Wild Bill Durkin

                                                                            Heritage Guitars

I first visited 225 Parsons Street, in November of 1990, in search of my proverbial "dream guitar". That's, "The Wife".  After over a quarter century as a Heritage Artist, and owner of the first and second Heritage Guitar tattoos, I'd like to share with you the instruments that enrich my life daily. In 1993, "I went to Kalamazoo for a weekend, and stayed for 3 years".  Articles
I've been fortunate to see the full arc of how Heritage Guitars has changed, and more importantly NOT changed, up close, over time. 

They have the right team, at the right time, doing the right things. Heritage Guitars Inc. is a time capsule of the classic Kalamazoo guitar building techniques. They use exceptionally maintained, legacy tools and fixtures from a time, well before you and I, were born. The hand work and finishes, are equally traditional in nature. The materials simply, the best available. The care and enthusiasm of the staff, reflects the special nature of their home.  All the "mojo" you may have been seeking, is right there. It never left. Make no mistake, these are every bit American made at Parsons Street in Kalamazoo, Michigan. U.S.A. 

There's never been a better time to order a Heritage Guitar. The consistancy has never been higher, and quality has reached a new level of refinement. I'd use the term, Belle Epoque. 

The Custom Shop and Bespoke Program offer anyone the ability to order the guitar of your dreams, from the place that makes guitar dreams come true. As can any number of Custom Core or Standard Collection guitars. Please visit the website for any questions and to see the possiblities. www.heritageguitars.com

( The instruments  pictured here are all "vintage" Heritage Guitars BTW.)

Our 3 "currently working" Heritage Guitars instruments. (Left to right) 

They are each, great Kalamazoo instruments. They each have a story that I'd like to tell you in, "Guitar Speak".

Super Eagle Non Cutaway  (AE Serial #,2014)   

One of a small batch of, "X braced", tap tuned, utterly acoustic, NON Cutaway, Super Eagles in Vintage Wineburst finish. Another Jay Wolfe orchestrated masterpiece. (Please visit his fine shop Wolfe Guitars )

Still finding her gorgeous voice grow with every strum. Cuts through with that, "special Archtop thing" on recordings, that makes me swoon. Inspiring to look at and to play. 

Arrived fitted with a 1/4" output jack to the body, with an RCA plug pigtail, and a classic, vintage DeArmond, monkey on the proverbial stick. She was playing Western Swing, out West.

StewMac humcancelling Parsons Street P-90s filled, "double McCarty style" pickguard beautifully crafted by Nick Bachman at 1929 Pickguards and Custom Tortoiseshell.  
 

Currently strung D'Addario Nickel Wound EXL 145 strings ("12 to 54"). Played with Golden Gate mandolin picks  (*Geek Note: Yes, I did put flat wounds on her once and took them right off. Wound them up nicely too. Definitely for a recording, but not for daily driving. I did try.)

Acquired from Arizona in a truly unexpected, direct trade, for the Red, Cutaway Super Eagle, in the banner shot.
A wishful remark on one of the Heritage related Facebook pages, and a few days later, she's in my arms in Nashville.

An ocean liner of swing chords, or a "banjo killing, G run behemoth", if that's your thing. (I can't kill banjos myself, and that's dangerous work folks).  "Cowboy chords" never sounded so good and she can turn any room into Nashville, circa 1964.

Truly the "Heritage Archtop Guitar of my dreams". We refer to her as "Dreamboat"  

H-40 Mandolin (D Serial #, 1987)

Our oldest and most culturally significant Heritage instrument.

For me, this is the moment when the Parson Street Craft Tradition marked it's cultural and practical survival. 

One of 48 of this A Style model built by late Heritage Guitar master craftsman and Tap Tuner, Aaron Cowles. Likely assembled from "Siminoff period"  F5-L parts that came with the building, at the founding of The Heritage. Aaron was one the 3 builders chosen for the Siminoff F-5L Project that literally, resurrected Mandolin building at 225 Parsons Street. That's some, dare I say, "powerful",  mandolin mojo folks.  Aaron's family shop lives on with his Son,
Steve Cowles Aaron's Music Service in Vicksburg, MI..

Also played without her beautifully figured pickguard. She has two really cool "hidden" bear claw figures under the Maple guard, that were a very pleasant surprise. I'm certain it was the first time the pickguard had left the mandolin, since she left Kalamazoo. I felt a little guilty to remove it for the very first time. But well worth it in tone and volume. Currently strung with Martin M400 strings ("10 to 34") Golden Gate mandolin picks, that I try hard not to lose.

I personally replaced the "traditional style" tailpiece with a modern Ashton Bailey Tailpiece that I much prefer. No pickup, and likely to never go on the road.  Currently strung with Martin M400 strings ("10 to 34") Golden Gate mandolin picks, that I try hard not to lose.

Purchased in Nashville from Carter Vintage Likely a long ago NAMM Show sample. Under the bed clean when acquired. Perhaps a few dozen rounds of Soldiers Joy at most.

My songwriting buddy, she "catches things" like a trusty fishing pole, mostly. You hope. (This is the Mandolin that the Heritage Staff marveled over during a past Summer N.A.M.M. by the way. She found the right home....) 
No pickup, and likely to never go on the road. 

Referred to simply as "The Mandolin" 

The First H-550T  (Birth Serial # H,1991. Re-neck Serial # O,1998)

The guitar that brought me to 225 Parsons Street, with old fashioned, NYC cash duct taped to my leg, in 1990. My personal "design" of sorts. Paid $200 for the form collar to be built for the "T for thin aspect".  So I'm certain she was,
"the first T " style built.  I'm aware of one other like her. Just one knob, same spot, fully hollow, same year, in Orange finish. (I'm betting that was a "spare", just in case.).  

If you saw a Heritage Guitar, played in a club in Manhattan in the 1990's it was likely her in Pearl White finish.  (Live photo below) The "House Guitar" at our  "Nightingale Bar Sunday Jam", the NYC bar that gave us among others, Spin Doctors and Blues Traveler. She's been played by hundreds of smiling guitarists and non guitarists alike, on three Continents and counting. 

Originally ordered in Pearl White finish, she was sprayed Red after her second neck was put on at Heritage.
Old Style Cream, Signature label bearing the names of the founding Heritage Guitars staff members. Also has a
10th Anniversary sticker label as well, that I snagged off the roll, when I lived in Kalamazoo. 17" semi hollow body with full center block.

The Serial # now, is the date of her re necking not construction.  Marv Lamb rolled that particular neck to insure I finally got the "baseball bat" I ordered. Her original neck arrived with the classic "535 feel" and a decal on the headstock. That worked fine, but I wanted a "58 Junior Baseball Bat". The second neck has that shape and pearl on the headstock. 

This second "baseball bat" neck was cracked once. I slipped on stairs of the Uptown side, 2nd Ave F Train, Subway stop at Houston St. in Manhattan, NYC. One sharp hit to the right spot on the stair and crack! Once again, personally repaired at "S.I.R. 25th St" NYC. I was leaving the next day to visit Australia. Did an "epoxy with heat lamp quick cure", played it soon as I got to Oz. Beautiful repair spray work by Mario Martin at Guitar Mill of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, about a year later. Still playing on it 20 years later. So far, so good.
 

Seymour Duncan  '59 Model Humbucker Pickups. Just one volume knob, and a 3 way switch.
*Geek Note: The Volume knob is at "same spot as on a Tele". For the same practical reasons. They all get a N.Y.C. Subway Token epoxied to then. Done this to all my electrics since 1985, while living in Europe.) 

Strung with D'Adarrio XL 115 strings ("11 to 49 with a plain 18 G" ) My primary electric set "since before the Interweb". Blue Tortex picks, "since giant Tortexes roamed the Earth".

My Electric Guitar Voice and trusted Stage Companion. Referred to as The Wife, even by My Wife.