Gibson Les Paul Junior Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1957), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 7-8346, sunburst top, dark back and sides finish, mahogany body and neck, rosewood fingerboard, hard shell case.
This is a super clean and original 1957 Gibson Les Paul Junior, one of the most elegantly simple electric guitars ever designed. It shows some minor wear but remains a superb example of this classic '50s Gibson solid body with a fairly lightweight mahogany body and one very lively P-90 pickup.
The top sports a vibrant yellow/brown sunburst finish showing virtually no fade; 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.
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 the nicer we have ever had, a 7.4 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.)., 7.39 lbs.
While not absolutely pristine, this Junior IS very clean and appears not too much used since the 1950's. There is hardly any of the typical Gibson checking; the lacquer has some typical very minor dings, scratches and dents but for the most part it shines like Ike was still in the White House. The most wear spots are on the back of the body and even there this is pretty minuimal; tha back of the neck has a couple of tiny dinks behind the 12th fret area. The fairly bright yellow-brown sunburst on the top has not faded much at all. The nickel tailpiece and studs are equally shiny with some small wear marks, while the plastic hardware shows some light scuffing and tiny dinks.
The only thing not original on the instrument are the Kluson Deluxe tuners; these are exact repros and an original set could be seamlessly re-installed if desired. The original small frets have very little wear, the fingerboard looks practically untouched and playability is excellent. Unlike many earlier stop tailpiece Gibson's the bridge is not leaning forward at all; the bushings and studs had recently been made longer to sit deeper into the body to solve this problem. This is plenty of leeway under the bridge to enable a very low action.
This Junior is a heavenly good find, playing and souning exactly as one would wish, an extremely resonant instrument even unplugged. For a 65 year old guitar this Junior is quite spry, loaded with the bad attitude these honkers are known and loved for! It resides in a recent HSC. Overall Excellent Condition.
