Gibson Les Paul Junior Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1957), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 7-1415, sunburst top, dark back and sides finish, mahogany body and neck, rosewood fingerboard, original brown alligator chipboard case.
This is a clean, great playing and fine sounding all original Les Paul Junior, a delightful example of this classic '50s Gibson solid body. The top sports a vibrant black-yellow sunburst finish showing hardly any fade. The mahogany neck has a lovely feel, a bit shallower with a slightly less chunky profile than some '50s Juniors. The P-90 is rip-roaring sounding, the wiring rig contains the now-revered "Bublebee" tone cap.
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 from the start. A total of 2959 of these were sold in 1957, compared to less than 600 Les Paul Standards. This showed Gibson's management that solid body electric guitars were the wave of the future, but still more popular in the amateur market than to the company's established professional users.
While designed as a student guitar, the Junior has become justly renowned as one of the most powerful of all straight rock guitars, with fantastic natural overdrive capabilities when paired with the right amp. The combination of the solid, thick mahogany body and neck with the single dog-ear mounted P-90 and bar bridge maximizes tonal response. Many prefer this model to all others for both crunch rhythm and searing lead. From Leslie West to Mick Ralphs, and 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.
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.). This nearly 65 year old Junior remains in lovely original condition, with some typical minor wear but no repairs or alterations. As is almost inevitable now the buttons on the original Kluson Deluxe tuners are new, as the old ones were shrunken beyond salvage. All else on the instrument remains original. The original finish shows only some very light checking on the top, with small dings, dents and scrapes overall but no major loss. There are a couple of deeper dings into the top finish and some light belt buckle wear to the lacquer on the back. There is a fairly deep dent on the lower bass bout top/side edge.
The back of the neck has some filled-in divots in the lower positions and has been parched and polished there, but no general overspray was added. Some small spots of finish worn off on the treble edge in the lower positions, and there are small scratches and dings down by the heel. The original frets have been polished out and have good height remaining with hardly any wear; the fingerboard has some very light divoting in the lower positions but nothing that affects playability. The neck angle is excellent and there is plenty of leeway to enable a very low action if desired.
All the hardware on this guitar is very clean; even the nickel plated tailpiece shows hardly any wear at all. Even the fragile plastic jackplate is still intact. The pickup is fairly close under the strings resulting in a massive singing sound when the amp is cranked. Overall this remains a lovely original and unaltered Junior, a super example of Gibson's greatest "Kid's guitar". The original alligator chipboard case is still present but missing a large piece of the edging on the lid, so is not functional for more than storage. A new HSC will be provided as well. Excellent Condition.
