Heritage Guitars is a guitar manufacturer in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Contents |
History
Heritage Guitars was founded in 1985 by ex-employees of the Gibson guitar factory.[1] In 1984, Gibson moved production from Kalamazoo, Michigan to Nashville, Tennessee.[2] Some of the employees that did not want to move started production of guitars under a new name.[2] The company set up their factory in Gibson's former Kalamazoo premises.[1]
Current status
Heritage is a boutique manufacturer, making semi-hollow guitars, large jazz boxes, solidbody electrics.[1] In these types of guitars, Paul Reed Smith Guitars and Gibson guitars are the closest nominal equivalents. In general, Heritage makes guitars that are similar to Gibson's products,[1] [3] but are constructed in a much more hand-made fashion, and with much greater individual attention to the instrument by the builders.[4] For example, all Heritage full-body semi-acoustics have solid wood tops, while many of the Gibson guitars of this type had laminated tops after World War II.[2] Heritage has made one concession to automated machinery, that being a Plek automated fret-dressing machine which precisely grinds the frets to the proper crown and intonation - everything else is done by hand. Gibson and Paul Reed Smith guitars are almost universally manufactured using CNC machines.
Possible closure
As of August 2007, the Heritage Guitars website has noted that the company is undergoing financial restructuring, and denies rumors that it is closing permanently. A recent Kalamazoo Gazette [local newspaper] report stated that they ARE closing, dated around October. 2007. However, a notice on their Website as of late December, 2007, indicated that they had restructured and had resumed production of instruments.
Endorsees
Johnny Smith
In 1989, jazz guitarist Johnny Smith withdrew his endorsement from Gibson and awarded it to Heritage, which began production of the Heritage Johnny Smith. The Gibson model continued in production as the Gibson LeGrand.[5] Smith has since moved his endorsement from Heritage to the Guild Guitar Company.[5]
Alex Skolnick
More recently, metal musician Alex Skolnick had began endorsing Heritage Guitars, as opposed to his older Ibanez models.
Roy Clark
![Roy Clark playing a Heritage H535. [1]](http://wiki.bookrags.com/thumb/9/95/WIKI_ROY_CLARK.jpg/180px-WIKI_ROY_CLARK.jpg)
Country musician, Roy Clark, currently endorses Heritage guitars, which makes a signature model.
Citations
- ^ a b c d (Bacon 1991, p. 151)
- ^ a b c (Freeth & Alexander 1999, p. 106)
- ^ (Freeth & Alexander 1999, p. 107)
- ^ (Freeth & Alexander 1999, p. 106-107)
- ^ a b "Johnny Smith Goes Full Circle" Interview with Charles H. Chapman
References
- Bacon, Tony (1991), The Ultimate Guitar Book, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., ISBN 0-375-70090-0
- Freeth, Nick & Charles Alexander (1999), The Electric Guitar, Quadrillion Publishing, Ltd., ISBN 0-7624-0522-8
- Johnny Smith Goes Full Circle by Charles H. Chapman
