The guitar is nice, but...

When I got home from work yesterday there was a large box standing outside the door to our kitchen. I was a little unnerved that UPS just set the damn thing on the doorstep and left it there. I would think they'd need a signature.

I was glad to see it, though. As soon as I got it in the house, I opened the box, emptied the popcorn, opened the bubble-wrap and laid the guitar case out on the floor next to my amp. Without opening it, I turned the amp on to let it warm up. Then I went down to the kitchen and got a cold beverage. I cleaned up the loose popcorn from the floor and went back upstairs. I had savored the anticipation for as long as I could and it was time to open the case.

The ES-137 is very nice looking. Its top is 'tri-colored sunburst' maple which means the edges are dark, dark red - almost brown and the color fades to a yellowish gold in the center. Very pretty.

When I picked it up out of the case, I was immediately impressed with its weight. According to my bathroon scale, it weighs about 10 lbs. Very heavy compared to my Fender Stratocaster which weighs about 7 lbs.

The body, neck and fingerboard are larger than those on the Strat and it's taking some getting used-to. It does feel natural to me, though.

It plays very differently than the Start. I put a set of .010 gauge strings on. They are heavier than are on the Strat, but I think this guitar needs heavier strings. It plays very nicely, but not as effortlessly as the maple-necked Strat. (This one has an ebony fingerboard.) The word I would use to describe the action is 'substantial'. It isn't by any means hard to play, but it requires more grip than I'm used-to.

The tone is interesting. It has a LOT of bite. Hotter, brighter and more aggressive than I prefer, since I'm concentrating on jazz and sight-reading. I'm thinking of replacing the pickups, but I'm going to play it for a while before I make any changes. The sustain is incredible. A note plyed on the B-string will hold for 8 to 10 seconds without using any vibrato or distortion. The wound strings sustain longer. Very solid.

All-in-all, I would not have bought this guitar if I came across it in a music store. I got a good deal on it, and I DO enjoy playing it, but I was crazy to place a bid on an instrument sight-unseen (and unplayed.) I won't do it again.