gibson es-135

Is anyone familiar with this guitar? I tried one in guitar shop and liked it quite a lot. Seems pretty versitile. Any opinions? In the guitar shop it went for $1650 american - but on line Ive seen them for $949 with hard shell case. I was thinking about a strat - but this seemed more versitile, and strats are not all the same - I've played good ones, and bad ones.

The blonde ones look ok...if I got one, it'd be blonde...or 'natural finish'.

I have a 'standard' ES135 and a gothic ES135. The standard is a very nice instrument, great tone from the P100s and a chunky neck profile. It seems very reasonably priced for a Gibson semi and my current favourite guitar (although it is also my most recent purchase)

I have seen at least one 135 where the lacquer was coming away from the headstock, so I would give the finish a close inspection.

I would probably prefer a ES137, (if I'd ever seen one in the flesh) because the trapeze bridge seems less solid than a tune-o-matic. It seems to me that the intonation slips a bit when you play it hard - I only have 9s on the standard and heavier strings would reduce this effect.

The gothic is a very confused instrument, with high output humbuckers and industrial finish. Mine is even more confused as the label inside the body declares it to be a 335.

Ash