This is a really great, beautiful-condition, and great-sounding 1974 Gibson EDS-1275 electric guitar in its original walnut finish. I am the second owner; my longtime friend originally owned it. He won the guitar in a contest held in January or February of 1975. Although he played it a bit in his youth, it has since been stored in a temperature-controlled environment inside the original Gibson case.

The guitar has never been in the shop for a repair, and all parts are 100% original. The only maintenance I did was having new strings added at a guitar shop, as I'm not adept at stringing a 12-string guitar. All electronics function perfectly, and nothing has been replaced. The necks are perfectly straight and there are no cracks anywhere.

The serial number is located on the back of the headstock of the 6-string neck, which reads "409354 Made in USA." The back of the 12-string neck is simply stamped "Made in the USA." The guitar measures 41" for the 12-string and 39" for the 6-string.

Before purchasing this guitar, I did thorough research. I was curious about the truss rod having a 3-hole cover instead of a 2-hole, so I called Gibson and spoke with an expert who explained that in 1974, production methods were less standardized. They often used available parts, and many components were assembled by hand. In some cases, the truss rod hole would not be drilled deep enough, causing a 2-hole truss rod cover screw to interfere with the truss rod itself. As a result, guitars like this one featured a 3-hole cover.

The technician even checked their 1974 photo archives, confirming that some EDS-1275 guitars had the same 3-hole configuration. I also confirmed with my friend that the original covers have been intact since it was new. I opened the back plate and can confirm that the pots have never been touched or rewired. They are dated, if I remember correctly, to 1970, which is completely normal as Gibson often used older stock for finishing guitars. This guitar is likely from one of the earlier runs in 1974.

For a 54-year-old all-original guitar, this EDS-1275 is in great condition. There are only a couple of surface flaws, which I will describe.

There are some extremely small white speck marks on the back, which are light scratches in the nitrocellulose finish and can easily be buffed out; they are not deep. There's a small scratch on the edge beneath the control knobs, which should also be able to be buffed to make it less noticeable.

There is one flaw that may require attention, and I have lowered the price from my initial expectation to accommodate the cost of having it fixed by a professional luthier. It's not a major issue and can easily be restored to perfection. My friend, who originally owned the guitar, applied a small brass tag with his name, which resulted in two tiny screw holes in the body. He tried to repair it by plugging the holes, but the color didn't match, and he didn't know how to properly finish it with nitrocellulose.

I initially thought I could sell this guitar for $10,000, but I am pricing it at $9,000 to reflect the cost of the necessary repair work. I believe it would cost about $400 to $500 to fix, so I'm adjusting the price to ensure it adequately covers that expense. I just recently noticed that Sweetwater offers a brand-new Gibson Jimmy Page double-neck for $10,000.

This 1974 EDS-1275 guitar is undoubtedly worth more than my asking price, but I will be moving overseas soon and do not want to risk transporting it across the world. I also have concerns about humidity levels there, which is why it is now for sale.

The guitar is currently located in my apartment in Wisconsin, and you will need to pick it up in person or arrange for shipping, as I am not confident in my ability to pack it securely for transport.

BONUS: I will include an absolutely brand new Orange Crush 12 guitar amplifier with this guitar. It still has the tags attached and comes in its original box. I bought it to test the Gibson to ensure that all the pots and switches worked properly, and I can confirm that everything is excellent.

If you would like to see specific photos of anything, just let me know. The asking price is $9,000. Keep in mind that the walnut finish is rarer than the red, and white being the hardest to find, and only about 500 guitars were produced in 1974. This is truly a piece of Gibson guitar history that is sure to appreciate in value over time.