Gibson Les Paul Junior Solid Body Electric Guitar (1954)
LOADING IMAGES
This item has been sold.
Item # 10469
Prices subject to change without notice.
Gibson Les Paul Junior Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1954), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, sunburst top, dark back and sides finish, mahogany body and neck, rosewood fingerboard, original brown alligator chipboard case.
This is a seriously superbly clean original first-year Les Paul Junior, one of the most elegantly simple electric guitars ever designed. It shows some minor wear but remains a beautiful example of this classic '50s Gibson solid body with a fairly lightweight mahogany body and one lively P-90 pickup. The top sports a vibrant sunburst finish virtually no fade. The mahogany neck has a lovely feel, somewhat shallower in profile with a less chunky profile than some '50s Juniors.
As with a number of the first generation Juniors, the neck angle on this example was set somewhat shallower than ideal, making modern low action settings a challenge. A ingenious solution has been employed on this guitar using a set of duplicate bridge studs with the lower flange milled off, allowing the original stoptail bridge to be easily set to 2/16" both bass and treble. Alternately, a modern low-profile adjustable bridge could be employed instead, but this maintains the original look and feel of the stud tailpiece. The original studs are included unaltered and can be re-fit at any time. Interestingly enough, this Junior has "Made in USA" stamped in tiny letters on the back of the headstock, a sign it was originally sold outside the US. We have seen other Gibsons with factory errors that were also shipped far away originally, probably a common expedient with instruments not perfect but not flawed enough to be cut up.
As the name implies, the Les Paul Junior was the most basic of Gibson's 1950s signature line, with a single P-90 pickup at the bridge and simple bar bridge/tailpiece. This was an exercise in superbly effective minimalist design and the Junior's very lack of complexity worked perfectly then and now. Launched in mid-1954, the model was a success right out of the gate. 823 sold in that first year, then more than triple that number in 1955 proving to Gibson's management that solid body electric guitars were there to stay.
While designed as a student guitar, the Junior has become justly renowned as one of the crunchiest and most powerful of all straight rock guitars, with fantastic natural overdrive capabilities when paired with the right amp. The combination of the thick mahogany body and neck with the solidly dog-ear mounted P-90 and bar bridge maximizes tonal response. The pickup on this Junior is right up under the strings resulting in a massive singing sound when the amp is cranked.
Since the late 1960's many players have come to prefer this model to all others for both heavy crunch rhythm and searing leads. From Leslie West to Mick Ralphs, Johnny Thunders to Paul Westerberg to Billie Joe Armstrong, Gibson's original 1950s Les Paul Junior has proven itself over and over to be the most basic of rock machines, as simple and effective as they come. This one is very clean, and now adjusted to be an excellent player as well.
Overall length is 39 in. (99.1 cm.), 13 in. (33 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 11/16 in. (4.3 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
Gibson guitars from this period do not often show up now in the 21st Century too much cleaner than this one. While not near mint, this Junior appears little used since the 1950's, apparently put away not long after the initial purchase. With the heavy flatwound strings of the time, it was likely not particularly easy to play when new! The finish has some typical light checking with small dings, scratches and dents here and there but still shines like it did when Ike was in the white house. There are a few deeper dings in the top. The rich color in the 'burst has not faded at all. The nickel tailpiece and studs are equally shiny with some small wear marks, while the plastic hardware shows only some light scuffing and tiny dinks.
The only thing not original on the instrument are the bridge studs, altered as noted above. The ones currently fitted are nickel and harmonize fine, and the originals are preserved intact in the case pocket. The original small frets have virtually no wear, the fingerboard looks practically untouched and playability is excellent. As is typical with '54-55 Stop tailpiece Gibsons the mounting studs are leaning forward somewhat; there are a couple of small stress marks in front of the bass side bushing. The tops of both bushings have been taken down ever so slightly, again to adapt the guitar to a lower bridge setting.
The original alligator-grain chipboard case is solid and intact with some external wear but has protected the guitar well enough for 65+ years. While this guitar has undergone some finagle to help it play to a modern standard, this is now an excellent playing instrument and with the strings very close to the pickup a rip-roaring P-90 monster, one of the best sounding Juniors we have had. Overall Excellent Condition.
This is a seriously superbly clean original first-year Les Paul Junior, one of the most elegantly simple electric guitars ever designed. It shows some minor wear but remains a beautiful example of this classic '50s Gibson solid body with a fairly lightweight mahogany body and one lively P-90 pickup. The top sports a vibrant sunburst finish virtually no fade. The mahogany neck has a lovely feel, somewhat shallower in profile with a less chunky profile than some '50s Juniors.
As with a number of the first generation Juniors, the neck angle on this example was set somewhat shallower than ideal, making modern low action settings a challenge. A ingenious solution has been employed on this guitar using a set of duplicate bridge studs with the lower flange milled off, allowing the original stoptail bridge to be easily set to 2/16" both bass and treble. Alternately, a modern low-profile adjustable bridge could be employed instead, but this maintains the original look and feel of the stud tailpiece. The original studs are included unaltered and can be re-fit at any time. Interestingly enough, this Junior has "Made in USA" stamped in tiny letters on the back of the headstock, a sign it was originally sold outside the US. We have seen other Gibsons with factory errors that were also shipped far away originally, probably a common expedient with instruments not perfect but not flawed enough to be cut up.
As the name implies, the Les Paul Junior was the most basic of Gibson's 1950s signature line, with a single P-90 pickup at the bridge and simple bar bridge/tailpiece. This was an exercise in superbly effective minimalist design and the Junior's very lack of complexity worked perfectly then and now. Launched in mid-1954, the model was a success right out of the gate. 823 sold in that first year, then more than triple that number in 1955 proving to Gibson's management that solid body electric guitars were there to stay.
While designed as a student guitar, the Junior has become justly renowned as one of the crunchiest and most powerful of all straight rock guitars, with fantastic natural overdrive capabilities when paired with the right amp. The combination of the thick mahogany body and neck with the solidly dog-ear mounted P-90 and bar bridge maximizes tonal response. The pickup on this Junior is right up under the strings resulting in a massive singing sound when the amp is cranked.
Since the late 1960's many players have come to prefer this model to all others for both heavy crunch rhythm and searing leads. From Leslie West to Mick Ralphs, Johnny Thunders to Paul Westerberg to Billie Joe Armstrong, Gibson's original 1950s Les Paul Junior has proven itself over and over to be the most basic of rock machines, as simple and effective as they come. This one is very clean, and now adjusted to be an excellent player as well.
Overall length is 39 in. (99.1 cm.), 13 in. (33 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 11/16 in. (4.3 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
Gibson guitars from this period do not often show up now in the 21st Century too much cleaner than this one. While not near mint, this Junior appears little used since the 1950's, apparently put away not long after the initial purchase. With the heavy flatwound strings of the time, it was likely not particularly easy to play when new! The finish has some typical light checking with small dings, scratches and dents here and there but still shines like it did when Ike was in the white house. There are a few deeper dings in the top. The rich color in the 'burst has not faded at all. The nickel tailpiece and studs are equally shiny with some small wear marks, while the plastic hardware shows only some light scuffing and tiny dinks.
The only thing not original on the instrument are the bridge studs, altered as noted above. The ones currently fitted are nickel and harmonize fine, and the originals are preserved intact in the case pocket. The original small frets have virtually no wear, the fingerboard looks practically untouched and playability is excellent. As is typical with '54-55 Stop tailpiece Gibsons the mounting studs are leaning forward somewhat; there are a couple of small stress marks in front of the bass side bushing. The tops of both bushings have been taken down ever so slightly, again to adapt the guitar to a lower bridge setting.
The original alligator-grain chipboard case is solid and intact with some external wear but has protected the guitar well enough for 65+ years. While this guitar has undergone some finagle to help it play to a modern standard, this is now an excellent playing instrument and with the strings very close to the pickup a rip-roaring P-90 monster, one of the best sounding Juniors we have had. Overall Excellent Condition.