What do you do when you’re in need of the snap and growl of a standard six-string guitar, as well as the full bodied chime of a 12-string? No, you don’t rig up some weird, Doc Brown contraption, Gibson’s already done it for you! The sounds are both highly accessible through the Gibson EDS-1275. Two SG guitars melded together, one equipped with 12 strings allows the guitarist to easily transfer back and forth between the two sounds without having to clamber about with two guitars.

The EDS-1275 originated in the Gibson EMS-1235. This guitar, rather than the slim, sharpened 1275, was instead a custom-order hollowbody with two six-string necks. For a short time between 1962-1967, the EMS was produced as a solid body. Another model emerged, the EBS-1250. This model featured  both a four-string and a six-string neck.

The current production model was introduced in 1963, and was intermittently taken out of production. Yet, the guitar persevered, and found appreciation in both rock musicians and jazz musicians. One of the most notable users is jazz-rocker John McLaughlin. Run through a 100-watt Marshall amp with the Mahavishnu Orchestra, McLaughlin developed a tone that has been hailed as one of the greatest by Guitar Player magazine. Elvis Presley can also be seen wielding one of these axes on the poster for the 1966 movie Spinout.

Of course, the most notable user of the EDS-1275 is Jimmy Page, the Zoso. Many believe that Page recorded the solo for Stairway to Heaven, but in interviews, Page attests that the double neck was necessary for live use. The song would begin on the six-string neck, then move to the 12-string neck, then back to the six-string for the extended solo, then finish on the 12-string. Also notable is that Page’s model was unique. By the time he needed it, the EDS-1275 were no longer in production. As a result, his differs quite a bit from the standard models. The tailpieces are set much closer to the end of the guitar, and the necks are one piece mahogany, as opposed to three-piece maple.

Page’s influence on the notoriety of the guitar cannot be overstated. As an influence, Page inspired the likes of Slash, Don Felder of The Eagles and Alex Lifeson of Rush to purchase EDS-1275s. Today, the instrument is a standard issue from Gibson and budget line Epiphone. In addition, signature models of Page’s and Felder’s EDS-1275 models have been released, showing that Gibson still has an appreciation for the flashy models they helped pioneer.