14 Heritage Guitar Workers off the job as company heads in new direction

I have 2 Heritage guitars. They are great guitars. I have an H-555 and a Sweet 16. I would buy a Heritage before I would buy anything coming out of Gibson. While I have no inside information regarding what is going on at Heritage, in my previous career, I dealt with a number of plant reductions and closings. Superficially, I can see both sides. Tone-deaf management and employees resistant to change is a very bad combination. All businesses evolve and that process can bring a lot of discord. I would say that right about now, Heritage is not a great place to work. If you have been thinking about buying a Heritage, I'm thinking now would be a good time to do that.
 
That’s a bummer, but I’m never opposed to bringing in CNC and Plek machines. Hand built doesn’t always mean optimal quality at the optimal price (for me as a consumer). It sounds like everyone involved missed opportunity for compromise that would have benefited the company, employees, and customers.

The grammar in that letter did not help their case.
 
I was in K-zoo back in 2012 and toured the Heritage facility. Some of the employees had been there since the 60s. It was cool seeing the old place and machinery.

Forgive the dumb question, but why are some people against CNC machines for guitar manufacturing? It seems like it would just give you a perfect carve every time.
 
Ben Randolph said:
I was in K-zoo back in 2012 and toured the Heritage facility. Some of the employees had been there since the 60s. It was cool seeing the old place and machinery.

Forgive the dumb question, but why are some people against CNC machines for guitar manufacturing? It seems like it would just give you a perfect carve every time.
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I agree Ben. CNC machines and plek mean consistency and precision. 100 years ago, they were giving you a slug of whisky, putting a clamp on your damaged arm, and sawing it off. Perhaps we should call that "the good old days"? I think not. There should be ample room for the Heritage employees to marry human craftsmanship and efficient and precise machinery.
 
Geezerjohn said:
I agree Ben. CNC machines and plek mean consistency and precision. 100 years ago, they were giving you a slug of whisky, putting a clamp on your damaged arm, and sawing it off. Perhaps we should call that "the good old days"? I think not. There should be ample room for the Heritage employees to marry human craftsmanship and efficient and precise machinery.
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Taylor...
 
TG3K said:
And I agree with others upthread on the merits of CNC and Plek machines. I don't see how precision can negate hand-crafsmanship.
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"It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it."
- Upton Sinclair

(sources because quotes on the internet are usually wrong: 1, 2, 3)
 
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I just do not agree that a CNC or plek machine is bad like the fired employees made it out to be??? It IMPROVES the product....and does NOT take away from it.This whole attitude of CNC machines not being able to co-exsist with hand made is crazy! PRS does this all the time! And they are known for their QC! I just don't get it....BOTH should be able to co-exsist! At PRS you may have a CNC and plek maching doing some work...and then you have guys manually sanding the guitars down also....so I don't see the "rub"...."bub"!
 
Alex C said:
"It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it."
- Upton Sinclair

(sources because quotes on the internet are usually wrong: 1, 2, 3)
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As someone who helps runs a woodworking forum, I know of a number of excellent craftsmen who incorporate the entire stable of woodworking tools at their disposal, ranging from CNC machines to hand planes and scrapers. By your logic, should the use of table saws and bandsaws also be considered "not understanding" the craftsmanship required to build a quality instrument?
 
TG3K said:
As someone who helps runs a woodworking forum, I know of a number of excellent craftsmen who incorporate the entire stable of woodworking tools at their disposal, ranging from CNC machines to hand planes and scrapers. By your logic, should the use of table saws and bandsaws also be considered "not understanding" the craftsmanship required to build a quality instrument?
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I think we're on the same page; I should have clarified that in my previous post. The "man" in the quote is the worker who has done things by hand for decades and is resisting technological advancement (and improved efficiency, consistency, etc.) because he fears that he could find himself out of a job.
 
Alex C said:
I think we're on the same page; I should have clarified that in my previous post. The "man" in the quote is the worker who has done things by hand for decades and is resisting technological advancement (and improved efficiency, consistency, etc.) because he fears that he could find himself out of a job.
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Ah, got it. Thanks for the explanation, and yes, we're on the same page. [fistbump]
 
Phil Jacoby took my 79' Gibson Les Paul K.M. and, along with a new bridge and tailpiece, refretted it with stainless and installed a bone nut using a Plek along with his craftsmanship. The results were amazing.

A Plek is only as good as the person operating it. It's a tool - not a replacement.

(Closeup bridge pic thrown in just because it looks cool)

vivrette.jeffLP 001.JPG vivrette.jeffLP 005.JPG
vivrette.jeffLP 003.JPG
 
For the first 10 I kinda feel bad for but that's the risk in being in a job like that. For the other four who walked off the job in protest, I have no sympathy for them. That's just stupid, childish, and putting emotion before practical common sense. You don't do that unless you have a job to go to or you were ready to retire.

Anyway maybe those 10 can start their own little company and make handmade guitars. If the 10 were smart they wouldn't hire the other four because they lack judgement.
 
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