Post
by yngwie308 » Thu Aug 31, 2006 4:26 pm
Yes they are,I bought one,the amber burst from Manny's music store in NYC,it is #55 of the first 75 produced.As soon as I read about these guitars in Guitar Player,I also ordered one from the factory,through a Pennsylvania dealer out in the boondocks.
So I ended up with two guitars,people think I am fanatical about Yngwie,but I was/am even moore so about Gary Moore!!
The second guitar came in almond burst,to my suprise,it is #45 of the second run of 75.
Apparently Gary's arrangement with Heritage was for there to be only 75 made and in the amber burst to match his ex-Peter Green '59 Les Paul Standard.
I was surprised to find the different color when I opened the case.
Since I had already special ordered it,I ended up with the two guitars.
These are among the finest Les Paul type guitars I have ever played,including original goldtops,and bursts.
They are very heavy guitars,the workmanship and quality of the construction,and the woods used are second to none.
The EMG 81's put off some people,but in this guitar they sound amazing.
The bookmatching of the tops and the maple pickguards are quite stunning and my camera was not of digital quality,so they are not done proper justice in the photographs.
I had to make an agonizing decision though,after I started playing them,I found the Schaller roller bridge to be buzzy and having poor intonation,also the frets were skinny and frankly the fret jobs on both guitarslet me down somewhat.
So I decided to modify bothguitars at once,so it was like having both legs operated on at the same time.
I choose the finest luthier in Philadelphia at that time,early nineties.
JOHN R. ZEIDLERwho was famous for making an archtop blue guitar for the Scott Chinery collection.John made all types of guitars,was young and confident,in a way some might construe as cocky,but was a true master of guitar building,so it was not out of place.
I purchased a Schaller Nashville bridge and conventional Gibson stop tailpiece,for each guitar.Also I decided to go with medium jumbo DiMarzio stainless steel fretwire,which John reccomended.
The neck of the amber guitar,'moved around' as he termed it when he was planing it for the refret.
The resulting guitars were simply out of this world,everyone who plays them,cannot believe how easy they are to play,and how they sound,acoustically and plugged in.
I first used Dean Markley Light Top Heavy Bottom sets, 10 thru 52's,and they played fantastically,I was so hard core Gary Moore that I used the same heavy gauge strings he used,and with heavier strings,you can have lower action.
The Grovers and EMG electronics,batteries,add to the weight but with your eyes closed,you would swear,if PAF's were fitted,that it was a late fifties Les Paul.
These guitars were built in the same factory,constructed on the same equipment,by the same craftsmen,that built all the Ted McCarty era classics.
My dream is for Gary himself to play them one day.
The Heritage that he uses on the excellent Live at Montreux DVD is a 150 model,stock except for a PJ Marx active pickup in the neck position and an EMG 81 in the bridge.I was told Gary has #1 of the signature models,but he has never played it live, to my knowledge.
Even though they are modified,as many were,to stock Gibson type bridge setups,it still is a priceless guitar to me.
I could go on for hours about them,but any questions you might have,let me know.
The sad end to this tale is that I learned a few years ago that poor John had died of leukemia at age 32,leaving a wife and young child,it is truly the gifted hands of a master that have left their imprint on my guitars,and they hold a special place in my heart.Thanks John,hope to meet you in guitar heaven,one day.
Regards
Yngwie'Emerald'308