From Our Research Team:

The "No-Nonsense" Les Paul Guitar

The Les Paul Junior made its first appearance in the Les Paul line in 1954 (at the same time as the company's top-of-the-line Les Paul Custom) at a list price of $49.50. Those originals are now almost impossible to find, plus they have a whole bunch of zeros after the first four digits (simply put, they're ridiculously expensive). Although the Junior's outline matched that of the high-end Les Pauls, it was clearly a beginner's instrument with a flat-topped "slab" mahogany body. To Gibson's credit, they didn't even pretend it was anything more. The features were limited to just one P-90 single coil pickup in the bridge position, a volume and tone control, single-ply pickguard, mahogany neck with an unbound rosewood fingerboard and simple dot shaped inlays. Even the bridge was the basic one-piece design that Gibson had scrapped on its better models. That said, there are still some players who have found the Les Paul Junior to be the perfect instrument for their specific needs. One of these players was Leslie West of the '60s supergroup Mountain (their biggest hit was "Mississippi Queen"). The Gibson Vintage Original Spec Series reintroduces the world to the utilitarian simplicity of the Les Paul Junior with the 1957 Junior Single Cutaway Reissue. Oh, and in case you're interested, Gibson did make a two pickup version which it called the Les Paul Special.



Gibson 1957 Les Paul Junior Single Cutaway Features at a Glance:

• Single cutaway mahogany "slab" body in Vintage Sunburst
  
• One P-90 "dog ear" pickup in the bridge position
  
• One-piece mahogany neck with '50s profile and rosewood fingerboard
  
• Includes Custom Shop hardshell case and certificate of authenticity

Single cutaway mahogany "slab" body in Vintage Sunburst
There's really not a lot to say about this guitar. Some may look at it and just see the limitations. Others will find some amount of charm in what is clearly a "no-nonsense" design. Look beyond its limited features list and you'll see it does have a premium quality mahogany body, albeit a "slab" design with no contours. Still, it has the distinctive Les Paul shape. The combination bridge and tailpiece is now standard equipment on many upper level instruments, proving that sometimes simple is better. If you're the kind of guitar player that is looking to simply get up on stage or into the studio and play, the 1957 Les Paul Junior Single Cutaway might make a lot of sense. It doesn't carry the kind of price tag we generally associate with the upper-end models. For the right player, this will be the perfect instrument!

One P-90 "dog ear" pickup in the bridge position
Gibson clearly had no intention of doing anything more than getting its guitars into as many hands as possible. With a ridiculously low price, the Les Paul Junior was all about the Gibson and Les Paul names, not a bunch of features. Again, some players will definitely see the charm in the simplicity of the lone single-coil P-90 "dog ear" pickup. By the way, it's called dog ear because of the mounting flanges which players jokingly referred to as looking like a pair of dog ears. While other P-90-equipped Gibsons had the pickups mounted into the body, the Junior's P-90 was attached by two screws and those flanges. Laugh all you want, but if you plug the 1957 Les Paul Junior Single Cutaway into a really good amp, you'll likely be pretty astounded by the sound.

One-piece mahogany neck with '50s profile and rosewood fingerboard
Probably the one thing the original Les Paul Junior had going for it was the big, '50s rounded neck profile. The 1957 Les Paul Junior Single Cutaway VOS has the same profile on a one-piece mahogany neck. Again, think "elegant simplicity" with the unbound rosewood fingerboard and dot position markers. With that beefy neck and the extra bite produced by the P-90 pickup, you'll be astounded at how you can really dig into big power chords and screaming lead sounds. Forget about subtleties. Simply plug this baby into a really good amp and you're set to rock!

Includes Custom Shop hardshell case and certificate of authenticity
Naturally, a guitar with the historical significance of the 1957 Vintage Original Spec Les Paul Junior Single Cutaway will come with a plush-lined hardshell case as befits its status as one of Gibson's under appreciated classics. So this one comes with a really sweet Custom Shop case that will offer the ultimate protection for your investment for many decades to come. The reissue Junior also comes with a certificate of authenticity, which proves your good taste, as well as a custom care kit and other assorted "case candy."


Gibson 1957 Les Paul Junior Single Cutaway Features:

• Color: Vintage Sunburst
  
• Body Type: Solidbody
  
• Finish: Gloss
  
• Neck Wood: Mahogany
  
• Neck Shape: '50s rounded
  
• Top Wood: Mahogany
  
• Back Wood: N/A
  
• Side Wood: N/A
  
• Machine Heads: Button
  
• Scale Length: 24 3/4 inches
  
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
  
• No. of Frets: 22
  
• Position Markers: Dot
  
• Pickups: One P-90 single coil
  
• Controls: One volume and one tone
  
• Pickup Switching: N/A
  
• Bridge/Tailpiece: Combination
  
• Hardware: Nickel
  
• Billie Joe Armstrong case included

The 1957 Les Paul Junior is a unique combination of elegant simplicity and raw tone!

Specification Detail Body Material Mahogany Body Finish Gloss Color Vintage Sunburst Neck Material Mahogany, Set Neck Shape '50s Rounded Scale Length 24.75" Fingerboard Material Rosewood Fingerboard Inlay Pearloid Dot Number of Frets 22 Nut Width 1.68" Bridge/Tailpiece Wraparound Tuners White Button Number of Pickups 1 Neck Pickup No Neck Pickup Middle Pickup No Middle Pickup Bridge Pickup P-90 Single-coil Controls 1 x Volume, 1 x Tone Case Included Custom Shop Hardshell Notes Certificate of Authenticity Included Manufacturer Part Number LPJRSCVOVSNH1

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