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Heritage Standard H-535 Electric Guitar - Antique Natural

Semi-hollowbody Electric Guitar with Figured Maple Top, Back, and Sides, Mahogany Neck, Rosewood Fretboard, and 2 Humbucking Pickups - Antique Natural
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Heritage Standard H-535 Electric Guitar - Antique Natural
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Take a Trip Back to Late-'50s Tone

Paying homage to well-traveled and well-played instruments, the Heritage H-535 semi-hollowbody electric guitar feels like playing vintage handcrafted guitar. Evoking the vibe of a late-'50s semi-hollowbody, a pair of Seymour Duncan '59 humbucking pickups deliver definitive tone that excels for rock, jazz, and country. To match its sweet sound, the H-535 semi-hollowbody offers comfortable and fluid playability thanks to its genuine mahogany neck with Heritage Guitar's Standard neck profile. Boasting premium components in an expertly-aged package, you'll find a lifetime of musical enjoyment in the Heritage Guitar H-535 semi-hollowbody guitar.

Pure vintage PAF tone

The Heritage Guitar H-535 semi-hollowbody is fitted with a neck and bridge set of Seymour Duncan '59 humbuckers. Many guitarists at Sweetwater choose these pickups for a variety of musical applications. They're the closest you'll ever get to the original humbucking pickup Seth Lover designed in 1955 — the ones stamped "Patent Applied For" on the back.

Covers a vast sonic range

With the Heritage Guitar H-535, you've got the sonic versatility you need to handle practically any musical style. It's equipped with a three-way pickup selector and individual volume and tone controls for each pickup. Fine-tune the volume and tone of each pickup so that they sound perfect blended, or dial them in separately for two completely distinct tones when used on their own. Whether you prefer to set and forget your guitar's volume and tone controls or constantly adjust them during a performance, the Heritage Guitar H-535 won't disappoint.

A Heritage of quality handcrafted guitars

For 68 years, 225 Parsons Street in Kalamazoo, Michigan, was home to one of America’s premier guitar manufacturers. In 1984, the company moved its operations. The next year, desiring to carry on the tradition of handcrafting electric guitars in Kalamazoo, three former senior employees with a combined 84 years of guitar-building experience founded Heritage Guitar Inc., buying space and much of the original equipment in the iconic factory. Since then, Heritage Guitar has established its own tradition of quality by handcrafting guitars with flawless playability, tone, and visual appeal.

Heritage H-535 Semi-hollowbody Electric Guitar Features:

  • Traditionally constructed semi-hollowbody is well suited for rock, jazz, and country
  • Seymour Duncan '59 humbuckers re-create the magic of original PAF pickups
  • Factory Plek treatment ensures your guitar plays perfectly right out of the case
  • Mahogany neck for enhanced resonance and sonic depth

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Tech Specs

  • General
  • Number of Strings 6
  • Left-/Right-handed Right-handed
  • Body
  • Body Type Semi-hollowbody
  • Body Shape H-535
  • Body Material Laminated Curly Maple
  • Top Material Laminated Curly Maple
  • Body Finish Nitrocellulose Lacquer
  • Color Antique Natural
  • Neck
  • Neck Material Genuine Mahogany
  • Neck Shape Standard C
  • Neck Joint Set Neck
  • Radius 12"
  • Fingerboard Material Rosewood
  • Fingerboard Inlay Dots
  • Number of Frets 22, Medium Jumbo
  • Scale Length 24.75"
  • Nut Width 1.6875"
  • Nut Material Bone
  • Hardware
  • Bridge/Tailpiece Adjustable Bridge and 2-piece Stopbar Tailpiece
  • Tuners Heritage Tuners
  • Electronics
  • Neck Pickup Seymour Duncan '59 Humbucker
  • Bridge Pickup Seymour Duncan '59 Humbucker
  • Controls 2 x volume, 2 x tone
  • Switching 3-way toggle pickup switch
  • Miscellaneous
  • Strings Elixir, .010-.046
  • Case/Gig Bag Hardshell Case
  • Manufacturer Part Number: 100-0200-104

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Customer Reviews

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Rated 5/5

Heritage 535

Originally I was going to buy the Gibson ES 335. After extensive research and talking with other guitarists who owns one or both guitars, I've decided on the 535. I'm glad I did! The craftsmanship is of the highest quality and the sound is second to none. It plays like a dream and the natural color with the curly maple is absolutely stunning! The only problem I had was the Corian nut. In spite of buying and installing Grover locking tuners, the guitar would not stay in tune. After researching this problem it was found that the nut was not cut correctly, causing the G string to bind up which also affected the high E and B strings. It also affected the intonation. So, I had a local and reputable Luthier to install and cut a "bone" nut and reset the intonation. That solved the problem. If you run into this "tuning" problem 9 times out of 10 it's the nut. My suggestion is if you replace the nut, replace it with a "bone" nut. You'll be glad you did! Other than that, the Heritage 535 is a 10 out of 10.
Music background: Guitarist for over 50 years!
Rated 4/5

The only real competition for you-know-who...

There were two features which stood out as different from the other brand: headstock and pickups. The headstock had better string geometry and the pickups were unpotted. Since I own several Gs I went Heritage for a different axe in the shed.
Overall, it's pretty good. I did notice some finish imperfections around the F-holes, could be better but not a deal breaker. End of the day I'm happy.
Rated 5/5

Heritage H535

Amazing guitar. Great tones, neck just feels perfect for me. Beautiful natural finish too
Rated 5/5

They're still making better instruments in Kalamazoo

Many years ago, I purchased a brand new 1970 ES-340 (a slightly upscale version of the 335). I played this guitar for many years and it was rock solid. We parted ways (reluctantly) when the budget made it necessary. This old instrument was made in Kalamazoo well before the 'G' company moved away. The building stayed behind of course, but many of the builders did as well. They've been making instruments in that same location ever since. The instruments are more than a little similar to their Tennessee counterparts, but different in significant ways.

I recently decided that I needed to fill a hole in my small collection. The archtop slot is owned by my Benedetto, and it's not going anywhere. But I needed a semi-hollow for tonal extension and taking along on trips (if I ever get on an airplane again). I bought a 335 from Sweetwater and was deeply disappointed in the poor quality of the instrument. Spoke to Frank Gerdts, my trusty consultant at Sweetwater, and he offered me the Heritage H-535 in exchange. The more I looked, the better it looked. Where had this guitar been hiding? So I went for the swap.

It's been a great experience since I opened the case the first time. This is a beautiful guitar to see, with nicely flamed maple, a smooth fast neck (and of course that sweet smell of nitro). It was set up very nicely and played great right out of the box. But I'm a jazzer and we like those heavier strings. I put on a set of D'Addario EJ-21 (.012 first string) and tweaked the tension, bridge etc (I've been doing my setup a long time). Heavier strings brought out the tone that was probably the goal of the 335 designers back in the 50s--fuller, a little darker, with more bottom. I was able to move the pickups a little farther from the strings, getting me some more air. The pickups are great--much better than the Burstbuckers on the 'G' guitar) and they respond beautifully to string choices and proper voicing. Through my little Henriksen amp, it sounds wonderful.

If you feel you must have that big 'G' on your headstock, then go ahead and buy one. But you're going to spend quite a bit more to match the quality of this Heritage. If you're just looking for sound, looks and playability, then you're looking in the right place. They still know how to make guitars in Kalamazoo.
Music background: Nearly 60 years on guitar
Rated 5/5

Great guitar

When I mentioned to my sales rep, Joel Helton, that I was thinking about adding a semi-hollow to my little collection, we talked about a few brands, then he mentioned Heritage. I started doing some research and comparisons, and finally decided on the H-535. I couldn't be happier with this choice.

I love the retro sound, and the guitar looks and feels great. It's fun to play. I'm an intermediate player, and this feels like an advanced instrument, at a relatively decent price. It's comfortable and makes me want to play all the time.
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