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Gibson ES 135 1996


mattos.arca

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Hi there guys. I'm considering purchasing this semi and would very much appreciate your opinion.

The seller does not have proper tags, COA, etc. According to him, it is a 1996 all original (but clearly truss rod cover isn't).

SERIAL reads 93146439

Any particular comments regarding this piece?

Best regards

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Edited by mattos.arca
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I have a 97 or maybe a 98??  With mine there is no COA either.  I think those only come with custom shop models.

I can't tell from the photo's but check that the bridge support posts are not slotted..  That's one of the glaring red flags for a fake.

and yea that TRC is not at all right for a 135..

The one thing you may find you do not get along with is that trapeze tail piece.  it's a rattle trap and a tone robber (IMHO)  I put a Bigsby B7 on mine and I was stunned with how much better the sustain and all around tone was.

 

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Are the pups original?

I've had mine maybe 10 years and is a 93 and some do not like the P100 noiseless pups. They ARE a tad weak, and maybe a bit thin, but that's what the volume and EQ section of the amp is for.  I love mine, some hate them but for a bit of an uplift new P90's can open up a whole new dimension. The "Chromite" center block makes the 135 really light and comfortable.

The finish around the neck joint may at some point show stress but nothing functional. If you look at prices online and you can get it lower than some of the optimistic asking prices you will like it.

 

gibson_es-135.jpg

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7 hours ago, kidblast said:

I have a 97 or maybe a 98??  With mine there is no COA either.  I think those only come with custom shop models.

I can't tell from the photo's but check that the bridge support posts are not slotted..  That's one of the glaring red flags for a fake.

and yea that TRC is not at all right for a 135..

The one thing you may find you do not get along with is that trapeze tail piece.  it's a rattle trap and a tone robber (IMHO)  I put a Bigsby B7 on mine and I was stunned with how much better the sustain and all around tone was.

 

Thanks mate! Will sure check the bridge for details.

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4 hours ago, gnappi said:

Are the pups original?

I've had mine maybe 10 years and is a 93 and some do not like the P100 noiseless pups. They ARE a tad weak, and maybe a bit thin, but that's what the volume and EQ section of the amp is for.  I love mine, some hate them but for a bit of an uplift new P90's can open up a whole new dimension. The "Chromite" center block makes the 135 really light and comfortable.

The finish around the neck joint may at some point show stress but nothing functional. If you look at prices online and you can get it lower than some of the optimistic asking prices you will like it.

 

gibson_es-135.jpg


Great piece you have there!

Regarding the pups, according to the seller they are the original P100s.  
 

I’m purchasing the semi in Brazil for around USD 1200, which is a really good price for such guitars in here...

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2 hours ago, alphasports said:

The truss rod cover, non-standard as it is, is so badly misaligned I'd bee wondering what else is wrong, if not a fake?

you can buy truss rod covers anywhere,    that misalignment is easy to do.

I do not believe this is a fake.  These were not expensive guitars during the time this was made.  I paid $899 for mine with a case in the late 90s

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  • 1 month later...

So did you buy it? I must have been in a pissy mood when I wrote the cranky comment about the truss rod cover...guitar looks really nice. I have a 137 which has a hardwood center block as opposed to balsa in the 135 but is otherwise very similar (other than the PAFs, tailpiece, etc haha), love it.

 

Cheers

Edited by alphasports
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