Heritage Guitars H-155M Millennium
When Gibson moved production from Kalamazoo to Nashville in the 1980s, several former employees founded Heritage Guitars to continue building in the old factory. The word ‘heritage’ has unfortunately become a rather loaded term, but the whole situation raises the question, “Does legacy follow whoever currently owns and controls the brand name, or is it tied to the people?”
It is a moot point, however, because Heritage Guitars is now owned by a company based in Singapore that also owns several other musical instrument and music-related publishing and media companies.
This particular guitar bears a strong familial resemblance to its ancestors, but with a pointier horn, a svelter headstock, and f-holes. While Heritage Guitars have continued to make traditional semi-hollow guitars with thin wood that is bent and braced for the sides and back, the Millennium series are hollowed out from a solid block of wood (with a separate top and back added).
It has the usual double humbucker and electronics associated with this type of guitar, along with gold hardware. The back and sides are natural mahogany, while the flame maple top features a gorgeous transparent purple stain that looks almost like the sort of velvety fabric that creates different patterns of dark and light when you run your hand over it.
