Gibson Les Paul Junior

1955 American made Les Paul Junior. One tone one volume control and one P90 pickup. Sunburst finish with a single cutaway and a wrap around tailpiece. Tuners had been replaced with Grovers when I bought the guitar. The neck is fat, like a baseball bat sawed in half. I love it.

I love the sound of this guitar for Stones/Faces rock and for British blues stuff. It snarls and bites like no other guitar can. The P90 can be a bit noisy but that's to be expected. This guitar has an incredibly wide range of tones. With the tone rolled all the way of it is unbelievably bassy and with the tone all the way up it has a piercing bite. If I roll the tone back and forth it sounds like a wah wah pedal. The tonal scope is that dramatic!

I bought this guitar used. It had been trashed(broken headstock, broken neck at the heel) and the previous owner had it professionally restored. He also put HUGE frets on it so it plays like a dream now.

There isn't a lot that can go wrong with this guitar and I wouldn't hesitate to gig with it without a back up. The original strap buttons are still on this guitar and I will repalce them with strpa locks sometime.

N/A

I have been playing guitar for 26 years. I own a 1980 Gibson Heritage Elite Les Paul, a 1981 ES335 dot neck re-issue, a 1955 Guild X500, a "Strat" with a '63 Jazzmaster neck and Barden p'ups, a Tele, a Danelectro U2 re-issue, '78 Precision Bass, a Gibson acoustic(old student model) and a Yamaha classical. Amps include a '68 Super Reverb and a black face Vibro Champ. I also have an early "70's Marshall cabinet with green back Celestions(want to buy it?)

1959 Les Paul Jr.
Made in Kalamazoo,Michigan,U.S.A.
Solid mahogany body & top,rosewood fretboard,one P-90 in bridge position,wraparound bridge/tailpiece.
Nitrocelluose laquer finish,laquer chequing all over body(way cool)
Double cutaway w/three on a plate Kluson tuners,in other words,
ALL STOCK!
'59 neck round,but a little smaller than what you would expect.

You know the stories you've heard about 50's gibsons kicking ass?
THEY ARE TRUE! We played rock,blooze,punk,alternative and this guitar
delivered the tone in truckloads.
Played it through a Hiwatt 50 w/2 10"s in a converted bass bin,didn't
even need any effects, just roll off the tone or volume.

This guitar was in excellent condition when I bought it (1981) and
there was no action adjustment needed. Ditto for the pickup.

This guitar was built to last and I would not hesitate to use it on a
gig without a backup,the strap buttons are best assisted w/1" washers.

Been playing for 25 years,had 4 Les Pauls, 1 SG,1 Firebird & 1 J-200
This was the best Les Paul I have ever owned,if Gibson could get their
shit together they might be able to make them this good again.

I usually don't comment on guitars that I don't own, but I felt the need to share my experience with this one.

21 frets, rosewood fretboard, ebony finish, one p-90 single coil pickup, gibson tuners (almost looked like klusons), one volume, one tone control.

when I walked into the music store about a week ago, I saw a nice Gibson LP Junior sitting in the corner. Ebony in color, just sitting there, untouched. I couldn't resist. I picked it up, plugged it in, .....and I was severely disappointed. The guitar had almost no clarity in its sound and the p-90 at the bridge sounded too dark. I messed with the volume and tone knobs on the guitar, and the eq on the amp (Marshall Valvestate), and still no luck. Perhaps p-90s aren't my cup of tea? I have never played a Gibson that sounded this bad.

well the neck felt like tree bark, and the strings were as stiff as a three day old bologna sandwich. Bending the strings was more of a task than an enjoyment. The gloss on the back of the neck was nice and smooth, but that just doesn't make up for the poor playability on this instrument. I also found the instrument was out of tune when I plugged it in, and it took me a good minute or minute and a half to tune it back up again. The tuning keys are not bad, and the nut seemed sturdy. Intonation was not a problem, but if you're thinking about playing this instrument often, you should take some pain reliever for your wrists and fingers.

looked and felt sturdy. I would definately trust it at a gig, should I ever throw myself to the mercy of this instrument. Reliable? I'd say so.

I had heard so many good things about Gibson Les Paul Juniors...I had never tried one, and when I finally saw one for the first time in my life, I thought I'd die. Finally I'd get to try out this alleged "king of all tone and mojo" guitar. Never have I been so disappointed in a "higher end" instrument. I never thought a $700 guitar could play and sound as poor as this one did. Boy was I wrong. Just because it says "Gibson" on the headstock it doesn't mean that it's going to be a miracle worker.

Heck, I picked up a Samick Les Paul COPY sitting right next to it and it played and sounded twice as good for half the price. And here's a little secret on Gibson's economy-based "Epiphone" series : Epiphone is manufactured in the same factory as Samick, Essex, Agile, Silvertone, Johnson, Rondo Music, Squier, and Aria and built with the same parts from the same people but marketed at double, sometimes triple the price of the other guitars. So when you're buying Epiphone (not the Elite series, those are different) you're actually buying a Samick or Johnson guitar for 2x or 3x the price! Wow, did you get ripped. Epiphone DOES market different and more advanced guitars than those other companies though, but you're still getting the same craftsmanship and the same parts for more moola. what a surprise.

However, I wouldn't doubt that this Gibson was made by some factory worker who had to take a pee so he hurried up and produced this instrument at mach speeds so he didn't go wee wee in his pants.

just kidding.

however, maybe it was only a dud. maybe all hope is not lost for the Les Paul Junior series. All I know is that I would not pay seven hundred crisp bills for something that played and sounded as poor as that did. I'd be better off with a kazoo.

2001 Les Paul Junior, Sunburst finish- (The darker areas look more like a dark chocolate than black.) Single P-90 Mahog body and neck with rosewood fingerboard, Wraparound tailpiece. Gibson Klusion style tuners (made by Grover) 24 3/4" scale. 60's taper neck. yadda yadda yadda. Very nice looking guitar with very balanced feel. Not much features But I'll give it a 10 for what it does.

Sounds very balanced and warm. I'm using it through a Marshall Jubilee (no effects) This guitar is great for Blues, Rock, jazz, Punk. Can get a great crunch tone with the P-90, but it's weaker sounding (but not in a bad way) than a modern Humbucker. I'm used to hot pick ups a-la Gibson 498T. My 498T Les Paul guitars are the core of my sound for borderline Metallica style crunch, so I don't know how I'll incorporate this guitar to my current rig. However, It's a great guitar and it's a keeper. It's good though for Guns N Roses/ Black Crowes style rock, and the P-90 reminds me of Gibsons '57 classic pups. It's agreat guitar, for some reason strings seem more slinkier than my other pauls...easier to bend...maybe it has something to do with thw wraparound bridge and the eliination of the Stop bar. Intonation is great and equal to my other pauls(despite the limited adjustment available on the bridge). The P-90 surprisingly wasn't as noisy as I expected for being a single coil.....

Bought it used....Fit and finish were great. Great Low action with virtually no buzz. Feels like butter....

There are still tons of 1950's les paul juniors in existence, I don't see a reason why this one won't last as long as the originals. Gibson Quality= Very dependable....Do carry some extra stings though.

Limited Lifetime warranty

Been playing 15 years. I have used nothing but Les Pauls and Marshalls. This is my fifth Les Paul, and just as gourgeous as the others-just not as expensive :-) It's a great guitar, But I don't think I'd buy it again...I'd probably buy a 498T equipped Les Paul Faded Special instead. I wish they made 498T dogear style pick ups. The P-90 is great, but a little weak for my Style. For what it is and what it does, it's a great guitar.

2002 Les Paul Junior Black, 24 3/4" neck scale, 22 frets, dot inlays, compensated wrap around bridge, Mahogany body and neck, Rosewood fretboard, Single P-90 pickup, one volume and one tone control, black finish, Made in the USA, single cutaway, came with a gig bag. Well made guitar with a 60's slim taper neck that has a U shape. Not very many sound options, however, because of the one pickup. Does have a good functional tone pot, but it tends to accentuate the corresponding strings that it is set to too much making them too loud, you might have to use an equalizer with it.

Good guitar for rock and roll, rockabilly, country, some blues, old school punk, and some forms of alternative rock. It has a very high pitch. This is great for that old rock sound, like the early Beatles or Chuck Berry. It has a great sound for light overdrive, but is too high and distorts in a thin way for heavy rockers to be happy with it for too long. It has the 60 cycle hum of all single coils, but is relatively silent. Wants to feed back very high pitched at high volumes with a lot of gain. O.k. sustain. Overall, a little too high sounding for a lot of todays music, but it sounds great as a guitar that brings back the sound of yesteryear or with a lot of effects. Very unique sound can always tell a P-90 pickup. Especially shines when using a mildly overdriven tube amp, think "Roll Over Beethoven" by Chuck Berry, early Clash, or Johnny Thunders from the New York Dolls.

The action of the guitar from the factory was decent, a little on the high side if you really want to play fast. Shredders will not like this guitars action. It is best a little higher than most guitars of today, similar to the action of other Les Pauls I have seen, but a little higher. Probably not the best guitar for a low action because it is not that adjustable. The pickup seems pretty good from the factory good job there. Great quality on this guitar as you would expect from Gibson. The tuners are kinda cheap with small plastic tuning heads and the strap buttons are too small to do any good. The finish is nice and seems to be really applied in a liberal coating, not breating for the wood though.

This guitar is extremely reliable!!! It is so simple that nothing can go wrong with it and the quality is so good that there should never be any problems with the potentiometers. The input jack can screw loose from time to time which could be a problem live, but if you tighten it real good as soon as you get it from the factory you should have no problems. I'm sure that if you banged it or dropped it that it might get banged up, but this guitar is so simple and built so tough that I think it would take a lot more than most guitars to stop it. The strap buttons suck. They are the worst strap buttons that I have ever seen on a new guitar. The finish again is very thick. I would definitely gig without a backup if I had to, with this guitar.

I have not dealt with the Gibson company.

Overall, this is a good guitar for someone that is looking for a very simple and durable guitar and wants to play 50's and 60's rock and blues-rock. It would also suit country quite nicley. I do not like the tone that much personally, a little to treblely, and I wish that it was a little more versatile. I like the neck alright, but I hate the frets, they are too small and too sharp not smooth, hard to slide a lot kinda surprising for a Gibson. I don't like the action and intonation adjustability, too limited. The guitar only plays medium fast to just medium paced compared to other guitars. I really like the quality of tone that this pickup has when overdriven, but not distorted fully. If the pickup was in the neck position I would like it more. I wish that it had another pickup in the neck position, but that guitar is called the Les Paul Jr Special. I wish that it had better tuners, but the ones it has a ok, not horrible. The fret work is consistent but could be filed down a bit. Being that this is one of the (if not the) lowest price for an American made guitar I have to say that it is a good value, but make sure that you try one before you buy it because it really has a unmistable albeit high tone, that many modern guitarist will not like. Plus it is very limited. If you only want a tough well made guitar that is not too expensive and you intend on playing a musical style that needs a treble heavy lead sound then this is a good value. Otherwise, check out something else like perhaps a Strat.

1991, USA, solid mahogany, 22 frets, two P100s, Mother of pearl dots and Gibson logo, Grover tuners, heritage cherry, cream binding on the fretboard. Got it with a case, strap & locks etc etc. Otherwise just like all the others. You can get a korean guitar for this much with a lot of features, but will it be better in 10 years time? The wood and trimmings on these are still Gibson even if it is the cheep model, and it will be a lifetime instrument.

Music style is Blues/Rock (my main love), with some sloppy punk stuff for fun and some popish or country numbers when the need arises. I've played through two different amps, a peavey classic 30 which had a great tone, lots of cut and punch. Gave a very bright sound surprisingly and was lots of fun to gig with as it was simple and reliable. Moved to a laney VC50, which had more on offer, but didn't deliver reliability. The laney brought a little more base to the mix. Went back to the classic 30, and messed with an EQ pedal. Set up is LP EQ C30. The guitar is very quiet, even the 3 way switch is pretty good, surprising as the guitar gets sweat all over. The sound is a point of contention on these. It suits me perfectly, I can get a glassy neck sound, with a beautiful round tone, through to a cutting ACDC tone and a harsh stonesy (stratish) tone. These pick ups are much maligned, but I would describe this guitar as having some of the tele sound without harshness, a touch of SG junior and a little bit of PAF. It does none of these things perfectly, but it has its own warm bluesy character. Can certainly rip into a white stripes tune with all the rawness and raunch needed. Simply, it's a great little rock and blues axe without the wanker stickers and tosser trem.
My dislikes - no tosser trem. Bit round for country.

Perfect for me. The finish is in great condition, the pick ups in the right spot. My only complaints are that Gibson seemed to finish the fretboard binding really badly in this era, like a 3 year old filed it to the frets, and the way they banged the frets in the left these crappy dents either side, really shoddy.

Played all the time, stands up to it all. The gibson thing - just don't drop it. Hardware is all going the distance, as is the finish. Strap buttons suck, but you know that. I do depend on this guitar, and it delivers. I keep a crappy back up, but I've only used it when I broke a string (my fault).

Outstanding. Swift response, very helpful. I was simply after some details, but I got a raft of advice etc.

This guitar is value. I've been playing 15 years, I own the amps mentioned, bunch of pedals (baggage), an old strat copy and a Maton acoustic. If it were stolen I'd probably try to get another, but I'd really like a strat for a while, Hmmm. I love the sustain, the sounds and the way it fits me. I hate the strap buttons. My favourite feature is it's familiarity and versatility. I compared it to Studios, Standards, Teles, Strats, a Hawke, some Maton electrics and a raft of korean stuff including PRS, Epi, ESP and this thing has a different sound and different quality to all of them. It just fitted me.

2003 vintage (tobacco) sunburst, USA built (of course). Mahogany, rosewood etc, it's a Junior, for pete's sake, you know what it's made of! One good pickup, a volume and tone are all any decent guitarist needs.

I use it for the second, more rocky, set with my current band - yes the whole set, not just 3 or 4 songs! And if the tuning needs a tweak between numbers that's what it gets. We all have in line tuners these days don't we?
It's undoubtedly the best sounding guitar around, and it's NOT a one trick pony! You just got to learn how to back off the vol and tone controls, and you can get a great range of tones . I've been a confirmed strat/tele user for years, but after playing this they just sound brittle and annoying.

Guitar was pretty well set up on arrival - but I did lower the nut slots a touch to improve playability and intonation on the lower frets. The compensated bridge gives perfectly good intonation, and CAN be adjusted by the little grub screw at each post. The finish is pretty good - certainly better than on some Gibsons I've looked at in recent years. Frets, fret ends etc all finely done, making it feel like a guitar you've had for years.

Some guitars you just know you are never going to part with - this is one. I played a '58 junior recently - that's what inspired me to get this - and I'm looking forward to the day when this has matured into a real vintage guitar. I never gig without a back-up guitar - you look really stupid if you break a string and can't just swap guitars and carry on. Strap buttons are an issue, but bigger Fender style ones don't look right and straploks ruin the appearance of any guitar. Just get a strap with a good stiff leather fitting at the end, and leave it on - that way the holes won't get stretched.

Never had to deal with them.

Hey - it's my latest baby, and it's soooo cute, and it SCREAMS!!

newer model,made between 2000-2002...nitro finish,one p-90,wraparound bridge(yes,you can adjust the intonation via 2 allen screws),neck is hefty but not too big,came with decent gigbag...

i've had a few paul's(a standard and a RI 'black beauty' w/soap bars,both nice)and since selling those haven't been much of a solidbody gibson person,but the jr is great...it just sounds huge and you can get quite a bit of variety with the volume/tone knobs, even though there is just one pickup...a bassman or deluxe reverb(with some pedal OD) is what i usually use it with and it's a great combination.

the previous owner had it set up a little ham fisted,but it was easy to lower the action/adjust the neck and set intonation properly-took 15 minutes...going by other reviews i'll assume the factory setup was at least pretty good,but i can't rate it.

built very sturdy-should last a long time and will get even better...mine had dunlop straplocks on it,not sure if they were stock. tuning stability doesn't seem to be a problem with mine,btw-the 'gibson deluxe' machine heads aren't the best you can get,but they totally work fine. are there known problems with wraparound bridges after a while? even though you can't intonate them quite as well as a tune o matic,it gets much closer than i thought possible and there aren't as many parts to wear out/strip,etc...overall,i think it's very reliable.

if nothing else,this guitar has made me appreciate the 'gibson thing' more-i wanted something to fit sonically between a tele and a p-90 hollowbody,and the LPjr was a great choice.

It has a neck, body and a pick-up. That's it!
Mine is a 2002 .. one of the last to be made. It is tobacco sunburst.
This gets a 9 here because you can't alter the intonation .. but then it does have the compensated tail-piece and it appears to be as near as dammit intoned.
You CANNOT use this thing for a full gig because it won't stay in tune as well as a modern design guitar (my PRS gets tuned once a year whether it needs it or not...) but it is bullet proof. A lot of people here have said change the strap-buttons. I agree, the Gibson ones are truly awful .. you'd be better off gaffer-taping the strap on than using them.

Well ... it sounds like a P-90! There is nothing else like it. If I want complex tonal variety I use my PRS, if I want clean I use my Strat, if I want mayhem I use the Gibson! It truly sounds fantastic through a good valve amp (I use Cornford and Orange)but it isn't subtle. Use a nice overdriven tone on the amp and then adjust everything else with the guitar. This guitar is the reason Paul Reed Smith started to build guitars the way he did .. his first couple of attempts were LPJ copies.

I have owned several Les Paul Standards. I have sold every one of them. Why? Because Gibson build quality(until very recently)was attrocious. How about the Gibson logo on the headstock of a '60 Classic actually falling off, along with the lacquer holding it on!.. or the three-way switch being wired completely wrong on a Standard so that I had to re-wire it the day I got it home!.. I have more but I won't bore you...

HOWEVER! The Junior is built (almost) to perfection. This one is staying with me. There are no complex wiring schemes for somone to get wrong on a boring Friday afternoon in Nashville, there are no inlays to fall out, there is no nickel to tarnish on the pick-ups. PRS it isn't, but for Gibson this is a very well built guitar indeed. (You guessed it, I'm not a huge Gibson fan on the whole!)

The set-up was spot on straight from the factory (not that there's a lot to get wrong .. two-thumbwheels under the tail piece and a nut)The fret-job was fine.

As I mentioned above the only weak link is the tuners, but if you string it properly it's ok for a good 3-4 songs before it starts to cause the audience to wince!

There are enough of the originals still going strong to suggest this one should last long enough to pass down to my kids.

The lacquer is already starting to dull where my arm rests on the body, but it's nitro-cellulose .. that's what happens. It just wouldn't be a Gibson if it was too shiny! It alledgedly sounds better than a polyurethane finish and who am I to argue. If Gibson want to risk blowing up their factory everytime they spray a guitar, that's up to them. I'm 3000 miles away, I won't hear a thing!!

Strap-buttons: Bin them asap and get strap-loks. Cheaper than your beloved hitting the deck midway through the second verse! Keep the originals just in case .....

Called them once. They answered the phone. Good enough for me.

This guitar, as another reviewer has already said, is a one-trick pony. But that trick is a very, very good one.

If you want simplicity, a good rock-n-roll tone and a solid, reliable guitar get one. Gibson have, for some bizzare reason, stopped making this now. The only alternative is the custom shop version for three-times as much. Find one of these and hang onto it. Even the eighties/nineties (?) version with a tune-a-matic bridge is appreciating in value now. Just don't try and do a gig with just this guitar unless you enjoy tuning-up between every song. I know, i tried it .... I did sound damned good though!!

It's unlikey to get stolen, I've tied a Rottweiller to it ...

I can even get used to the 'G' word on the headstock!!

2002 model. The simplicity is why this guitar can sing and is so light and easy to play at the same time! I say quality neck joint, quality finish, quality tuners and bridge setup. Perfect frets and a screaming P-90 with .022 caps and nice volume and tone swells make this and excellent feature filled guitar! Close to the SG Junior but more solid and woody sounding.

Leslie West ;) Gary Moore!

Perfect two years and counting...

Rock Solid. This neck joint has to be the strongest thing going since it has no neck pickup and mounts at the 16th fret!

Gibson is the best and very fast for parts or information. Talking to managers is no problem either.

Again the simplicity is why this guitar can sing and is so light and easy to play at the same time! I say quality neck joint, quality finish, quality tuners and bridge setup. Perfect frets and a screaming P-90 with .022 caps and nice volume and tone swells make this and excellent feature filled guitar! Buy it if you can find it. This will be a classic in years to come! Please don't steal this. I would have to hurt people.

This is a 2002 Les Paul Junior, 22 frets, made in the USA. Solid Mahogany body and neck, one P-90 and a vol & tone control. Mine came in a beautiful antique sunburst (it really is beautiful to look at!) The tuners are inexspensive ones like they used in the 50's. Tail piece is a simple wrap around bar type. It came with a gigbag.

I have always loved the sound of Les Paul Juniors with P-90 pick-ups and had one in the late 60's that I sold in a moment of maddness. Well 40 years later I decided to buy another and I have to say that this is an excellent reissue of the guitar I remmember. The neck plays very well and the setup was excellent out of the box. The sound is somewhere between a single coil strat and a humbucker, it is very warm yet is not precise like a strat pickup. It sounds incredible through my Victoria 410 Bassman. I have several very expensive guitars but this one sounds the best when playing blues!! You can get a slight overdrive that makes notes sound alive depending how hard you hit the strings. I am impressed with the differents sounds that can be obtained by using the volume and tone control settings and how you hit the strings. I was even able to get a warm jazz sound out of this single bridge pickup.

The guitar was well set-up from the factory, the finish is excellent and the neck has a great vintage feel to it.

This guitar should last a long time, it is so simpe in construction and function that there is very little to go wrong.

Never dealt with Gibson.

I've been playing for almost 40 years and have many name brand guitars and amps, but this one is special and is an outstanding bargin for the price. If it were stolen I would immediately look for another.

Made in 1986, right here in the good ole U.S. of A.Features are the best. Set mahogany neck with rosewood figerboard and dot inlays. decal "gibson" and "les paul junior"logos, deluxe kluson tuning machines(as you have probably already read these aren't the greatest, but they "do the job") Mahogany "slab" body with single P-90 (best pickup ever made ,and interestingly one of the first production pickups in history thanks gibson!)single volume and tone controls. Tune-o-matic and stop tailpiece, yeah not true to the oringinal LP junior design, but better improved intonation. Black pickguard.

Sound is godlike. Believe me this is the most versatile guitar due to it's combintaion of thick single coil p-90 tone and it's nice thick body, and the conrols, you can't mess it up,just keep the volume above 1, and the tone anywhere you want and yuo have usable tones fro anything. Use the eq on your amp to get the right sound, and the tone knob and volume control can "beef it up" on "thin it up" for a more fenderish of tones.this guitar has me covered, and i like to play anything, from heavy Black sabbath to nice fingerpicked classical stuff.

Action is great. I play mine wih 9-42's and they seem to compliment well with the body's resonance, and the tune-o-matic provides intonation and easy action adjustment. (unlike those godamned fender bridges! Ughhh!)I bought this thing used from a great friend of mine for 150, and he got it from some loser kid fro 50!Finish and necka are great, nice universal "not-too thick" and "not-too thin" shape. Kinda ugly cherry maroonish color, but I'm ok with that. I'm giving this an 8 simply because this is a used guitar, and kinda beat up, but i still love it.

This thing has seem more abuse in it's life than most Lp juniors should, or deserve. But, there aren't any breaks or cracks, and the neck joint is solid as a rock. This thing stands up to any kind of playing live or whatever.Finish is thick nitro finsih, which kinda tends to show fingerprints a lil bit more thatn i would expect. Strap buttons are ok, but the one neat the neck i replaced with a washer as a straplock and kept the one at the "bridge" orininal. Guys, don't spend 10 bucks on those godamned ugly eyesore straplock shits, just use a 30 cent washer, and screw it in tight, and you won't be losing you're strap soon.

Haven't dealt with gibson, it isn't under warranty, so i dunno. but i don't really care. I 'm just gonna keep playin it till the frets are worn down, get it refretted and play it some more.

Man, i've been playing about 3 years, and I've finally found my guitar. I 'm just gonna flip like wilson and keep it, and i'm sure it kick ass throught any amp(including my shitty solid-state ones)I just love the fact that this is a strait up no bullshit guitar like these muther fucking active elctronics and piezo things. Just keep it real!
If somebody stole this from me...well, lets pray that this never happens. I also have a gibson Sg special, which i really am fond of, and it sounds nice, but i mainly use that for blues and rock stuff, but the LP Junir does it all, and well!Don't getr caught up in this whole strat thing with 3 pickups make it more versatile. BULLSHIT! just get a LP junior and everytrhing will be ok.

Gibson Les Paul Junior 3/4 scale

What year was it made?
1957

Where was is made?
USA

How many frets?
19

Solid-Top? Laminated top?
Solid

Which controls are given
Tone& Volume

Pickup configuration?
1 P-90 pickup

Make and model of pickups?
P-90

Active or Passive electronics?
Passive

Body and neck woods?
Unknown

Finish
Original sunburst finish was stripped

Body style?
LP junior

Bridge style?
Wraparound stoptail

Tuners?
Original are removed and now there are Kluston deluxe fitted to it

Neck/Scale
Rosewood fingerboard

Any included accessories?
No

How does it suit your music style (and what is that style)?
Rock, pure tone heavey sound

What amps and effects are you using it with?
2Laney VC50 with ex cabs

Is it noisy?
Yes realy noisy!

On what settings?
This guitar has only one setting

Rich/Full sound? Bright sound?
Full bright sound

What kind of sounds can the guitar make?
Heavey bright rocksound

How much variety?
Not much variety, but steady!

Likes and dislikes?
I love this one

How well was the guitar set-up at the factory? (How was the action?)
Well, i didnt got it from the factory, bought it used

How well were the pickups adjusted?
Good

Properly bookmatched top?
No bookmayched top

Properly routed bridge?
Bridge is fine

Did the guitar contain any flaws? (misaligned bracing, poorly filed
fretwire, finish flaws, poor quality wood, rusted or oxidized hardware, loose tuning pegs, poorly cut nut, poorly fit saddle, noisy pickup selector, loose controls, etc...)

The moment i got this guitar it wasnt very good

Will this guitar withstand live playing?
Yes it will

Does the hardware seem like it will last?
Yes the guitar is almosth 50 year old and a good rocker

Is the finish good enough to last, or does it seem thin and easy to wear off with lots of playing?
The paint is stripped

Are the strap buttons solid?
Yes

Can you depend on it?
Yes

Would you use it on a gig without a backup?
No

If you've dealt with the company, how helpful/friendly were they?
No company deal.

Ever try and get it repaired?
I will get it restored later

Was it under warranty?
no

How long is the warranty?
-

How long have you been playing?
10 years

What other gear do you own?
-

Is there something you wish you had asked before buying this guitar?
no

If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again or get something else?
Yes, but there were only 777 made 50 years ago so i will never find one again

What do you love about it?
TONE!

What do you hate?
that the finish is stripped

What is your favorite feature?
a real rocker

Did you compare it to other guitars?
Yes with a full scals length junior

Which ones?
Full scale junior

Why did you choose this one?
Unique

Anything you wish it had?
his original finish and tuners

Anything else you'd like to share?
Nope!

my main guitar is a 1959 les paul junior,its refinished, has changed out tuners and bridge, therfore i got it pretty cheap (425.00 dollars}.it is a double cutaway with a very loud dog eared p-90 pick-up and volume and tone controls mohogony neck and body.it is refinished white,the exact same color of the later sg style juniors and a black pickgaurd. the paint job is really good and has probably been there 20+ years, it was "upgaded" to grover tuners which are pretty cool but iwould rather have the original in-line klusons. the badass bridge though, is much better than the original

i cant complain about the sound. it fits in any musical situation ive put it in. i play all kinds of music from jazz to metal to counrty, but i mainly use it for aerosmith guns n roses type of rock and its perfect. it has lots of midrange (too much sometimes)and the lack of a neck pickup is no problem, i just roll back the tone knob and you cant tell the difference

when i got it, it was set up pretty low and i havent had to change it.the frets have lots of life in them and the paint is good. the only gripe i have is that the 19th fret position marker had fallen out before i got it, so any time i bend anywhere near there it pinches the shit out of my finger! that sucks. i recently bought some inlay but havent gotten around to putting it in yet

this thing is solid and has saved my ass more than a few times. i use a lot of vintage guitars live (very often) and gigging with it is sometimes a gamble,but this one has never let me down. i usually take 2 or 3 giutars to shows and a few times ive ended up just playing the whole show with this one

ive never had to talk to gibson, obviously because its old, but im considering saving some cash and getting a factory refin to tv yellow, so we'll see later

i plan on keeping this one a while. today almost bought a 2002 junior that was pretty cool but it felt so cheesy and fragile compared to mine so i guess i lucked out on getting an old one. i love it

Early 1990's Re-Issue of the 70's LP Jr. Tune-o-matic bridge, single P-90, volume, tone. This is a double cutaway model in TV Yellow.

The sound is between a Fender and Les Paul with humbuckers. It screams! Cuts thru the mix, no mud, but plenty of grunt. Great with overdrive. I use it mostly with a Fender Hot Rod Deville, sounds amazing on the drive channels, also use with a Tube Screamer. Not crazy about using it with clean sound yet, but that's what I use Strat and Tele for. The Jr / P-90 sound is made for crunchy rythym and scorching leads. Reminds me of Stones "Can't You Haer Me Knocking" guitar sound, The Faces "Stay with Me". Not sure what they used, but this has that type of scratchy sound, it's not pretty!

Bought it used on eBay, body pretty dinged up. It needed a good scrubbing and new strings. Also changed the tuners from these horrible Sperzel locking tuners to Grovers. Major improvment. The G string is a bit tricky at times. I may change the nut, the G string creaks a bit, but not thru the amp. The TV yellow finish w/ black pickguard looks so good in pictures. Strap this on and look like a star. Tune-o-matic bridge is why I got this over an older model, I need to play chords in tune.

This guitar is made for live playing. I never gig with out a backup.
The wear makes the guitar look better imo.

Considering you can't buy one of these new anymore, it was a good deal. You can get a custom shop, but those don't have the tun-o-matic bridge and cost close to $2000. Nothing sounds quite like a P-90, it does not do everything, more like a one trick pony, but what a trick it is. Nothing sounds like this. Once you play one, you hear classic rock tunes and think "yep, that's a P-90/Jr." I think even new groups like Green Day, Jimmy Eat World and Foo Fighters use them. It covers so much ground. When I put this guitar on, I become a different player. It can't get the pretty and thin tones of a Tele or Strat, but it does what those guitars can't do.

2001 Les Paul Jr
One Word - BASIC!!!
1 P-90, Wraparound Bridge, Vol, Tone
You don't need any more than that
Beautiful dark sunburst, great looking piece of Mahogany
Nice fat fifties neck + 22 medium frets

I play anything from Dead Kennedys to Elvis to The Who plus a little bit of jazz (that's TRAD Jazz, the stuff talentless old people play here in Australia). Gets a perfect "Bleach" era Nirvana sound with my Boss DS-1 and a great Dead Kennedys sound. Basically, it's useful for anything not requiring a neck pickup or in extremely HI-GAIN situations (AAHHHGG!!! THE SQUEALING FEEDBACK!!! MY EARS!!!) Definitely NOT a metal guitar. Great for General Rock, Old Blues (The stuff before "I Use My Neck Pickup And Have A Crap Strat Tone" Stevie!), Rock and Roll, Punk (even that new "so-called" punk for people who can only play power chords and sing in irritating, whiney voices and run around naked in video clips) plus it can even do a bit of country. I run it through a Boss DS-1 Distortion, Vox Wah, Danelectro Tremolo, Dan-Echo and a Marshall AVT275.

Action Is fine for my liking (Not too low, not too high)
The stopbar bridge works suprisingly well with 10-46s and the intonation is great
Bought it shopsoiled so it had a couple of chips and scuffs but who cares, I can't wait 'till the cellulose finish starts to crack and craze and get great wear marks!

There's nothing on it to break! You could hammer away at it all night and you would only need to tune it before each set (A good thing to do anyway) Solid as a Buick. Not as heavy as one though! Finish will probably start to wear (I hope). The only gripe is the strap buttons. Get some washers to use as straplocks if you want to use it safely on stage. I wouldn't you use it on a gig without a backup because I might break a string. As with all Gibsons, watch out for the headstock!

I have been playing almost 3 years (Started on new years eve 1999!! Spent half of the night trying to play the Peter Gunn theme and the other half trying to feel up my friend's cutie of a cousin!!)
Got this guitar fo under cost price - very happy indeed. It's my new knockaround guitar (Bye-Bye Epi Goldtop - YUK!) and I hope to have it a long long long time.

It's a 2000 Gibson Les Paul Jr. with a single cutaway. Made in Nashville TN. You know the basics: 1 P-90 pickup, 1 volume, 1 tone (and unlike other models this tone actually works), 24 3/4" scale, 1 11/16" nut width with a "beefy" 50's neck profile and a wraparound tailpiece. It also has a solid mahogany body and neck with a rosewood fingerboard with fat Gibson style frets. It comes with Gibson Deluxe tuners (think Kluson style tuners that really work). It has a glossy finish that is the more Tobacco Burst color than the vintage Sunburst. It came with a padded gigbag.

I play many different musical styles including rock, punk, rockabilly, twangy country, etc. It can suit pretty much any style I play with the right gig setup. I mainly use it for the heavier stuff because it suits that style perfectly. The only pedal effects I use are a MXR Distortion+, an Octavia, and a Vox Wah-Wah pedal. I play these through a Danelectro DM-25 amp in the studio and through a Sunn Concert Lead (the greatest solidstate amp ever made). This guitar can have everything from a bright sound to a warm bluesy sound or even a threatening growl depending on how you use it. It does have the 60-cycle hum, but all good guitars have that. I love the feel of the neck and teh overall weight of this guitar. It is not as balanced as a Strat or SG, but there is something very satisfying about its heft. On a side note - be sure to use a locking strap, Gibson strap holders are notorious for slipping out.

The factory setup was just as one shhould expect it - GENERIC. This is my pet peeve with most of the morons who right off the guitar because they don't like the factory setup. Jeezuz people, learn to set up your own guitar and always have the tools with you. Back to work. As far as the pickup adjustment, you really can't adjust the pickups height, but you can adjust the individual pole pieces. I found them to be perfect straight from the factory though, it's not like they haven't had time to perfect it. My only real complaint is the wraparound bridge, I prefer a Badass bridge so that I can adjust intonation. All of the hardware and finish are in excellent condition, even after a year of weekly abuse.

This guitar was made with live playing in mind - but always carry a backup if you want to be a professional. Just wait until you've broken off a headstock at a show and tell me you never need a backup. These LP's were built to last. As I said above (and as with any Gibson) always use strap locks is you are playing live!

I have had three Gibson's but I have never had to contact customer service. I have heard that they can be difficult to reach, which is understandable considering how many of their guitars are floating around out there.

I think that this is one of the greatest model guitars ever built. It is extremely versatile and unlike crappy Korean models it is built like a tank. The only reason I do not rate it a perfect 10 is because there is no such thing as a perfect guitar, they all have some kind of limitation. This one just has fewer than almost anything else.

Made in 2001/2. It's a strange one (but free, too)... I won it in a songwriting contest, so it's completely black, with a plastic "pick-guard" covering most of the top. Under the plastic, it's blue and features both Hard Rock Cafe and Intel logos. Single pickup (p90 or 100 - not sure which). It's got all the features you need in a single pickup guitar!

I play mostly rock. It suits that style just fine. I play it through a Behringer V-Amp2 (and sometimes through a nasty Gorilla practice amp). The guitar is extremely quiet. Great amount of variety between the tone and volume settings - surprising when there's only two knobs.

Action is very low - nice setup. It does go sharp on the first fret if you press the higher strings too hard (ex - when playing a first position D chord).

Finish (what I can see of it) is flawless. I might remove the Hard Rock/Intel ads, though. Sorta cheesy, if you ask me.

Very solid throughout. I'd use it anywhere, from the rock gigs I do to my church worship team (I occasionally lead worship).

N/A - never needed to contact them.

I've played guitar for 17 years, and also own a nasty Explorer copy (an Eagle brand), an Epiphone acoustic, and Tama drums.

Again - it was free, so I have no complaints! I probably would not buy another one - given my own devices (and cash), I'd probably buy a Telecaster. However - this guitar absolutely rocks, and it's definitely a keeper!

1959 Jr. double cutaway with p-90. Had a refinish in the 70's but otherwise original. Big 50's neck. One vol one tone ( it actually is useable!!!!) It's a 10 because it does what it does so well.

It's a brash, over the top rocker. It snarls and pops a little. I don't use this guitar when intonation is critical. It's a rocker. The tone knob is great. This thing feeds back to the 5th harmonic soooo cool. I use it with a Carl Martin compressor into a TS-10 to a Gibson GA 15 RV.

Terrible intonation ( non-compensated wrap-around bridge). Had a refret I think - not to bad. It's a hunk of very resonant old growth mahogany. It's a player - I got it relatively cheap because of the refin.

I need a second guitar (strat) for more melodic stuff. It's solid of course.

N/A

Playing for 35 years. Tone freak - no digital. Like I said this is the one I play when I want a screamer.

Not alot youve heard it all aready. About as simple as you could get.

OMG! This is the best sounding guitar Ive ever heard. It beats the LP studio hands down. That has a mushy mudy sound, this has a nice well defined and thick sound. Its actually extremely versitle also, it may not seem taht way but it really is. Once you take away the neck pickup and selector switch, you really see how versitle a guitar this simple could be. Handles rock perfectly, roll down the volume to about 4 and put the tone at about 5 and you have a great jazzy bluesy sound. Then put the volume at 6 and the tone at 8 and you have instant led zeppelin, classic rock crunch. Gibson really hit the nail in the head with this one.

Beautiful finish, perfect intonation, and good action, no fret buzz and sustains forever.

I couldnt beleive the value of this instrument. Ive been playing for quite a while. I never expected this

I have an earlier review of my '59, and a few months back I found a '57 Sunburst LPJ. This one is is good condition, but battle worn. Of course, USA single P90, etc, plastic tuning heads. "Stock."

The neck had a few pits and dings, so I gave it a l ight sand and an oil finish.

Some people would call it a sin, but now feels terrific to play. Nitro tends to drag a bit, and appearance wise this changes it very little. Didn't do this to the body, though!

There is a school of thought that an LPJ is thebest ever sounding rock guitar. Last weekend I took it to a jam with some pro's.
The singer (many years on the raodexperience) thought it sounded awesome. I loaned it to a strat player, and couldn't get it back all day. He said that "now I know what the fuss is about!!."

This guitar certainly sings and has tone on tone. Sustains beautifully. I use it with a heap of different amps/boxes, but any good distortion will make it work, and even just thru a good amp will work just fine.

If you like a single coil sound, keep the treble wound on, for a more Gibson tone, just back it off. Easy.

Still plays fabulously well, mine has low action and light guage strings. Would probably execute people's ears with heavier ones...!!

This is just two simple lumps ofwood + a pickup, and nothing really gets close to it.
But it ain't no "precision" engineering, although you could argue that it is elegant in its simplicity???

Can't see why they won't go forever.

Tuning pegs are not great, but they do thejob.

I've been playing for 40 years.
I have many other guitars, (Strats, Teles, Les Pauls, etc) but of its "type" it has to be the most outstanding for feel and tone. Mine is very light, huge sounding, has a fat neck. Not all are the same: I tried 4 - 5 in the shop, and this one shone out like a beacon.
In fact I managed to buy it a whisker before a well known player made a grab for it.

If you are thinking of a vintage strat, etc, OK, but if you have never looked at these, do yourself the justice.
My 59 + this 57 are just the mose awesome sounding guitars you will find. A joy to play, and as I would have it "the soul of rock and roll." Ask Keith.

The LP Jr. I have is a 1959 double cut-away with the 3/4 neck. This was, of course, made in the USA with old growth lumber, mahagony at that. It has the P-90 pick up (side bar- to those of you out there that have read ad nauseum about the P-90 and wonder what the hubbub is... well trust me, when you hear it, you'll know.) I don't know about "woman tone" or "creamy" or whatever. It just sounds incredible. This one still has the wrap-around bridge and the original tuners, frets, knobs, etc.. I'm going to put a badass and some new klusons (so long as I don't have to drill)on it, to improve playability and keep the old parts as good as possible.
The finish is a light brown, not sun burst, and shows the beautiful, straight, plain, wood grain. It's not a flame, or quilted, birdseye, triple A, smartwood.... It's mahagony like you don't see on new guitars I don't care how nice they are. Because it is the age it is (older than me) and still works (better than me) I give it a 10!

It sounds like rock & roll.

This guitar's action is great for me. Pretty low but no buzzing. The frets are great but on a 3/4 neck they are REALLY close together. This will take time to get used to.

Everything about this guitar seems solid as a rock.Theres a few dings on it and the finish has age lines, but nothing is peeling. I want to change the tuners and bridge mainly to keep the original pieces intact in case I ever (sob) sell this. Everything has lasted for 43 years so far so I see no reason that they'd fall apart on me in the near future. As far as a back-up.... ATTENTION all musicians! You want to know what's more boring than watching someone tune up??? Nothing. ALWAYS use a back-up.

The Gibson of 2002 shares only the name and legal marketing rights of the magical company that made this guitar.

This is more of a story here than an actual review. I got lucky to stumble on this guitar and it was all due to great hot dogs. You see, there's a place called Velvet Freeze which has created "The Wonder Dog". It's a thing of beauty. Seems I had a meting to attend recently and Velvet Freeze was on the way. I stopped in for lunch and when I left I noticed this music shop 2 doors down (in a strip mall). I saw that they carried "band accessories" so I figured I'd go in and have a laugh at all the merchandise with list prices marked on it. Well, 1st thing I saw when I walked in was the Jr. So, thanks to hot dogs and my love of seeing things priced to high, I got a great guitar and I'm rescuing another Jr from the dull life of sitting on a "collector's" shelf.

Hmmm....let's see...features. One p90 pickup. Solid, flat, slab mahogany(sp?) body and neck. Fat '59 neck. One volume. One tone control. Cherry nitro finish beat with checking, play wear and belt rash. Wrap'a'round tail piece. Pure rock'n'roll.

Like I said. Pure rock'n'roll. Fat p90 growl. Sounds great with a blackface twin but I'm using a '71 Marshall Super Lead....and I love every minute of it. Keith and Johnny can't be wrong!

Super low classic Gibson action and 43 year old finish all add up to the best damn guitar I've ever had and will have. Finish flaws, you ask? Heh. 43 years of rock'n'roll and you think it's got finish on the neck?

Well, hell. You could shoot smack, pass out on stage, wake up in a fit, fall down again, and it's still in tune.

I'm a big fan of any company that would make such great guitars and I would hope that If I were ever to buy a new one I would never need to contact them for any reason...but if I did, I'm sure they would fix my problem.

Life's to short for sh*tty tone.

Brand new Les Paul Junior from the current line in a vintage sunburst finish, a little bit darker than the sunburst finish of the originals ''fifties'' models. US made, mahogany body and neck, 22 frets, one P 90 ''dogear'' pick-up, one tone & one volume control.
Simple tuners, one cutaway model ... All you need to play the blues !

You can't beat a P 90 ... It's a legend & a part of music history.
It sounds perfect through my Fender Super Reverb amp ... a very good combination !

It's not a Custom model, nor a Standard ! but I like the simplicity of the instrument, a real ''working'' tool.

I don't play in a Metal Band ... I'm 52 years old and play the Blues since the mid sixties... I've never beat my guitars, and the oldest, a 63 Telecaster looks like a new one !
I think that the Les Paul is made to last for long... don't let it fly above the amps on stage ! but I know some Les Paul with repared necks ...

I've a ES 135 since 1995, and I've had a Les Paul De Luxe from 1975 to 1984... I have the Junior since january 2002... Never had to deal with Gibson.

My main guitar is a 1994 Fender Stratocaster, all stock except the remplacement of the bridge pick-up by a small coil humbucking (Di Marzio).
I play some Jazz and Blues (mainly blues) ... the Junior was attented to be a back-up for the Strat... but I take it more and more on the road !

I got this '56 Les Paul Junior from a friend. This is the best guitar that I have ever played. It has a sunburst finish. It is a single cutaway with the one P-90 pickup. It has the original Kluson deluxe tuners.

It has a great Rock sound. I like to play Classic Rock and it fits perfectly. I play it through a marshall combo and a vintage Ampeg B-15 with the fliptop head.

I had it setup to my likings and it is perfect. The finish has finish cracks, but that just adds to the beauty. Neck is perfectly straight.

This is the most dependable guitar I have ever played. I have owned many different Gibsons and this is the ultimate guitar. It has lasted perfectly over the 40 some odd years, so I think it will last 40 more. This is the perfect example of Gibson's quality.

I called Gibson to confirm the year of the guitar and they were very nice.

I have been playing for a while and have owned a few different Gibsons. I would recommend anybody to buy one of these guitars. However, I don't think that there are many out there. If you ever find one, do yourself a favor and buy it. You will not be disapointed.