Guitar Review: The Epiphone G-1275 Custom Double Neck

Gibson introduced the EDS-1275 in 1962, a solid body double-neck that enabled a guitarist to switch from a six-string to a twelve-string without changing instruments. In 1971, Jimmy Page made it famous when he used it to play "Stairway to Heaven" live. Eventually, Epiphone made their version, identical in every way to Gibson's, and for about 40 percent of the price.

Based on the SG body style, this machine has two necks (a twelve string and a six string) with rosewood fingerboards set with parallelogram pearloid inlays, two humbucking chrome alnico pickups on the twelve-string neck with 2 black open-coil humbuckers on the 6-string neck, two Tune-O-Matic bridges and stopbar tailpieces, a pickup selector switch on each neck, and a neck selector switch between the two bridges, and a total of eighteen Grover tuning machines (but with the plastic keys I really don't like compared to the chrome "butterbean" variety).

The two mahogany necks are glued (set) into an alder body bonded to a beautiful curly maple veneer top, which gives it plenty of sustain and that beautiful Gibson tone. The playable length of the strings is the standard Gibson 24.75 inches, and the twelve string nut width is 1.85 inches, while the six-string nut width is the SG standard of 1.68 inches.

When I strapped it on, it was about as heavy as a Les Paul, and a little awkward if you aren't used to them. I soon felt natural with it, playing classical finger-style on the twelve string neck, and doing ripping leads on the six, both made easy by the low profiles of the necks and the smooth neck-heel joints.

I had the best success setting the empty space between the necks to about where I would keep the neck of a standard guitar; that made it pretty easy for me to access both necks, although it was still a little awkward to access the upper (12-string) neck being so high up on my chest.

My only complaint is, of course, the loose hardware that is characteristic of instruments manufactured overseas, but that to me is a small problem, since I am rather proficient using tools. Other than that and the plastic keys on the tuning machines, I'd own this guitar in a heartbeat (if I didn't have as many as I do already!)

So if you want that Gibson tone without the Gibson price, Epiphone is the only way you're going to have both. Their instruments just can't be beat when it comes to quality and value, and at a MSRP of $899.00, Epiphone makes it possible for the trailer-park kid to own one of these dream machines!