Gibson Les Paul Junior Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1960), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 0-7205, cherry lacquer finish, mahogany body and neck, rosewood fingerboard, brown tolex hard shell case.
This is a really superb example of an original 1960 double-cutaway Les Paul Junior, showing only very minor wear and structurally excellent, extremely well preserved for just having made 65 years old. This version of Gibson's perennial student solidbody is the classically cool if fairly short lived stepping stone between the original slab-bodied single-cut '50s design and the slim, elegantly sculpted SGs of the 1960s. This new version was introduced in mid-1958 and phased out in early 1961.
This particular cherry Junior was made around mid-1960; the 5-digit serial number ink-stamped on the back of the headstock indicates over 7,000 solidbody instruments had already been booked that year. The body is the thick slab-o-mahogany construction with rounded-off edges, dressed in a beautiful unfaded deep cherry color. This Junior as always mounts a single "dogear" P-90 pickup by the bridge, a tone and volume knob, the classic Gibson stop tailpiece/bridge unit and not much else! A single-layer tortoise celluloid pickguard and the silkscreen logos on the headstock complete the cosmetic trim.
The neck joins the body at the 22nd fret making the entire fingerboard accessible, Gibson's new concept of the time. It has the typical 1960 flatter neck profile, a bit chunkier feeling than some. The unbound, dot inlaid rosewood fingerboard carries the larger frets Gibson started using around this time, perfect for the heavy-bending rock guitar styles still in the future in 1960.
Although designed as a student instrument the Junior in any form is one of the all-time classic rock guitars, with a roaring tone when cranked that can be dialed back to a sweet midrangey bark at lower volume. An old "New Yawk" favorite (these were inevitable sightings plugged into Marshalls at CBGB's and Max's back in the '70s), these double cutaway Juniors are a true classic of the bare-bones genre. This great playing and sounding Junior has apparently not seen too much use over the past 65 years but survived in lovely condition still rocking along!
Overall length is 39 in. (99.1 cm.), 13 in. (33 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 5/8 in. (4.1 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 is a very clean guitar overall, showing just light signs of use for its 65 years on Earth. The finish has a superb deep red cherry color with hardly any fade on the top. There are some very small dings, dents scuffs and handling marks overall but no heavy wear; the treble side of the neck has a couple of finish chips in the lower position. There are no cracks, breaks or any other repairs. Really these don't show up in this kind of condition all that much anymore.
The only non-original part is the guitar has been set up with a subtly compensated MojoAxe stop tailpiece; the original is in the case pocket with some plating wear. Internally the guitar is untouched original with the "bumblebee" tone cap still in place. The original frets look to have been crowned down just a bit, the fingerboard shows hardly any wear and playability is excellent. This is simply one of the nicest double-cut cherry Juniors we have had, housed in a modern alligator-grained HSC. Overall Excellent Condition.
