In it’s original incarnation, the Gibson ES-135 was a non-cutaway archtop with a single pickup: it debuted in 1954, but spent only four years in the catalog.

The 135 seen here, first introduced in 1991, is an entirely different instrument which combines the outline of an ES-175 (with it’s distinctive Florentine cutaway), and the shallow body and internal center block of an ES-335. It’s two pickups are Gibson P-100s, “stacked humbuckers” based on the classic P-90 design, but an additional, noise-eliminating coil.

The new guitar was successful, and, in 2000, was honored with an “Editors’ Pick” award from the influencial magazine Guitar Player.