Heirloom instrument?

hammer40

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I have been checking out various luthier websites/pages, and every now and then I'll see at the bottom of a page the sentence "This is an heirloom instrument".

What does that mean? I can only assume it's meant to suggests a quality built instrument, but isn't that what we should always expect?
 
The only time I've seen that on items for sale, I've assumed the guy is trying to sell me snake oil. It may mean something different in the Ukulele world though.
 
Saying that, a google search for "heirloom instrument" turned up THIS site for Weber Mandolins. I have to say, it was very difficult not to touch myself inappropriately when looking at some of the instruments, but I can't help thinking the term "Heirloom Instrument" is a bit of an "Americanism".
 
I always assumed the term meant it a "prized" instrument that has been in the same family for generations or something. I used quotation marks because if it were truly prized it wouldn't be up for sale, IMO.

I wonder if my grandfather's Gibson counts as an heirloom instrument...
 
I think of heirlooms as items that have been handed down for at least a generation or two, through a family. I think "inherit" is a form of the word "heir".
 
For me, it means nothing from a marketing standpoint. Like Steve said, a "Heirloom" is something that has been passed from generation to generation in your family. Anything can be an heirloom, and has not one thing to do with "quality". My dog can take a dump in the yard today, and I can scoop it up, set it aside and give it to my son, he can give it to his son, and so on and so on, and technically, it will be a "heirloom". But guess what, it's still just a dog turd. I have seen people cherish a cheap, beat up, horrible sounding and playing ukulele from the 1920s because it belonged to their grand mother. That, is a prized, priceless ukulele to that family, and IS a heirloom, and will continue to be passed down the family as a heirloom. Not worth much to anyone outside the family, but to them, it is priceless as it should be.
 
I have seen some crazy curly koa sets labeled as heirloom. I think when it is new instrument or wood or whatever it is marketing saying it is better quality or something.
 
When I see something that says 'heirloom instrument' I think of very pretty wood that you will want to keep in the family.

IE, you will it to your offspring, and they think it's so pretty they want to keep it instead of running to the evil bays.
 
It's just some marketing schmuck who decided to use a fancy word to try and give their product more class. It's a way for them to try and make it appear that their instruments are or will be prized.

My personal opinion is that anyone that believes they need to fancy up their stuff by using silly adjectives like "heirloom" are trying a bit too hard to compensate for something.
 
Perhaps the use of the word heirloom in regard to quality is appropriate if we actually say "heirloom quality" rather than just "heirloom". Like Skitzic suggested and dnewton seems to see it, an heirloom quality instrument could be one that the owner will look forward to handing down, one that will be cherished for generations.

I like the term. It is rather heart warming.
 
Like Steve said, the words make me think of the instruments that are passed down thru the family instrument library to future generations of family players; on the third generation now. They get to pick from the library and get to keep as long as it's being played. If not played, it goes back to the "vault" or they get to pick another from there.

I would be cautious buying someone elses' heirloom unless it was explained that it's just not being played anymore.
 
Being a romantic by nature, I love the term too. But not as a marketing ploy. It has nothing to do with quality. I understand they are using it to give the illusion of quality whether warranted or not. But, the word as it was originally intended has nothing to do with quality, but more as "cherrished for generations". I don't like the word as used as a marketing term. It's like the term "Heavy Duty". That term used to mean something. But these days, everything is marketed "Heavy Duty" so now that term means nothing.

And no, my dog is not a hierdale. And his little piles of "heirlooms" will never be very rare because he keeps leaving them laying around the yard every day. ;)
 
In my bookseller days, we used the euphemism "well loved" to mean "used", as in: Ms. Rowling will sign copies of Harry Potter purchased here today, plus one well-loved copy from home.

If I read "heirloom" about an instrument, I would assume that the instrument was of outstanding quality, but had already had one owner. My assumption would probably be incorrect, but there you go.
 
That said, and my opinion of that is, a heirloom is specific to one family. If a heirloom is sold, it is no longer a heirloom of that family. That circle has been broken. That doesn't mean it can't become a heirloom of another family, but not until it is handed down from at least one generation to another. A new heirloom circle has started. Watching most those shows like Pawn Stars, and things like that. It really bugs me to see someone walk in to a pawn shop or otherwise put up for sale a heirloom that was handed down. I hear, "it was my grandfather's" or something like that. Especially war relics that came from a father/mother, grandfather/grandmother from someone in the family that served in war and handed the item of their service down, then to take it and sell it for a fist full of dollar bills. Again, being a romantic, what is a fistfull of dollars going to do? Your circle and connection to that item is broken. I understand sometimes you have to in todays ecconomy, but man, I can't put a price on sentiment. I would have to be in dire straights to give up something cherrished like that. But it bugs me to see some people have no problem selling something of so much family significance and that families history without any remorse of thought. It's just me..

In my bookseller days, we used the euphemism "well loved" to mean "used", as in: Ms. Rowling will sign copies of Harry Potter purchased here today, plus one well-loved copy from home.

If I read "heirloom" about an instrument, I would assume that the instrument was of outstanding quality, but had already had one owner. My assumption would probably be incorrect, but there you go.
 
So, it sounds like this is nothing more than advertising then. Basically, they are just saying, I build a beautiful, hand made instrument that will last for years and be handed down through the family. Kind of what I thought it meant but then you never know.
 
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