From that classic Gibson year, a 1959 Les Paul Junior.

Born from a desire to provide a no-frills yet well constructed alternative to the company’s other offerings, the Les Paul Junior proved popular with professional as well as students who appreciated primal nature of the instrument. Introduced towards the end of 1958, the Double Cut design added better upper fret access to the neck and the cherry finish gave the guitar a fresh look for the coming decade. 

Classic pairing of mahogany and cherry finish in a killer package. The top has faded a little but there are few marks on the body, what marks there are are minor. The back still retains that rich hue of the aniline dye, showcasing the wonderful grain.

The neck has that classic ‘59 neck profile that seems to sit in the ‘goldilocks zone’ of not too big or not too small; always just right. There has been a little wear and there is a mark that seems to have been made by a case at some stage. The fretboard is free of any heavy wear and the frets, though a little pitted on the first few frets, have plenty of life left in them.

The tortoiseshell pickguard has a few small cracks on it but is otherwise superb as are the knobs. The pickup cover too is in great shape. The tailpiece is tarnished but not corroded.

Electrically everything is correct and the solder joints are undisturbed and you get a stunning, hot vintage P-90 pickup that will smoke its way through any competition.

What can we say about these guitars that you won’t already know. Incredibly versatile for an instrument with so few options. The controls are very interactive, coaxing out a wide palette of tones. These guitars are incredibly popular for a reason.

Looking for a foot on the vintage guitar ladder, a great sounding guitar or both, you can’t go far wrong with this Les Paul. But hurry, it won’t be here long.