Hertage - Wolfe Guitars
Max Leggett
happy to say that Jay Wolfe has fully recompensed me for all my
expenses re a fretjob. I dealt with Jay because I thought he was
straight, and so he has turned out to be.
Having said that, I still don't think the guitar should have left the
factory needing a fretjob. And having said that, I'll add that this is
not a problem peculiar to Heritage - read through the archtop reviews
on Harmony Central and you'll see similar complaints about pretty much
every manufacturer.
So my advice to those thinking of buying online is: Don't. If, like
me, constraints force you into an online purchase, then be very sure
of whom you're dealing with. Jay Wolfe is cool - many aren't.
It would also be a good idea to specify to the seller exactly the
setup you want. It's easy for a factory to ship a guitar with a high
action that hides the crappy fretwork, which is what Heritage did. So
specify what you want, and make it known that the deal hinges on the
setup and frets being done, otherwise a return is in order. That way
any problems will be evident to the seller _before_ s/he ships, and
can be fixed in good time. By far the best thing to do is go somewhere
and get yer mitts on the guitar you're thinking of.
And, having said all that, the Heritage sounds like silk on a well
shaped thigh. :-) How's that for an analogy? The body is good, the
wood work very well done, the tone sweet, the finish very nice - a
pity that Heritage, or any manufacturer, would risk their good name
over basic quality control on the neck.
Mark Guest
news:3fb13175...@News.CIS.DFN.DE...
Snip
> And, having said all that, the Heritage sounds like silk on a well
> shaped thigh. :-) How's that for an analogy?
Sounds pretty quiet. Does it play as greasy as butter?
But seriously...I went to a luthier with money in hand to place an order
based on the glowing reports given by others. I walked and never looked
back. It seems that the last (and easiest?) step in the building process is
quite often overlooked. Why any reputable builder would ship an instrument
that is uncomfortable to play is beyond me.
The best fret job I have ever had was done by a CNC mill (Plek machine) at
Joe Glaser's shop in Nashville.
--
Mark Guest
Mark at MarkGuest.net
www.MarkGuest.net
bruce
I was particularly interested in your experience with your recent
Heritage purchase as the archive of opinions expressed here (including
yours) in the past about Heritage models and dealers was very helpful
to me when I was deciding whether to buy (sight unseen) a spruce
topped Eagle. I'm happy that whatever reservations you have had about
your purchase have been resolved to your satisfaction.
I guess everyone has different expectations when it comes to buying an
instrument. While I respect and understand (and certainly hope for)
what you demand from a new instrument, my expectations have changed.
It may seem a little defeatist, but...
I no longer expect the factory to set up my guitar for me, install the
pickup that I like to use or even seat frets properly, to be honest.
I'm happy for them to do a good job building the basic box and deliver
it at a competitive price. I don't think I'd like a retailer to spend
too much time tweaking a setup for me (or heaven forbid 'polishing'
the frets with a pot scrubber). I'm happy for them to know their
product and their customers and do good business.
My trusted (and long-suffering) guitar repairer will deal with the
rest. When my spruce top Eagle arrived about 6 weeks ago (thanks
Jay!)I opened the case to check everything that was meant to be
attached was still attached (shipping to a different hemishere can be
fraught with peril!) closed the case, and was off to annoy my
repairer.
I'm lucky that with the (often lively) debate here about build
quality/pickup choice/retailer service issues with most brands of
guitars, I'm able to factor in to the price of an instrument the
repairs or modifications I am likely to make. If I still reckon it's a
good deal, I'll buy.
So thanks for keeping me informed, and I'm glad your instrument is now
playing the way you like. Mine's working well too, with replacing the
factory pickup the only 'tweak' left to make. (it's a #3 and may be
better than previous incarnations, but it's too low an output with
less than ideal string balance for me)
Cheers,
Bruce
mleg...@nospam.ca (Max Leggett) wrote in message news:<3fb13175...@News.CIS.DFN.DE>...
Greg D
Heritages have been notorious for poor fret work. I thought they would
have improved by now. Maybe others have similar problems but of the 5 ES-
135's I've had, none - not one has needed a fret job. Of the 3 or 4 Epis,
only one has needed fret work. None of the rest of my guitars has needed
fret work.
GReg
HotchkissTrio
The action is setup to 2mm bass and 1.5mm treble, no buzz problems in 4+
years. Not sure if that is super-low action, but I thinki the frets were
good from the get go.
-Paul H.
"Greg D" <oas...@atcoxdot.net> wrote in message
news:Xns9430BC8B7C8...@68.1.17.6...
Ken Lloyd
and emails with Jay) is...
it was a great choice. I love the way my Heritage plays, I love the sound,
I love the way it looks.
I'm happy with the case, the guitar quality, the finish, the binding and so
on. I have six guitars, and the one I want to play every day is my Heritage.
The only work I've done on it is the intonation, which I adjust a couple of
times a year, or when I change string gauges.
When I received my new guitar, one of the new gold tuning machines had a
place where there wasn't enough gold (you could see the silver underneath).
I called Heritage, talked to one of the owners, and he quickly shipped me a
replacement tuner.
I got more than I expected from Heritage and from Jay.
Ken
"Max Leggett" <mleg...@nospam.ca> wrote in message
news:3fb13175...@News.CIS.DFN.DE...
Jack A. Zucker
problems. My golden eagle's back seam was not centered...very odd for a
guitar that expensive.
--
web: http://www.jazguitar.com
Soundclips: http://www.soundclick.com/bands/2/jackzuckermusic.htm
"HotchkissTrio" <paul.c.h...@NOSPAMintel.com> wrote in message
news:boruen$up$1...@news01.intel.com...
Greg D
See, now there's a good testimonial!
The few Heritages that I encountered required fret levels outta the box,
but that was years back, so I'm surprised that is still the case for some
folks. Let's face it, Heritage is US made, great looking archtops and
sell for 30-40% less and even steeper discounts than that for the upper
crust models than equivalent Gibsons.
I've got no beef with Heritage, though I probably wouldn't buy one. And I
certainly have no beef with Jay, who I think is a gentleman among
scoundrels in the guitar world (and yes, there are other gentlemen).
And yes, I've had problems with Gibsons before, though not fret-related.
They were, in fact, worse - a slightly warped neck that prevented setting
optimal action and on another, a misplaced, fixed tune-o-matic bridge
that prevented setting intonation properly for heavier gauge strings.
There's no reason that stuff should pass inspection. Same for Heritage
and their fret work.
To be honest, I've not heard of those kind of serious problems with
Heritages, but the fret work dogs Heritage to this day such that I don't
think they'll ever live it down - even if it never happened again.
GReg
Stan Fong
Glad to hear things are working out and your new guitar is sounding
sweet & sexy. I met Jay at the the NAMM show, and I can't imagine him
giving anyone a raw deal. I'm glad he set you straight and made things
right.
Although I bought two guitars online, I was very lucky and didn't have
any problems. One was a solid body and the other was a chambered body.
I don't think I could order a hollowbody or an acoustic online. I'd
have to play it first. For me a hollowbody or an acoustic has to have
the right sound, feel, vibe, and character. We all know that the same
model from the same manufacturer all have their own character. Each
guitar is different even though they're the same.
Stan
mleg...@nospam.ca (Max Leggett) wrote in message news:<3fb13175...@News.CIS.DFN.DE>...
gtrmon
great by Denny Rauen,
gtrmon
gorgeous and has great acoustic tone and electric. I might want a
different pickup someday and I like a smaller body than the L5 size
but it's about the only guitar I play any more. I thin' Hertage sux,
Queeksdraw.
dj
"Max Leggett" <mleg...@nospam.ca> wrote in message
news:3fb13175...@News.CIS.DFN.DE...
Chip L
oftern. Basically, Guilds ES-175. Is the Savoy the 1PU or 2 PU. Don't think
I'll every buy a 2 PU jazzer again.
Chip L
"HotchkissTrio" <paul.c.h...@NOSPAMintel.com> wrote in message
news:boruen$up$1...@news01.intel.com...
Nick Carver
1) If you buy ANY guitar off eBay, expect to have to take it to a guitar
tech.
2) If you buy a new guitar, you shouldn't have to do that. I bought my
Heritage from Jay Wolfe and it arrived as it should. I am friends with
Jeff Hale and I know that he takes his better guitars to Denny Rauen (a
Milwaukee luthier) for setup before they go out, including Heritages and
Hofners and, yes, even Samicks. I'm guessing his Foster guitars don't
need any work when they arrive from Jimmy.
I think the message is you either deal with a shop that you trust will
do right by you or, if you buy from eBay, be ready to drop a few bucks
to get it right (at best it comes set up well, at worse, it can't be
fixed or costs hundred of dollars to fix).
Nick
--
Nick Carver
Delete 001 from address when replying.
Jay Wolfe
interest some of you.
* I sell over 600 Heritage guitars a year. I recive so many
complimentary e-mails & phone calls from super happy players that I
rarely even save them anymore. Of the over 600 guitars shipped
worldwide- I am told of only a few that have "any" fret work done at
all. The 2 or 3 that are disatisfied with the way the guitar plays
will often post their dislikes to a newsgroup- and it lives in
infamey forever. Nothing can be done- as a some players expect more
"perfection" than others. It's then my job to do what I can do to
satisfy that player. Those few players have a different expectation
than so many others, and they just need more attention. This is true
in "any" commodity business. I bought a new Ducati Motorcycle last
year. I've "enjoyed" doing all my own service & haven't been back to
the dealer. I have friends that take theirs back (seems like) "every
week" with some complaint or another. They're getting hi mileage just
visiting the dealer, who will most likely go broke fiddling with their
bikes.....
* I proudly man the Heritage NAMM booth twice a year- and listen to
player after player telling how much better their Heritage plays than
their other guitars. It's like a broken record sometimes. Many of
these people are among the world's finest players.
* Heritage guys sufferred for years with "old Gibson" habits. They
changed & improved their fret installation method a few years back,
and this has made my life easier- as I now have very little setup to
do before shipping the guitars. They mostly play perfect right out of
the box. I get so, so many compliments every day on how well the
guitars play on receipt.
* Although I don't feel they needed to- Heritage (HUGE secret
announcement, heard here 1'st) has puchased a PLEK machine. They are
the only US maker to have one at this time. Should be in full
operation in a few weeks, for "all" guitars leaving the shop.
* Heritage is only a 15 person small shop, with the world's most
experienced makers. They do things that other makers don't- because of
cost concerns- like Nitro-cellulose Lacquer. Those guys "care" more
about what they make, and the customers than "any" other maker I've
ever encountered. They truly are terrific people. They are "National
Treasures" that will "not" be doing this forever. Those of us that
have acquired their fine hand made guitars during this era, will be
mighty glad we did someday. I play Heritage's, and wouldn't even
consider playing anything else. My Heritage's play superbly.
* I get other make guitars in here all the time. They haven't yet come
close to "perfection" either. I have an extensive collection of many
of the world's most highly touted guitars. None eclipse my Heritages
in overall quality & performance.
I can expect some of you Heritage detractors to pounce on me for this.
Go ahead. I am secure with the factual statements above, and keep
receiving compliments from players. Not "all" guitars players post to
newsgroups. My guess is that 98 of 100 do not even pay any attention
to the internet. Those of us that do are rare & perhaps more "into"
the genre than most. I believe most guitarist have busy lives & don't
have time for it.
Jay Wolfe, www.wolfeguitars.com
Mark Guest
You are absolutely right about Heritage not being the only company with
sloppy fretwork. Thanks for letting us know about Heritage's new PLEK
machine. I'm sure that this will put to rest the bad fret job concerns. I
have played some very nice sounding Heritages. I did not know that the shop
was so small.
BTW, Will the PLEK machine improve the headstock style? (Ducking, ducking,
heading back to my busy life...) ;-)
--
Mark Guest
Mark at MarkGuest.net
www.MarkGuest.net
"Jay Wolfe" <j...@wolfeguitars.com> wrote in message
news:59a8a767.0311...@posting.google.com...
MBR
> I'm lucky that with the (often lively) debate here about build
> quality/pickup choice/retailer service issues with most brands of
> guitars, I'm able to factor in to the price of an instrument the
> repairs or modifications I am likely to make. If I still reckon it's a
> good deal, I'll buy.
I guess that is a decision each person has to make. When you spend two
grand or more on a guitar there is some expectation that you shouldn't
have to put more $$$ into it beyond a basic setup. But as you pointed
out, if you don't expect too much then you won't be disappointed.
-Mark R.
tomw
ja...@REMOVETHISMarkGuest.net says...
>
> BTW, Will the PLEK machine improve the headstock style? (Ducking, ducking,
> heading back to my busy life...) ;-)
>
> --
What will we use to shovel the walk?
--
Tom Walls
the guy at the Temple of Zeus
http://www.arts.cornell.edu/zeus/
MBR
> seems that a surprising number of heritage guitars have those types of
> problems. My golden eagle's back seam was not centered...very odd for a
> guitar that expensive.
yes, it is somewhat disillusioning that you have to pay so much money
for questionable workmanship. In my experience, I've found the
higher-end Japanese guitars to be superior in quality and
workmanship to most of the US made stuff.
-Mark R.
Greg D
I've heard of the new machinery Heritage is now using, but I understood
they have had it for sometime, so I don't understand why bad fretwork
continues. Well, at least Heritage doesn't ship with warped necks.
Greg
matt u
...
> * Although I don't feel they needed to- Heritage (HUGE secret
> announcement, heard here 1'st) has puchased a PLEK machine. They are
> the only US maker to have one at this time. Should be in full
> operation in a few weeks, for "all" guitars leaving the shop.
What's a PLEK machine?
m
Bill Ribas
Joe Finn
Jay: Nice post and thanks for the update. In addition to my Golden Eagle I
also have a really nice 535 right now and they both play great. I always get
a lot of comments about how great the guitars look and how nice they sound.
I've seen and played dozens of other Heritage guitars over the years and
have yet to come across a real stinker.
I think it's as you say, some customers are simply impossible to satisfy.
Some people find fault wherever they look. I had a guy like that who came to
me for setups on his guitar and he drove me nuts. I'd polish the frets,
install new strings, adjust the action, intonation and the truss rod and
even polish the damn guitar for him. When he'd pick it up he'd play it and
say it was fine and then two days later he'd call back to have me tweak it a
little more. I think he was more interested in tweaking his set up than in
actually playing the guitar!
Now I actually enjoy doing setups and small repairs and I rarely come across
a guitar that could not benefit from a few minor adjustments. Still, when
I've let people try my Golden Eagle they are amazed at how easy it is to
play. This is due to the fact that it is properly set up. And this is with
13s or 14s.
I agree with your point about Heritage not lasting forever. A lot of those
guys are the best in the business but they're not young men any more either.
I think they are creating modern classics that are certain to become
collector's items. It's almost as if it's too good to last.
........joe
P.S. If you ever need a hand at the namm show give me a shout.
--
Visit me on the web www.joefinn.net
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tomw
What a load! First Jay informs us that customers are impossible to
please(which I already knew), and that newsgroup participants are bunch
of miscreants, then Joe chimes in that those people who have complaints
with Heritage are more interested in tweaking than playing -- then he
tries to hit up Jay for a gig!
What's that sound, guys? Why that's your credibility going down the
drain!
Mark Guest
I had heard that Heritage sent some guitars to an outside contractor for the
PLEK job, as recently as last summer. Until Jay's "announcement", I was
under the impression that only two PLEK machines were in use in the USA. Jay
also stated that it "Should be in full operation in a few weeks, for "all"
guitars leaving the shop." This leads me to believe that it is a new
acquisition. As much as I like "old world craftsmanship", I am a *huge* fan
of the work that the PLEK machine did to my main guitar. Admittedly, I have
only had one PLEK fret job, but I have paid for several mediocre (and worse)
guitar tech/luthier fret jobs.
When companies have to fill as many orders as say, Gibson, quality is bound
to suffer. But twisted necks should not leave the factory.
--
Mark Guest
Mark at MarkGuest.net
www.MarkGuest.net
"Greg D" <oas...@atcoxdot.net> wrote in message
news:Xns94317E91133...@68.1.17.6...
Jack A. Zucker
his products and makes sure that you are satisfied. I wouldn't buy a
heritage from anyone else...
--
web: http://www.jazguitar.com
Soundclips: http://www.soundclick.com/bands/2/jackzuckermusic.htm
"Jay Wolfe" <j...@wolfeguitars.com> wrote in message
news:59a8a767.0311...@posting.google.com...
HotchkissTrio
assertion. 2 of the nicest guitars I've ever touched were the Epi Elite
(made in Japan) and the Ibanez AS200 (now John Scofield model) also made in
Japan.
Besides that, the other best guitars I've played are probably a PRS
Hollowbody, my own Guild, and a used Heritage Golden Eagle. To put an
Epiphone and an Ibanez in this company is really saying something, as the
other guitars are much more expensive (except the Guild, it's in the same
price range as the Epi).
I almost think it's much better to get used Heritage guitar, maybe the
previous owner will take care of the frets for you ;-)
-Paul H.
"MBR" <jazz...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:b04a13f9.03111...@posting.google.com...
HotchkissTrio
But I do use the bridge pickup every once in a while, if I'm using effects
or playing something more fusion-like than straight ahead. Mine was one of
the last made in Rode Island, which is kinda cool.
-Paul H.
"Chip L" <longcDE...@infoave.net> wrote in message
news:bot9it$1givhf$1...@ID-77822.news.uni-berlin.de...
HotchkissTrio
Great reply man! Squeaky wheels get the grease.
I personally have not played many Heritages that needed lots of fretwork or
setup, and the few Golden Eagles I've tried made me drool profusely because
they were so sweet to play. In fact, the only Heritage I tried that needed
work seemed really to need a trus-rod adjustment, and I think that caused it
to have some buzz. I've also had very good luck with my Ibanez and my
Guild.
I think some players are more picky than others. Some repair shops seem to
really push for fretwork too. I know a shop here in PDX that is always
trying to tell people they need fretwork, or new frets. I took my ibanez to
them once, and the guy starts in with the hard sell on fret-work without
even playing my guitar! That was a few years ago, and my guitar is still
playing just fine without any fretwork.
I also think we sometimes "want" to find something wrong. I mean, it has to
needle you just a little bit if you're a big Gibson fan, and you just spent
$3000 for a 175, and then you try a $1500 Heritge that kicks it's butt.
Heck, I know I'd be pissed.
-Paul H.
"Jay Wolfe" <j...@wolfeguitars.com> wrote in message
news:59a8a767.0311...@posting.google.com...
Max Leggett
<paul.c.h...@NOSPAMintel.com> wrote:
>Jay,
>
>Great reply man! Squeaky wheels get the grease.
>
>I personally have not played many Heritages that needed lots of fretwork or
>setup, and the few Golden Eagles I've tried made me drool profusely because
>they were so sweet to play. In fact, the only Heritage I tried that needed
>work seemed really to need a trus-rod adjustment, and I think that caused it
>to have some buzz. I've also had very good luck with my Ibanez and my
>Guild.
>
>I think some players are more picky than others.
I'm starting to feel defensive here. For US$2000 I expected a guitar
in playable condition. I did not get it. I had to do a lot of running
around to get a fret job. I would not expect to need a fret job on a
new guitar. I have bought Fenders, Washburns, and Eis that did not
need fret jobs. I'm not picky. All I want is a reasonable action that
doesn't rattle. For me, 5/32nds at the 12th fret of the top E is not a
playable height. Industry standard is 3/32. Joe Finn's guitar is 2/32.
Jay has reimbursed me for my costs, but expecting a playable guitar
out of the box is hardly unreasonable.
>I also think we sometimes "want" to find something wrong.
I don't 'want' to find anything wrong. All I want is a playable guitar
that doesn't buzz. As it happens, the nut needed repairing on the B
string, as well. The luthier did it gratis when he did my setup.
It used to be that the customer was always right, but I guess that's
gone the way of the dodo, like so many other things.
Greger Hoel
<ja...@REMOVETHISMarkGuest.net> wrote:
>Hi Greg,
>
>I had heard that Heritage sent some guitars to an outside contractor for the
>PLEK job, as recently as last summer. Until Jay's "announcement", I was
>under the impression that only two PLEK machines were in use in the USA. Jay
>also stated that it "Should be in full operation in a few weeks, for "all"
>guitars leaving the shop." This leads me to believe that it is a new
>acquisition. As much as I like "old world craftsmanship", I am a *huge* fan
>of the work that the PLEK machine did to my main guitar. Admittedly, I have
>only had one PLEK fret job, but I have paid for several mediocre (and worse)
>guitar tech/luthier fret jobs.
>
>When companies have to fill as many orders as say, Gibson, quality is bound
>to suffer. But twisted necks should not leave the factory.
Don't know if it's called a PLEK machine, but Carvin's been using
computers in conjucntion with some fret levelling machine for many
years.
--
Greger
______________________________________________
What's up Chuck?
To email me, replace everything after @ with softhome.net
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Greger Hoel
>While we're on the subject, I felt I would inject a few facts that may
>interest some of you.
>lots of informative stuff snipped for brevity.
While you're here, Jay, I just wanted to ask: does Heritage sport the
same prone to breakage headstock joint design?
Greger Hoel
wrote:
>In article <3fb29...@corp.newsgroups.com>, J...@JoeFinn.net says...
>
>What a load! First Jay informs us that customers are impossible to
>please(which I already knew), and that newsgroup participants are bunch
>of miscreants, then Joe chimes in that those people who have complaints
>with Heritage are more interested in tweaking than playing -- then he
>tries to hit up Jay for a gig!
>
>What's that sound, guys? Why that's your credibility going down the
>drain!
LOL!
Greger Hoel
<gre...@spamblock.net> wrote:
>On 12 Nov 2003 07:33:59 -0800, j...@wolfeguitars.com (Jay Wolfe) wrote:
>
>>While we're on the subject, I felt I would inject a few facts that may
>>interest some of you.
>
>>lots of informative stuff snipped for brevity.
>
>While you're here, Jay, I just wanted to ask: does Heritage sport the
>same prone to breakage headstock joint design?
..as Gibson does, that is.. :P
jimb...@cox.net
does it function? Jim P.S. For whatever it is worth I bought a brand new
Byrdland which was a custom order instrument a while back; I could not
believe how unplayable the guitar was when I received it; after spending
some major $$ with my luthier friend here in San Diego who is an absolute
genius with guitars the Byrdland now plays GREAT; question is how on earth
can a guitar come out of the Gibson custom shop playing like crap in the
first place especially for that kind of $$?; don't get me wrong I LOVE this
guitar but what happened to Gibson's QC? Jim
Max Leggett
>Not to ask a stupid question, but what exactly is this PLEK unit and how
>does it function?
Computer controled guitar setup and fret leveling system.
http://www.plek.com/
>Jim P.S. For whatever it is worth I bought a brand new
>Byrdland which was a custom order instrument a while back; I could not
>believe how unplayable the guitar was when I received it; after spending
>some major $$ with my luthier friend here in San Diego who is an absolute
>genius with guitars the Byrdland now plays GREAT; question is how on earth
>can a guitar come out of the Gibson custom shop playing like crap in the
>first place especially for that kind of $$?; don't get me wrong I LOVE this
>guitar but what happened to Gibson's QC? Jim
It happens across the board. There are complaints about every
manufacturer. I would imagine that they use a stastical quality
control system; they check every x bodies, every y necks, and every z
finished guitars, and that gives a good idea of whether they're on
target. Checking every guitar is just too expensive, I guess. I worked
in quality control for a glass manufacturing company. We used
statistical methods, and they were set up so that 95% of the glass
would be good. Every now and then someone got the other 5%. I imagine
that's what happens in guitar manufacturing.
>
>
jimb...@cox.net
I understand what you are saying about QC, but I'll tell you as a
general dentist if I put something in your mouth where there is a problem
you can sure bet that the patient isn't going to care about that crown that
didn't quite fit right.................... I guess that for what a Byrdland
cost I think that everyone of them coming out of Gibson's custom shop should
be checked at that price before going out the door. Jim
"Max Leggett" <mleg...@nospam.ca> wrote in message
news:3fb2eac7....@News.CIS.DFN.DE...
Joe Finn
> I'm starting to feel defensive here. For US$2000 I expected a guitar
> in playable condition. I did not get it. I had to do a lot of running
> around to get a fret job. I would not expect to need a fret job on a
> new guitar. I have bought Fenders, Washburns, and Eis that did not
> need fret jobs. I'm not picky. All I want is a reasonable action that
> doesn't rattle. For me, 5/32nds at the 12th fret of the top E is not a
> playable height. Industry standard is 3/32. Joe Finn's guitar is 2/32.
> Jay has reimbursed me for my costs, but expecting a playable guitar
> out of the box is hardly unreasonable.
I don't think you should feel defensive, Max. The guitar you bought simply
needed adjustment. I guess that sort of thing will happen from time to time.
It sounds like you were fairly compensated and treated well by Jay Wolfe and
that you are now satisfied with the instrument. Hopefully the guitar will
now give you many years of service. .......joe
art...@invalid.co.uk.invalid
matt u <box_...@yahoo.com> wrote:
http://www.plek.com/
It seems to be a fret levelling machine that is based on the assumption
that a correctly shaped fingerboard can be produced just by grinding the
fret tops to produce the desired contour. This is will be true if the
fingerboard is correctly contoured in the first place and all of the
frets are properly bedded.
Used as part of routine factory production it will IMHO be just a clever
way of covering up poor workmanship so that a badly made fingerboard can
be made to feel right - until it needs to be refretted or until you catch
your finger on the sharp edge of an improperly bedded fret.
Arthur
--
Arthur Quinn
real-email arthur at archtopguitar dot co dot uk
tomw
says...
> I'm starting to feel defensive here.
As well you should, Max. This post was insensitive at best!
MBR
It seems reasonable to expect that when you pay a lot of money for a
guitar that it should be in playable condition. Frankly, I'm a bit
suprised at the defensive and condescending replies to your original
post.
-Mark R.
Jay Wolfe
> While you're here, Jay, I just wanted to ask: does Heritage sport the
> same prone to breakage headstock joint design?
Well...........I'm going to declare that one an "internet rumor" also,
as the thousands of Heritage guitars I've handed have "not" exhibited
a tendency to self destruct. I have to laugh when reading some of this
stuff.
I'm sure we all know that the truss rod adjuster cavity is the
weakest
point on a guitar, and cannot withstand a hard trauma. Heritage's have
the 17 degree peghead angle that so many players whined about when
Gibson changed to the shallower 14 degree angle. This simply means we
need to be careful, as we would with an older Gibson, Epi, etc.
Trust me- Heritage owners don't want their customer's head stock
snapping off. They have experienced a lot of this, with the exception
of their "former" dealer Ed Roman- who supplied a cheaper inferior
case with all his Heritage's- which is usually poor fitting & has
caused some heastock failures.
Jay Wolfe, www.wolfeguitars.com
Jay Wolfe
Max;
I can understand your feeling defensive here. I certainly wasn't
referring to you. You did deserve to receive a guitar that played
well. Your guitar played fine when packed for shipment to you. The
string height measurements will usually change when a guitar is
shipped to another climate- environment. This is sometimes upsetting
to some, but that's the deal with wooden things.
If you lived nearby, I would've simply collected the guitar, made the
simple adjustments & handed it back to you with an apology. Since we
are far away- I feel the adjustments were done in the best way
possible. Your guy only charged $60 Canadian. This is hardly as
disatrous as some others have implied. Unfortunately, some people will
make disparaging remarks without knowing all the facts. These remarks
can sometimes harm a reputation. I appreciate your original post and
your purchase. I was simply (clumsily) trying to correct the ugly
rumorists that seem to want others to believe that "all" Heritage
guitars have awful fret problems. Majority of people do know better,
and have declared so. Thanks again for your post.
Jay Wolfe
Norman Karin
> ... with the exception of their "former" dealer Ed Roman...
You mean Fast Eddie doesn't sell Heritages anymore? His web site still
has 'em.
Norm
HotchkissTrio
I apologize. My post was getting off topic from your original post. I
didn't mean to refer to your original complaint, but more to the topic of
"Are Heritage Guitars quality instruments?" which is up for discussion often
here. I've tried quite a few Heritage guitars, and the only one with setup
issues had been shipped cross-country, and I believe the setup issues were
due to climate changes.
I'm sorry,
Paul H.
"Max Leggett" <mleg...@nospam.ca> wrote in message
news:3fb2c812....@News.CIS.DFN.DE...
Steven Rosenberg
is that the strings are pulled straighter over the nut.
"Mark Guest" <ja...@REMOVETHISMarkGuest.net> wrote in message news:<Qmtsb.182397$Fm2.165492@attbi_s04>...
Greger Hoel
I don't really know much about this, except that the luthier I know
quite often have a new Gibson in his shop when i'm there, with the
headstock snapped off. In the last incident, some guy'd gotten his
335's headstock snapped off during air travel. There was *no* signs of
trauma on the hardshell case the guitar was in.
Max Leggett
wrote:
>On 13 Nov 2003 08:50:22 -0800, j...@wolfeguitars.com (Jay Wolfe) wrote:
>
>>Greger Hoel <gre...@spamblock.net> wrote in message >
>>
>>> While you're here, Jay, I just wanted to ask: does Heritage sport the
>>> same prone to breakage headstock joint design?
>>
>>Well...........I'm going to declare that one an "internet rumor" also,
>>as the thousands of Heritage guitars I've handed have "not" exhibited
>>a tendency to self destruct. I have to laugh when reading some of this
>>stuff.
>> I'm sure we all know that the truss rod adjuster cavity is the
>>weakest
>>point on a guitar, and cannot withstand a hard trauma. Heritage's have
>>the 17 degree peghead angle that so many players whined about when
>>Gibson changed to the shallower 14 degree angle. This simply means we
>>need to be careful, as we would with an older Gibson, Epi, etc.
>> Trust me- Heritage owners don't want their customer's head stock
>>snapping off. They have experienced a lot of this, with the exception
>>of their "former" dealer Ed Roman- who supplied a cheaper inferior
>>case with all his Heritage's- which is usually poor fitting & has
>>caused some heastock failures.
>
>I don't really know much about this, except that the luthier I know
>quite often have a new Gibson in his shop when i'm there, with the
>headstock snapped off. In the last incident, some guy'd gotten his
>335's headstock snapped off during air travel. There was *no* signs of
>trauma on the hardshell case the guitar was in.
That'a fairly common - the headstock should be supported with bubble
wrap during transport. I think frets.com has anarticle on how to pack
a guitar for travel.
Greger Hoel
wrote:
>On Thu, 13 Nov 2003 22:35:48 +0100, Greger Hoel <hre...@softhome.net>
>wrote:
>> the luthier I know
>>quite often have a new Gibson in his shop when i'm there, with the
>>headstock snapped off. In the last incident, some guy'd gotten his
>>335's headstock snapped off during air travel. There was *no* signs of
>>trauma on the hardshell case the guitar was in.
>
>That'a fairly common - the headstock should be supported with bubble
>wrap during transport. I think frets.com has anarticle on how to pack
>a guitar for travel.
Yeah, the point is to support the neck along it's entire length rather
than having it rest on the headstock joint, or indeed the point of the
headstock, isn't it? For some reason, I didn't think about that. I
guess I assumed the guy - who's a pro musician - pakced his axe the
right way.
Jay Wolfe
No Norm. Heritage has thrown in the towel on that sad chapter in their
soon to be 20 years history. They've officially cancelled him a while
back, after a number of strict warnings.
Hey!........Has your new Blonde Sweet 16 arrived yet. Is the peghead
still on? Are the frets placed in near proximity to correct placement?
Man, that's a "sweet" ax. I'm sure you'll have fun.
Thanks,
Jay Wolfe, www.wolfeguitars.com
Jay Wolfe
Oops..........theres a key mistake in my former post.
> Trust me- Heritage owners don't want their customer's head stock
> snapping off. They have experienced a lot of this,
SHOULD'VE read "Have NOT" experienced a lot of this
I'm just WAY too busy....
> Jay Wolfe, www.wolfeguitars.com
zip36
Finally, that guy is one of the biggest a**holes in the business.
Thing is he knows it and is proud of it. He ripped me off on a H-575
a few years back when he was in Connecticut. I wouldn't buy another
instrument from him if he was the last dealer on earth. Scumbag.
--Rant Over---
Lumpy
> ..."former" dealer Ed Roman- who
> supplied a cheaper inferior case
Man. Jay has all the good dirt.
First the Heritage Plek machine news,
now the Ed Roman is DOA news..:-)
Thanks Jay!
FWIW - I've bought two guitars from Jay.
One a Heritage, one a Godin. Both excellent guitars.
Both transactions wonderfully smooth.
Also FWIW, EVERY new guitar I obtain gets
a professional setup about 90 days after
I first get the guitar and at least annually
thereafter.
I don't expect any instrument to go from manufacture
to ship-store-ship-store-acquire etc, and all the
related temp and humidity changes, without needing
a setup.
I prefer to have my action, relief, fret height etc
all tuned specifically to my style of playing,
my strings and my climate. I prefer relatively
high action and I live in Phoenix. Both of those
factors make it advantagous for me to get guitars
that aren't quite "finished" in terms of setup.
Lumpy
--
In Your Ears for 40 Years
www.lumpymusic.com
Norman Karin
> ...Hey!........Has your new Blonde Sweet 16 arrived yet?
Well, since you mentioned it Jay ;-} , my new Sweet 16 just arrived
yesterday and I couldn't be happier. Quite a while ago I read an
interview of Sal Salvadore in which he talked about the prototype for
the Sweet 16, and it piqued my interest in small body archtops. Then I
tried one of Jay's Sweet 16s at a guitar show in 2001 and it really
spoke to me. I swore that "some day..."
Mine was a custom order: HRW ‘bucker (not floating), vol AND tone
controls – on the body instead of the pickguard, ebony neoclassical
pickguard and tuner buttons (Jay's suggestion - very cool, IMO),
split-block inlay on the headstock instead of "Sweet 16." I think it's
a real beauty. I slapped together a cheesy web site so that I could
post photos – http://home.earthlink.net/~thekarins47/id10.html. It took
about 3 months to arrive; Jay predicted 3-4.
It plays like a dream and the small body (even vs. my 165) is very
comfortable to play. Surprisingly nice acoustic sound for a small
guitar, and warm and fat through my beloved ElectroHarmonix practice
amp. Workmanship is top-notch. Importantly, in light of the recent
thread about Max's new Eagle, the fretwork appears excellent. If
there's a QC problem at Heritage, you wouldn't know it from this
instrument. Jay gave it a going-over before he sent it to me and the
action is great (I didn't measure it with a ruler). I'll enter another
enthusiastic "thumbs up" for Jay's service.
I may post a more detailed review in a month or two after we've gotten
to know each other better. I've got a great place to store it when I'm
not using it. Don't know where my wife will sleep now though.
Norm
tomw
> Jay Wolfe wrote:
> > ...Hey!........Has your new Blonde Sweet 16 arrived yet?
>
> Well, since you mentioned it Jay ;-} , my new Sweet 16 just arrived
Oo-la-la, that's a beauty! It was a real heartbreaker to see the second
photo where the neck is totally severed at the third fret. :)
Jay Wolfe
> FWIW - I've bought two guitars from Jay.
> One a Heritage, one a Godin. Both excellent guitars.
> Both transactions wonderfully smooth.
Thanks Lumpy. Appreciated... (pay 'ya later)
>
> Also FWIW, EVERY new guitar I obtain gets
> a professional setup about 90 days after
> I first get the guitar and at least annually........
When I think about it, I have quite a few things "setup" for best
performance:
My motorcycles (expensive setup, although I do most myself- except the
computer chip tweaking "mojo" ), Van, Car, Computer (Just spent $85
for an expert to come over & tune-up/re-setup my computer), tennis
racket, automatic pool cleaner,
lawnmower, etc, etc. My son just spent $1100 having his new twin
engine boat "setup".....Now, if when you spend $110,000 for a boat,
you would expect it to run "perfect"..........wouldn't you? Welcome
to the "real" world.
Jay Wolfe, www.wolfeguitars.com
Norman Karin
>
> In article <3FB4F1BA...@udel.edu>, nka...@udel.edu says...
> > Jay Wolfe wrote:
> > > ...Hey!........Has your new Blonde Sweet 16 arrived yet?
> >
> > Well, since you mentioned it Jay ;-} , my new Sweet 16 just arrived
> > yesterday and I couldn't be happier. snip
>
> Oo-la-la, that's a beauty! It was a real heartbreaker to see the second
> photo where the neck is totally severed at the third fret. :)
LOL!! Maybe, out of respect to Margaret, we ought to be cool about neck
jokes for a while...
NJK
Charles Vincent
[SNIP]
> I may post a more detailed review in a month or two after we've gotten
> to know each other better. I've got a great place to store it when I'm
> not using it. Don't know where my wife will sleep now though.
>
> Norm
Reminds me of the guy who mentioned that his wife announced that, if he
didn't give up fishing, she was going to leave him. He just shrugs his
shoulders and says, 'I'm sure gonna miss her... 8-)
Jay Wolfe
So, now, whenever she tells me to "take out the trash".........I CRY !!
Jay Wolfe =:>0
MBR
> Jay Wolfe wrote:
> > ...Hey!........Has your new Blonde Sweet 16 arrived yet?
>
> Well, since you mentioned it Jay ;-} , my new Sweet 16 just arrived
> yesterday and I couldn't be happier. Quite a while ago I read an
> interview of Sal Salvadore in which he talked about the prototype for
> the Sweet 16, and it piqued my interest in small body archtops. Then I
> tried one of Jay's Sweet 16s at a guitar show in 2001 and it really
> spoke to me. I swore that "some day..."
>
> controls ? on the body instead of the pickguard, ebony neoclassical
> pickguard and tuner buttons (Jay's suggestion - very cool, IMO),
> split-block inlay on the headstock instead of "Sweet 16." I think it's
> a real beauty. I slapped together a cheesy web site so that I could
> about 3 months to arrive; Jay predicted 3-4.
>
> It plays like a dream and the small body (even vs. my 165) is very
> comfortable to play. Surprisingly nice acoustic sound for a small
> guitar, and warm and fat through my beloved ElectroHarmonix practice
> amp. Workmanship is top-notch. Importantly, in light of the recent
> thread about Max's new Eagle, the fretwork appears excellent. If
> there's a QC problem at Heritage, you wouldn't know it from this
> instrument. Jay gave it a going-over before he sent it to me and the
> action is great (I didn't measure it with a ruler). I'll enter another
> enthusiastic "thumbs up" for Jay's service.
>
> I may post a more detailed review in a month or two after we've gotten
> to know each other better. I've got a great place to store it when I'm
> not using it. Don't know where my wife will sleep now though.
>
> Norm
Excellent. It sounds like a beautiful guitar, Norm. I look forward to
a more detailed review when you get a chance.
mjguit7
Very nice indeed! I've got an antique natural with an added ebony
tailpiece and fingerboard. It plays lovely. The only things I need
to have done are a new bone nut (done) and a fret job. The one thing
that is bothersome is the fact that with the .13 gauge strings, the
top continues to sink. That's due to the thin top and x-bracing
instead of parallel. I have a D'Angelico NYS2 (the 14.75") model and
it's parallel braced... Right now, the latter is the best playing
instrument I've had to date...
Jay Wolfe
> When I think about it, I have quite a few things "setup" for best
> performance:
Not to beat the horse, but ..............my daughter's boyfriend told
me he now has his pool cue in the shop for a "SET-UP"..........Oh Man!
That's rich.There's no end to this setup craze ....
Jay Wolfe
Jay Wolfe
> top continues to sink.
Gotta be something wrong inside. We've been putting .013's on those
X-braced babies for years with none of that whatsoever. My own 16,
daily player, has had .013's with a .014 1'st for over 12 years- has
been literally played to death, and the top is perfect- the action is
fine & everyone that plays it says it's the best playing/ sounding
guitar...... I've actually loaned that one out many times & it has
many scratches. You should have your braces looked at. That situation
is not normal- EXCEPT for so many, many older ES175, which have a
propensity to sink in at the bridge area. You probably have a popped
loose brace or 2. That's VERY unusual.
Jay Wolfe, www.wolfeguitars.com
mjguit7
Thanks for that info as I was starting to doubt there workmanship.
Everyone that plays mine loves the sound and feel also. A 16" golden
eagle wouldn't be a bad axe to have either (like the gibby signature
model).