Gibson ES137

[bobsbobbackwards]

Does anybody have one of these?

http://www.guitarvillage.co.uk/produ...-Inc-Case.aspx

Or has anybody tried one? I quite like the look of them so just wondering what opinions are of them.
I've not seen one in a shop to try out, but might see If I can locate one.
I fancy some humbuckers in a jazzy format.

[guitarcookie1]

I want one of the customs with the varitone...

[octatonic]

I've had a couple.

They are more rock than jazz but they are a good semi-acoustic.
If you want to think of a jazz-continuum, moving from jazz to rock then:

Super 400 -> ES175 -> ES335 ->ES135/137

You can get a nice jazz tone by rolling off the tone pot on the neck bucker but it is quite different from a Super 400 or ES175 sort of tone. Definitely more 'electric' rather then 'woody'.

[Big Paulie]

I've always liked the look of them. They seem like a lot of guitar for the money. Very Stradlin.

[paultheoneyoulove]

Jazz tone is very subjective. You might, for example, happen to prefer the middle position of a tele with the tone maxed out! But for classic jazz, neck pickup, tone rolled off but not muddy for chords ones, octatonic has it right imo. But remember, a 335 is capable of amazing jazz tones, and there is no reason a 137 wouldn't be the same. It wouldn't be scared of doing some pretty hardcore rock either, and a friend of mine used a 335 in drop c in a metal band and sounded amazing (swapped pickups). So these guitars are genuinely versatile.

And it's bloody gorgeous...

[bobsbobbackwards]

I'm probably being seduced by the looks, I've already been down the 335 route and found I wanted more 'air' so got a 330 style guitar. I'd be all over this if it was hollow!

Saying that, I'm sure it is lovely, and my humbucker fix doesn't have to come in hollow body format....

[jalapeno]

Specifics aside, collective wisdom is that they are an inferior ES335, only differences are cosmetic (Mickey ears versus Florentine cutaway).

[noisepolluter]

I wouldn't mind a nice second hand one of them, to install Mississippi Queens and a Bigglesbum.

[badlydrawnbanjo]

The guitarist from The Kings of leon is making a right racket with one right now on MTV live. Sounds huge.

[ESchap]

I've got a number of ES's, both hollow and with centreblocks. Tried one of these in Guitar Guitar in Newcastle a year or so ago as I wanted to try a P90 ES with a centreblock .....



Very nice guitar, unusually well set up for a Gibson in Guitar Guitar .. though it was second hand so perhaps not their doing! the Florentine design does limit the upper fret access but not as much as a 175 with the thicker body or a 330 with it's deep set neck. To get all the way up the dusty end I needed to bring my thumb round ... though I'm used to that with my 175 and 330. Tone was great and versatile if you used the volume and tone controls, smooth jazz to crunchy rock. Sustain very good. Very nice guitar and I really liked the copper finish. Would have bought it but GG just wanted too much for it.