Travis Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 I was going back through some old threads on Mirage I’s and II’s, thinking about my Mirage and a neck-through Charvel I have and it got me thinking. I don’t really spend all that much time in the upper registers where a blended heel makes that big of a difference to me vs even the bulkiest of bolt-ons... Can’t imagine that a blended heel affects tone or stability all that much when done right So for me, is a blended heel really all that functional, a cool aesthetic that most nobody else will notice, an extra step of craftsmanship by the builder, or just kind of a waste? Anyone else have any thoughts on this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toadroller Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 Like you, I'm hardly a shredder, high-frets visitor. So for me, they're aesthetic and do show the builder's craft. I wouldn't kick one out of bed for eating crackers... Looking around, my Ibanez Paul Gilbert FRMs have one, and if Paul wants it, he can damned well have it! It probably makes a huge functional difference to him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Haynie Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 Some people were turned off by the Monaco shelf while others never noticed it while playing. If you are never bothered by a traditional neck heel, then you do not need to worry about the option. I have never met a blended heel that I did not like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
django49 Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 I am also a big fan. Hope to be putting this one thru the paces very soon. To me, it is both a nice artistic/finishing touch and a playability issue. I think it is important to have a deep set neck for stability and sustain, all the more so with a double cutaway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBraz Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 I do love a blended heel. Aesthetically I think they’re great and the playability improvement is very noticeable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixesandsevens Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 I will always take a blended heel over not, all other factors being equal. I definitely notice it on my guitars with traditional heels, but I'm not such a shredder that it's a dealbreaker for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbonesullivan Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 I've never really noticed it while playing honestly. Whether it's smooth or not, the heel is still a place where you're going to have some degree of issues with the wood thickness. Whether it's carefully sculpted or not doesn't matter for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamerica Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 There are only three words I have for blended heels; "Watson", "Mirage I" and "Impact". I agree on the others comments. I do like them. Hamerica Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crunchee Posted December 22, 2018 Share Posted December 22, 2018 They're nice...but not nice enough for me to ditch my Tele-style partscasters, which is pretty much all I've got at the moment. I don't even think about a blended heel unless somebody else mentions it first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloozguy Posted December 22, 2018 Share Posted December 22, 2018 You mean to tell me that people actually play up there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menehune Posted December 22, 2018 Share Posted December 22, 2018 I've never had a blended-heel instrument, so have never missed one. But I'm afeared a Mirage 1 might ruin me for my other guitars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ting Ho Dung Posted December 22, 2018 Share Posted December 22, 2018 3 hours ago, DBraz said: I do love a blended heel. Aesthetically I think they’re great and the playability improvement is very noticeable. Damn, you got solid rosewood on that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBraz Posted December 22, 2018 Share Posted December 22, 2018 5 hours ago, Ting Ho Dung said: Damn, you got solid rosewood on that? Wenge with an ebony fretboard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thundersteel Posted December 23, 2018 Share Posted December 23, 2018 On 12/21/2018 at 7:19 PM, Bloozguy said: You mean to tell me that people actually play up there? I do. I figure if it has 22 (or 24) frets, they are there to be used. A blended heel makes playing up there so much easier. A double cutaway makes it even better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holLoWskull Posted December 25, 2018 Share Posted December 25, 2018 As pointed out...if a player never plays above the 17th fret and/or uses their pinky finger up there then they’ll likely never fully appreciate both the aesthetic and functional beauty that is the Mirage I blended heel. I like a blended heel personally, but a traditional heel certainly isn’t a deal breaker on my other Hamers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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