Gibson Double Neck Guitars

The Gibson EDS-1275 Double Neck SG was named "the coolest guitar in rock" by the website Gigwise, with Jimmy Page’s Gibson EDS-1275 Double Neck SG recognized as one of the most iconic guitars in history.

Although Jimmy Page is arguably the artist most associated with this instrument, many other artists have used this instrument through the years including:

• Slash of Guns N’ Roses (Knockin' on Heaven's Door) (Image #7)  - Slash bought his 1966 doubleneck from a small music store in Indiana in 1990, following which it saw heavy rotation during Guns N’ Roses’ Use Your Illusion tour on the tracks Only Women Bleed, Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door and Patience.
• Steve Howe of Yes (Starship Trooper) (Image #6)
• Don Felder of the Eagles (Hotel California) (Image #8)
• Alex Lifeson of Rush (Xanadu, Cygnus X-1 Book II) (Image #9 & 10))
• Steve Clark of Def Leppard (Bringin' on the Heartbreak)
• Daft Punk (Robot Rock)
• Elvis Presley (1966 movie Spinout) (Image #8)

Vintage 1963-67 Gibson EDS-1275 Double Neck SG's are hardly ever seen in the wild and have been known primarily as a custom-made guitar mostly seen in the hands of rock's elite, with original 1963-67 examples currently valued from $15,000-$40,000

 

The EDS-1275 is most widely recognized as the guitar Jimmy Page used in countless Led Zeppelin concerts and recording sessions including:

• “Stairway to Heaven” (Led Zeppelin IV, 1971): Used the 6-string neck for the intro, verses, and solo, and the 12-string neck for the bridge and final chorus.
• “The Song Remains the Same” (Houses of the Holy, 1973)
• “The Rain Song” (Houses of the Holy, 1973)
• “Celebration Day” (Led Zeppelin III, 1970)
• “Tangerine” (Led Zeppelin III, 1970)
• “Sick Again” (Physical Graffiti, 1975)
• “Carouselambra” (In Through the Out Door, 1979)
• Page most recently played a EDS-1275 at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in November 2023, reinforcing its legacy

 

On the recorded version of Led Zeppelin’s classic “Stairway to Heaven,” Jimmy Page used 3 separate guitars:  an acoustic Harmony guitar, his legendary “Dragon” Fender Telecaster, and a Fender electric 12-string. 

That made it impossible to recreate the recording in live performances, where Page was limited to one guitar at a time. However, he found a partial solution in Gibson’s EDS-1275 double-neck, which allowed him to switch from six strings to 12 strings without changing guitars.  The lighter body weight of the SG design made the EDS-1275 more comfortable to play than the earlier version.  

Gibson stopped offering the EDS-1275 in 1968, however, Jimmy special ordered his guitar in 1971.  Page's custom guitar included several modifications to the production model including  (image #2)

1. Moving the tailpiece further away from the bridge
2. Replacing the pickups with coverless black humbuckers on the six-string side
3. Replacing the Black Top Hats w/ Silver Inserts with Speed Knobs

2024 Jimmy Page 1969 EDS-1275 Doubleneck Collector’s Edition, Signed, Exclusive, Cherry | Gibson MSRP $49,999 (Image #12)

• Made in close collaboration and with significant input from Jimmy Page, this very special Collector’s Edition replication uses new 3D scanning technology and ultra-precise Murphy Lab aging techniques to aid in hand-crafting an effective clone of Jimmy Page’s original guitar. Every single detail has been thoughtfully replicated, from the exact playing wear to the sonic character.
• Only 50 Collector’s Edition replications have been created by the expert luthiers of the Gibson Custom Shop in Nashville, Tennessee, and artfully aged to match the original by the Murphy Lab as part of this extraordinary Collector's Edition run honoring both the guitar and the legendary guitarist who first made it famous, Jimmy Page.

 

2007 Gibson Custom Jimmy Page Signature '71 EDS-1275 DOUBLENECK Reissue  MSRP $19,999 Aged & Signed / 

• The Jimmy Page Signature Double Neck is a painstaking recreation of Jimmy's original '71 model, limited to a run of 25 units played, numbered and hand signed by Jimmy, and 250 unsigned, VOS finished units.
• Crafted in the style of Jimmy's EDS-1275, the mahogany 6- and 12-string necks are outfitted with rosewood fingerboards. The body's period-correct mahogany is finished in a meticulously weathered dark cherry and done up with chrome hardware and strap locks, a period-correct 5-ply pickguard, four Page pickups, and two volume and tone control knobs. 

2024 Gibson Custom Jimmy Page EDS-1275 Doubleneck Electric Guitar - '69 Cherry, VOS  Model # EDS1275JPVOCH1  MSRP $9,999  (Image #13)

• Recreation of the EDS-1275 used by Jimmy Page made using 3D scans of the original guitar, one piece mahogany body, mahogany six and 12-string necks with custom Jimmy Page profiles, Indian rosewood fretboards, Jimmy Page Custombucker pickups with Alnico 5 magnets and double black bobbins

 

2019 Gibson Custom Shop Slash Signed 1966 EDS-1275 Doubleneck Replica  Model #DSEDSLSAEBCH  MSRP $11,999 (Image #7)

• Limited-edition of only 125 units, all signed by Slash, replicating the 1966 Gibson EDS-1275 in Aged Ebony including meticulous aging to replicate his original guitar’s wear, including buckle rash and a repaired headstock mark.
• Originally showcased on GNR’s Use Your Illusion tour for songs like “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” “Only Women Bleed,” and “Patience”
• Slash discussing his 1966 Gibson EDS-1275
• Trogleys Review of 2019 Gibson Slash Collection EDS-1275

 

2010 Gibson Custom Shop Don Felder "Hotel California" '77 EDS-1275 Doubleneck  MSRP $12,704 / $9174  (Image #8)

• Replica of the iconic Arctic White doubleneck guitar used by Don Felder of The Eagles to perform “Hotel California” live, capturing the song’s 12-string intro and 6-string solo.
• Limited run of 150 available worldwide, with 50 aged and signed models 
• Don Felder on his signature "Hotel California" Gibson models | Guitar World

 

2015 Gibson Custom Shop Alex Lifeson "Xanadu" '76 EDS-1275 Doubleneck  MSRP $16,999  (Image #9 & 10)

• A replica of Alex Lifeson's own '70s Gibson Double Neck, crafted in close collaboration with the Artist.
• This limited run of 100 EDS-1275's is a replica of Alex's famous "Farewell to Kings" Double Neck. Based on hands-on analysis and digital scans of the original's neck and body profiles, each one is a precise re-creation of the guitar that Alex acquired in the mid-1970s and one that would go on to become a visual and tonal icon.
• "I acquired this (white) one in 1976, along with a cherry one, which I later gave to Gordie Johnson," said Lifeson. "It's been with me ever since, playing a constant role in the Farewell to Kings tour between 1977 and 1983, then again from 1991-1996, primarily for the song 'Xanadu'. It was used to record the songs 'Xanadu', 'Something for Nothing', 'Vapor Trails' and others."

 

The Mach Five Guitar is a 2021 Epiphone G-1275 "Double Neck" Limited Edition in Cherry SN 21021521719  (image #1 & 2)

• Limited-edition reissue of Epiphone’s “British Invasion” 50th-anniversary series with only 300 made

• Replicates Page's custom guitar including his modifications from the standard production model  (image #2)

  1. Moving the tailpiece further away from the bridge 

  2. Replacing the pickups with coverless black humbuckers on the six-string side 

  3. Replacing the Black Top Hats w/ Silver Inserts with Speed Knobs

1. The Mach Five Guitar
2. Mach Five Guitar vs Jimmy Pages custom EDS1275
3. Jimmy Page EDS1275
4. Jimmy Page EDS1275
5. Jimmy Page Magazine Cover
6. Steve Howe/Yes EDS1275
7. Slash/GNR  EDS1275
8. Don Felder/Eagles EDS1275
9. Alex Lifeson/Rush  EDS1275
10. Alex Lifeson Signature  EDS1275
11. Pre  EDS1275 Doublenecks
12. 2024 Jimmy Page 1969 EDS-1275

Led Zeppelin - Stairway To Heaven (Live at Earls Court 1975) [Official Video]

Eagles - Hotel California (Live 1977) (Official Video)

Guns n Roses - Knocking On Heaven's Door Live - HD (Freddie Mercury tribute 1992)

Rush - Xanadu (Live From The Montreal Forum / 1981)

Yes - Starship Trooper (Live at The Rainbow, London, England, 12/16/1972) 

Jimmy Page's Guitars: A Short History

The Story of Gibson EDS-1275 Double Neck | Ultimate Guitar