Gibson Les Paul Junior
Gibson Les Paul Junior | |
---|---|
Gibson | |
Period | |
Construction | |
Body type | Solid |
Neck joint | Set |
Scale | 24.75" |
Woods | |
Body | Mahogany |
Neck | Mahogany |
Fretboard | Rosewood, Ebony |
Hardware | |
Bridge | Wraparound |
Pickup(s) | 1 P-90, 2 P-90s, 1 humbucker, 1 H-90 (Billie Joe Armstrong signature model only) |
Colors available | |
Sunburst, Ebony, TV Yellow, White, Red |
The Gibson Les Paul Junior is a solid-body electric guitar introduced in 1954 as an affordable, entry-level Les Paul. It was first released with a single-cutaway body style; models with a double-cutaway body style were later introduced in 1958.[3] The Junior continued through the first three years of the Les Paul/SG body redesign. The initial run was discontinued in 1963.
History
The goal for the Les Paul Junior was to have a high-quality guitar that was still affordable. This was achieved by stripping the Gibson Les Paul down to the basics: no binding, no carved top, one pickup, one volume knob and one tone knob.[4] The Junior was equipped with one P-90 "dog-ear" pickup at the bridge, which was actually a stop tailpiece from the standard Les Paul, repurposed. It was originally released in sunburst in mid-1954.[5][3]
In 1955, Gibson launched the Les Paul TV model, which was identical to the Junior except for the name and a fashionable contemporary "limed oak" style finish, later more accurately named "limed mahogany".
In the 1960s and 1970s the Les Paul Junior became very popular because of its simplicity and distinguishable tone when played through a high-gain
It is also used by Billie Joe Armstrong from the band Green Day.
Variations
The Les Paul Junior was originally introduced in 1954 as a single-cutaway model, with its double-cutaway counterpart arriving to the market in early 1958.[6] Color schemes most commonly placed on Juniors were vintage sunburst, cherry red, and TV yellow. In 2012, two rare black models with tortoiseshell pickguard, from 1959 and 1960, were described in Vintage Guitar; the possibility was offered that black models were special-ordered for a specific store, or that the black finish was used to cover up blemishes in the wood.[7] In 1961, the body style of the Junior was shifted, and after conflict between Gibson and Les Paul, these models were later renamed the "SG Junior".[8]
The Les Paul Junior is still offered today in several different variations. Gibson offers U.S.-made Les Paul Juniors which has been given modern touches including a more slim-tapered neck. These particular Juniors have been seen in several different incarnations since the mid-1980s in both single- and double-cutaway. (see #Timeline) The Gibson Custom shop has also offered a period-correct Junior over the years through both its Historic and VOS branches. These models feature the more notorious large neck or "baseball bat" neck as it is often referred to among players.
Several artists have had Juniors produced in the Gibson product line including
The Les Paul Special has a similar body shape, but is equipped with two P-90 pickups and Gibson's standard four-knob, three-way switch electronics.
Leslie West declined an offer to have a signature model of the instrument produced because he did not want a signature guitar based on an already-existing instrument, even though the Les Paul Junior was his main instrument during his heyday in Mountain.
In 2015,
Epiphone Les Paul Junior
Epiphone, a major guitar company purchased by Gibson in 1957, sells lower-cost Juniors which feature a bolt-on neck configuration as well as being outfitted with a single humbucking pickup rather than the traditional P-90. Epiphone has released limited edition models including the Collegiate Edition and the Epiphone Limited Edition '57 Les Paul Junior Reissue with P-100, which features a set neck, all-solid mahogany construction, and a P-100 humbucker. Epiphone Japan has also released Juniors (with the Gibson headstock) including the LPJ-70 and the Ltd edition Lacquer Series Jr (both in vintage sunburst and cherry). These Juniors were pretty much dead-on regarding the original 1954 Gibson specifications but they were manufactured for the Japanese market only and not for export.
Epiphone Invader
Epiphone manufactured the Invader as part of a starter pack which was marketed mostly in mainland Europe. In essence, the Invader is an identical guitar to the Epiphone Junior, with a single generic humbucker and single volume and tone pots. Invaders were manufactured by the Samick organisation in Indonesia but have now been discontinued in light of the success and production of the Junior.
Invaders are strictly budget-end instruments and do tend to suffer from the not-unusual weakness of occasionally having poor tuning stability, but these instruments can still be regarded as very useful and playable instruments. They are light, versatile, and comfortable.
As with the Junior, the Invader is the Epiphone version of the Gibson Junior and can also be seen as having links with the Gibson Melody Maker.
Models
List of "Junior" models (original and reissue).[2] For "Junior Special" models, Epiphone models, and Robot Guitar models, see Gibson Les Paul Special and #Variations, respectively.
Single cutaway
- 1954–1958: Les Paul Junior (Single Cutaway)
- 1956–1958: Les Paul Junior 3/4 (Single Cutaway)
- 1954–1958: Les Paul TV (Single Cutaway)
- reissues
- 1986–1992: Les Paul Junior (Single Cutaway Reissue)
- 2001–2002: Les Paul Junior (LPJ-)
- variations
- 2008–2012: Les Paul Junior Faded (LPJ)
- 2011–2012: Les Paul Junior 2011 (Model LPJ)
- 2015: Les Paul Junior 2015 (LPJR15)
- 2018: Les Paul Junior 2018
- 2018: Les Paul Junior 2018 Billie Joe Armstrong Signature (Humbucker loaded)
- 2020: Les Paul Junior 2020 Lukas Nelson ‘56 Limited Edition
Double cutaway
- 1958–1961: Les Paul Junior (Double Cutaway)
- 1958–1959: Les Paul TV (Double Cutaway)
- (1961–1963: Les Paul Junior (SG-style))
- reissues
- 1987–1989, 1995–1996:
Les Paul Junior (Double Cutaway Reissue)
- variations
- 1990–1992: Les Paul Junior Hall of Fame Series (Double Cutaway Reissue, with P-100 humbuckers)
Timeline
See also
- List of Gibson players
- Gibson Melody Maker (1959-1971) - an entry level guitar model similar to Les Paul Junior but with thinner body.
- Gibson SG Junior (1961-1971, 2011–present) - successor of Les Paul Junior with SG shape.
- Gibson Spirit (1972-1985) - a guitar model similar to Les Paul Junior DC but with cutaway at 20th fret.
References
- ^ a b c d Carter 2007, p. 139
- ^ a b "GIBSON Les Paul: Junior/TV Series", Blue Book of Electric Guitar Values, Blue Book Publications, Inc, archived from the original on April 11, 2016, retrieved March 30, 2016
- ^ a b c Carter 1994, p. 196
- ^ a b Duchossoir 1998[page needed]
- ^ Batey 2003, p. 114
- ^ "Les Paul Junior Single Cutaway". Zuitar.com. Retrieved August 16, 2008.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Meeker, Ward (February 2012). "Beauties in Black: The Emergence of Two Rare Gibson Les Paul Juniors". Vintage Guitar.
- ^ Batey 2003, p. 115
- ^ "Interview with Billie Joe Armstrong; re Signature Les Paul Junior", Gibson USA & Green Day present, Gibson Guitar Corporation, 2006, archived from the original on July 21, 2008
- ^ "Gibson Unveils New Billie Joe Armstrong Signature Les Paul Jr". reverb.com. July 23, 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ "Gibson | Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior". www.gibson.com. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ "Gibson | Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior". www.gibson.com. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ Les Paul Junior 2015, Gibson Guitar Corporation, 2015[non-primary source needed]
- ^ Les Paul Junior 2018, Gibson Guitar Corporation, 2018[non-primary source needed]
Bibliography
- Batey, Rick (2003). The American Blues Guitar. Hal Leonard. ISBN 9780634027598.
- Carter, Walter (1994). Gibson guitars: 100 years of an American icon (1st ed.). General Pub. Group. ISBN 1881649393.
- Carter, Walter (2007). The Gibson Electric Guitar Book Seventy Years of Classic Guitars. Backbeat Books. ISBN 9780879308957.
- Duchossoir, A.R. (1998). Gibson Electrics - The Classic Years. Hal Leonard. ISBN 9781476851266.
Further reading
- "GIBSON Les Paul: SG Series", Blue Book of Electric Guitar Value, Blue Book Publications, Inc, retrieved April 12, 2016
— search the text "SG Les Paul" to find the SG-shaped Les Pauls.