Outside of the owner having replaced the original Waverly open-back tuners with period Grover Rotomatics near the end of the decade, the guitar remained remarkably unaltered. The entire wiring harness - complete with 1959 potentiometers - is also untouched with factory solder joints. Even the strap buttons - original black plastic Klusons - have stayed on the guitar!

Stepping away from the true gear nerd talk, we should really highlight the most exciting things about this guitar - tone and feel.

Sitting down with this MM, you're rewarded with all of the great resonance and sustain that made LP Juniors so heralded. You've got all of that energy here, but in an even lighter, slimmer package. The neck is truly superb - a great '59 profile with slightly softer shoulders and a moderate taper that reminds us a lot of the great necks on those other Gibsons we love. The rare "Version 1" single-coil pickups are slightly larger than the version that would follow, and impart a clear, bright, and punchy tone that pulls in some Fender-like response. The voice of those pickups in a set neck all-Mahogany package is really something special.

It's so rare to be able to talk about these guitars in their original state, and our preservationist mentality in this case is one of the reasons we choose celebrate this specific guitar in a way we aren't likely to otherwise. Uncirculated, under-appreciated, and damn near untouched. What a guitar!