Sonic Evaluation
I could easily spend all day exploring the sonic possibilities this incredible Heritage H-555 offers, but duty calls and I have to put down the pick and pick up the keyboard. The switching options put me in tone-tweaking nirvana, but first things first: even if you never touch a single mini-toggle and it would be in the running for semi-hollow of the year every year. In standard mode, it's gloriously rich, with a huge and beautiful bouquet of harmonic overtones that create a three-dimensional sense of lushness. Both pickups sound open and are dripping with harmonic content. The bridge has more sparkle and a more focused midrange bite, while the neck is broader and more sonorous with a glassier high-end.
The fun really starts when you start messing with the switching,
Read More...Sonic Evaluation
I could easily spend all day exploring the sonic possibilities this incredible Heritage H-555 offers, but duty calls and I have to put down the pick and pick up the keyboard. The switching options put me in tone-tweaking nirvana, but first things first: even if you never touch a single mini-toggle and it would be in the running for semi-hollow of the year every year. In standard mode, it's gloriously rich, with a huge and beautiful bouquet of harmonic overtones that create a three-dimensional sense of lushness. Both pickups sound open and are dripping with harmonic content. The bridge has more sparkle and a more focused midrange bite, while the neck is broader and more sonorous with a glassier high-end.
The fun really starts when you start messing with the switching, which I covered in greater detail below. Basically, with the mini-toggles down, it activates the D-VIP electronics, making the two top knobs control how out of phase each pickup is. I was genuinely shocked at how many sounds I found between zero and ten that were not just useful but inspiring. In fact, this guitar had me awash with creative new ideas! Basically, the magic is that it allows this guitar to do stunning impersonations of other guitars. Fiddling around, I was shocked at how much I could make it sound like a Gretsch, and I could even grab some Fender-style tones. Playing this guitar made me feel like a painter with the world's largest color palette, and it was such a fun experience.
Even though this guitar gives you limitless possibilities, it's still quite intuitive and dialing in different sounds was an absolute breeze. If you're looking for a semi-hollow that it is spectacular at its normal job and spectacular at a bunch of others, this Heritage H-555 will astound you as much as it astounded me!
Pickup Switching Rundown
This gorgeous Heritage comes equipped with D-VIP electronics, which are the best thing since sliced bread! D-VIP stands for Double Var-I-Phase. Here's what the various controls do, and how they let you access a wide array of inspiring tones! In the playing position, the lower left is a master volume for both pickups, and the lower right is a master tone control for both. The upper left and upper right knob correspond to the VIP tools for the neck and bridge pickup, respectively.
If you engage the VIP by putting the corresponding mini-toggle (left for neck, right for bridge), and put VIP knob at 10, the pickup is in phase. At 0, the pickup is completely out of phase (please note that almost all frequencies are phased out at zero, so the output is virtually nonexistent). Everywhere in between? Delicious new shades of tone colors! I've never seen anything that allows you to control how out-of-phase you are, and it's pretty dang sweet! Speaking of the toggles, they engage the VIP in the down position as previously mentioned, and they give you the normal sound in the middle with both coils. When you flip them up, they split the coils.
That all sounds like a lot, but when you sit down with it, it's incredibly intuitive, and I immediately found myself inspired and delighted as I found all sorts of new sounds!
Condition Report
This Heritage is clean and mean, with just a few small cosmetic imperfections to note. It shows light signs of normal use (mostly just some faint scratches and a few tiny dings), and there's one chip in the back of the headstock by the bass-side tip. Also, there are some red stains on the butt of the guitar and the center of the back (likely from a stand), and the hardware has tarnished a little.
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