Description

How’s this for a dream guitar recipe? You take the neck of a 1959 Gibson Les Paul, the body and cutaway of the TC (such as the 125-TC) and the centre block of the 335. Put them all together in one of the most famous guitar factories in the world and you a modern instrument that combines all the classic features of Gibson electrics guitars. And so the ES-135 / ES-137 range came into being, and they are indeed modern classics at a real bargain price.

But what about this Limited Edition epithet? I hear you ask, and I’m glad you did ask, because that’s what makes this guitar so special.

Instead of the P100 (uprated P90 single coil) pickups normally fitted to the 135, the 2000 limited edition ES-135 comes with a couple of Gibson ‘57 PAF classic humbuckers. These are some of the most awesome modern PAFs on the planet and many players’ pickup of choice. The effect is instantly noticeably, resulting in a rich, warm tone with extra oomph and crunch - perfect for kicking out classic rock and blues.

For playability these guitars are hard to beat. The 16” thinline body is naturally very comfortable and the florentine cutaway defined the Les Paul for the good reason that it feels as good as it looks. Finally, it’s the neck that will seduce you. Described as ‘rounded 59 Les Paul profile’ it’s less flattened in section than the 60s necks would be and at 1 11/16” width feels normal rather than skinny.

As well as its great vintage sound, the ES-135 has a modern classic look to match. Gloss black (or ebony according to the catalogue) was never a vintage colour – always custom shop, so it makes sense for this Limited Edition.

This guitar is in excellent condition with some minor belt-buckle indentations on the back (hardly noticeable and hard to photograph on the black finish.) There’s a small ding in the finish on the top of the guitar, it’s near the back of the upper f-hole and can be seen in one picture in the reflection of the tripod leg!

It has its original black plush lined TKL case with combination lock (and we know the combination this time!)

Gibson ES-135 Limited Edition Features

• 16” Laminated maple body with chromyte center block
• Maple neck, 1959 rounded Les Paul profile
• Rosewood fingerboard with dot inlay
• Scale: 24-3/4”
• Nut Width: 1-11/16”
• Grover tuners
• Black/White binding
• Tune-o-matic bridge
• Trapeze tailpiece
• 2 PAF '57 humbucking pickups
• 2 volume and 2 tone controls
• 3-way pick-up selector switch
• Chrome hardware

57 Classic PAF Humbuckers

Here's what Gibson have to say about these awesome pickups:
"The only true authentic, vintage humbucker reissue available, the limited edition ES-135 features the famous "Patent-Applied-For" '57 humbuckers instead of the original P-100."