The Gibson Les Paul Junior started out with a very honorable mission; to provide the public with a high quality guitar that wouldn't break their pocketbooks. Released in 1954, the Gibson Les Paul Junior originally retailed for only $120 and featured a unique sound that started attracting a large number of buyers. The first version, released in 1954 was only offered in single cutaway bodies, but Gibson soon changed that and began releasing double cutaway versions four years later, in 1958. Both versions only had one pickup option, one p-90 single coil, as well as only two knobs, one for volume and the other for tone. Event though the Gibson Les Paul Junior was lacking in advanced features and options, it was still very attractive to consumers due to its low price and popularity. It continued its trend of popularity and Gibson eventually had to create new models to keep up with the demand. Gibson modified the body of the Les Paul Junior in 1961, but because the change did not sit well with Les Paul himself, Gibson had to change the name of the guitar to the “Gibson SG Junior”. Today, you can buy many different versions of either the SG Junior or the original Les Paul Junior and they still remain immensely popular.
The price is not the only factor that has played into the popularity of the Gibson Les Paul Junior. The guitars are also highly respected in the music industry because of their amazing features. Most importantly, the Les Paul Junior has the legendary p-90 pickup, an astonishing single-coil pickup that produces sounds like no other. The tone, although impossible to describe exactly, is very classic sounding and much warmer than most other guitars. It's tone is also very distinctive, which is a reason why so many famous musicians, such as Keith Richards and Mick Jones, have used the guitar for their performances and recordings. The Gibson Les Paul Junior also features a breathtaking solid mahogany body along with a 22-fret rosewood and ebony fingerboard. The body of the Les Paul Junior is very sturdy and well put together which makes the tone it produces even more stunning.
The Gibson Les Paul Junior has lasted through the ages, still gaining popularity every day, and for very good reasons. Not only is the Gibson Les Paul Junior still reasonably priced, but it also provides the most unique sound, look, and feel of any guitar you will ever play.
