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Shishkov is to Hamer...


Northsider

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I was a Heritage fan for several years. I was also a moderator over at the HOC before it temporarily disbanded (I hope this doesn't change your opinion of me)!

Most of their guitars are really good. However, I got tired of their shoddy workmanship and numerous finish flaws. While the few semi-hollows I had were perfect, EVERY solid body I owned (roughly 6 of them) had some sort of glaring finish flaw.

I've been to the factory a few times, and I was shocked at how dirty that place was. I think they still have sawdust piles from the '50s!

I was there when they had just completed a guitar. They gave it to one of the owners for a "final inspection." The owner looked it over for roughly FIVE SECONDS and declared it good. I shook my head in disgust.

After that, I discovered Hamer, and never looked back.

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Yeah, very insightful. My Ultimate has killed my jonz for simarily appointed Hamers. So much so that my last Standard is going on the block soon.

There, I said it. It felt good to post this.

Oddly enough, and as great as my Greenburst Standard is, I've had those same crazy thoughts.

Glad I'm not alone...

Sooooo after you get one of Mike's next models you'll be looking to move this one? ;)

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Sooooo after you get one of Mike's next models you'll be looking to move this one? ;)

No, because he has never owned that one!

But feel free to make ME an offer...;P

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I was a Heritage fan for several years. I was also a moderator over at the HOC before it temporarily disbanded (I hope this doesn't change your opinion of me)!

Most of their guitars are really good. However, I got tired of their shoddy workmanship and numerous finish flaws. While the few semi-hollows I had were perfect, EVERY solid body I owned (roughly 6 of them) has some sort of glaring finish flaw.

I've been to the factory a few times, and I was shocked at how dirty that place was. I think they still have sawdust piles from the '50s!

I was there when they had just completed a guitar. They gave it to one of the owners for a "final inspection." The owner looked it over for roughly FIVE SECONDS and declared it good. I shook my head in disgust.

After that, I discovered Hamer, and never looked back.

It kind of makes me think that the the 140 and 150 lines are just something they do to pick up what money they can from the LP market. They certainly all aren't bad, but the definitely don't seem to have the same level of consistency as the semi-hollows.

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Me too! I've been trying to get that guitar or the other one, since 1985!!!

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I would say a better comparison for Gibson and Heritage would be Epiphone and Guild.

There are however some great guitars coming out of Heritaqe guitars in Kalamazoo. I own 4 of them, and wouldn't call any of them bad. Three are GREAT. One is just good, but it's also had a rough life that has caused some instability in the setup. When I got it it smelled like moldy basement, and all the nickel hardware was completely oxidized. It's much better now.

As for comparisons for Hamer and Shishkov, maybe Tom Anderson and Schecter? Schecter sold the company, and Tom Anderson left to start his own.

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Perfect analogy!

As Mick Taylor was to Brian Jones......Shishkov has followed a legend that was AWESOME and yet has added something different, original, and IMO BETTER.

Yeah, very insightful. My Ultimate has killed my jonz for simarily appointed Hamers. So much so that my last Standard is going on the block soon.

There, I said it. It felt good to post this.

Wow....just wow.....you and CMatthes both considering listing a Standard after experiencing Shishkovery......just wow.

I so love my Hamers........but that Ultimate really is....after this run Mike needs to produce something with a non-locking vibrato bar.....

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After many Heritage guitars passed through, only two stuck......One (apparently hard to find) flattop acoustic and one archtop. The others,including all the semi-hollows (some of them quite nice) all have gone away. For me, too, Hamer was a factor.

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As baby blue unicorns with luminescent wings floating in ethereal winds are to lavender ponies with sparkly auras that ride on rainbows.

Steve, I need some of what you're smokin'.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Heritage kinda sucks - sorry all you Heritage fanbois, but they do. Gawdawfully hideous headstocks aside, they are sub-par to average guitars, with the possible exception of their upper range hollowbodies and semi-hollows. That KM shop looks like a scary episode of "Hoarders" too... (has it EVER been cleaned??!!?)

Say all you like to the contrary, but I've seen far too much shoddy workmanship and played enough lifeless, toneless turds with that name on the headstock over the years to just have those be exceptions to the rule.

Ding's two rule!

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  • 2 weeks later...

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