Heritage Standard II H-575 review: “a hell of a lot of guitar for the money”
Editor’s note: Heritage Guitars and Guitar.com are both part of the Caldecott Music Group.
$4,499, heritageguitars.com
The venerable Gibson ES-175 holds a particularly auspicious record in the long and varied history of guitar. Because between its arrival in 1949 and its rude interruption in 2019, Gibson’s supreme Florentine-cutaway jazzbox held the distinction of having the longest uninterrupted production run of any electric guitar – bang on 70 years without a single year going by where you couldn’t buy one.
READ MORE: Heritage Standard II H-150 review: “It screams, it roars, it purrs”
Despite that remarkable run, it’s all the more perturbing that since 2019, you’ve been unable to buy yourself a production ES-175 from Gibson since then. Dark times.
Interesting trivia that may be, but it does also help explain perhaps why the H-575 – a Florentine-cutaway jazzbox – has become the fourth model to enter Heritage’s US-made Standard II range.
Image: Adam Gasson
Heritage Standard II H-575 – what is it?
The H-575 model, like all Heritage guitars, aims to offer a refined reimagining of a classic Gibson design – one that was created in the old Gibson factory in Kalamazoo Michigan, originally by a team of ex-Gibson employees.
The H-575 has been a regular feature of Heritage’s brand since the company was born of Gibson’s move to Nashville in 1985, and the Standard II is the brand’s recent evolution of its most affordable Kalamazoo-made line. In this specific case, it might also be the only game in town for a player searching for a new instrument to fulfil their big box Jones.
With all this preamble in mind, the sophisticated-looking hollow body before me is a joyful sight. Coming correct with a sharp Florentine cutaway (F# remember?) and an outrageously pleasing sunburst over a flamed maple top, this is a good-looking beast. Let’s take a closer look.
Image: Adam Gasson
Heritage Standard II H-575 – build quality and playability
It may look like a standard jazzbox, but there’s more going on here than meets the eye – with some features that elevate the Heritage 575 from the competition. First off, that maple top is carved.
While some players might argue that by definition a true archtop guitar – such as Heritage’s Eagle classic model – must sport a carved solid spruce top, the fact that this is solid wood and not a bent laminate is welcome news. The maple theme extends to the whole body – the back is also carved – and there is a decent amount of flame on offer throughout.
Continuing the woody theme it is an absolute delight to see a carved, adjustable rosewood bridge instead of yet another tune-o-matic. This should give us a world of warm, detailed tones to explore.
Image: Adam Gasson
The guitar is built around a 24.75” scale length and arrives strung with GHS 11-52 round-wound strings – although I suspect many of these instruments will be living the flatwound life as soon as they get home.
The mahogany neck features a standard C carve and it feels like an old friend. I’ve reviewed a few Heritage guitars in recent years and have come to the conclusion that the brand makes very nice necks indeed, and this is no exception.
The big news from the electronics point of view is the pair of Heritage Custom Shop 225 Standard Archtop humbucking pickups shining happily from their black plastic surrounds. They get a tone and volume control each and there is no coil tapping – in fact the Alnico 2 pickups are completely unpotted in order to capture the full character of this instrument.
The Heritage snakehead headstock is an ongoing source of controversy, but the recent application of a veneer with an inlaid heritage logo makes it less jarring than it has been on other instruments by the brand. In the words of the great Charlie Christian – it’s time to “Wake Up And Pluck”.
Image: Adam Gasson
Heritage Standard II H-575 – sounds
While many guitars come with a single pickup at the neck – á la Herb Ellis – this Heritage is loaded with a brace of humbuckers and it would be rude not to try the bridge for some rockier Steve Howe meets Pat Metheny moments.
This is a very smooth bridge sound – there’s still some bite if you need it but I’m impressed at the creamy transients even with the tone on full. Thumbed octave work and fingerstyle Bossa nova chord voicings have a degree of sheen to them that just doesn’t happen on a neck pickup. Given that jazz players are often the rare few who will actually use their tone controls it is extremely rewarding to hear such a wide variety of textures as we roll the tone off.
As in-between sounds go the H-575 may seem limited at first glance – this is never going to be a funky Strat or Tele voice but what is lost in shimmer is more than compensated for in blend ability, allowing me to really fine-tune my tone. Nice.
As hoped, the neck pickup is a velvet delight – warm and inviting. Expensive chords with names like zip codes come rolling out without losing focus, while shell chords and double stops sound rich and girthsome. Lead lines, either picked or fingerstyle, are immediate and nourishing. Pull out a Jazz III or a Bluechip and you’ll be having a very good time.
This guitar design predates rock and roll and as such gentle gain is as heavy as we’re going to get here. Anyone hoping for the hollowbody roar of Noel Gallagher or Billy Duffy will find that the guitar spirals off into feedback as soon as you start to really hit the filths. Hardly a surprise. There are some grunty blues tones to be had and if you’re a cool kid running a mucky DI then it’s all to play for, but the vast majority of players will know what to expect from one of these woody wonders.
Heritage Standard II H-575 – should I buy one?
Throughout my playing session the H-575 feels lightweight, well balanced and immediate. Despite the resemblance and, well, heritage, this guitar will gently remind you that it is not intended to be an ES-175. The combination of a solid, carved soundboard and unpotted vintage-voiced pickups makes for a much more sensitive instrument – this is good news.
Players looking for this sort of thing will probably be exploring the upper echelons of the Epiphone catalogue for a fully laminated guitar, turning to boutique makers such as Collings for an alternative or rolling the dice on a second-hand purchase. Yes, it’s a significant investment but the Heritage Standard II H-75 represents a hell of a lot of guitar for the money.
I began this review with a question and I will end it in the same way. Are you a guitarist looking for an articulate, woody jazz and blues voice that responds beautifully to your touch. If so, do you also happen to have the thick end of five grand to invest? You do? Great! Have at it!
Heritage Standard II H-575 – alternatives
If you’re looking for a similar vibe but for a much more affordable outlay, the Chinese-made Eastman AR372CE (£1,569/£1,099) is an impressive alternative. If you want something at the higher end of the market, Ibanez’s Japan-made LGB300-VYS Prestige George Benson (£3,599) comes with the jazz great’s seal of approval. Otherwise, if you’re after a Gibson Custom Shop ES-175 Reissue on the used market, or a vintage one for that matter, be prepared to pay above and beyond what the Heritage is going for.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
