Gibson Les Paul Junior Solid Body Electric Guitar (1957)
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Item # 13603
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Gibson Les Paul Junior Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1957), 5953, made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 7-2812, sunburst top, dark back and sides finish, mahogany body and neck, rosewood fingerboard, original brown alligator chipboard case.
This is a lightly worn-in but great feeling original 1957 Gibson Les Paul Junior, one of the most elegantly simple electric guitars ever designed. It shows some light-moderate wear but remains a superb player's example of this classic '50s Gibson solid body with a medium weight mahogany body and very lively P-90 pickup.
The top sports a yellow/brown sunburst finish blending to an amber shade; the remainder is finished in dark mahogany. The mahogany neck has a lovely feel, with a deep, round but a slightly less chunky profile than some '50s Juniors. The pickup is moved slightly forward of the bridge compared to earlier examples to strengthen the bridge post area, as many 1954-6 Juniors had problems in this area.
As the name implies, the Les Paul Junior was the most basic of Gibson's 1950s signature line, with the 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. Just under 3000 of these sold in 1957, nearly five times the number of Les Paul Standards shipped. This really brought home to Gibson's management that inexpensive solid body electric guitars "for the kids" were the wave of the future.
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. This is a superbly resonant Junior with a massive singing sound when the amp is cranked, and quite resonant even unplugged.
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 a lovely guitar in every way, just worn in enough to be a great gigger and a timeless just under 7 LB. gem of '50s Gibson greatness.
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.)., 6.98 lbs.
This is a really top-tier example of a vintage Junior: gently played, handled with respect, and just enough wear to give it that slightly aged look Custom Shop guitars dream of. There are a few dings and dents around the perimeter of the instrument and on the back with a little bit of uniform checking in the lacquer on the top and back. For the most part, the all-original finish still shines like Ike was still in the White House. The fairly bright yellow-brown sunburst on the top has not faded much at all. The nickel tailpiece and studs are have some light corrosion with small wear marks, while the plastic hardware shows some scuffing and tiny dinks.
The only thing not original on the instrument are the plastic buttons on the Kluson Deluxe tuners; the originals had completely crumbled away. The original small frets have very little wear, the fingerboard looks practically untouched and playability is excellent. By 1957 the bushings and studs had been made longer to sit deeper into the body to solve the problem of severely leaning bridges in earlier Juniors. This is plenty of leeway under the bridge to enable a very low action.
Juniors like this are a shop favorite, and this one gets particularly high marks across the board! It plays and sounds exactly as one would wish, and is housed in its rather worn-in original chipboard brown alligator case; all its latches are in tact, but some seams are open and the handle is missing. For a nearly 70 year old guitar this Junior is quite spry, still loaded with the bad attitude these honkers are known and loved for! Overall Excellent Condition.
This is a lightly worn-in but great feeling original 1957 Gibson Les Paul Junior, one of the most elegantly simple electric guitars ever designed. It shows some light-moderate wear but remains a superb player's example of this classic '50s Gibson solid body with a medium weight mahogany body and very lively P-90 pickup.
The top sports a yellow/brown sunburst finish blending to an amber shade; the remainder is finished in dark mahogany. The mahogany neck has a lovely feel, with a deep, round but a slightly less chunky profile than some '50s Juniors. The pickup is moved slightly forward of the bridge compared to earlier examples to strengthen the bridge post area, as many 1954-6 Juniors had problems in this area.
As the name implies, the Les Paul Junior was the most basic of Gibson's 1950s signature line, with the 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. Just under 3000 of these sold in 1957, nearly five times the number of Les Paul Standards shipped. This really brought home to Gibson's management that inexpensive solid body electric guitars "for the kids" were the wave of the future.
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. This is a superbly resonant Junior with a massive singing sound when the amp is cranked, and quite resonant even unplugged.
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 a lovely guitar in every way, just worn in enough to be a great gigger and a timeless just under 7 LB. gem of '50s Gibson greatness.
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.)., 6.98 lbs.
This is a really top-tier example of a vintage Junior: gently played, handled with respect, and just enough wear to give it that slightly aged look Custom Shop guitars dream of. There are a few dings and dents around the perimeter of the instrument and on the back with a little bit of uniform checking in the lacquer on the top and back. For the most part, the all-original finish still shines like Ike was still in the White House. The fairly bright yellow-brown sunburst on the top has not faded much at all. The nickel tailpiece and studs are have some light corrosion with small wear marks, while the plastic hardware shows some scuffing and tiny dinks.
The only thing not original on the instrument are the plastic buttons on the Kluson Deluxe tuners; the originals had completely crumbled away. The original small frets have very little wear, the fingerboard looks practically untouched and playability is excellent. By 1957 the bushings and studs had been made longer to sit deeper into the body to solve the problem of severely leaning bridges in earlier Juniors. This is plenty of leeway under the bridge to enable a very low action.
Juniors like this are a shop favorite, and this one gets particularly high marks across the board! It plays and sounds exactly as one would wish, and is housed in its rather worn-in original chipboard brown alligator case; all its latches are in tact, but some seams are open and the handle is missing. For a nearly 70 year old guitar this Junior is quite spry, still loaded with the bad attitude these honkers are known and loved for! Overall Excellent Condition.