2012 Heritage H-535 Flamed - Sunburst | USA Kalamazoo Semi-Hollow Seymour Duncan ’59 Humbucker 3.51kg | CoA OHSC

I am offering a The Heritage H-535 Flamed Sunburst from 2012, a handcrafted at the old Gibson factory in Kalamazoo, Michigan (USA), luxury semi-hollow electric guitar model featuring a top, back and sides made of spectacular flamed maple (!), including a solid maple center block (at 3.51kg total weight!), set-in mahogany neck with standard “C” neck profile and 43mm Korian nut, bound rosewood fingerboard with classic pearl dot inlays, two tonally versatile Seymour Duncan ’59 humbucker pickups and Tune-o-Matic bridge with Stopbar as well as Grover Rotomatic tuners in a beautiful sunburst nitro high-gloss finish in excellent condition, including black Heritage luxury hardshell case, manufacturer’s papers and professional setup with 10-gauge Elixir 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 resisted a relocation to Nashville and decided to continue the legacy (“The Heritage”) together under a new name. Heritage reached an agreement with Gibson to keep 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, they are the “better” Gibsons.

This 2012 H-535 Sunburst carries on the time-honored craftsmanship of the classic ES shapes with contemporary perfection. The resonant body is made of laminated, spectacularly flamed maple with a solid maple center block, giving the guitar an excellent balance of openness, sustain, and feedback resistance. Combined with the glued mahogany neck and the comfortable standard “C” profile, this results in an extremely comfortable playing experience.

The bound rosewood fingerboard with classic pearl dot inlays significantly enriches the semi-acoustic timbre of the instrument with a warm, round fundamental character. These tonal characteristics are transmitted to the amp via the two Seymour Duncan ‘59 PAF-style humbuckers: open, dynamic, articulate, and at the same time warm, with excellent response both clean and distorted.

A sound sample of the model can be found above at the end of the photo gallery.

Visually, the H-535 features a flowing sunburst nitrocellulose finish that beautifully highlights the three-dimensional flamed grain of the maple. High-quality details such as the black-lacquered flamed maple pickguard, the single-layer cream bindings, and the shimmering pearl dots harmoniously complete the timeless, classic look!

Technical Specifications:

• Origin: Kalamazoo, MI, USA
• Year of Manufacture: 2012
• Construction: Semi-acoustic with solid maple center block
• Top: Flamed maple, laminated
• Back/Sides: Flamed maple, laminated
• Neck: Mahogany, laminated
• Neck Profile: Standard “C”
• Fingerboard: Rosewood with pearl dot inlays, bound
• Fingerboard radius: 12"
• Frets: 22, medium jumbo
• Nut width: 43mm, Korian
• Pickups: 2x Seymour Duncan '59 humbuckers (AlNiCo 5)
• Electronics: 3-way switch, 2x volume & 2x tone controls
• Tuners: Grover Rotomatic
• Bridge: Tune-O-Matic
• Stoptail: Adjustable
• Bindings: Cream, 1-ply
• Pickguard: Flamed maple, black lacquered and bound
• Finish: High-gloss sunburst, nitrocellulose
• Scale length: 628mm
• Weight: 3.51kg
• Serial no.: AC81802
• Includes black Heritage luxury hardshell case, manufacturer’s papers

The Heritage H-535 is no longer manufactured in this configuration.

The guitar is in excellent condition and is technically flawless. Visually, if at all, it shows only finest superficial wear (see photos). The frets are immaculate.

The instrument has received a professional setup with 10-46 Elixir Optiweb strings, and I (a long-time guitar teacher) will ship it fully insured with DHL for €49.99 within Germany or €79.99 within the EU. Worldwide shipping available—individual shipping costs upon request.

All photos shown are of the actual instrument for sale.