Epiphone IGC 1959 LP Standard Re DB

Epiphone IGC 1959 LP Standard Re DB review

The Epiphone IGC 1959 LP Standard Re DB combines a mahogany body and neck with a maple top, rosewood fingerboard, and two Gibson Custombucker humbucking pickups. Its specifications follow a familiar single-cutaway electric guitar layout, with two volume controls, two tone controls, and a three-way pickup switch. The listed price is 1099, and the guitar includes a case.

There is one practical concern in the available owner feedback: the delivered guitar weighed 5.1 kg. That is a report about one instrument, not a published weight specification or a guarantee that every example will weigh the same. Still, it is important information for anyone who wants a lighter guitar, especially if buying online without access to the specific instrument before purchase.

Construction and finish

The body is mahogany, capped with a maple top. The set mahogany neck joins the body, while the rosewood fingerboard has mother-of-pearl trapezoid inlays. Single-ply binding runs along the fingerboard and top. The Dark Burst finish gives the guitar its main visual character, complemented by a cream-colored pickguard and nickel hardware.

One owner described the instrument as visually striking and generally well finished, with a specific reservation about the bell-shaped truss-rod cover plate. That is a narrow but useful qualification: the same comment praised the overall workmanship rather than reporting broad fit or finish problems. As with any individual instrument, a hands-on inspection remains the best way to assess details such as the cover plate and finish.

The neck has a 1959 Rounded C Medium profile. Its rosewood fingerboard carries 22 medium jumbo frets, and the nut measures 42.9 mm wide. These dimensions provide concrete points of reference, but they do not establish whether the neck will suit every player. Hand size, preferred fret feel, and playing style all affect that judgment.

Pickups and controls

Epiphone specifies two Gibson Custombucker humbucking pickups, one at the neck and one at the bridge. The control layout gives each pickup its own volume and tone control, with a three-way switch for selecting between the neck pickup, bridge pickup, or both. This arrangement allows adjustments at the guitar without requiring a complicated control system.

The owner feedback is positive about the sound and the ability to shape it with the controls. The reviewer even said the guitar's sound and adjustment range compared favorably with their Gibson Standard. That is a personal comparison, not a controlled test, and no playing examples or measurements were supplied. It does, however, offer a useful indication that this player found the guitar responsive to its onboard controls.

The bridge is an ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic, and the guitar has no tremolo. Epiphone Deluxe machine heads complete the listed hardware. Together, these details describe a straightforward fixed-bridge setup. The specifications do not provide further information about setup, tuning stability, or factory string choice, so those points should be checked on the individual instrument.

Scale, case, and weight

The detailed specifications give a 629 mm scale length, also stated as 24.75 inches. A separate summary lists 628 mm, a one-millimeter difference. Both entries place the guitar in the same general scale-length range, but the discrepancy is worth noting rather than presenting the metric figure as perfectly consistent. The guitar comes with a case; a gig bag is not included.

The reported 5.1 kg weight is the main buying consideration raised by the field feedback. The owner had expected a maximum of 4.5 kg and found the delivered guitar too heavy, choosing to return it. Since no general product weight is provided, buyers should not treat 5.1 kg as a guaranteed specification. If weight matters to you, ask the seller to weigh the exact guitar before ordering or try it in person. The owner likewise recommended buying in a store for that reason.

Verdict

The Epiphone IGC 1959 LP Standard Re DB offers a clearly specified combination of mahogany, maple, rosewood, a rounded C neck, and Gibson Custombucker pickups. One owner praised its appearance, sound, and usable tone controls, while noting a small finish detail that fell short. The substantial reported weight is the key caveat, though the available evidence concerns only one delivered example.

For a buyer considering this model, the sensible approach is to confirm the weight and inspect the guitar individually, particularly when ordering remotely. Its included case and conventional control layout are practical strengths, while the conflicting 628 mm and 629 mm scale entries are a minor specification inconsistency. The available feedback points to an appealing instrument, provided its weight suits the player.