Oliade677 Posted October 21, 2013 Posted October 21, 2013 Picked up this Gibson Heritage for $575 a few nights ago. The guitar is in solid shape with few signs of use. Info on these guitars is kind of sparse, so I waited a few days before deciding to pick it up. I was able to use the time to negotiate the price down. I've only been playing for about a month, but I was looking to add a nice acoustic to my stable of guitars. I have read that the double X bracing in Gibson acoustic guitars is largely viewed as a poor feature. Unfortunately, this guitar does feature that style of bracing. Anyone care to shed a little light on the value and quality of this guitar?
E-minor7 Posted October 21, 2013 Posted October 21, 2013 Don't know much about these guitars, but is this from between 1970 and 74. . Double-X can be a tonestealer, not necessarily so. You probably got yourself a good starter there - even with the smal issues (is there a broad thiiiiin bridge-crack ? ) Congs - and please post us a sound bite -
MissouriPicker Posted October 21, 2013 Posted October 21, 2013 I know very little about the Heritage, but a used Gibson that is in good shape is likely "a steal" at that price. So long as the guitar has a good setup (and it may already have one) and you find it easy to play then I think you got a sweet deal. If it doesn't have a setup you like, you can always have it setup the way you like..... I wouldn't spend any time worrying about opinions on double-x bracing. That's just wasted energy. You have added a sweet edition to you family of guitars. Let it inspire you to play and learn more.....Welcome to the Gibson family. If you get any audio files of it, we'd like to hear it. [thumbup]
grampa Posted October 21, 2013 Posted October 21, 2013 I think it may not be a Gibson. The truss rod cover has 3 screws and I thought Gibson's always had just 2.
wonderful remark Posted October 21, 2013 Posted October 21, 2013 I don't mean to be a party pooper but I think it's a fake Gibson. "Wings" on the headstock ratio is uneven and I've NEVER seen a Gibson guitar print a serial number like that on the back of the headstock. The gibson logo looks wrong. Also another give away is the truss rod cover. the 3 screw cover looks like an Epiphone cover to me. But let's hope I am wrong...
Oliade677 Posted October 21, 2013 Author Posted October 21, 2013 That did concern me, but everything else checks out. Here is a link to a similar guitar that has a 3-screw truss rod cover: http://item.ebay.com/130971828558 Should I send an email to Gibson customer service to verify the legitimacy of this guitar? Here is some additional info I dug up. This link is directly from Gibson's website: "Like a fingerprint or a social security number, the series of digits inked or impressed on the back of a Gibson headstock can go a long way toward identifying a guitar. But, with more than 75 years of shipping records in the Gibson books, and dozens of variations on numerical schemes used over the years, serial numbers sometimes do little to shed light on the origin of a mysterious Gibson." There are several references in this topic that mention legitimate Gibson Heritage Acoustics with 3-screw truss rod covers: http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/gibson-les-pauls/84754-gibson-three-screw-truss-rod-cover.html
E-minor7 Posted October 21, 2013 Posted October 21, 2013 This is a genuine Gibson - I'm 100 % and will eat a set of strings if it's a fake. . .
bobouz Posted October 21, 2013 Posted October 21, 2013 It's a Gibson. I used to own one of these, and know them well. The early '70s Heritage Custom had solid back & sides. Others were made with laminated back & sides. There is also a '60s version that is completely different. Yours looks like a Custom. The missing label would have confirmed this. Double-X bracing gets a bad rap, but some of these can sound great. The price was right, so play it & enjoy!
Fullmental Alpinist Posted October 21, 2013 Posted October 21, 2013 I've only been playing for about a month, but I was looking to add a nice acoustic to my stable of guitars. I love the way you think. Congrats on your new guitar. Welcome to the family. FMA
EuroAussie Posted October 21, 2013 Posted October 21, 2013 Given my first acoustic was a god awful, all laminate Washburn with an action so high one could park a 747 unerneath it ..... you've done very well, to start off with a Gibson, at a great price. Enjoy !
Oliade677 Posted October 21, 2013 Author Posted October 21, 2013 Thanks for the feedback. I contacted Gibson support and received a response this morning. The guitar is genuine and can be placed between the period of 1974-1976. They confirmed the 3-screw cover and decal on the back of the headstock were used during this time. I've been fortunate with my guitar purchases lately. I picked up a '57 AVRI Fender Strat for $375 a few months ago. That's what really got the ball rolling.
zombywoof Posted October 21, 2013 Posted October 21, 2013 Is it as good as it gets when it comes to Gibson - heck no. The heavy top bracing and large diamond shaped bridge plate just suck the sound out of these guitars. But you also scored it at a really good price which has got to be a nice feeling. And as long as it has strings and is playable you can have a blast with it. So all in all you did pretty good for your first acoustic.
L5Larry Posted October 21, 2013 Posted October 21, 2013 Even with the last serial number digit masked or missing, the waterslide decal on the back of the headstock with the prefix "00" would be from 1976.
PrairieSchooner Posted October 21, 2013 Posted October 21, 2013 It is indeed a Heritage Custom; owned one just like it in '76 or so. Mine was a great sounding guitar - very warm and even but not a boomer, but it didn't project as well as I would have liked at the time. I'm mostly a "folky" finger picker and it actually fit my style really well, but I decided I wanted an HD-28. I could usually only afford one guitar at a time, so I sold it to buy the Martin; my wife was not happy as she really loved that guitar. I kept track of it for a long time and vowed I'd buy it back one day; I've lost track of it now. I think you did great for the price. I'm not much of a techie and don't know much about bracing, etc. but I do know the one I owned sounded really good and I wasn't the only one who thought so. If I had a chance to buy one for that price I'd be all over it! Good luck with it.
BigKahune Posted October 21, 2013 Posted October 21, 2013 . Welcome. She looks in great shape. Beautiful. Congrats. . B) .
Smurfbird Posted October 21, 2013 Posted October 21, 2013 You joined the Gibson and Fender family for under 1K? In your first month of playing? You've done better than 95% of us. Welcome!
Oliade677 Posted October 22, 2013 Author Posted October 22, 2013 You joined the Gibson and Fender family for under 1K? In your first month of playing? You've done better than 95% of us. Welcome! Thanks! It was a stroke of luck. I also picked up a sweet Peavey Vandenberg with a sustainiac system for $300. By the time I got the American Strat, I had 4 guitars and knew how to play exactly 0 of them. I've been working hard to make up for lost time, though.
The G Posted October 22, 2013 Posted October 22, 2013 You joined the Gibson and Fender family for under 1K? In your first month of playing? You've done better than 95% of us. Welcome! Smurfbird pretty much sums up what I was going to say. Nice find ...and welcome to a great forum .
Tarrr Posted October 22, 2013 Posted October 22, 2013 +++++ I researched one that came up for sale locally not long ago, you got a Gibson.
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