Gibson ES-137
The Gibson ES-137 is a semi-hollow-body guitar which was manufactured in Gibson's Custom Shop Memphis factory as a limited production run from 2002 - 2013. It was a relatively new design in Gibson's ES line which was not based on a vintage instrument, as many of Gibson's instruments are. The ES-137 is available in two models, Custom and Classic.
| Gibson ES-137 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Manufacturer | Gibson |
| Period | 2002 — 2013 (limited production) |
| Construction | |
| Body type | Semi-hollow |
| Neck joint | Set |
| Woods | |
| Body | curly maple (laminated); mahogany center block |
| Neck | maple |
| Fretboard | rosewood on Classic models, ebony on Custom |
| Hardware | |
| Bridge | Fixed tune-o-matic |
| Pickup(s) | 2 Humbuckers |
| Colors available | |
| Heritage Cherry Sunburst, Tri-burst, Blues Burst, Silvertop | |
Gibson claims the ES-137 is a combination of its traditional semi-hollow-body single-cutaway guitars with the sound of a Les Paul Classic. This is achieved by fitting the archtop with pickups and other features matching the Les Paul.
The format of archtop with a single florentine cutaway has been used by Gibson previously. Notable comparisons would be the Gibson ES-175 and Gibson ES-135 models. The basic body shape of the ES-137 is very close to Gibson's fully hollow-bodied ES-175. Despite the 137 being somewhat thinner than the ES-175, it is not classed as a thinline model. However, the ES-137 does sport an internal mahogany center block inside the body. This design eliminates feedback problems common with hollow-bodied guitars. The center block also facilitates the use of a stop tailpiece alike the ES-335, therefore eliminating the use of a "trapeze"-style tailpiece found on most hollow-bodied Gibsons.
Notable ES-137 players
Matthew Followill (Kings Of Leon)
Roky Ericson (13th Floor Elevators)
Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day)
Roland Orzabal (Tears for Fears)
Franny Beecher (Bill Haley, Benny Goodman, Buddy Greco)