A 1988 "Golden Eagle" - Heritage’s Premiere Jazz Archtop - Made in Kalamazoo

1988 The Heritage Golden Eagle Nat. Reg 102 Made for NAMM 2000

This magnificent 17-inch-wide, 3 1/8 inch thick, natural Golden Eagle weighs just 6.30 lbs. and has a two-piece book-matched spruce top with a two-piece 'book-matched' curly maple back and curly maple sides. Three-piece curly maple neck with two mahogany strips, and multi-bound ebony fretboard with a small, graceful point at the end of the neck. The nut width is 1 11/16 inches, the scale length is 25 1/2 inches and the neck profile is thin-to-medium starting at 0.78 inches behind the first fret and rising gently to 0.88 inches behind the ninth fret. Twenty jumbo frets, and inlaid pearl cloud (1,3,5,7,9,&12) pearl block (15,17 & 19) position markers. Seven-ply binding on the top of the guitar, five-ply binding on the back, and single-bound f-holes. Black faced multi-bound headstock with inlaid pearloid "The Heritage" logo and pearl 'Eagle and Branch' inlay. Mother-of-pearl, bell-shaped truss-rod cover with "Golden Eagle" engraved in black, secured by two screws. Black faced back of headstock with 'widow's peak' and serial number "EO1001" in white and inlaid pearl Eagle and inlaid rectangular pearl panel with "Golden Eagle, Kalamazoo, Made in USA Reg. No. 102". Individual Grover Imperial closed-back tuners with gold-plated stairstep tuning buttons. Specific shaped, flamed maple pickguard with five-ply white & black binding, secured to body with two screws. Single first-generation 'ThroBak JS-102B' floating Mini Humbucker at neck position (seven-sided, black plastic volume control on pickguard). The jack socket is in the lower strap-pin. Ebony bridge on height adjustable ebony base with two inlaid 'Eagle Wings'. **Custom L-5 style tailpiece with shield-shaped panel over a trapezoid ebony insert and plastic nameplate. The shiled-shaped panel has a mother-of-pearl design and the plastic nameplate has "The Heritage" engraved in white. Inside the bass 'f' hole is the original Kalamazoo Heritage Guitar Inc. rectangular label with model "Golden Eagle Nat." written in blue ink. Inside the treble 'f' hole  is another Kalamazoo Heritage Guitar Inc, rectangular label with "Golden Eagle Nat. #102" signed by twelve of the luthiers including Joe Schoenburg, Huber Hill, Glenn Seybert, Russ Wykstra, Bill Paige, Claud Dean, Marvin Lamb, Tom Huyck, J.P. Moats, Rendal Wall, & Jim Deurloo. Housed in the original Heritage five-latch black, shaped hardshell case with black plush lining (9.50). ** "The guitar is stock in all features but the tailpiece insert inlay is custom. Only remember one with this pattern." (The Heritage). This 'one-owner' guitar was probably the second Golden Eagle made in 1988 (serial No. EO1001 No. 102) but was held by The Heritage until being sold to the original owner at the 2000 NAMM Show.

"The idea to start Heritage Guitar began when the Gibson Guitar Corporation closed its Kalamazoo, Michigan factory in September of 1984 and moved all production to its other plant in Nashville, Tennessee (in operation since 1975). When this took place, some of the employees were asked to move to Nashville. However, since their families had spent many years in Kalamazoo, it made it difficult to uproot and move. Therefore 3 men, Jim Deurloo, Marvin Lamb, and JP Moats, decided to start a guitar manufacturing business. In 1985 when the company was incorporated, 2 other former Gibson Guitar Corporation employees, Bill Paige and Mike Korpak, joined as owners. Mike left the company in 1985. The founders biggest resource is and was the group of craftsmen they could draw from to begin operations. The owners themselves each had in excess of 25 years of hands on experience in making guitars. To this day each of the owners is directly involved in the manufacturing of each instrument. Heritage started operations in the oldest of five buildings formerly owned and operated by Gibson Guitar Corporation. That building was completed in 1917 and has been a center for guitar manufacturing ever since. Much of the machinery that Heritage uses today, was purchased from Gibson Guitar Corporation. The first guitar Heritage introduced was the H-140 solid body single cutaway electric guitar. This model was shown at the NAMM show in June of 1985.
Since that time Heritage has added many instruments. Currently Heritage manufacturers Custom Carved Hollow Body Guitars, Semi Hollow Body Guitars, and Solid Body Guitars. This is to say nothing of the countless number of custom instruments made in each of the groups previously mentioned. Banjos, Mandolins, Flat Tops, and Basses, are no longer being produced because of the demand for the guitars mentioned in the above 3 categories.
Heritage is proud of its older employeesґ with 25 years of average experience and what it has accomplished in 24 years. Heritage is also training younger luthiers to learn this fine art of craftsmanship." (guitarsnjazz.com).