1988 Heartfield RR

[Thomas]

Back on point with the thread. I like to see peoples crazy big guitar collections. I have gone through stages when I've owned an obscene amount of gear. Strangely enough when I was active in bands I only ever had a couple of guitars at a time, at the time a couple of decent instruments was all I could afford. So these days when I have the chance to buy something that I've always wanted I just spring for it if I have the money. When I bought that huge pile of parts from NickD I didn't really need another guitar but I managed to build 3 out of those parts and what I had in the house. I love building partscasters, these days that's my main hobby.

Like the OP I love doing deals for guitars, trading up, fixing them up etc. I also love the fact the OP buys something if it takes his fancy. If he likes it he keeps it, if not he loves it along. At the very least it makes for some interesting posts and it's nice to get a review of whatever he's bought on the time.

This guitar looks interesting, it ticks a lot of boxes for me.

[Doog]

Yeah, I wasn't seriously chewing you out, sorry HBD.

When it comes to being a dick on here Doog is the last person you need to worry about.

This is 100% incorrect, though.

To be honest, I do struggle a bit with massive collections when it feels like more time is spent on the buying/selling/tweaking than spending time getting the most out of it through play. More down to my relationship with the guitar I guess. But then I remember that we're all hobbyists here, and it's ultimately all about enjoyment, so all's cool.

[71Smallbox]

To each his own I guess, but dude that room needs a serious declutter. Put a man couch in there with one guitar and one amp and nix the hello kitty and plush octopus bullshit. Or turn it into a proper workshop with a bench where you can tinker like a Tim Allen.

Back so soon LizardKing?

[Darth Stang]

Jim Morrison old collected leather pants, no guitrs.

[HNB]

It is all good. Joking and sarcasm are hard to pick up though forum text. I wasn't super bothered by it or anything, but it seemed like I should say something about it. I guess my button isn't about how many guitars I have, but the idea that if I can't play well, I shouldn't have guitars. It is kind of like saying "you aren't good enough for those and they wasted on you." Music is very important to me and I did study music from elementary school all through college. It wasn't guitar, but guitars are something that excite me. I have fun trying them out and hearing the different sounds they can make. I do hope to take classes on guitar later when I am not so busy with work and my kids. For now, I play with them when I can and enjoy seeing them in my house. I am glad there are people who enjoy seeing the stuff I am able to find. That is what I enjoy about forums. It is cool to see people excited about something and see what they find and do with their guitars. Sometimes it gets me shopping for something different. I know my posts do that also, because a couple people went out and got a CR120 after I got mine and posted about it. It is a community. I am not that thin skinned or anything, but I do try to reply when I feel called out. (Even if it was as a joke. )

Anyways, I think this is either Gibson scale or short scale. The body is small. If you like smaller bodies (might even be a little smaller than a Mustang body) and Japanese necks, keep an eye out for these. I got this for around $300 I think? Some of them are out for crazy money, but deals are still out there. I think Ebay also had a couple of the more usual ones with the mini buttons and built in distortion.

[Fakir Mustache]

To each his own I guess, but dude that room needs a serious declutter. Put a man couch in there with one guitar and one amp and nix the hello kitty and plush octopus bullshit. Or turn it into a proper workshop with a bench where you can tinker like a Tim Allen.

Back so soon LizardKing?

I thought LizardKing was a bit older.

Someone who complains about Hello Kitty and a plush octopus has to be almost past puberty, probably not quite, and needs to assert his "manhood" by not liking those things.

[Darth Stang]

Kid > Fakir > Ironic > Post Ironic > Man > Mighty Warrior > TEH KuRdTzzz

Its fine, no harm. Just looks like a room that isn't very easy to move around in. Its like anything in the modern world now. I was at the gym and everyone was sitting on the machines, not working out but txting on their phones. One day arnold will come in and say what is all this bullshit. lift 2 more reps no matter what.

[Bacchus]

yeah, ... exactly.

Nice guitar.

[NickS]

Don't mean to doogpile, but really whatever your hobby is I think is your own business. You might collect, for example, meerschaum pipes without smoking. I would have more guitars if I had more room and/or were single.... and I'd have a Bechstein grand piano if I had the money and room, though I've never been taught.
Like, I'm pretty sure this guy doesn't play most of these guitars most of the time....

[Bacchus]

I'll bet he does wear those glasses all of the time though.

[paul_]

YouTube vids show him throwing his glasses out like picks, so he must have way more of those. Most of them seem to be the same model as well.

[Darth Stang]

I think that was the photo where he copped a lot of ridicule, not I think from jealousy but more for conspicuous consumption. At that level you'd hope to have at least a couple of songs that people know about. I'm not sure what the number of guitars is that crosses over from collection to mental disorder. Probably 2 I'd guess.

[jcyphe]

I've never seen a photo of Kieth Richards collection besides his touring guitars and apparently he has like a warehouse load of old Fender guitars and amps.

Rick Nielsen from Cheap Trick said at one point he had more than 1,000 guitars.

And there is Billy Gibbons who is said to have an insane collection of vintage, wacky, new and custom stuff.

[westtexasred]

I used to have one of those Heartfield guitars. I think yours is an RR-8.Mine was an RR-9. They were both made in Japan by Fujigen and sold by Fender








"THE HEARTFIELD RR
Vintage Guitar magazine - April 1998


By Riley Wilson

A lot of players have used Les Paul Juniors over the years, for gigs as well as recording. Its a simple design which, in the right hands, can make people shout, wiggle, smile and dance, among other activities. If you ever wanted an updated version of the famous economy Les Paul, examine this months entree, the Heartfield RR.

Imported from Japan by Fender during the late 1980s, this guitar does a number of things very well, and at a bargain price. You should be able to find them used for less than $400, making them Gigmeister worthy.

Fender has made instruments overseas for many years now. The Heartfield line came about when the company wanted to try different ideas for instruments and market them under a different name. The Heartfield line included several guitars and basses, all incorporating decidedly un-Fender-like approaches to create several guitars. The RR, which certainly means rock and roll, looks like a cross between Paul Chandlers 555 and the G&L SC-3, with a bit of Les Paul Jr. thrown in. These "Made In Japan" instruments used top-quality components, including the Strat American Standard tremolo bridge, Gotoh tuners and a very unusual electronics package more about that later. The 22-fret neck joins the fingerboard in an unusual four-bolt pattern nearly identical to Ibanezs All Access Joint. The tapered headstock employs three-on-a-side tuners, while the headstock angle is so sharp it requires a volute, a la 70s-era Gibsons. The rosewood fingerboard has a flatter radius, like an 80s Charvel/Jackson, with more rounded fretwire. The neck shape is large and round, and feels quite nice, especially for players with larger hands.

Cosmetically, the RR is an eye-catching instrument, to say the least. This months feature is a bright yellow color with small glitter sparkles. It looks bright under any conditions, but especially under intense stage lights. The white mother of toilet seat pickguard looks neat and is cut in an unusual shape. The alder(?) body has a slight dressed away area for the right forearm, owing to its Fender heritage. The rest of the body is more like a Telecaster. Its not bad, but its not going to win any ergonomics awards.

One of the reasons players like the Telecaster or Les Paul Jr. is the lack of knobs. The Heartfield design team understood this and supplied the RR with a volume, tone and three lighted switches. Yes, the RR has active electronics, but they aren't difficult to figure out. The three raised rubber buttons each have an LED above them indicating which position is on. They give 1. single coil, 2. dual coil and 3. dual coil with distortion boost. Incidentally, the 9 volt battery has its own compartment, just ahead of the back plate for input jack, potentiometers, etc. The tone knob works on all three positions and the control knobs are identical to those used on the HM Strat series. Nice and comfy.

The final arbiter is sound, and lets get one thing clear this ain't a jazz box! This guitar is happiest when cranked into a loud, noisy amp. Even with a clean setting on my amp, I could hear distinct differences between the single and dual-coil modes. Its nice having the ability to change tones by pressing a button. If you have any experience at all with a TV remote, you'll enjoy this feature. The distortion isn't bad, either. With my Peavey Bandit set up for a clean, flat tone, the dirty setting reminded me of Cream-era Clapton, especially the live Crossroads tone. Roll the tone knob back to 1, and you get instant Swlabr or Spirit in the Sky! Its quick and handier than cranking a 100-watt Marshall to 10. Just like a stack on 10, setting three is noisy. It also sounds a bit compressed, not a problem for many players. The locking Gotoh tuners and tremolo system should stay in tune for most players. If you're gonna use the RR for slide, I would suggest heavier strings and higher action. The cutaway allows easy access to all 22 frets on the treble side and 18 on the bass side with a slide in hand. The volume and tone knobs are close and easy to manipulate, due to their larger physical size. With moderate amp distortion, the RR becomes louder and meaner. Setting one cuts through like a good Strat or Tele back pickup, while setting two sounds like a DiMarzio Super Distortion pickup. Setting three compresses the sound a bit, creating a super-saturated sound like Eruption or perhaps a Soldano wound too tight. I would prefer to use this setting while recording, as its a bit too hard to control live.

What's not to like about the RR? It's a one-trick pony back pickup or nothing. I'm not fond of active electronics on guitars, and this instruments settings are a little harsh, especially settings 1 and 2. While the humbucking pickup is a standard size, replacing it and getting it to interface with the onboard IC is another matter. This is a specialized guitar, and as such, won't appeal to vast numbers of people. It won't play mellow and really isn't happy unless it's given wide open spaces to romp in. However, if you're a dedicated rock or slide player, you might find the Heartfield RR just what you've been looking for."

[HNB]

Cool info. You can see how mine is funky though right? The controls are straight vs at an angle.

[westtexasred]

Cool info. You can see how mine is funky though right? The controls are straight vs at an angle.

Yes,yours may be a prototype. There is one like it on the Heartfield Guitars website

[HNB]

Mine looks just like that, but hardtail vs strat tremolo.