Gibson Les Paul Junior - Vintage Tobacco Burst Reviews

This guitar is f-u-n! It is light, resonant, and dynamic. You see the 2 knobs, and it is easy to assume that it is not very flexible, but that assumption would be wrong. It is simple to twist either or both knobs and get a ton of variety. Honestly, I wish I started with this guitar years ago.

I bought this guitar because I love p90 guitars. I have a Les Paul Special double cutaway. I really didn't know exactly what to expect with nothing more than one p90 pickup a volume and a tone knob. The range of tones from that one pickup is infinite. Lower the volume a bit and roll back the tone and there is your "neck pickup". As far as the tones with just those 2 knobs you can go from clean jazz/blues to hard rock with just a slight change of those two knobs.

The neck did take about 15 minutes to get used to, but once I got used to it, I have been able to switch between guitars and not even notice the differences in neck profiles it just feels natural.

If you're considering this guitar, pull the trigger. This is an amazing guitar.

Thanks to Sweetwater and to Mike Winebrenner for getting my new go to guitar fast as always. You have a customer for life.

I've been wanting one of these for quite some time, but it just never worked out. I'm accustomed to playing pretty nice guitars, so I wasn't sure whether to go with this one (the USA model) or a Custom Shop. I decided to go with the USA model at the recommendation of my great rep at Sweetwater, Zack. I'm absolutely thrilled with the quality, playability and sound of this classic guitar. It was great right out of the box. I had the nut adjusted, but that's only because I play 11's and it came setup for 10's and there were some tuning stability issues when I changed strings. I also changed out the knobs fora more classic look. Now it's great and is an absolute BEAST! I highly recommend this guitar.

I received my Les Paul Jr from Sweetwater last Monday, 9/28. As I unboxed it I noticed how beautiful the Finish was and how comfortable the guitar felt overall. The Finish was beautiful not a single blemish on this guitar anywhere. Since Monday I have played this through my Marshall MG 50 FX and my Fender 40 w hot rod 1 by 12 amp. The tones I was able to get to this guitar through both of those amps was just awesome. Is P90 pickup really does scream. This is the first Junior I've owned. I have standards and I have Studios, Fender strats but this guitar is different from the others by way of tone and feel. Now let me move on to Sweetwater's luthier, at least the individual that worked on mine. I wish I could leave his name but I don't feel that that's appropriate. He did an absolutely phenomenal job on my setup. I switched out the nut and they set it up according to what I wanted. Well no other words to say except perfect. I'm from Fort Wayne but I live in the Southwest. I live in a town with 70,000 people and we just don't have a lot of competent guitar luthiers. I'm saving the boxes that my Junior came in and from now on I will be shipping my guitars back to Sweetwater for their services. If you like the sound of Lonesome dave, or the sound of Leslie West amongst the others definitely check out this junior. Well, well worth the price.

I've come around in a big way for single P-90 pickup guitars.
Had both new and vintage LP Junior SG's that became favorites.
Now I have gravitated to this current production version of Gibson's '50's era Les Paul Junior.
This now has become my number one guitar to grab. I also have a MIC Epi Casino, but prefer the LP Junior.
This particular one is heavy (9lbs-10oz) but sounds and plays great, and the vol & tone pots are perfect and simple.
I play this mostly through a Quilter Aviator Cub 50 that emulates Fender Deluxe sounds very convincingly.
Generally, I prefer playing clean sounds vs distorted, and THIS guitar sounds great and is versatile.
Running less than full on the guitar's volume and tone controls can produce anything from "acoustic," to so-called "jazz" tones.
When opened up it is a Rock and Blues weapon. I like the stock 10-46 setup it came with. I had to adjust the high E pole to balance its volume.
The larger neck is great for me. I like Gibson's "rounded, '50's" feel. Fingerboard and frets are perfect for me too. Medium action works for me, but it can go lower without choking.
I took a Sweetwater "demo" and couldn't find whatever they were seeing. Nice discount. I paused at the weight but then went ahead and ordered it.
No problems at all.

This LP Jr is part of the Original series by Gibson and they have done a super job of replicating the late 50s Jrs. I owned a mint 59 Jr that was my main axe for decades that I played thru a JCM 800 combo on a worship team playing for 2000+ people on Sundays. Each week folks would come up front afterwards to see what pedals were used to get all those different sounds out of the guitar. Answer: No pedals, just the knobs on the guitar with all the knobs on the amp set at 7. This blew folks away but goes to show just how versatile Jrs are.
Anyways, I had to sell the 59, but vowed I'd replace her one day. I just did so a few weeks ago here at Sweetwater. The day after arriving I opened the case to the aroma of fresh wood and nitro. Lovely finish. Killer neck. Lowered the action a bit at the bridge to match the original - plugged into a classic 5 watt Marshall and there was that glorious sound again. Thank you Gibson! It's time to rock!

They got the formula right on these. The pickup is perfect. The range of sounds is great. Finish could be better all around but let's be real… it's the feel and tone that make the Junior appealing. The neck is absolutely perfect. It's very resonant and sounds loud even acoustically. Mine weighed around 7 lbs 4 ounces and I love it. Hits above its price point for me. Get one and don't look back!

I purchased my Gibson Les Paul Junior a few weeks ago and I couldn't be more pleased with it. This guitar does a couple of things for me. The first is that it very much reminds me of my first electric guitar, way back in 1966 with the single PU. Back then it was a lipstick PU, but a single nonetheless. I had heard that the single P90 was not going to sound like you'd expect on a LP Junior, since it didn't have the magnetic interference of a second PU. Interference is not necessarily a bad thing, but in this case I think am reasonably confident that they were right. The single P90 has a very unique sound that is subject to change with your playing style. I can get tones out of this guitar that I never dreamed anyone could with just a single PU. You better believe I recommend this guitar.

Awesome, Great tone! Love the vintage Aura and feel, the neck is so comfortable, Love a big neck. I learned how to play on a guitar with a big neck, and the Tone is vintage and Great. I am a professional, Gigging musician. If you are looking at it buy it! You won't be disappointed. And Tyler Moore is the best!

Awesome, Great tone! Love the vintage Aura and feel, the neck is so comfortable, Love a big neck. I learned how to play on a guitar with a big neck, and the Tone is vintage and Great. I am a professional, Gigging musician. If you are looking at it buy it! You won't be disappointed.

This batch of Les Paul Jr.'s is golden. I decided that during the pandemic I was going to put Gibson to the test. I always wanted one. Holy cow, Gibson did not disappoint. I can't find anything truly wrong with it. I paid Sweetwater to do a medium height setup with Elixir polyweb 10s on it. It's freaking perfect. Everything from Pat's customer support to taking it out of the box has been spot on.

I have taken it to task. I went right for the opening solo of Mississippi Queen and I know it's a keeper. Every last detail on this one is dead on. The fit and finish is good as well as the intonation. Now mind you that G is always going to grief. Some tuning after beating it senseless on a Les Paul Jr. I expect but it is holding like a champ. I have absolutely nothing negative to say about this batch or this one in particular. Bravo Gibson.

Now is the time to get one of these if you're looking. It passed my smell test. Smells like a Gibson. ;) You know what I'm talking about.

This is my 4th LP Jr.----I had two from 2015(neck too wide, robo tuners I had to swap out, etc), a '58 Jr.(too expensive to play out with)...and then this gem from 2019. While the neck is not as beefy as one on the LP Jr. from 1958 that I used to own, this neck is comfortable and plays well with great action. The P90 sounds wonderful and smooth---it depends on how you nuance the volume and tone controls---but in it's simplicity you can see how this 'Student' guitar gained popularity amongst professionals. The sunburst on mine is perfect, the nitro finish a plus, the rosewood fingerboard pattern reminds me of Brazilian, the case top notch. Stays in tune relatively well and not tuning keys not stiff as vintage LP Jr. tuners can be a challenge to work with.

If you can find one, give it a try and explore the world of the single P90---this one is a welcome addition to my 'stable'!

Very cool guitar. Sounds great and plays great. If your thinking about it go ahead and get it. You won't regret it.

I was in search for a high quality "simple" guitar and after some research settled on a Les Paul Jr. This guitar came ready to be played and is an awesome instrument. I like it so much for fingerstyle jazz and blues I'm considering purchasing another one. Highly recommend! Gibson is back!

Been banging this around for a month. High Quality make. No flaws, very few adjustments needed out of the box. Orange drop cap is fine w/ this thing & the P-90 is screaming. Tone knob can do the woman tone & everything in between. A solid blues guitar.

Thank you Zack!

I received my LP Junior from Sweetwater 4 days ago and have played it approximately 8-10 hours so far. I have purchased several new high end guitars over the past 40 plus years (I'm 63) and currently own three excellent Gibson Les Paul's ('95 Standard,'96 &'97 Classics), a pair of USA made '98 &'99 Strat's, a 2014 American Tele and a new (purchased from Sweetwater last summer) PRS Custom 24 plus a couple Gibson acoustic guitars and an Alvarez Yairi DY38 I bought new in 1994, which I feel gives me plenty of perspective regarding fit, finish and playability. That being said, this LP Junior arrived in 3 days and upon opening it up, I found it to be be flawless. This isn't the first Gibson guitar I have purchased new, but, it's the first new Gibson I can honestly say did not have one quality issue upon my detailed inspection and very high expectations. This guitar was set up perfectly by the crew at Sweetwater and plays great. Again, this is the first time I have ever received a new guitar with perfect string height and good intonation right out of the box. All I did was tune it, quickly check the intonation on my strobe (darned close for a wrap-around bridge) and plug it in. The P90 is an excellent sounding pickup and covers a lot of sonic territory depending on amp type and settings. I have been primarily playing it through my old Fender '65 DRRI and a Marshall Origin 20 head through a closed-back cab with an upgraded Celestion G12M-67 (20 watt Greenback made in England) speakers. Tone is obviously subjective but, this guitar is definitely a Tone Monster that cleans up nice for snappy, clean rockabilly stuff or, wide open through a cranked tube amp with some gain can perfectly emulate vintage Leslie West from his days in Mountain, vintage Keith Richards or Allen Collins (think "Call Me the Breeze" lead solo). The neck size is perfect for my medium size hands. It is comfortable and non-fatiguing during extended playing times. Billy Joe Armstrong knows...
This guitar is a keeper and an excellent value for the price. All those positive reviews I read prior to pulling the trigger were spot on, these Junior's are excellent. You get what you pay for... Great Job Gibson and Sweetwater!

I've been playing 45 years and I'm in love with this guitar. Straight out of the box, no adjustments needed and stays intune. Action is perfect, the pickup and sounds you can get are amazing. It came with a Gibson black leather strap. Case is very nice.

Order was processed and confirmed quickly. Shipping and notification as expected. New Gibson Les Paul Jr came with a good setup out of the case. It's a model of simplicity with the P-90 tone I was expecting. Very happy with the purchase.

I"ve been wanting a classic Gibson Les Paul Junior for many years but didn"t have four or five grand for an original 50"s model or $3700 for a Custom Shop model. Their 2019 range of the classic Gibson"s went back to what works and re-issued these iconic guitars with original specs. Welcome back Gibson! Sweetwater"s Incredible financing made this well within my budget and I"m loving every minute of it. The Junior was set up by Sweetwater and played great right out of the box. I have big hands so the classic 50"s neck fits my mitts perfectly. Now talk about a screaming rock and roll beast? This little M-F-er will blow the doors off. The single Gibson P90 and one volume and one tone knob makes this a simple guitar with tons of tone. Roll off the volume for a nice clean tone then kick it up to 10 to crack the drywall! All in all a fantastic classic 50"s Les Paul Junior at a great price. As Gibson"s Mark Agnessi says, "everything you need and nothing you don"t need!" I love it!

What a great sound this guitar produces! I have Marshall Plexi, Fender Twin, VoxAC30....Blackstar....all them with their unique tones provide the sound I'm looking for! Strong bite and gain! So enjoyable the playability right out of the box. No set up needed. Great build quality, Gibson you hit another home run! And Sweetwater as always a great buying experience. Sales Engineer, Matt Alexander very knowledgeable and quick as usual. Within seconds he calls back listens to my needs and executes the purchase! Top Notch!

I feel bad for anyone who has spent a ton of $$ on custom shop model juniors. ...and it's identical to my 50's Juniors I have in quality. Huge '58/'59 profile neck, kind of in between. Great finish, accurate in all details. P90 screams, pots are tapered which is nice just like the old 50's centralab pots, so every number actually gets a different tone. Good fretwork. Tuners are eh, but so weren't the Klusons from the 50's. Comes with a great hardshell case, Gibson multi tool, leather strap etc. The essential rock n roll machine all within one pickup.

Just got this yesterday. Back in 2003 or 2004 Gibson briefly resurrected the Les Paul Jr (sold with a gig bag for $499) and I bought one. I absolutely loved that guitar, and I had a LOT of guitars at the time. A few months later I told my son he could pick any one of my guitars as a Christmas present. He chose the LPJ without hesitation. Smart kid. So when Gibson announced this guitar I was already sold. And it is an awesome little guitar. Tone, looks, vibe, playability.. it has it all. Really glad I was able to get one.

Gibson nailed this one. I have been looking at LPJ's for some time, and never found the right one. I also was not willing to spend the extra on the Custom Shop models. Although they might not completely live up to the attention to detail the Custom Shop puts into their guitars, these are likely to put the CS LPJ versions out of business. I have had my Sweetwater-purchased LPJ for about 4 days. The guitar is well balanced and the P-90 sings and growls. The neck is beefy, but not overly so, and fits very comfortably in my medium sized hand. Perfect, really. The nitro finish is beautiful and flawless. Set up is perfect - strings are low and easy to play with no buzz. If you are like me and have been seriously considering an LPJ, now is the time to get one. This 2019 LPJ is a wonderful guitar.

For years many old garage band (former hippies) now with
Kids & Grandkids were loosing faith in the direction Gibson was taking their world famous guitars with things like robo
guitars and crazy colors that degraded the cherished models of the past. Frankly the innovation were there but not always the quality we old timers (and professionals) fell in love with long ago. I personally had many older Gibsons including a couple of Les Paul Jr"s that had that world famous sound. If Gibson is bringing back the guitars that made them famous (down to the finish) I might have to get one more.....

Gibson please add soapbar in the neck and this would be the greatest guitar ever constructed. First of all this is the sickest looking guitar ive ever seen you really can't beat a gibson sunburst with 50s gold logo and Les Paul body style. Like I said my only real complaint is that it doesn't have a neck pickup because a lot of the time I want to get super bluesy and bridge pickups just don't get there regardless of knob adjustment. Yes it can do the old school blues really nice but for more 70s Gilmour srv type blues it doesn't get there and for me Strats are too thin sounding and I think with the fat hog body and neck I can't imagine how great a soapbar in the neck would sound on this puppy. Gibson please bring back the Les Paul Special tributes with humbuckers and p90s. thanks.