Gibson 1958 Les Paul Junior Double Cut VOS Electric Guitar
Gibson Les Paul Junior 1958
Gibson has managed to release more variations on the Les Paul theme than most of the other companies can manage across their entire product line. Right from the highly tricked out Neal Schon model that is equipped with Floyd Rose bridge and sustainer pickup to the very simple 1957 LP Junior single cutaway, there is something for everybody in the LP line.
The Gibson Les Paul Junior which was introduced in 1954 was in fact the economic Les Paul model. It was the one of Gibson’s no-nonsense look with a single P–90 and at a very low cost, the LP Junior became an instant hit. By the end of the year 1957, the sales of Gibson’s very popular Les Paul Junior single cut away model had begun to decrease and the company explored some innovative ideas to keep an affordable, yet a very powerful guitar in the hands of young players and armatures. Retaining the same low price point that it had for the past three years, Gibson revamped Junior’s body shape into a brand new double cutaway design in July 1958. This latest double cutaway design allowed the players complete access to the Junior’s 22 fret fingerboard and this is an idea that has also been implemented on some of Gibson’s modernistic guitars and also the ES-335.
Design Similarities:
The Gibson LP Junior 1958 double cutaway shares a lot of common features with the classic single cutaway model that was probably one of the most famous in the hands of Leslie West and which also went on to form the basis of Green Day front man Billy Joe Amstrong’s signature model but it deviates from that in several important ways. Just like all the other Vintage Original Spec Series instruments, the Gibson 1958 Les Paul Junior Double Cut VOS is handcrafted to comfort and playability in the Gibson Custom shop. The complete outline of the of the guitar looks more rounder than a regular LP, that is partially an optical illusion caused by the almost symmetrical cutaways that are smooth and rounded when compared to the sharply bevelled horns of the subsequent double cutaway model LP model released in 1961, which was later renamed as Gibson SG.
A simple classic:
The Les Paul Junior range is one of the most basic that Gibson manufactures. You might even view this as a guitar that is limited in its range and capabilities but we are sure that we will be able to convince you otherwise and first, we would like to keep you informed on what it is made of and how it has been assembled. The body and neck of the guitar is solid mahogany with a Satin finish nitrocellulose lacquer over an eye catching vintage sunburst. The rosewood fingerboard sports 22 nickel silver alloy medium guage frets. The white dot markers aid in orientation while the headstock and machine heads are manufactured by Grover. The single bridge position P 90 pickup is operated via its volume and tone controls that leaves the LP double cutaway 1958 with its vintage style Wraparound Bridge.
Body:
The body is a nice thick flat slab of mahogany that looks as though it is made out of four pieces that are laminated together. The lovely satin cherry finish allows the mahogany to show through as a texture in the finish itself. There is no binding or contouring of any kind because they would simply be out of place on a little street fighting guitar like this.
Tuners and Nuts:
To maintain the vintage vibe of the ’58, tuners of the junior are covered tuning machines made by Grover and are not sealed. The nickel covers are stamped with the Gibson Deluxe and the tuning knobs are in antiqued, milky white plastic. The heads feel nice and tight and it tunes the guitar in a smooth way without any bumps or grinds. The 3 a side Classic headstock has a black face and gabled top. The Gibson and Les Paul logos have been silk screened onto the surface and the truss rod coved is embossed with the word “Juniorâ€. The white nut that is described as Corian has a perfect finish and this being an US made guitars, the standards of finish sit right at the top. The output jack is set in the edge of the body in a square black plastic plate.
Neck:
The fixed mahogany neck has the rounded vintage profile and it has a rake, which means, it is tilted back from its body. Originally this design feature was necessary to deal with the bulging tops of carved Les Paul bodies. As the Junior has a flat slab body, the rake is not strictly a necessary design feature, but it does give the Junior a nicer feel that links it more closely to the Les Paul heritage. The slightly shorter scale of the guitar is definitely a throw back to its initial basic status and just adds a feather to its compact and no-nonsense attitude. The rosewood on the guitar had a very nice stripy nature and its fairly flat radius complimented the neck profile very well.
Pickups and Pickguard:
Gibson 1958 Les Paul Junior Double Cut VOSÂ Nitrocellulose finish Electric Guitar will not just be the desirable one that it is without its lovely Gibson P- 90 single coil pickup in its black housing with dog ears fixings. It is simply one of the truest and best of the class. The single-ply black plastic pickguard extends across and under the strings and helps the visual balance of the instrument in the absence of a second pickup.
Construction:
As far as construction is concerned, the neck profile, hardware and electronics are period accurate and the special nitrocellulose finish treatment gives it the patina of a gently aged vintage guitar. If we had anything ever to complain about the vintage specifications, then it would have to be the small strap buttons and that is the case in the LP junior too. We would recommend you to invest in some larger strap buttons.
Action and Sound:
The action out of the box is quite good It lacks the flexibility of a two pickup guitar like a Les Paul Standard as there is no blending or switching to be done in it, but the quality that you get with the pickup is just more than enough to make up for it. You will find that the Gibson Les Paul Junior 1958 to be one of the most resonant instruments which is mainly because of its light weight Mahogany Body and Set Neck design. The single strum of an E chord allows you to feel the whole guitar vibrate against your chest. The Mahogany neck on offer is Gibson’s signature chunky but comfortable Vintage C profile.
When the P 90 single coil pickup is plugged in, it produces a musical, fat and chiming clean sound that cuts through the mix which is a tweak of the control and more mellow sounds ensue. With a bit more turn on the tone control’s dial, you will get a pretty convincing Jazz. As you glide into the light crunch area, your smile will certainly broaden as the guitar excels for rock rhythm and riffing. To enjoy the warm rich lead sound that is worth dying for, just turn the wick right up. The perfect icing on the cake is when you rotate the tone control fully anti clockwise, to get a great neck pickup lead sound from a guitar with no neck pickup.
Package contents:
The package of the Gibson LP Junior 1958 includes a Gibson Custom Shop hardshell Case and a certificate of authenticity.
Conclusion:
If you are one of those artists who aspires to follow the footsteps of Keith Richards of Rolling Stones or Mick Jones of The Clash or our favourite Jhonny Thunders of New York Dolls, then the Gibson Les Paul Junior 1958 is exactly the guitar that you have to go for as these players opted for this one which resembles simplicity in itself and great tone. In the late 70’s, the punk guitarists rediscovered the Les Paul Junior and it became a firm favourites amongst some very famous players. And, here we are fifty years later and the simplicity of this humble guitar never ceases to inspire the new generations which is pretty remarkable, given the fact that we live in a digital, gadget drenched environment where bells and whistles seem to rule; clearly for some of us, “less is moreâ€.
If you have never considered a Gibson Les Paul Junior 1958 because you think it is limited, it is time to think again. This is simply fantastic guitar and an affordable classic.
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Gibson 1958 Les Paul Junior Double Cut VOSÂ - Technical Specification Table
| Manufacturer/Brand | Gibson |
| Model Name | Gibson Les Paul Junior 1958 |
| Guitar type | Electric guitar |
| Colour/Finish | Nitrocellulose finish, TV Yellow |
| Body | Solid Mahogany Body |
| Neck | 1-piece mahogany neck with long neck tenon |
| Neck construction | Early 1950s rounded neck profile |
| Frets | 22 |
| Fretboard | Rosewood |
| Fingerboard | Pearloid dot inlays |
| Scale length | 24 ¾ inch scale length |
| Nut width | 1-11/16″ nut width |
| Pickups | P-90 single-coil pickup |
| Tuners | Button tuners |
| Knobs | Black Top Hat |
| Controls | one volume, one tone |
| Hardware | Nickel hardware |
| Bridge/tailpiece | Light weight aluminium |
| Accessories | CTS pots and bumble bee capacitors , Gibson Custom Shop hardshell Case and a certificate of authenticity |
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