| Gibson ES-137 | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Gibson |
| Period | 2002 — present |
| 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 | |
| Various | |
The Gibson ES-137 is a semi-hollow-body guitar which is manufactured in Gibson's Memphis factory. It is a relatively new design in Gibson's ES line which is not based on a vintage instrument, as many of Gibson's instruments are.
Gibson claims the ES-137 to be 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 center block inside the body similar to the Gibson ES-335. This design helps combat feedback problems common with hollow-bodied guitars. The center block also facilitates the use of a stop tailpiece again like the ES-335, therefore eliminating the use of a "trapeze"-style tailpiece found on most hollow-bodied Gibsons.
Amongst others, the ES-137 is played by Matthew Followill of the Kings of Leon, Nick Hexum of 311 and Chris Daughtry of his namesake band.