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From Our Research Team:

A Combination of Two Classics

Not every Gibson guitar traces its heritage back to the so-called "Golden Years" of American Guitars, which is widely accepted to be most of the 1950s and into the 1960s. The ES-137 Custom is a perfect example. Gibson never built any instrument quite like this until recently. It clearly combines two distinctive influences: The look of Gibson's single cuataway, semi-hollowbodies and the hot sound of a Les Paul Classic. Is it a blues guitar? A rock guitar? Or perhaps a jazz guitar? The answer is, it's all of these. With its feature set, it can play clean jazz or fusion lines. Crank your amp to "11" and it screams just like a Les Paul.


Gibson ES-137 Custom at a Glance:

• Semi-hollowbody design with curly maple laminated top, back and sides in Tri Burst finish with multi-ply binding
  
• Rounded profile mahogany neck with an ebony fingerboard and pearl split diamond inlays
  
• Two '57 Classic Humbuckers plus six-position Varitone circuitry

A Very Special New Gibson
Can you say, "Instant classic?" Certainly the critics are unanimous of their praise for this instrument, with its wide array of tones, as well as the handsome lines which evoke those great old Gibson archtops, but this time in a thinner, semi-hollowbody design. It still keeps the traditional f-holes, but thanks to the thinline design, feedback is kept under control. The modern humbuckers can go from dark and smoky to full-out snarl, all depending upon your choice of amplification or outboard gear. The Tri Burst finish gives this beauty a true vintage vibe. Varitone circuitry, first seen on upscale Gibsons on the ES-345 and ES-355, is back, delivering extra voicing options.  

Not Too Fat, Not Too Thin
No, we're not talking about the latest fad diet, we're talking about the 1959 ES-137's neck profile. It's not as big as those huge 1958 Les Paul necks, but neither is it as thin as the 1960s so-called "slim taper" neck profiles. In any case, the combination of a nice, rounded three-piece maple neck and the warmth of a ebony fingerboard is what the ES-137 Custom is all about. It's not for everyone, of course. Today's shredders will want a thinner neck, but the ES-137 is hardly a guitar they'd be looking at anyhow.

Two '57 Classic Humbuckers On Board
Today's humbuckers truly have it all: Complex midrange, punchy lows and a smooth top end that won't make your teeth hurt. For those seeking the often overused "out-of-phase" session sound which ruled the airwaves back in the 1980s, you won't find it here. If you're looking for a pickup that starts out clean and can really smoke when your amp is cranked up, well then, this just might be your next guitar! The '57 Classics are, for many, the holy grail of humbucker tone and sustain.


Gibson ES-137 Custom Features:

• Color: Tri Burst
  
• Top: Curly maple / poplar / maple
  
• Back: Curly maple / poplar / maple
  
• Sides: Curly maple / poplar / maple
  
• Neck: Three-piece maple with '59 rounded profile
  
• Fingerboard: Ebony with pearl split diamond inlays
  
• Number of frets: 22
  
• Pickups: Two '57 Classic Humbuckers plus Varitone
  
• Controls: Two each tone and volume with three-way pickup selector switch
  
• Machine heads: Grover Keystone
  
• Hardware: Gold plated
  
• Case: Black smooth levant hardshell

Gibson: Don't Mess with a Good Thing
Gibson guitars have been around for well over a century. When guitarists are looking for an outstanding combination of superb tone and playability along with great looks and gorgeous finishes, the choice for most of those 100 plus years has been Gibson. From their amazing collection of fine acoustics to the electric guitars that literally rewrote music history, Gibson guitars have been on almost every chart-topping album from artists like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Cream and Led Zeppelin. These "first call" instruments also cross an enormous array of diverse styles, from folk and country to blues and hard rock. With that resume, it's not surprising that so many of Gibson's best-selling instruments have changed little over the decades. Because there's just no sense in messing with a good thing!

Specification Detail Manufacturer Part Number ES3UTBGH1