LP Classic or ES-137 Classic

?ing my education?ing my education Posts: 313
edited May 2007 in Musicians and Gearheads
Was curious if anyone has either of these or has played either guitar? I am leaning towards getting one of these but when i went to GC this past weekend, neither guitar was there, sooooooo.......that is why I am asking here if anyone has played either and has any feedback on them.

Thanks.
Driving in my car, smoking a cigar. The only time I'm happy is when I play my guitar.

-from "n.s.u." by Cream
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Nobody has any thoughts on either of these? Huh....oh well. Thanks anyway.
    Driving in my car, smoking a cigar. The only time I'm happy is when I play my guitar.

    -from "n.s.u." by Cream
  • xtremehardy388xtremehardy388 Posts: 2,759
    I like the LP-classics but that's just me. They're less bulky and since I'm short, it's easier on me.
    Grand Rapids '04, Detroit '06
    JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
    "Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    ES-137 here. Love gibson hollowbodies big rich sound, . It's also got a solid mahogany centerblock. It's a great guitar.

    everyone should probably own a les paul at some point I tend to like Standards and Studios better than the classic.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • lucylespianlucylespian Posts: 2,403
    Haven't got a classic, but here's what I know. Classic is kinda entry level LP, above the studio, has the chunky 50's neck which you love or hate.
    The pups are pretty hot, ceramic rather than alnico, I think, but don't quote me, tops tend to be plain, again, but lots of people like plaintops over flame or quilt.
    Not much in the way of binding etc. Like all these things check each one for quality of fretwork and finish etc.
    I have always been attracted to the ES series, haven't got one. They don't have as much sustain as the solid LP's do, but they have their own character. I certianly play all genres from soft cleans through to heavy metal tones on my Gretsch, so that is not an issue. Upper fret access is harder on hollow bodies cos of the body thickness, btu check it out and decide for yourself. I think you are looking at a double cut, which helps a lot.
    Music is not a competetion.
  • Drew263Drew263 Posts: 602
    Was curious if anyone has either of these or has played either guitar? I am leaning towards getting one of these but when i went to GC this past weekend, neither guitar was there, sooooooo.......that is why I am asking here if anyone has played either and has any feedback on them.

    Thanks.

    I just got a LP Classic. I love it.
  • Drew263Drew263 Posts: 602
    Haven't got a classic, but here's what I know. Classic is kinda entry level LP, above the studio, has the chunky 50's neck which you love or hate.
    The pups are pretty hot, ceramic rather than alnico, I think, but don't quote me, tops tend to be plain, again, but lots of people like plaintops over flame or quilt.
    Not much in the way of binding etc. Like all these things check each one for quality of fretwork and finish etc.
    I have always been attracted to the ES series, haven't got one. They don't have as much sustain as the solid LP's do, but they have their own character. I certianly play all genres from soft cleans through to heavy metal tones on my Gretsch, so that is not an issue. Upper fret access is harder on hollow bodies cos of the body thickness, btu check it out and decide for yourself. I think you are looking at a double cut, which helps a lot.

    "Classic is kinda entry level LP"

    huh? Mine is 1960s and the only difference in mine and the standard is the pickups. The deluxe is below the classic. Are you thinking of the Studio?

    Here is a description I found..

    "The coveted Les Paul Classic is based on the original from the '60s. The Classic features a slim taper neck and slightly hotter exposed coil pickups than some of the other Les Pauls. These features give the Les Paul Classic a bit more aggressive feel and sound while still retaining the essence of the traditional Les Pauls"
  • MichaelMcKevinMichaelMcKevin Posts: 1,161
    The question is do you want a les paul or a hollow les paul? For a while, I thought the 137 was a bigger jazz box until i saw that the depth is only 2 1/4". That's deeper than a 335 or PRS hollowbody, but still 1 1/2" less than a lot of jazzboxes. I'm not sure about the 498/490 pickups but if you went for the 137 Custom or even just swapped some '57 classics... it would rock pretty nicely.
    Camden I '06, Camden II '06, Bonnaroo '08, Camden I '08, Camden II '08, Philly Spectrum II/III/IV '09, MSG I '10, MSG II '10, Made In America '12, Wrigley '13, Brooklyn II '13, Philly I '13, Philly II '13, ...
  • lucylespianlucylespian Posts: 2,403
    Drew263 wrote:
    "Classic is kinda entry level LP"

    huh? Mine is 1960s and the only difference in mine and the standard is the pickups. The deluxe is below the classic. Are you thinking of the Studio?

    Here is a description I found..

    "The coveted Les Paul Classic is based on the original from the '60s. The Classic features a slim taper neck and slightly hotter exposed coil pickups than some of the other Les Pauls. These features give the Les Paul Classic a bit more aggressive feel and sound while still retaining the essence of the traditional Les Pauls"


    mmmmmmmmmm, yeahm I screwed up there a bit. All Les PAuls are premium guitars, so was not trying to imply that Classics were inferior, and certainly did not mean to offend.

    JUst checked me facts a bit. I think what I was trying to say is Classics are at teh lower end of teh Les PAul price spectrum, certainly in here in Oz. They are ceratinly a lot cheaper than Standards here, the ones I have seen have 50's necks, some seem to have 60's as well.
    They are like an original early 1950's LP, without the re-issue price tag, and HIstoric label. Plenty of people who have them seem to love em. There are plenty of comments made about the pups, some peeps love, others not so much. It's always a personal thing.
    Sorry again if I offended, I was in a bit of a rush when I posted this morning, and the thread started seemed in a hurry.
    Music is not a competetion.
  • Was curious if anyone has either of these or has played either guitar? I am leaning towards getting one of these but when i went to GC this past weekend, neither guitar was there, sooooooo.......that is why I am asking here if anyone has played either and has any feedback on them.

    Thanks.

    i have an ES-137 classic. i love it.

    the tone is amazing and it's an incredibly versatile instrument. i like to incorporate a lot of tempo changes into my songwriting and the ES-137 pretty much dominates whatever style i'm playing in. i can start out playing something slow and intricate, and then stomp my overdrive switch and get real heavy with it... it always sounds great.

    but of course it depends on your style, and you should definitely play both of them before deciding. as a rock guitarist, the ES would never be the only guitar i'd bring to a gig. my les paul DC standard is much less bulky with better access to the upper frets (thus making it more ideal for those high-energy songs). but i'd still recommend the ES to just about anyone.
  • MichaelMcKevinMichaelMcKevin Posts: 1,161
    I think a 335-style guitar would give u the best combination of the two. Great pickups, great upper fret access, and that hollow aspect of the 137 that a LP Classic won't have.
    Camden I '06, Camden II '06, Bonnaroo '08, Camden I '08, Camden II '08, Philly Spectrum II/III/IV '09, MSG I '10, MSG II '10, Made In America '12, Wrigley '13, Brooklyn II '13, Philly I '13, Philly II '13, ...
  • Beautiful! Thanks for all the feedback, this definitely helps. I have been hearing that the ES-137 is pretty heavy. I would really rather have the ES-335 but I think it is a bit more expensive than the 137. As for the LP Classic, I have been hearing some really good things about it over on the LP Forum, have gotten a lot of positive feedback about this guitar. It is a little more than I want to spend but I think I may just go for it.

    Thanks again!
    Driving in my car, smoking a cigar. The only time I'm happy is when I play my guitar.

    -from "n.s.u." by Cream
  • Drew263Drew263 Posts: 602
    mmmmmmmmmm, yeahm I screwed up there a bit. All Les PAuls are premium guitars, so was not trying to imply that Classics were inferior, and certainly did not mean to offend.

    JUst checked me facts a bit. I think what I was trying to say is Classics are at teh lower end of teh Les PAul price spectrum, certainly in here in Oz. They are ceratinly a lot cheaper than Standards here, the ones I have seen have 50's necks, some seem to have 60's as well.
    They are like an original early 1950's LP, without the re-issue price tag, and HIstoric label. Plenty of people who have them seem to love em. There are plenty of comments made about the pups, some peeps love, others not so much. It's always a personal thing.
    Sorry again if I offended, I was in a bit of a rush when I posted this morning, and the thread started seemed in a hurry.

    Oh no no..you didn't offend. I was just saying the classic is basically the standard with the different pups in it. This is from Gibson's site..

    "The Les Paul Classic modernizes the legendary Gibson Les Paul, offering guitarists the combination of the slim-taper neck of a ’60s Les Paul and the supercharged power of ceramic magnet humbuckers. The result is a screaming fast Les Paul – a new classic for rocking through the twenty-first century."
  • MichaelMcKevinMichaelMcKevin Posts: 1,161
    Beautiful! Thanks for all the feedback, this definitely helps. I have been hearing that the ES-137 is pretty heavy. I would really rather have the ES-335 but I think it is a bit more expensive than the 137. As for the LP Classic, I have been hearing some really good things about it over on the LP Forum, have gotten a lot of positive feedback about this guitar. It is a little more than I want to spend but I think I may just go for it.

    Thanks again!

    If you'd rather have the 335... look into Heritage guitars. Not sure if you're familiar with them, but when Gibson closed down it's Kalamazoo factory and moved, a lot of workers decided to stay behind and they started their own company based off Gibson models. Folks on thegearpage.net rave that Heritage Quality is even better than Gibson's, more specifically with the 335 style. Since you'd rather have the 335 and you're spending all that money, get what you really want. There are several 335-style guitars that aren't "Gibson" 335's that are as good if not better for the price you're looking to spend. http://www.heritageguitar.com/models/H535.htm
    Camden I '06, Camden II '06, Bonnaroo '08, Camden I '08, Camden II '08, Philly Spectrum II/III/IV '09, MSG I '10, MSG II '10, Made In America '12, Wrigley '13, Brooklyn II '13, Philly I '13, Philly II '13, ...
  • Beautiful! Thanks for all the feedback, this definitely helps. I have been hearing that the ES-137 is pretty heavy. I would really rather have the ES-335 but I think it is a bit more expensive than the 137. As for the LP Classic, I have been hearing some really good things about it over on the LP Forum, have gotten a lot of positive feedback about this guitar. It is a little more than I want to spend but I think I may just go for it.

    Thanks again!

    yeah, the 137 is pretty heavy.

    check out the 335. the satin finish version will run you about $200 more than the 137. the difference in price between these two models is roughly the same as price range on the LP classic (which varies based on finish).

    when i bought my 137, i had been cross-shopping it with the 335 satin finish. i don't necessarily recall the 335 being that much lighter than the 137, but i don't remember specifically. tone and playability were fairly similar overall, with the 335 giving me better access to the upper frets.

    i didn't really like the look of the satin finish as much, which (aside from the price difference) was one of the reasons i chose the 137 (with a blues burst finish).

    you really can't go wrong with any of the three models you're looking at though...
  • bootlegger10bootlegger10 Posts: 15,947
    This thread reminds me, I bought an LP Classic about 7 years ago. Haven't played it in five years though because I kept it at my parents' place while I was at school and then never brought it with me when I moved into my own place. I need to break that thing out of its hibernation! It is a gorgeous guitar. Perfect sunburst with no imperfections.

    Note: Buy strap locks. I dropped my LP Studio and cracked the neck big time. Had to spend $300 to fix it. I bought the Classic thinking I would get rid of the Studio, but it is amazing how they can fix about a 5 inch severe crack.
  • If you'd rather have the 335... look into Heritage guitars. Not sure if you're familiar with them, but when Gibson closed down it's Kalamazoo factory and moved, a lot of workers decided to stay behind and they started their own company based off Gibson models. Folks on thegearpage.net rave that Heritage Quality is even better than Gibson's, more specifically with the 335 style. Since you'd rather have the 335 and you're spending all that money, get what you really want. There are several 335-style guitars that aren't "Gibson" 335's that are as good if not better for the price you're looking to spend. http://www.heritageguitar.com/models/H535.htm

    Hey thanks for the suggestion on the Heritage guitars.
    Driving in my car, smoking a cigar. The only time I'm happy is when I play my guitar.

    -from "n.s.u." by Cream
  • This thread reminds me, I bought an LP Classic about 7 years ago. Haven't played it in five years though because I kept it at my parents' place while I was at school and then never brought it with me when I moved into my own place. I need to break that thing out of its hibernation! It is a gorgeous guitar. Perfect sunburst with no imperfections.

    Note: Buy strap locks. I dropped my LP Studio and cracked the neck big time. Had to spend $300 to fix it. I bought the Classic thinking I would get rid of the Studio, but it is amazing how they can fix about a 5 inch severe crack.


    Strap locks noted!
    Driving in my car, smoking a cigar. The only time I'm happy is when I play my guitar.

    -from "n.s.u." by Cream
  • moster78moster78 Posts: 1,591
    Strap locks noted!

    I put them on all my electrics.
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