Heritage vs Gibsons. How do they compare?

They're alright. Definitely try before you buy, because the super-fans sell them as "like a Gibson but BETTER!" and if you buy one site unseen with that in mind, you'll likely be disappointed. They aren't quite apples and oranges, more like oranges and tangerines. I can totally see someone preferring one over the other for entirely valid, subjective reasons. G&L gets stuck in a similar loop, but I'd say those are even further variations, more like oranges and grapefruits. I've played some that were a joy to play and I didn't want to put down, but at no point was I feeling like they were "beating" Gibson.

The whole "Gibson ex-employee" thing is kinda funny to me, because that would be the same group that made the "Norlin era" stuff that people loathe, often in the same discussion circles as the ones that praise Heritage. Really, assessing a product is never as simple as isolating one building or group of people. A group of line workers can be doing significantly different work when management changes, and just a few people turning over can have a similar effect.

It is almost too obvious to repeat, but if you like it, then it is good and you don't need to justify it. Just ignore the brand drama.

If you buy used, be sure to check the neck. I've seen a few twists on Heritages... maybe multi-piece gone awry? I don't know if my sample size was big enough to say they are any more or less likely to twist than anything else, but it doesn't hurt to check.

My guess is you'll know pretty quickly one way or another if they tickle your fancy. Be sure to report back!

Thanks guys. Next time I make a road trip I’ll try to find a dealer and test drive one. I’m kind of looking for something a little different than what I have . Seems to be I have had strats , 335s and Lester’s most of my life. Maybe it’s time to explore some teles as I’ve never owned one.

Being such a Gibby fan, I've always wanted to try a Heritage.

What the heck is a voluted neck pocket?

Good quality overall for the $ but a harder sell down the road. Even if a certain model is as 'good' as a similar Gibson it'll be harder to recoup your $ should you decide to sell.
I find their carved archtops to be brighter than Gibson's, I'll stick w my old vintage Gibbys w a full thick tone thank you.
But they're a good company overall imo

I've never had a guitar with one, but what is the issue with a neck volute? It seems like it would strengthen a weak point. Were they uncomfortable to play around, or did they just look goofy?

It depends on where they're put, but they often don't contribute extra strength if they aren't adding any long grain material. A lot of times it is just a bit of extra end grain hanging off the back. It might add a little meat behind the truss rod cavity, but direction matters a lot when you're talking about wood. I've done peghead repairs on necks with volutes, and the crack usually just runs out the end of the grain on the neck side of the volute, sorta parallel to the fingerboard anyway. Simply not over sanding that area to begin with works well, too.

For reference, this was back in the late 1980s

I gigged the top of the line Gibsons (Les Paul Customs) I found them to be utter garbage! The gold plating on the pickups, tuners and tuning pegs flaked off, the frett wire was so cheap... They needed frett dressings after 6 months. And the guitars went downhill from there. (OH.... did I mention the tunning issue or the fragile headstock?)

I see new Gibsons selling $4000+ I cringe! Heck, I see Les Paul Standards going for $2500 and I roll my eyes.

(as far as I know.....) Heritage has never used cheap materials like Gibson has in the past.

I don't know what Gibson is doing now as far as quality. Their quality might be good now IDK. But seeing how they almost went out of business, it looks like their quality didn't improve since when I used them in the late 80s.

Cosmetically, the Gibson Headstock looks visually better than Heritage... but Heritage's headstock is "function over fashion" The string spacing on the D & G strings are closer (resulting in less drag in the nut area) and the headstock angle is less as well as there is more wood at the bend. (Not fragile, less prone to damage if dropped) That makes the Heritage design a much better design than Gibsons.

Heck, IMO... Epiphone's headstock design is better than the stock Gibson.

I think except for a few die-hards Gibson fans, Gibson has stayed in business from "first-time buyers"
Obviously, from my past experiences, I couldn't spend the $$ Gibson is asking... But... From what I see with Heritage, I think maybe I could)
That said... you would have to pry the Fender Telecaster out of my hand to do it.

I have a Heritage CM140 Custom that I bought from Good News Music in Traverse City Michigan in 1986. The only thing I didn't like about it was the pickups. They were Schallers and were just too bright to my ears. I still have it. It is my favorite guitar. I'm planning on passing it down to my oldest grandson when that time comes. It is the best guitar I've ever had. When it was new the neck would move a lot with temperature and humidity changes but as it aged it settled down and very rarely needs an adjustment.

So for me, I have tried and played Gibsons but nothing has compared to my Heritage.