1969 Gibson Heritage 12 Heritage 12 Brazilian Rosewood
The Gibson Heritage dreadnought was manufactured at the famed Kalamazoo plant from 1965-1982, significantly featuring spectacular Brazilian rosewood backs and sides on the 1965-1967 models. In many respects, the Heritage was a rosewood clone of the mahogany Hummingbird of the time, except for the highly figured Braz (and no bird on the pickguard). The Heritage 12 was made only from 1968-1970, with a total production of “approx. 140,” according to The Blue Book of Acoustic Guitars (p. 282). This rare example from 1968-69 apparently is one of the few Brazilian Rosewood Heritage 12s produced, while the regular Heritages began being made with Indian rosewood.
Like the Dove and the Hummingbird, this Heritage 12 is a full square-shouldered 16 ¼” dreadnought body style, with a solid X-braced spruce top in a natural gloss finish, and highly-figured Brazilian rosewood back and sides (with a Brazilian rosewood exterior layer and Indian rosewood interior since the grain pattern on the inside of the body is markedly different from the exterior grain). There is no label, and no visible serial number, but the presence of a three-piece mahogany neck (without volute) is consistent with a production date in the year 1969.
The neck supports a 14/20-fret ebony fingerboard with pearloid dot inlay, while the rectangular ebony bridge sports an adjustable ebony saddle. The black pick guard contrasts with the elaborate “wood Marquetry” center multi-ply white and black soundhole rosette, while the blackface peg head has the pearloid “Gibson” and “leaves & bows” style peghead inlay and a two-ply beveled-edge bell-shaped black plastic truss-rod cover with “Heritage 12” logo engraving. Both the top and back of this guitar are fully bound with the multi-stripe white and black binding.
The nickel six-on-a-strip “Kluson Deluxe double-line” tuners with metal buttons were used briefly by Gibson about this time; I see no sign that they have ever been changed. The tailpiece has been replaced very cleanly, and an LR Baggs internal pickup has been added with the jack installation below the end pin. There is a faint very professional headstock repair, and given the shallow nature of serial number peghead stamping seen in this period, the original serial number may have been removed during the sanding and finish touch-up. The action has been set up at a silky smooth low level for a 12-string— 3/32” at the 12th fret low E—and it sounds as good as it looks: rich and mellow in the lower registers and ringing treble tones on the top. There’s even an unusually ornate backstripe separating the two beautifully bookmatched sides of the back.
As I hope the pictures illustrate, this is one good-looking Gibson guitar! Cosmetically it is in very good shape for its age, despite some finish checking and a very few chips and dings. If the repair and the added electronics detract from the collectability of the instrument for you, so be it, but the sound is all vintage Gibson. Maybe you can find one of the other 139 Gibson Heritage 12s. Nah, probably not.
The hard shell case is also vintage, and it’s presumably original. This hard shell case has the grey plush lining, a bit worn but intact and fully functional. The outside of the case is also worn, especially along the edges--just enough dings and bruises to be totally jam credible. The latches and hinges still work well, and structurally the case offers outstanding protection to this wonderful vintage guitar.
Buyer pays a flat rate of $55 for insurance and shipping to the lower 48 states; shipping costs elsewhere will be negotiated as necessary. Payment by Paypal is preferred; cashier’s checks are acceptable, but checks must clear before the guitar will be shipped.
I have tried to be perfectly clear and accurate in describing this instrument, so its return will not be accepted unless it can be shown that it was egregiously misrepresented in this listing. Please check out the pictures, and ask any questions you might have before offering to purchase it.
Thank you for your interest in this great Gibson guitar.
ALUMPSTER'S GUITARS
Payments by Paypal, cashier’s checks, money orders, or personal checks are acceptable, but all payments must clear my bank before the guitar will be shipped. I will CONSIDER reasonable offers, even including installment payments and trade-ins, but generally since I already attempt to price my guitars very competitively, unusual deals must be unusually sweet.
From henceforth [that's how retired English teachers talk], insurance and shipping to the lower 48 states is $55 due to constantly rising shipping costs unless a specific listing says otherwise; shipping costs elsewhere will be negotiated as necessary. I have sold guitars to Russia, Japan, Australia, and over 50 other countries, as well as almost every state in the USA. Since some of my guitars travel thousands of miles, I take care to use lots of packing materials, protect the neck inside the case, and of course de-tune the strings.
I make every effort to describe and illustrate each guitar and case with scrupulous accuracy. However, many of my instruments are well-played vintage items which are many years old, and I am not a luthier. One should assume that any guitar will require some set-up to satisfy your personal requirements, and that not every flaw or ding will be seen/recognized/described in the listing. Thus the return of an instrument will not be accepted unless it can be shown that it was egregiously misrepresented in this listing. Please read the listing carefully, check out the pictures, and ask any questions you might have before offering to buy.