Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom (IGC) 1957 Les Paul Goldtop Reissue, Double Gold #guitar

On the Bench Today is the Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom (IGC) 1957 Les Paul Goldtop Reissue, Double Gold The 1957 Les Paul Goldtop Reissue represents the year the Les Pual model guitar, truly hit its stride. It was the first full production year for Patent Applied For (PAF) humbuckers, which—alongside the ABR-1 bridge and stop bar—turned the Goldtop Les Paul into a legitimate rock and roll icon. The Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom collaboration focuses on those specific "fire-breathing" details while staying accessible. The body of the guitar is solid mahogany with a carved maple cap, finished in a Vintage Gloss Double Gold. One of the most significant visible features is the Gibson-style "open book" headstock, featuring a mother-of-pearl Epiphone logo and historically accurate "Les Paul Model" gold silkscreen. Even the side dot markers are placed in their correct 1957 locations. • The neck is a one-piece mahogany with a '50s Rounded Medium C profile and a long neck tenon for improved stability and resonance. • The Fretboard is a bound rosewood with mother-of-pearl trapezoid inlays and 22 medium jumbo frets. • The hardware is nickel-plated throughout, including the ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic bridge, historical aluminum stop bar, and Epiphone Deluxe "Single Ring" tuners. Let’s describe the Finish Unlike the high-gloss, glass-like finish found on standard Epiphone models, the Double Gold on this reissue utilizes a VOS (Vintage Original Spec) Sheen. This provides a soft, hand-rubbed luster that mimics the look of a well-cared-for vintage instrument rather than a brand-new factory shine. The "Double Gold" designation refers to a deeper, more authentic metallic shade. It avoids the greenish or overly "glittery" tint sometimes found on budget Goldtops, opting for a rich, warm bronze-gold that shifts slightly depending on the light. While Gibson uses Nitrocellulose lacquer, Epiphone utilizes a high-quality, thin polyurethane. For this specific model, the finish is applied thinly and treated to feel smoother and less "sticky" than traditional poly. To remain historically accurate to many 1957 originals, the gold top is paired with a dark-stained (often walnut or dark mahogany) back, neck, and sides. This provides a sharp visual contrast to the metallic top. The body and neck feature single-ply cream binding that is color-matched to the "aged" vibe of the Double Gold, avoiding a stark, bright white look. Premium Gibson Electronics • The pickups are two genuine USA Gibson Custombucker humbuckers (Alnico 3) for that articulate uncompressed vintage tone. New the pickup set retails for $489 and used you can find them in the high $300s. • Wiring: Hand-wired to CTS potentiometers and Bumblebee paper-in-oil capacitors. Equipped with a Switchcraft toggle and output jack for professional-grade reliability. This purchased as a wiring harness would cost you $150 and up with the same components. The Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom Les Paul hardshell case typically retails as a standalone item for approximately $149.00 to $175.00, depending on whether it is purchased new or found as a used secondary market "take-off." Here is my analysis of the current pricing and availability of this guitar on the new and used market. New, the guitar retails for $1,299 and is available from most resellers. Just an observation. In comments I have found that it seems to rile folks about paying $1,299 for an Epiphone-branded guitar. Then add into the mix that it's manufactured in China and it makes for a controversial subject. I found my guitar used on Reverb. The seller was honest by pointing out the guitar had a ding in the finish on one of the sides, which I'll point out in the video, and it also had rough frets. I paid $900 for mine with known defects, they were defects that I knew that I could either accept or repair easily. Reverb shows that only 11 used guitars have been sold in the last six months ranging in conditions from good to mint. The low price being $666 and the high price being $1000. What this is telling me is that people are buying this guitar and they're hanging on to them. That's a really good sign, meaning that potentially people believe this to be a quality, well-made and well-playing guitar. Here is a pro used guitar search tip. You can create a Saved Search on Reverb with a price filter of $950 or what every you want to pay and you will be notified immediately when a Epiphone IBGC 1957 Les Paul Goldtop unit hits the site at your target price. Now let’s put the “you should just save up for the Gibson version of this guitar” statement some folks will make - to bed. I would like to explain why some folks like me would prefer to have the lower cost Epiphone over the Gibson.