Heritage Ascent+ H-535 review: “this could easily become your new main guitar”
Editor’s note: Heritage Guitars and Guitar.com are both part of the Caldecott Music Group.
$699/£599, heritageguitars.com
If you read my review of the stunning H-150 last month, you’ll be aware the Heritage’s new Ascent+ collection is an attempt by the Kalamazoo-based guitar brand to offer a more modern proposition for the brand’s Asian-made affordable models.
READ MORE: Heritage Ascent+ H-150 review: “if you’re looking for your first serious Les Paul-style guitar, you need to try this”
The regular Ascent electric guitars – and indeed the bulk of Heritage’s excellent USA-made instruments – are generally evoking the vibe of the guitars made at 225 Parson’s St when Gibson’s name was still above the door, but the Ascent+ is a little different.
With interesting colours and a whole lot of heavily figured wood tops, the Ascent+ in some ways sits closer to the traditional PRS vibe in terms of visuals – for good or for ill. It’s something that’s even more evident on the full-size semi-hollow H-535 we have here.
Image: Adam Gasson
Heritage Ascent+ H-535 – what is it?
No prizes will be given for working out the lineage of this particular guitar, but beyond the visual similarities to Gibson’s most famous semi-hollow design, a close examination of the spec sheet is worthwhile.
So for starters we have a good-looking laminated curly maple top, sides and back – here accentuated by a classic golden sunburst that looks right at home. If burst ain’t your bag however, you’re outta luck as the only other finish options are the rather garish Scarlet Red and Royal Blue bursts. It fits in with the ‘modern’ stipulation of the Ascent+ range, perhaps, but I wonder how much more of these guitars Heritage would shift if they borrowed the black and cherry options from the vanilla Ascent range?
The neck is mahogany and comes with a two-way truss rod, a genuine rosewood fingerboard that’s nicely bound and a 12-16” compound radius. It’s also nice to see a more traditional heel design than the H-150’s contoured go-faster take, and the premium feel is further enhanced by pearloid dot inlays, a Graph Tech TUSQ XL nut and jumbo frets.
The pickups are a pair of the same Heritage own-brand units found in the H-150, and again they’re paired with Alpha Split Shaft 500K push-pull pots for coil-splitting purposes. It’s also nice to see a side-access jack input, which should help protect the guitar from the oft-seen mishaps on guitars of this type where a cable gets trodden on and pulled sideways, often damaging the valuable and delicate top of the instrument.
Image: Adam Gasson
Heritage Ascent+ H-535 – feel and sounds
Unboxing the H-535 I once again find myself double-checking the price, as this is one unquestionably good-looking guitar. Removing it from the box I’m struck by the lightweight and nimble feel. Many budget-conscious guitars of this type can feel a bit bulky and unrefined, particularly if they are quite heavy, combined with the design’s considerable dimensions. This H-535 features a correct full-length internal centre block, yet still feels light and resonates well with my first unplugged strum.
The setup is great out of the box and the jumbo frets and Graph Tech TUSQ XL nut combine with that compound radius to create a very inviting playing experience, let’s plug in…
You often hear ES-lovers refer to semis as solidbody killers – and with good cause. In my experience, a good 335 or similar is more than capable of out-punching and out-sustaining its airless brethren – and with a broader range of tones on tap.
This H-535 is no exception, exhibiting many of the virtues that make this type of guitar such a versatile instrument. The unplugged tone is wider and richer than a solidbody, the air inside working in tandem with the solid centre section to give a slightly softer attack to notes and a rounder low end. The H-535 also exhibits none of the boxy midrange you can sometimes get with an all-solid guitar, making it more versatile across a range of genres as a result.
Plugged in to my Deluxe Reverb, the bridge pickup exhibits a sweeter, more rounded tone than found on the solid-body H-150, still with plenty of snap for lead lines, and turning up your treble on a good valve amp really will get you into Freddie King territory if biting blues is your thing.
With the pickup selector set in the middle for both pickups together, careful balancing of the volume pots gives the widest tonal smorgasbords. With both pots set about halfway I’m treated to a warm, sweet tone with hints of hollow midrange that is perfect for rhythmic funk or chordal comping or when hit with a bit of overdrive and winding up the bridge pickup along with neck set to about seven, a rich full rock voice perfect for anything from Foos-esque rock to Cream riffs.
The neck humbucker on its own is warmer and jazzier, and with some of the tone rolled down excels at the classic ‘Woman’ tone – a flutey vocal sound, perfect for blues soloing.
As with the H-150, the coil splits prove to again be the stars of the show, offering a slimline version of the above tones and adding to the myriad of sonic options by combining with the humbucker modes. A standout is both pickups together set to single coil mode, which treats you to a beautiful airy sound with not a hint of mud. It’s an almost-perfect 60s jangle, combined with better sustain than many guitars that are typically blessed with that voice.
This really would be a very versatile guitar in the studio or at a covers gig.
Image: Adam Gasson
Heritage Ascent+ H-535 – should I buy one?
Great looks, decent build quality and superb specs combined with a broad range of tones make the H-535 a superb all-rounder in anyone’s arsenal of guitars – whether it’s as a main guitar or a rock-solid gigging backup.
The presence of a genuine rosewood fingerboard, and mahogany/maple construction is time-honoured for this type of design, and it’s not always seen on similar instruments at this price point from other brands.
Sonically, its semi-acoustic nature delivers a balanced, polished voice that belies its price. It would make a superb studio or live tool with easy access to a huge range of tones.
The only drawbacks are the limited finish options, and the lack of a supplied case – which is always an annoyance when you’re dealing with an instrument that doesn’t conform to the standard electric guitar dimensions, but it’s in line with most Asian-made electrics at this price point.
With many players from Noel Gallagher to Dave Grohl favouring classic semi-acoustic guitars live, there’s no reason why you couldn’t rock up with this at the latest blues jam or covers gig down your local and handle anything thrown at you with ease. It punches far above its weight and offers truly exceptional value for money.
Image: Adam Gasson
Heritage Ascent+ H-535 – alternatives
You can’t escape the spectre of Epiphone in this argument, and the Inspired By Gibson Custom 1962 ES-335 ($1,149/£1,099) reissue certainly ticks all the boxes that you’d want from an ES-335 – this one even has the correct shaped headstock, but you’ll pay a hefty premium for all that. The standard Epi ES-335 ($599/£599) is a well-sorted alternative but it’s a laurel fretboard not rosewood. Threading the needle is the new Marty Schwartz signature Epiphone ES-335 ($899/£899), which offers a similarly upgraded feel to the Ascent+ including rosewood board and even Grover tuners. Away from the Gibson stable, Gretsch also knows a thing or two about making quality vintage-inspired budget semi-hollows, and you should definitely check out the G2622T Streamliner Center block DC ($629/£499) – it’s even got a Bigsby.
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