Back to navigation


A Well-aged Tribute to the Golden Age of Guitar Building





This article was


Written By





Our Product Research Team





Get to know them!





Hand-crafted by Heritage’s master luthiers, Custom Core instruments represent some of the finest 6-strings ever crafted in Kalamazoo’s century-long history of guitar building. This Custom Core Artisan Aged H-530 fulfills that lofty legacy, boasting a lightweight curly maple laminate hollow body that imbues your playing with rich and harmonic-packed resonance. Players who favor a slightly chunky grip will be thrilled by the genuine mahogany neck’s ’50s “C” profile. Meanwhile, the sleek rosewood fingerboard’s 12-inch radius offers fret-out-free bends and easy chording across all 22 medium-jumbo frets. What about the tone? Few pickups can hope to match the warm response and extraordinary dynamic range of Heritage Custom Shop 225 Classic Dogear P-90s ? full-bodied pickups that effortlessly tackle everything from languid jazz lines to ripping classic rock riffage. You also get a superb set of hardware, including Heritage Custom Shop Tuners and a locking 2-piece bridge to supply the highest level of stability. Wrap it all up in a perfectly worn-in Artisan Aged nitrocellulose finish, and the Heritage Custom Core Artisan Aged H-530 proves the golden age of guitar building is still going strong in Kalamazoo, Michigan.





Related Videos: Custom Core Artisan Aged H-530 Hollowbody Electric Guitar - Dark Cherry Sunburst


Masterfully applied Artisan Aged finish





Ask any Sweetwater guitarist, and they’ll tell you that the most finely crafted instruments only get better with time. From a neck finish worn smooth by years of playing to captivating checking and crazing, aged instruments boast an undeniable feel that’s eminently inspiring when you pick them up. To capture these qualities in a brand-new instrument, this guitar is draped with an Artisan Aged finish ? a light aging program performed by Heritage’s most experienced luthiers that perfectly replicates the feel of a well-loved vintage 6-string. Each Artisan Aged finish is truly one-of-a-kind, showcasing all the crackling, checking, and wear so sought after by the guitar world’s vintage-obsessed musicians. For the guitarist who seeks authentic vintage vibe without the pitfalls of purchasing a half-century-old instrument, Heritage’s Custom Core guitars will surely serve as the jewel of your 6-string collection.





Serial HC1231156


Serial HC1231156


Heritage 225 Classic P-90 pickups





Designed and wound in-house, Heritage 225 Classic P-90 pickups epitomize articulation and tone, tackling shimmering cleans and roaring distortion with equal assurance. These premium pickups equip the Heritage Custom Core Artisan Aged H-530 with a versatile sonic signature: in the neck position, you get a smooth, fat, rich clean tone that's perfect for jazz and blues. In the bridge position, you get the raucous snarl and hard edge of a classic P-90, which sounds great in front of a driven tube amp. Guitarists at Sweetwater find these pickups offer the perfect blend between vintage character and modern reliability.





The "entry-level" thinline makes a triumphant return





Originally released as a student model to a popular thinline electro-spanish, the "'30" to which the Heritage H-530 tips its hat has seen a massive resurgence in popularity over the years due to its low-weight hollowbody design and snarlier, more aggressive P-90 pickups. If you're lucky enough to have gotten your hands on a true vintage model, you understand exactly what all the fuss is about. If you're a rock or blues player looking for greater comfort and a more open tone from your thinline, the Heritage custom Core Artisan Aged H-530 is definitely worth a look.





Serial HC1231156


Serial HC1231156


A tradition 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. We at Sweetwater love our vintage guitars. But if you're after a real-deal classic without the vintage markup, Heritage Guitars are a great way to go.





Heritage Custom Core Artisan Aged H-530 Features:


Artisan Aged nitrocellulose finish supplies a perfectly worn-in feel from day one


Lightweight premium curly maple laminate hollow body sings with harmonic-rich overtones and cavernous tonal depth


Genuine mahogany neck shaped into a chunky ’50s “C” profile


Luxurious rosewood fingerboard, studded with medium-jumbo frets in a 12-inch radius supplies smooth bends and an even feel across the entire fingerboard


Locking bridge and classic “Trapeze” tailpiece offer superlative stability and lush, ringing overtones


Heritage Custom Shop tuners grant incredible tuning stability and a classic vintage-inspired look


Incredibly authentic-sounding Heritage Custom Shop 225 Classic Dogear P-90 pickups deliver a dynamic, deep, and wonderfully warm response, perfectly capturing the vibe of a true 1950s P-90