Gibson Custom EDS-1275 Doubleneck Electric Guitar - Cherry Red Reviews

I owned and played one of these in walnut for the better part of a decade. Bought it because of the hassle of switching guitars from 6 to 12 strings which I did often. The 1275 allows this with the flip of a switch plus I no longer had to redial the amp for different pickup characteristics. PROS: Versatility (obviously) and glorious sound! The heavy mahogany produces wonderful clarity and articulation. Comfortable necks, both. Intonates well. Draws a lot of attention. CONS: Heavy! and extremely neck-heavy. I had to fabricate a belt clip attached to the strap to keep it somewhat level without holding up the necks. I also had a Carvin 6/12 in solid Koa that was perfectly balanced without the strap mod - but the 6 string half was totally useless. My single neck 12 strings have been Rics and the Gibson lacks the "jangle" of a Ric - but that's a minor drawback because the sound is so good; fuller than a Ric. I've played a B.C. Rich "Bich" doubleneck and the thing is an ergonomic nightmare (even though it looks cool), plus it didn't sound nearly as good as the Gibson. All in all, if you want a doubleneck, deal with the cons and get the Gibson.

I've been fortunate enough in my long career to own and play an original Gibson EDS-1275 in white from 1972-1997 when I sold it. I purchased this Gibson Replica EDS-1275 about two years ago and I can honestly say its nothing compared to the original. Not even close.

-This replica is super top-heavy compared to an original, which was perfectly well-balanced, and the body seems to be quite heavier than an original also. You'll need an extra durable strap to hold this beast up;
-I have to say, the tone is pretty clean, but you can make any guitar sound any way your mind can think with the addition of all the technology, pedals/pedalboards, etc. out today;
-The price is, in my humble opinion, outrageous. The current listing price is $, and I paid about $ less for it two years ago. Many custom shops including Gibson offer a completely custom design for many customers where you can get a completely custom-made guitar to your exact specifications, and it still is less than half the cost of this guitar and this being a "replica" of an original EDS-1250 is just not worth the money IMO.

So I did some experimenting.
I purchased a China model "Gibson Custom EDS-1275," which is obviously not a real Gibson, for $ and after some rewiring, changing of the pickups to Custombucker Alnico III (just under $ for a set, needed two sets so just under $), and putting the Gibson Vintage Nickel tuners on it (needed 3 sets, each set was $), it sounded, played, and felt like the original and it cost a fraction of the price. People cringe when they hear "China made guitar" and claim them to be fake, but there is no such thing as a fake guitar unless it cannot function as a guitar should. With a few upgrades to the China-made model, I had a guitar that looks, feels, and sounds like the ORIGINAL, NOT THIS REPLICA. Think about that for a second...Gibson is charging $+ for a REPLICA, not an original, and China is making one that feels and plays like AN ORIGINAL, minus the upgrades. I'm just saying...either China is making amazing quality guitars for a huge fraction of the price or Gibson is going WAY downhill with their quality.

All in all, I wouldn't recommend buying this guitar as it is far too expensive and there are more cons than pros to having one, especially considering this is ONLY A REPLICA, NOT AN ORIGINAL. As someone who has owned an original Gibson EDS-1275 and owns both an authentic Gibson Custom EDS-1275 Replica and a Chinese made guitar of the same body-style, the China model is the way I chose to go and I couldn't be happier with all the upgrades I did.

Gibson Custom EDS-1275 REPLICA = $+ before tax
Chinese Custom EDS-1275 + upgrades =