Gibson.com: Gibson Les Paul Jr Doublecut

Les Paul Junior Doublecut

Introduced in 1954 as an entry-level version of the Les Paul, the Les Paul Junior graduated from kids' bedrooms to club and arena stages through the course of three decades, as it became a favorite not only with beginners, but with professional players, too. In 1958 this bare-bones electric was updated with a double-cutaway body for improved upper-fret access, and this incarnation of the "Junior" became a particular favorite with punk and garage rockers forever after. The Les Paul Junior Doublecut pays homage to this austere classic. As simple as the original Les Paul Junior was in design and construction, its basic cornerstone ingredients added up to create a robust and toneful instrument. The marriage of one hot, raw single-coil P-90 pickup, resonant mahogany slab body, and sturdy glued-in Gibson neck created a guitar with surprising reserves of depth and power, at an extremely appealing price. Many top guitarists also believe that the use of just one pickup in the bridge position of this model – as replicated here on the Les Paul Junior Doublecut – gives the guitar added resonance and sustain, since there is more wood at the neck/body joint, and no magnet in that position to "pull" slightly on the strings. However you look at it, the Les Paul Junior Doublecut is a simple classic, with tone for days. Available in Gloss Yellow and Cherry finishes. This is an exclusive guitar only available at American Musical Supply.

Body

	Species Each Les Paul Junior Doublecut is crafted from solid mahogany slabs joined with ultra-strong Franklin Titebond 50 glue. This simple but effective tone wood has yielded some of the most classic tones in the history of rock.
	Design The original entry-level goal of the Les Paul Junior model directed a simple design, and the Les Paul Junior Doublecut retains that goal. The body is carved with slightly offset dual cutaways (with the bass horn slightly longer than the treble horn) for outstanding upper-fret access, and given a flat “slab” top for ease of manufacture. The result is a no-nonsense instrument that countless players have appreciated for more than 50 years.
	Average Weight The average weight of a Les Paul Junior Double Cutaway body is 4.9 lbs, which is in the normal range for a Gibson guitar.
	Tonal Characteristics Mahogany is a medium-dense wood with excellent resonance and superior sustain, and it offers a rich, round, warm tone, but with plenty of high-end sheen and good midrange presence. The combination of mahogany’s tonal properties and the Les Paul Junior’s simple design have long been recognized as a magical combination, a design that allows all the natural response of the wood without hindrance from superfluous hardware or decorations.

Finish

	Color The Les Paul Junior Doublecut available in two classic finishes: Cherry, and Gloss Yellow.
	Surface Texture A gloss finish with 90-sheen lacquer gives the Les Paul Junior Doublecut a high-end look that is consistent with its heritage, and a smooth, comfortable playing feel.
	Process The Les Paul Junior Doublecut is hand-finished in nitrocellulose in a process that is carefully monitored to ensure minimum build-up, in an effort to produce a final finish that breathes with the guitar and enhances natural resonance. Unlike many other manufacturers, who settle for a polyurethane finish, Gibson opts for a nitrocellulose finish that will encourage the natural vibration of the instrument for a purer tone. In addition, a nitro finish is very porous and actually gets thinner over time. That way your guitar’s wood can age beautifully and naturally.

Neck and Headstock

	Species The neck of the Les Paul Junior Doublecut is constructed from a single piece of solid mahogany, and glued to the body at a 3.5-degree angle (pitch). Mahogany is the most traditional wood for Gibson electric guitar necks, and offers an excellent sonic and visual partner to the solid mahogany body.
	Truss Rod Gibson’s traditional truss rod, found in most all of our guitars, is highly responsive to the individual adjustments you’ll want to make to personalize and optimize string action and sustain.
	Profile The neck on the Les Paul Junior Doublecut is carved to a rounded yet rather slim profile, which graduates from 0.80” deep at the 1st fret to 0.90” deep at the 12th fret.
	Joint Angle 3.5° (+/- 15 seconds)
	Headstock Angle The Les Paul Junior Doublecut’s headstock is carefully angled at Gibson’s traditional 17 degrees, which increases pressure on the strings and helps them stay in the nut slots. An increase in string pressure also means there is no loss of string vibration between the nut and the tuners, which equals better sustain.
	Logo The Gibson logo — one of the most globally recognized logos of all time — is silkscreened in gold on the headstock face of the Les Paul Junior Doublecut, with “Les Paul Model” silkscreened in gold along the center of the headstock.
	Tonal Characteristics The angled, classical-style peg head and mahogany neck work together to provide exceptional tonal richness and resonance from the neck, with a good string definition and sustain.
	Average Weight The average weight of the neck is .94 lbs.

Neck Fit

	Joint Gibson uses what is known as the Mortise & Tenon joint to bind neck to body so that the two pieces form one solid unit. This time-tested joint style has been used in all the great woodworking arts — from shipbuilding to cabinetry — and has been proven to yield a stronger neck and body than if the instrument was made from a single piece of wood.
	Adhesive The adhesive used to join neck and body is Franklin Titebond 50, one of the strongest glues on the market today.
	Tolerance When fitting the neck and body together, we take advantage of our precise measuring equipment so that all angles, pitches and alignments maintain a tolerance within .005 of an inch. Not only does this help to keep your guitar in tune but it also maintains proper string alignment relative to the fingerboard.
	Joint Angle Tolerance 0.0° (+/- 15 seconds)

Fingerboard

	Species Comprising the traditional solid-mahogany body and neck that has provided a rich, resonant platform for years, the Les Paul Junior Doublecut introduces an exotic new fingerboard wood, African Obeche. A dark, dense alternative to Ebony, African Obeche is fully sustainable. The African Obeche fingerboard carries no inlays or binding to extend the model's "none more black" styling.
	Radius The 12-inch radius of the Les Paul Junior Doublecut fingerboard provides smooth note bending capabilities and eliminates "dead" or "choked out" notes, common occurrences on fingerboards with lesser radiuses.
	Frets The Les Paul Junior Doublecut sports 22 jumbo frets, all immaculately dressed and polished.
	Inlays The fingerboard of the Les Paul Junior Doublecut carries acrylic dot inlays, echoing the classic look of the original Les Paul Junior.
	Tonal Characteristics A dark, dense alternative to Ebony, African Obeche is a very popular up-market fingerboard material, known for its strong, clear tone.

Nut

Material
The nut on the Les Paul Junior Doublecut is made from Corian, which is mainly composed of acrylic polymer. This popular synthetic alternative to bone offers a very durable material, delivers enhanced sustain, and holds the tolerances of the precision cuts made in the slotting process. It is installed into the top surface of the neck, butting up to the end of the fingerboard to ensure proper tone and sustain transfer, and its nut slots are cut with Gibson’s PLEK system to ensure precise fit, break angle, and string spacing.

Width
The width of the nut on the Les Paul Junior Doublecut is approximately 1.695”, the traditional nut width of Gibson electric guitars.

Pickups

	Model A single Gibson P-90 pickup equips the Les Paul Junior Doublecut in the style of the original Les Paul Junior, giving it the bite, punch and sizzle that have made these guitars favorites with rock, blues, and alternative-style players for more than 50 years.
	Magnet Material Each Gibson P-90 pickup carries two Alnico V bar magnets, the same magnet material that helped to make these single coils a classic as far back as the late 1940s.
	Tonal Characteristics The Gibson P-90 pickup gives the Les Paul Junior Doublecut a snappy, slightly gritty response, with a chunky midrange, firm lows, and sweet, musical highs. This single pickup in the lead (bridge) position is known for its snarl and cutting power.

Electronics

	Volume Control The Les Paul Junior Doublecut uses a single Volume control, which consists of a quality 300k linear potentiometer for a smooth, natural volume roll-off.
	Tone Control The Les Paul Junior Doublecut features a single “master” tone control. The pot has an ohm reading of 500k, is non-linear, and carries a .0223mF tone capacitor which allows a smooth transition from bright to warm.
	Output Jack The guitar features a 1⁄4” output jack made by Switchcraft. Its super heavy duty construction holds your guitar cable securely in place.

Hardware

	Tuning Keys The headstock of the Les Paul Junior Doublecut is equipped with vintage-style white-button tuning keys, which accurately replicate the look and performance of the original Les Paul Junior.
	Bridge The Les Paul Junior Doublecut carries Gibson’s “lightning bar” version of the hallowed wraparound bridge, which serves as bridge and tailpiece in one. This late-’50s update of the original smooth wraparound bridge includes raised, staggered ridges for improved string intonation. This simple, solid bridge has long been a favorite of many tone-conscious guitarists, who value its unparalleled coupling of strings and body. This bridge is made from Zamak then plated with chrome, and each one weighs approximately .24 lbs.
	Strap Buttons The Les Paul Junior Doublecut’s aluminum strap buttons are the same style and design that Gibson has used since the early 1950s.

Plastics

	Pickguard The traditional black, single-ply Les Paul Junior pickguard is included on the Les Paul Junior Doublecut.
	Truss Rod Cover As with most Gibson guitars, the truss rod cover on the Les Paul Junior Doublecut is made from black vinyl plastic, and is shaped like an antique bell.
	Control Knobs The control knobs on the Les Paul Junior Doublecut are Gibson’s black top-hat knobs, found on many vintage and modern Gibson guitars.