Gibson ES137 Semi-Hollowbody Electric Guitar Product Review

Pros Versatile, nice tone, pretty Cons Heavy, not perfect for jazz, fit and finish are sub-par The Bottom Line Nice instrument, but shop around

Full Review

This is the only guitar I've ever bought online. I bid on it on eBay never thinking I'd wind up with the winning bid. But lo-and-behold, I am now the proud owner of this very nice, one-year-old guitar. Overall Gibson is clearly aiming this guitar at the player who has a variety of musical demands. It works well in any rock scenario and it holds its own in a jazz context. I don't play country, but the instrument is very versatile and I imagine it would play well in that arena in the right hands. Playability First, let me tell you that this guitar is heavy. It weighs about three pounds more than my Fender Strat. If you will be playing the instrument on a stool, perhaps in the studio, this won't be a problem. But if you plan to use it for live gigs, the weight will take a toll over the course of a night if you stand. The neck feels like the Les Paul I've played. It has an ebony fingerboard and a fairly wide radius. The neck is relatively thick - kind of feels like the Taylor acoustic I've had for years. The cutaway allows unimpeded access to the upper frets. My two main guitars are the 137 and a Fender Strat with a maple neck. I probably play each one about 50% of the time. I have to say that the Fender has much lighter action and the notes fairly jump off the guitar. The 137 requires a lot more coaxing and the notes don't jump as much as you have to squeeze them. I know this is a nebulous description, but it's the only way I can describe the action of each instrument. Fit and Finish The ES-137 is fairly well-made. The purfling is nice, the frets are fairly finished and the varnish is highly polished. Having said that, I have a couple of minor gripes. First, the finish is pretty, but soft. I found that the spot where the neck meets my guitar stand has formed a bump. It will probably rub out, but I really don't like feeling that every time I play on the upper frets. Second, there is a loud rattle that comes from the front of the guitar whenever I play it. When it's plugged in, it's no big deal - you can't hear it. But if I sit and play it without an amp. it drives me nuts. I've tried tightening or pressing on very piece of hardware on the instrument, but I can't stop the rattle. Third, the fret work is a little sloppy and the high 'E' string frequently gets caught in a gap between the end of the fret and the neck binding. It's maddening and I'm getting the guitar refretted just to correct the problem. It's an expensive solution, but I can't gig with this guitar in this condition. Tone It has a nice overall tone, full of harmonics, richer than most 335's that I've owned. But the ES-137 is better suited to rock than to jazz. I bought it hoping that it would serve me well in both arenas, but it simply plays better in the rock world. Having said that, I pick it up every time I have to play in a jazz setting. It is head-and-shoulders above the Strat in that regard. It may not mimic the sound of a hollow-body, but it does a respectable job. Don't mistake this for a jazz guitar, however. It is really a rock animal. (I play through only one amp - a Mesa Boogie combo that serves me well in all genres.)

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