Gibson Les Paul Junior (1956)

Putting the "Cut" in "Single Cut", this '56 Junior is a P90 lover's dream

This '56 Junior came in from its longtime owner who picked it up at a pawn shop in the early 80s for the handsome sum of $200. Hard to believe these guitars were that cheap, but every vintage guitar fan knows...so was gasoline, a loaf of bread, and a single family home. We digress...

While some of these student model Gibsons survived decades without so much as a string change, there have been many examples that have experienced the opposite. Parts replaced, finish stripped, a DiMarzio humbucker shoehorned into the pickup cavity... shall we go on?

This '56 didn't suffer nearly that same fate as some those wild 70s and 80s hot rod mods, but an old owner certainly couldn't resist the opportunity to make some of the popular "upgrades" of the day. The original Klusons were removed in favor of a set of old Schaller tuners. The original wraparound bridge got removed and replaced with a Leo Quan Badass bridge, the only true intonatable aftermarket wraparound bridge one could find for their old Gibson back in the 70s. Lastly, someone thought to give it the old trapeze trial, likely well before any of the other aforementioned changes. There's some evidence of it via old mounting holes that had been filled in years back. BUT...

This is a break-free, original finish Junior with original electronics! Honestly, it looks pretty darn great too. Most importantly, however, is that it plays and sounds like an absolute dream. Thanks to a freshly installed MojoAxe CWT tailpiece, the guitar is playing in tune and has an incredibly loud, resonant acoustic voice that has to be experienced to be believed.

We also installed a period-correct set of Kluson single line tuners that have been re-buttoned in efforts to restore it to its original look and function. The pickguard and input jack plate are original, and the knobs are the original barrel knobs that were phased out that same year as Gibson transitioned to the bonnet/bell knobs. There are few replaced screws (pickguard) and the lower bout strap button is an old Fender button.

Don't let that 6.85k pickup reading fool you, either. It's a fire-breather! Roll back that volume knob for sweet, chimey clean tones, and peg it to 10 to let it roar. 110% Junior tone in this one!

Paired with an aftermarket Gibson hardshell case.