Heritage H575 Review - The Ugly Truth 

Excellent review, Sandra. Thank you so much for sharing your experience and great knowledge with us. Best wishes for you and your family!

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.

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.

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.

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)❤

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👍😁

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)

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.

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.

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... !!!!!

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.

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.

great review, thanks Sandra 👍🏻

Thank you for this review. Are the Seth Lover pickups potted?

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 think it sounds great :) I really appreciate and enjoy your tutorials, it's always nice to learn something new. You're a wonderful guitarist.

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!

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)?

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.

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.

Well done. It's rare to have such honest review on RU-vid. 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.

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 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.

Oh no - I missed the live chat for a few minutes 😭. Guitar looks so cool. Now listening to the sounds.

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 RU-vid, 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.

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.

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.

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...

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!

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!

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!

Great review thanks Sandra? I am also looking for a nice woody jazzy acoustic sound on a guitar that is not too big. I have tried cheaper Epiphone and Ibanez models and have found those a bit metallic sounding. Do you have any recommendations?

I used to have that problem with the g string, I did put wounded g string and It got better. Great review!!!

I hope Heritage listens to you. I'm not a jazz player but I really enjoy your playing and your channel and I can learn a couple of all time great standards from your videos! Keep up the excellent work!

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.

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.

great review, just something to bear in mind from a part time luthier.. are all of your other strings but the g intonated properly spot on? and have you measured the scale length with the bridge on to check it is in the right position first? im sure you have, i know you know a hell of a lot so im not trying to undermine you whatsoever. and i know it has a compensated saddle but have you tried moving it diagonally slightly to see if it intonates better? if that works i can give you a quick tip to make the base of the bridge fit properly to the arch of your particular guitar, although sometimes it doesnt need it.. just trying to save you a trip to the luthiers! ive just been working on a 1920s masterbuilt paramount archtop myself and had similar issues. luckily, the bridge had just been in the wrong place all its life lol. sorry for all the mansplaining though sandra! 😁 just trying to be of help, sincerely.. good luck,, its a nice guitar

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.

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.

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.

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.

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’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.

I am very interested in knowing your thoughts on the Ibanez AF2000, if you ever get your hands on one.

I am wanting to get one. Does the rosewood bridge where the strings ride wear and need replaced?

I have a 2008 H175. Intonation is great, as are feel, finish, etc. I don’t mind the lack of rounding on the neck - in fact I never noticed it until seeing this video. One question if anyone knows the answer: I don’t have the Seth Lover pickups. Mine came with HRW pickups, which stand for Heritage Rendal Wall. Rendal Wall is a Heritage guy who designed the pickups. When I wrote to inquire about my pickups he is the one who responded, and he said they used to charge an extra $250 for the HRWs. Anyone know how they compare to the Seth Lovers?

Great review young lady great playing I love Heritage guitars had a few thru the years .

Superb playing ! Great review of heritage ! Thank you !

I might have to get a set of those pickups and put them in my 1994 Gibson es 175 and my es 135 I'm digging that sound of those lovers pickups some stock Gibson pickups just don't quite cut it glad I ran across this thanks I've known about the Seth lover pickups but this is a good demo to hear the sound of them playing clean nice thanks

Great review and great playing 👍

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!

Thank you Sandra for your 'open' review. Disappointing the bridge needs work or a perhaps replacement and also the finishing issues. If you do decide to take it to your luthier, chances are the fingerboard edges could be 'rolled' so-as to make it more comfortable for your preferred 'thumb-over' playing style. ... I would further say that I like the tone you were getting and its a fine looking guitar which should 'age' nicely over time should you decide to keep 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.

Thanks for the review. May I know the amp and its EQ settings?

Wish I knew you to give me some lessons. Love this!!!❤

Thank you for this well-done video! Super good! 👍😃

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 🙂

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.

Have you tried the Pisano AR880 from Eastman? 16 inch bout 2.75 depth, solid wood hand carved.

Hi Sandra may I ask what gauge and brand of strings do you use?

Love your videos and you. Great player, patient teacher, great personality. Good review here;honest. I have 2 1940’s Gibson arch tops, Eastman 810ce (like you said, not great electric sound), es-175. The non woody sound on yours may be it’s not solid wood top.? Query- what amp are you using? Good sound. Cheers from Sf Bay Area, California! P.s. I replaced metal tail piece with ebony on a Gibson 400 knock-off; much lighter, better acoustic sound .!

Amazing playing at the intro!

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 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.

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

Always nice to find a lady guitarist here on YT that has the skills you have. Kudos to you!! I'm shocked that you didn't consider a Gibson ES-175. I love mine and find it very playable and comfortable to sit with. Plenty of volume unplugged too if so desired. Good luck and God bless. 🙂🙂

Pretty much every Eastman archtop I’ve played has a great acoustic tone - solid, laminate, doesn’t matter

Great review, Sandra. Thanks! You have a lot more patience than I have. If I had spent $5K on a guitar, which I have, and got those build quality issues I would have sent it right back. All problems are fixable, but sorry, for that price? Anyway, don't let this spoil your enjoyment of a great sounding guitar.

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.

Awesome video! You are amazing!

Hi ! Bridge: did you try to turn it around 180° ? Maybe it was wrongly placed at the factory...?

I like your reviews cause they're short and easy to understand 😉👍

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.)

Revisiting your great video. How do you like the H575 after a few months? Do you recommend it? These guitars are very hard to find. Regarding the acoustic sound, I think the main culprit is the dual humbuckers carved into the top. Hybrid electric acoustic with the best acoustic sound are maybe the guitars with a floating humbucker. But your 575 sounds great unplugged, and simply amazing plugged especially with your awesome playing.

What strings do you have on that guitar? The heritage and its a rather easy job to fix the intonation however, you would expect that the would sort this before shipping.

Nice playing Sandra,have you had a look at an Ibanez or Yamaha equivalent?

Fabulous tones. You were unlucky with the finish issues. Best of luck with it.

Hey Sandra, Fantastic & Really Well Balanced Review...!!!!! The Bright Sound of the Heritage comes from the Solid Carved Maple top and is actually a triumph to get that degree of pop and projection in the acoustic sound like a proper Solid carved arch top acoustic and would have really cut through a group before amplification which is what they were designed to do when the Arch top acoustic was first being developed and probably contributes to the separation and projection of the instrument as well as the quality of the Seth lovers as well....!!!!! that woody sound generally comes from using a softer steam bent/formed laminate in a 175 top...!!!!! It's a such a shame about the QC as all of the cuts and joint work seem to be really nicely done and spot on and the quality of the build seems really good but the QC on the finish really isn't good for a $500 guitar let alone a $5000 guitar it's like they didn't clean up the sawdust on the inside of the f hole and the lacquer has reacted and bloomed which could have easily been sorted in house if it was picked up although maybe they thought it would take rubbing right back and a respray instead of rubbing back the affected area and flowing some lacquer on with a small brush but there's still no excuse and having one pickup on an the other pickup slightly out is always really annoying too especially for 5 grand....!!!! But Sometimes you might not get quite the same magic out of another instrument if you'd tried to exchange it for another one and you obviously love the sound....!!! I always like a Tunomatic on an arch top to get that little bit more focus and weight to the sound and might possibly get you a little more of that mid range tone and pop you're looking for too....although on that guitar I'd be tempted to go for a Bone or Synthetic Bone saddle poss even with to make the most of that Acoustic Sound which is Just incredible and a very, very rare and special thing indeed...!!!! Thanks So much for an incredible review too, I wish all reviews were as good as yours and needless to say its got me reaching to click on another one straight away So Really Good Luck With the Channel too & Thanks So much Once Again....!!!!!

Well done!

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.

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!

Very nice! What do you think of Godin Fifth Avenue?

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.

Those guitars are surprisingly good for hard rock . Alex Lifeson rocked the Howard Robert's and izzy stadium of GNR played a 175 .

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.

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.

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.

Thanks for this review, afa hollow body is concerned, I usually play a GB10 and a GB100 which have that kind of resonance I'm looking for but I also have two Eastman with 16" lower bout and I can confirm they are great guitars with excellent resonance.

I have 4 Eastmans and I love them all! Pick choice makes a big difference. Big Stubby 3 mm give big round tone.

You sound great on both guitars. Great jazz tones.

Could that just be polishing compound in the f holes?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 guitar sounds great, but sad , that there are some issues for this price. Sandra, can you tell me the name of this song, you played by 7:29 of this video?

Hi Sandra have you try the ibanez pm 200?Thanks

Thanks for the review! I was thinking about buyin' one Heritage, but I think I'll go for the Ibanez GB10 Bs, it's cheaper and I think it'll work better for me.