Ah yes, one of the best guitars to ever leave the Gibson factory-the 1959 Les Paul Junior. Hilariously designed just to be a inexpensive model-the consequential simplicity gave birth to a guitar that has the reputation of being simple and to the point, as well as holding the title for most quintessential rock and roll guitar ever...un-challenged. You may be thinking "well-that's like your opinion, man" but it really is a fact. This unit was made at the original Gibson factory in Kalamazoo, Michigan U.S.A. It is 100% original and has no breaks, cracks or repairs. Super-solid rock machine. The guitar has been professionally set up and is ready to go-it needs nothing.
Let's get this out of the way: I have the original wraparound tailpiece and studs, and they are in good condition-see photos. The current tailpiece is an aftermarket piece that is designed for better intonation with modern string sets (plain-G vs. wound-G) BOTH are included; because I am so awesome. Moving on:
The body is a one-piece slab of mahogany that provides the foundation for that famous sustain and resonance that is just unparalleled out there in the guitar world. The neck is also a one-piece mahogany design and features a set-neck construction. The body wears its original cherry red finish that has toned to a deep dark red "oxblood" hue. It has a perfectly even line checking across the whole body-the lines are transverse. It looks absolutely incredible. The color looks almost black from a distance and gets more red the closer you get to it-see photos. I have taken a bunch of photos to show the variety of the appearance. There is some handling evidence here and there-just normal stuff-obviously the guitar was pretty well cared for overall. The patina and mojo is just amazing. Usually these guitars cherry red vibrancy tones out to a Carmel brown; but this one has stayed red, it just looks dark red instead of brown. I believe it was exposed to lots of cigar smoke, as I have seen that reaction before. The guitar does not smell like it has been around smoke, it doesn't have an odor really. If you put your nose right on the body and take a big pull (yes-I do that all the time)-it just has a faint carnauba wax smell that is rather pleasing. The neck joint is super solid and the neck angle is excellent.
The neck itself is super straight and has an amazing feel-that special '59 neck profile that everybody wants. The nut is 1.68" wide and the profile is best described as the perfect early 1959 profile. Dating by serial number-it is not necessarily an early 1959 unit, but the neck has that great chunky but not too chunky feel. The neck depth measures .928" at the 1st fret and .992" at the 12th fret. The tuners all function and the guitar stays in tune well. The headstock and logo display with an excellent patina, the toning on the headstock gives the logo a beautiful amber appearance-see photos. There is a small ding at the edge of the top right corner. The Brazilian rosewood fingerboard is clean and has a nice soft feel. The position markers have also toned and appear a bit amber-giving off a really nice patina touch. The mojo matches all over the guitar just right. The frets have been professionally leveled, cleaned and polished and appear in excellent condition and height-see photos. The action is set low for a fast and easy playing experience. The string height is set at .010" at the 1st fret and .050" at the 12th fret. The Junior has an incredible feel and responds with a light touch. It plays like butter up and down the fingerboard with zero dead spots. It is a lot of fun to play and is so fitting for a variety of styles. There is a nice wide spacing for open chords, power chords just feel powerful and you can bend with the best of 'em with this unit. Once you pick it up, you won't want to put it back down for sure. It is a fantastic player.
The pickup has an excellent signal and measures 9.09 ohms! Of course, it just screams and easily overdrives any quality tube amp. The entire wiring harness is original and untouched-and in excellent condition. The controls function smoothly.
The guitar weighs 8.41 lbs. and feels awesome in your lap or on a strap. This piece is an amazing addition to anyone's collection-and sure to continue to appreciate in value-after all, it it s a 1959 Gibson!
Comes with modern Gibson hard case. The case fits well, I prefer to put some sort of soft bolster underneath the body in order to keep the nut off of the lid.
