I am offering here a The Heritage H-575 Original Sunburst from 2000, the handcrafted at the old Gibson factory in Kalamazoo, Michigan (USA), legendary all-solid archtop hollowbody jazz guitar model with 16-inch body size, including a Florentine cutaway, arched top, arched back, and sides made of impressively figured solid flamed maple, set mahogany neck with medium “C” neck profile and 42.9mm bone nut, richly grained rosewood fingerboard with dot mother-of-pearl inlays, two warm, midrange-focused Schaller humbucker pickups, adjustable rosewood bridge on rosewood base, Grover Rotomatic nickel tuners, as well as classic “H” floating tailpiece in an authentically aged original sunburst nitrocellulose high-gloss finish, in excellent condition, including black The Heritage luxury hardshell case, manufacturer’s paperwork, and professional setup with 12-gauge D’Addario chrome flatwound strings.

When Gibson decided in the mid-1980s, for various reasons, to close its own Kalamazoo factory—the birthplace of Gibson itself—a large portion of the Gibson workforce opposed a relocation to Nashville and decided to continue the legacy (“The Heritage”) together under a new name. Heritage reached an agreement with Gibson to retain the factory and continue manufacturing classic Gibson-style electric guitars under a new brand name and with a new headstock design.

Boutique guitars under the name The Heritage are still manufactured in Kalamazoo today, and they all combine incredible handcrafted quality with great attention to detail—for many guitarists, these are the “better” Gibsons.

This 2000 H-575, with its traditional single-cutaway hollow-body archtop construction, voluminous 16-inch body size, and Florentine cutaway, is unmistakably modeled after the simple, classic design of the Gibson ES-175. Unlike the original introduced in the 1940s, the Heritage H-575 features exclusively solid tonewoods (!), which gives the guitar exceptionally fine acoustic resonance. The arched maple top with two F-holes, combined with the maple body, produces a direct, warm, midrange-focused tone, while a glued-in one-piece mahogany neck with a slim C-profile ensures lightning-fast playability on the beautifully figured rosewood fingerboard.

Plugged in, the original Schaller humbuckers (yes, Made in Germany) deliver a warm, singing PAF tone. The pickups are extremely versatile and offer everything your heart desires—from mid-range, floating rhythm harmonies to singing blues tones and more dominant solo passages à la George Benson.

A sound sample of this model (in a different finish and from 1999) can be found above at the end of the photo gallery.

Visually, the guitar impresses with a beautifully graduated original Sunburst nitro finish and nickel hardware, complemented by thoughtful details such as the “H” tailpiece and the dark-tinted solid flamed maple pickguard.

Technical Specifications:

• Origin: Kalamazoo, MI, USA
• Year of Manufacture: 2000
• Body Style: 16" hollowbody archtop with Florentine cutaway (ES-175 style)
• Top: Arched flamed maple (solid) with two F-holes
• Back: Arched flamed maple (solid)
• Sides: Flamed maple (solid)
• Neck: One-piece mahogany neck, set-in
• Neck profile: Medium C
• Fingerboard: Rosewood with mother-of-pearl dot inlays
• Fingerboard radius: 12''
• Frets: 20
• Nut width: 42.9mm, bone
• Pickups: 2x Schaller humbuckers
• Electronics: 3-way switch, 2x tone and 2x volume controls
• Tuners: Grover Rotomatic tuners
• Bridge: Adjustable compensated rosewood bridge on rosewood base
• Tailpiece: “H” floating tailpiece
• Hardware: Nickel
• Bindings: Cream
• Pickguard: Dark-tinted flamed maple (real wood)
• Finish: Original high-gloss sunburst, nitrocellulose
• Scale length: 629mm
• Weight: 3.35kg
• Serial No.: Q08901
• Includes original black The Heritage deluxe hardshell case, manufacturer’s paperwork

These early Heritage guitars still feature truly exceptional craftsmanship and are something truly special.

The guitar is in excellent, extremely well-maintained original condition and is technically flawless. Visually, there is only occasional fine superficial wear (see photos). The frets are practically flawless.

The instrument has been professionally set up with 12-52 D’Addario ECG25 flatwound strings, and I (a long-time guitar teacher) will ship it fully insured DHL shipping for €49.99 within Germany or for €99.99 within the EU. Worldwide shipping available—individual shipping costs upon request.

All photos shown are of the actual instrument for sale.