.3 ver POD.
I gave the decision of what I wanted in this 535 a lot of thought, and it came out great. I now have a custom, one of a kind guitar that I'll never see anywhere else.
Heritage is not well known, but it should be. They do a great job

It's a lefty 1996 535 in antique cherry burst. It had 2 schaller humbuckers in it when i bought it, but i had heritage put in their HRW pickups. 2 volume and 2 tone knobs, 3 way switch. schaller tune-o-maticish bridge and tailpiece and grover tuners. very lovely finish. nice, but pretty basic features.

when i got this guitar i thought it sounded okay, maybe a 5. had heritage put their HRW pickups in and it got sooooooo much better! tone has much more body to it now. i have to play on .008-.038 strings cause of hand problems and i can get decent "big" sounds. clean is nice, the neck pickup is my fav, roll the down back and bring on the jazz. sounds killer with mild distortion (love the middle and bridge combos - hate the neck sound cause i hate that stupid "woman tone") but if you add too much gain it enters generic land. feedback has never been an issue.

the frets on this guitar were not leveled right, cost me $75 for a level. action is super low and doesn't fret out now. finish is nice but scratches and dings very easily. idiot drummer hit my guitar with a cymbal-nasty mark on the side now. i hate the schaller bridge, it's a pain! i'm planning on putting a tonepros bridge on. i'm giving it low marks for the bad frets, but it's about an 8 after the work i've had done on it

aside from the fragile finish, i think it'll hold up fine. gotta watch out for more idiot drummers though. you can't beat this guitar like you can a fender-besides, its too pretty to hit! -2 for the fragile finish

heritage is a great company. i called them and told them i thought the schaller pickups were rubbish and i got to talk to ren, who designs their pickups. very classy. you can actually talk to real people and all of my emails have been answered within a few days.
about the dealer- i bought this from southpaw guitars. big mistake! these guys are crooks! they just want your money! i know someone who bought a 535 new for about $100 less than what i paid. he got it from jay wolfe i think. i thought cause i was lefty i'd have to buy from southpaw, big mistake, there are other dealers who have MUCH better prices and aren't greedy punks. i should have gotten a new guitar for the price i paid. i guess it's my own fault though. oh well, never again!
heritage gets a 10 for service
southpaw guitars gets -99999999999999999999999999999999999999999

i like this guitar, but i'm a small framed guy and it's a big guitar- i've been getting pains in my picking-hand's shoulder from playing this guitar sitting down.
great guitar, as good as the 335s i've played at about $500 cheaper (if you don't buy from the greedy punks at southpaw). heritage's customer service beats gibson's (and southpaw's) like a red-headed step child.
some people say the headstock is ugly and looks like a paddle, just order one with headstock binding.
all and all i'm a stratboy at heart, so i'll give it an 8.

i didn't even know this manufacuter existed prior to spotting this guitar. i have a vintage sunburst model, it's beautiful. it's heavy and solid, stays in tune, neck is straight, beats any overpriced gibson.

i play blues and jazz and rock. it rocks as hard as any les paul, i've played. for blues it's king. when you play the neck pickup and roll back the tone a bit you get a nice jazzy tone, when you play center and roll back the bridge pickup a bit you get a nice sound too. only complaint is there is an awful lot of bass on neck position, i lowered the pickup a bit and seemed to rectify the problem.

this is one great guitar, (cept for the too much bass on the neck pickup, but fixed easy enough with a screwdriver)

this is one solid axe. i've gone through depressive bouts with it, manic anger, everything, and i promise you, it will take a lickin. (yes, i've done that too, got the idea from hendrix, i hurt my nose one time), i've played a lot of strings on it, let me repeat that, A LOT, but if you're looking for the strings that were made for this guitar get a $6 pack of ernie ball rps coustom gaug slinkys. they scream and cry and do whatever you want them too, they're bendable but not too thin and wussy. i've been playing the same set for THREE MONTHS (a actually broke the g yesterday!). i play in a band almost every day, i practice for hours, i take my agressions out on guitar strings, one time after my girlfriend dumped me on my 18th birthday i even TRIED to break these things, and they wouldn't go.

they still sound NEW!!! ( i do wipe them down EVERY time i touch them, and use string cleaner about once a week)

rps coustom slinkys and Heritage H535, match made in heaven

i've never had to deal with the company, but i'm definately dedicated to their product

i started playing back when i was depressed 2 years ago, i played all the time, hours and hours and hours. it's my drug, it keeps me sane. music is religion. i got this guitar a year ago and it's been my best friend ever since.

i'll be good when the guitar melts in my hands.

I was looking for a semi-hollow body guitar for blues and rock and I came upon the Heritage H535 at a guitar show. It is stock with Schaller pickups (I may install Duncan Pearly Gates/'59s in the bridge/neck) and Grover tuners. The selling point of this guitar was the feel. The neck felt wonderful. I have mediunm sized hands and this guitar fit perfect.

Although I'm thinking of changing pickups (I'd like a bit brighter sound), this guitar has a very nice resonance to it. It sustains very well. The neck pickup seems a bit muddy to me, but the bridge pickup does a nice job when cranked. This guitar seems to be built to provide a great bluesy sound.

I lowered the action a bit after I got the guitar home. There were three flaws with this guitar: 1) There was some stain leakage on the neck that produced an inky blotch at the 12th fret; 2)The ground wire attached to the bridge post was not in full contact causing a nasty static when switching from the neck to bridge pickup selection; 3) the b string cut on the nut was not deep enough. Otherwise, the guitar is a beauty.

This guitar seems pretty solid for a semi-hollow body. I've banged it around a few times and it's held up well. I play fairly hard and this guitar seems to take it.

When I called the company regarding the buzz in the switch, I actually spoke with one of the guys in the production department, I was stunned (I thought I'd get a secretary). The were very helpful.

This is one of the best guitars I've owned (an I've had a few). I've been playing off and on for 35 years and I would certainly buy another Heritage. The great points are the weight and sustain of this instrument. Every time I pick it up, I feel I was fortunate to have bought it.

Play BLUES.We all know you can`t beat the sound of a 335 for this style of music.And this baby has IT! SWEET tone. Very full sounding.
Why would you go out and pay the money for a Gibson,when you can wrap your hands around one of this dreams for half the money!! Thank you
Heritage.My set up is very basic,Fulltone Deja vibe,into a Vox 810
overdrive pedal,to a Hughes & kettner 20 watt tube amp. Love the 20 watts, crank the amp up to 8-9, the guitar sounds so awesome !!
I use the gain channel on the amp for solos ,EL 84s break up so nice.
Use the Vox pedal to round out the tone of the dirt,gives it that creamy sound! Like all the sounds the pick ups have to offer. The only BITCH i have, is that the input jack on the guitar was in a different place. Have to be very careful placing it back in the stand,because the input jack is on the side near the strap button. Im going to add a chrome metal imput jack plate to reinforce it,so that it`s solid.

Bought it used.Dont like new guitars,like that broke in feeling.
Plays like a dream. The only ajustment that was made,is i lowered the pick ups. NICE brown sunburst finish !!!

Playing live ,no prob!! This is a guitar you would want to play all night.I would always bring a back up guitar when you gig,because you never know if your going to break a string. Changed the strap buttons to locking ones. The very last thing i want to happen is this guitar
crashing to the floor in the middle of o song!

Playing about 10 yrs.Own a Godin artisan (tele style). and a Alvarez artist acostic. Lets see,if some one stoled my Heritage, # 1, yes i would buy another one in a heart beat !! #2, I would hunt the thief down and give person a beating to a inch of there live for about two weeks straight.LOL. Once again THANK YOU HERITAGE !!!

This is a Heritage (made in USA) version of the Gibson ES 335. Differences are, the 535 is thinner and the neck is more sleek. The body is maple and the color is Heritage's Almond burst. Looks pretty cool. Grover tuners,Schaller rolloer bridge with tail piece. Also, very cool. Gibson scale (24 3/4). Slightly lighter in weight than Es335.See other reviews for indepth details.

This thing sounds smoooooth. It really is the sweetest sounding guitar I own.When I do studio recording, I take that baby with me always.I get compliments from the engineers all the time. They love recording that guitar.Its quiet, clean and the range of tones is ridiculous.I mostly play the Jazz/Fusion thing.However; I have used this guitar to record heavy distorted parts/Blues,Rock and Trad Jazz.
All sound like I'm using different guitars.This guitar really sings.

I bought this guitar used so I dont know how the factory set-up is. I do my own set-ups anyway.I use 11's with a wound G. Bigger strings better tone. Can I get an AMEN? The pick ups are the stock Schallers but they have some kind of mojo going on because they don't sound like typical Schallers. It may have something to do with this guitar being 9 years old. Go figure. I know I wont change anything on this guitar.Speaking of 9 years old....When I got this guitar 1 year ago it was flawless and in mint condition. So I do everything I can to keep it that way.

Appears to be built really well Heritage did a good job with this AX. All the hardware looks great after 9yrs. The finish is still vibrant. I dont think the previous owner did any gigging because this guitar doesnt show the scars that can be acquired from playing out alot.The thing will hold up under most playing conditions. I play it mostly on recording dates. I've used it live several times and it hasn't let me down. I have so many guitars I take backups with me out of habit.

I have never had to deal with the Heritage folks.That's a good thing. But, I've heard that they are the nicest people to deal with.

Been playing forever just look at my other reviews.I compared this Guitar to my PRS HollowBody II and these two couldnt be farther apart. Now, I love my PRS don't get me wrong. But, to compare the two... the PRS is more like a 20 year old Rebel shaking his fist at the world and the 535 is like an Older guy who's seen it all and has become a leader of Rebels.I like this guitar because it can do ES335 and lots more.Its comfortable to play sitting or standing. It works for me ,the thing practically plays itself and I, hang on for the ride.

I got Sperzel non-locking tuner which according to my dealer is better than Grover now on my H535. Stock Schaller Humbuckers, Tune-O-Matic bridge, feels like medium jumbo frets, transparent black wood pickguard. Mahogany neck, laminated maple top/maple body, bound neck/body. Almond Sunburst and Heritage case. Pretty nice flame on top/back of body, not AAA but decent. Pretty much like the Gibson 335 but not as expensive and craftsmanship is almost the same.

Those schaller pu are not bad, when I first got it I played Tom Petty's Maryjane's last stand non-stop..very nice tone, you hear some good high end shimmers, a good overall sound, great for rock/pop/blues and jazz to a certain level..the neck pu is mellow, that's where the mellower/jazzier sound comes in and backing off the tone abit I was able play nice inversion chords..in the middle position rock/blues same for bridge pu..the bridge pu is not too bright sounding and that's not bad thing, some bridge pu's are too bright..I would have to say a good overall sound and compare it to a Blues Deluxe they both even..mine does not have the VIP system, I treid it and it's ok but not great.. just plain Schallers are good enough.

good action, no buzzing or fretting out. some minor flaws on headstock and back of neck like tiny dings..but the body is good with decent flame on top and back. the almond sunburst is a nice looking finish. the size of the body and scale is like the Gibson 335. I had a Blues Deluxe and somehow the smaller body doesn't look right but that may be good for some people..other some dings on headstock and neck..the guitar is beauitful.

all the hardware seems top notch..if you are not abusing it, guitar should last a good long while

spoke w/Heritage who recommend this dealer and he was nice a enough guy, I got the hang tag/warranty/receipt and key for case lock. I didn't get any of this from a previous dealer. but just good this instrument so I didn't need any support yet.

looked at alot of guiatrs..this Heriatge is quality made in the USA..this is a good company and they make good intruments. over 10yrs playing, owned les pauls/sg. epiphone sheridan/riveria, rick 330/620, strats/teles, seen good guitars and some just ok ones..some sound great and some sounded uninspiring..this H535 is among the better ones, it is not perfect and not good for certain styles but versitile enough to cover alot of songs. I good a winner here. If I had one gripe is maybe alittle better on the finer details, the headstock/better nut/no dings on anywhere in guitar, when you get a new one, you want perfection, some minor flaws take away you full pleasure.