Ordered a new H-137 today

[SouthpawGuy]

All well thought out advice SPG. My main reason for the Invader was the 12" radius and 1 11/16" nut with low action, as well as the humbucker/singlecoil on one guitar option. But I have not heard one other than a clip I didn't think much of on UTUBE. I love the sounds I hear from the ASAT semi-hollow Blues Boy, but it is a 7 1/2" radius and narrower neck. As you suggest, I can always change pickups, but I can't change the neck size once I get it.

 

My Bluesboy semi hollow has a 12" radius fingerboard, if you check out Wolfes' site it is often described as the "players choice" or "player friendly".

 

It is also a very chunky birs eye maple neck.

 

 

 

 

I'm not sure if I should be giving you G&L GAS on the HOC though ....

[pegleg32]

That is lovely!!! If it wasn't upside down, I would have to make you an offer on it!! But more to the point, I wonder how it came to have a 12" radius neck? I wonder if that is a current option or maybe a special order?

[SouthpawGuy]

That is lovely!!! If it wasn't upside down, I would have to make you an offer on it!! But more to the point, I wonder how it came to have a 12" radius neck? I wonder if that is a current option or maybe a special order?

 

Check out the neck options here: http://www.glguitars.com/options/options.asp

 

As far as I know the #2 is used mostly on the ASAT Classic, but don't quote me on that !

 

Most of the necks use the 12" radius, and it looks like a #4 would be your best bet.

[pegleg32]

Check out the neck options here: http://www.glguitars.com/options/options.asp

 

As far as I know the #2 is used mostly on the ASAT Classic, but don't quote me on that !

 

Most of the necks use the 12" radius, and it looks like a #4 would be your best bet.

 

Yes, the #4 neck is exactly where I was leaning, and thus ended up looking at the invader. I just revisited Jay's site and I see now that they have a couple of semi-hollow Bluesboys with 12" radius. Confusion reigns, as usual - it seems all of my guitar purchases involve 2 steps forward and 1 back. I sure wish I lived where I could play these things before I bought, except I love living where I am.

[Kuz]

Heritage guitars are 12" radius as well, for what's worth.

 

Good luck!

[tulk1]

It came with an Access case instead of a Heritage case, which like Graham said, is probably a better case than the Heritage and according to him, fits the 137 better than the Heritage case. It was a great case, I just wish they had cleared it with me beforehand. Then when I got it, the neck pickup didn't have any volume, which probably can be fixed by Wolfe Guitars, no big deal. The main thing for me was that I just could not get it adjusted to the action I wanted - the neck seems to have a dip in it about the 10th - 12th fret and the strings would ping out. Granted I do set the action on my guitars very low, but it works ok on the 150 and 535. Along the way, Graham mentioned getting a G&l with a thick neck and he felt I might be happier with the action on that guitar so I thought I would look into it.

 

Was that a used guitar? I know the boys will at times ship unstenciled cases. But they are generally TKL cases, regardless. And yeah, maybe the Access case is a better case, but thats not what usually ships with the guitar. Unless they've changed. That set up thing bothers me, too. I know it's your guitar (was your guitar?), but it still bothers me. If you're going G&L, see if they have an ASAT with MFDs, 3 bolt neck. Now THAT is a guitar you can love. Won't be new. But it'd be killer, no doubt.

[pegleg32]

Was that a used guitar? I know the boys will at times ship unstenciled cases. But they are generally TKL cases, regardless. And yeah, maybe the Access case is a better case, but thats not what usually ships with the guitar. Unless they've changed. That set up thing bothers me, too. I know it's your guitar (was your guitar?), but it still bothers me. If you're going G&L, see if they have an ASAT with MFDs, 3 bolt neck. Now THAT is a guitar you can love. Won't be new. But it'd be killer, no doubt.

 

It was a great case, brown, stitched leather, and velvet over padding that fit the 137 just right, I just didn't know it was coming and had to get my head around it. I still want to deal with the folks at Wolfe, they were very courteous in taking it back. Yes, I'm leaning G&L now, I don't have a single coil pickup in the house at the present time, and I would feel 1/2 naked with out at least one good one, but I just don't like the feel of the small Fender type necks.

[Spectrum13]

Pegleg,

 

Don't they have another Korina 2 pup in stock? Couple of TV yellows too. I know the action needs to be what it needs to be. Mine is super low with about .004 of relief and after two years is stable. Graham could take a streight edge and gauge and tweek the truss rod and let you know if it will buzz. Hope I'm not stating the obvious but a 137 is light years from a G&L.

[pegleg32]

Pegleg,

 

Don't they have another Korina 2 pup in stock? Couple of TV yellows too. I know the action needs to be what it needs to be. Mine is super low with about .004 of relief and after two years is stable. Graham could take a streight edge and gauge and tweek the truss rod and let you know if it will buzz. Hope I'm not stating the obvious but a 137 is light years from a G&L.

 

Hey Spectrum, yes that is also in my range of options, and you voiced my thinking eloquently. Thanks for the input.

[SouthpawGuy]

Was it this type of brown case ?

 

 

I've noticed before that 137s' can come in a tweed case, not sure if it's standard though.

 

... in case your wondering ( pun intended ) the 137 pictured belongs to GDub

[Kuz]

Was it this type of brown case ?

 

 

I've noticed before that 137s' can come in a tweed case, not sure if it's standard though.

 

... in case your wondering ( pun intended ) the 137 pictured belongs to GDub

 

That's the same style case my 525 came in. They didn't disclose to me that it was different than the standard Heritages either.

 

I wonder (well they probably do)if Wolfe gets a better price on these after market cases, but I have never seen one of these after market cases leave the factory.

I wonder if they are originally shipped from Heritage with a Heritage case and then Wolfe ships them out with the aftermarket one? If that's the situation, then what does Wolfe do with the original Heritage cases?

 

FWIW, my aftermarket tweed case doesn't fit my 525 as well as I would like. There is a little rattling looseness inside. I need to put some old shirts or rags in the case to make the guitar fit tighter. I do think it is a fine enough case in general. It wasn't really a deal breaker for me.

[pegleg32]

The Access Stage 5 case doesn't quite look like that. Or at least the one I received didn't, it was a smooth medium dark brown case. It was absolutly a very nice case. Maybe Wolfe orders their Heritages without cases, but that would surprise me as the ad for the 137 said it included an original Heritage case. When I talked to Graham however, he indicated that they sent all their 137's out with the Access case becuase they fit the guitar better than the Heritage case. So it was all a little confusing, but really, it was a pretty minor thing, I was more interested in how the guitar played.

[Blooze]

The Access Stage 5 case doesn't quite look like that. Or at least the one I received didn't, it was a smooth medium dark brown case. It was absolutly a very nice case. Maybe Wolfe orders their Heritages without cases, but that would surprise me as the ad for the 137 said it included an original Heritage case. When I talked to Graham however, he indicated that they sent all their 137's out with the Access case becuase they fit the guitar better than the Heritage case. So it was all a little confusing, but really, it was a pretty minor thing, I was more interested in how the guitar played.

 

 

pegleg, sorry to hear about the 137. I have owned two and bought them about 2 years apart. The first one was an early issue and , unfortuneatly, weighed about 10lbs!. No major structural problems, but just not a comfortable player. It came in the original tweed case like the one pictured above. The case was absolute garbage. Cheaply made and did not fit the guitar well at all. I give Wolfe credit for dumping them and giving out a decent case with guitar. The second 137 I have is the Korina bodied one pictured in my avatar. Steller player, and I'm able to set the action very low (which I prefer). This one weighs in at 7.8 lbs. I have always loved LP Specials and this 137 is as good as ant Gibson Custom Shop I've owned. So, I guess I'm saying don't give up on the 137 after one try....................discuss it with Wolfe and let them set up/and send you another one to try out.

[hiro]

Wow that sucks . . . When I threw up a post about testing GL vs Heritage, I mentioned I liked the Gibson / Heritage necks. SOmeoene mentioned #3 neck is that. In fact the neck feel is what pushed away the "DAyMne Heritage is a lot of $$ compared to G&L ASAT".

 

You might want to see if Wolfe can put a video on youtube with a ASAT Deluxe, that has twin humbucks and sounded nice might grab you . . . but like someone else posted, the G&L's sound is different than Heritage. (the H150 did better when you set the amp to 'crunch'), but the fender neck arrgh. Not for me.

 

The h150 had a wider range . . . and warmer / richer than the deluxe. G&L is great for "Fendery" sounds.

 

Southpaw! Dude . . . I'm fighting off GAS. I had to bust out the H150 and do a "anti GAS riff". An ASAT classic + Fender amp is next on my list for that Tele sound (Crossroads 1986 anyone? :Þ ) but I'd have to get it with a custom neck. But I can wait so it won't be anytime soon. The H150 is just too much fun.

 

As for Heritage being heavy, I got used to it. LOL sometimes I sit n use classical or flamenco position to hold it (running record was 40 mins).

 

Have fun in searching for your guitar, its cool to research and test out guitars, and choose wisely!

[rjsanders]

hey, Don, too bad that didn't work out for you. mine (mahogany TV yellow) is also stellar, in the 7 lb range, has the Pigtail hardware (soon, sad to say, to be unobtainium), intonates and plays perfectly. the folks @ CB Perkins called it their alltime favorite electric solidbody guitar (& they've been authorized Gibson repair for decades)