The Gibson ES-137 is a continuation of a guitarist's classic. With the familiar archtop semi-hollowbody, the Gibson ES-137 has unmistakable tone.
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Manufacturer's Description for Gibson ES137 Classic Electric Guitar (with Case)
The ES-137 Classic combines 2 classics -- the look of Gibson's single-cutaway semi-hollowbody guitars and the hot sound of a Gibson Les Paul Classic. The 490R and 498T humbucking pickups, plus trapezoid fingerboard inlays with an engraved "C" in the 12th-fret inlay, identify this new classic model.
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Body: Curly laminated Maple top, back, and rims
Body Dimensions: 16 in. (W) x 20 in. (L) x 2-1/4 in. (D)
Binding: Multi-ply cream binding on top, single-ply on back and neck
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"The professionalism, courtesy, kindness, and knowledge of the zZounds staff is unparallelled." - customer on January 27th, 2012
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This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
"Gibson ES-137 Classic is the best investment!"
Sound:
I’ve played Gibson guitars with the ’57 humbuckers, but the 490 & 498 humbuckers are much better IMO. The ‘57’s are too muffled on the low end, and shallow with the middle frequencies.
Feature:
Standard Gibson setup. No complaints.
Ease of Use:
The body design is perfect for sitting or standing. Not too heavy. Real solid. The Florentine half cutaway poses no problems when going for the high notes. This guitar is designed to fit the (human) body.
Quality:
Good quality all round. Just what you expect from the Custom Shop. No flaws, no adjustments required. I played a gig with this guitar 'right out of the box'. Whoever set this one up at the Custom shop did a GREAT JOB.
Value:
In my opinion, this is the absolute BEST Gibson ES you can get for this type of money. It is as good as or better any of the other ES models (335, 336, 339, 175 etc.). When you see and play this, you KNOW you have a Gibson in your hands!
Manufacturer Support:
Don't know. Nothing wrong with this.
The Wow Factor:
The Blue is the most intense and unique color I have seen. I haven't met anyone who didn't have a positive comment about the appearance of this guitar. The body design and craftsmanship on this guitar are top of the line. I own it. If it got stolen or burned up in fire, I’d buy another one just like it (Blue), and wouldn’t hesitate to pay full retail price if I couldn’t get it on sale.
Overall:
I feel this guitar has the quality and craftsmanship that is expected of any Custom Shop guitar… including the ES-335 and others. The finish is flawless (I’ve got the Blue. Get the Blue! People’s jaws will drop when they see it). I tried a couple other models but had to return them (including the ES-339, a high end Ibenez, a Gretsch Tennessee Rose, and a high end Epi). I almost ‘gave up’, but I thought I’d give it one more shot with trying the ES-137. I’m glad I did! At first I was going to go for the ES-137 Deluxe, because it looked like a higher quality instrument. Not true! The ES-137 Custom is the same body, the same tuners, the same bridge. The only difference are the pickups (‘57’s vs. the 490/492’s), the ebony fingerboard (on the Deluxe), the fancy headstock (on the deluxe), and the Varitone (on the deluxe). I actually like the simple headstock better… it’s more of a ‘classic’, simple look. I don’t care for the Varitone. The natural tone you get out of the Custom is more than enough to play with. The Varitone circuit was great in the old days (30 years ago), but now there are so many pedals, guitar processors and amplifier EQ’s, that you don’t need a Varitone. So why pay extra for it? In my humble opinion…. the 490/498 pickups are Gibson’s ‘best’ at this time. I mean, they sound GREAT. The ‘57’s are vintage sound for sure, but in this case…. “vintage is not necessarily better”. IMO. The ‘57’s are too muddy and hollow. I really would have liked an ebony fingerboard rather than rosewood…. But I wasn’t going to pay an extra $800 for the Deluxe to get that. Plus, I wanted the 490/498 PUP’s and the simple headstock. OK, bottom line: the ES-137 Custom is the least buck for the most quality. You can’t go wrong. It is dripping with Classic Gibson tone, Gibson looks, Gibson feel, and Gibson quality. Hey, if you want a Gibson my friends, you just have to pay the extra few bucks, AND GET A GIBSON!
Style of Music: all styles
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"My Favorite Axe!!!"
Sound:
I bought this for a nice departure from my Strat and PRS Custom 22, and it absolutely delivers. The tone has more of an "airy" sound to it, but it's a good thing. I play this a lot with some clean and lightly over-driven/sparkle tones, and it really works well there. This thing can certainly ROCK though. Punch in your overdrive or distortion and you can rock with the best of them. The Les Paul pick-ups are really versatile! This guitar can get lots of treble out of it, perfect for jazz, country, and with some overdrive behind it, really cutting through mix in a Rock setting.
Feature:
The color is gorgeous! The pick-ups are very good. The individual volume and tone for each pick-up is nice. Love the size and the TONE this thing gets. It can be a loud guitar.
Ease of Use:
I ordered this online from Zzounds, and pulled it out of the case and started playing right away. It did not take long to start dialing in the tones and sounds I wanted. My one caution: this has a NITROCELLULOSE laquer finish. You need to not set it down on most guitar stands, to protect the finish. Options available are to store it in the case or a wooden guitar stand (pricey though). I store mine in case, except for performances. I use a t-shirt material to put between the guitar and stands, when I need to set-it down during sets.
Quality:
Quality is very good. This is a Gibson Custom-Shop guitar, and you can tell when you play it.
Value:
I find this guitar one of the best values out there for a Gibson Custom Shop axe. It has that classic semi-hollowbody, which is timeless. Can go from Jazz to Rock in flick of switch, sounds amazing, and looks gorgeous. For the money, what more could you want in an axe?
Manufacturer Support:
No issues.
The Wow Factor:
This was a guitar I dreamed of for several weeks before I bought it, and was an instant favorite. It has my favorite color, look, pick-ups, custom-shop, and love the "C" in the middle. (of course, my name starts with C, like it was made just for me)
Overall:
I highly recommend this for the player looking for a different sound. I think my brother is about to buy one, because I keep raving about it. If you want something different, that sets you apart, and have the $ for a Gibson Custom-Shop, this is absolutely one of the best values you will find in market today.
Style of Music: rock, Country, Christian - Contemporary Praise
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