In 2002 I bought a Marshall reissue JTM45 that I was just not happy with, and after taking a year to decide to get rid of it, I took it to Midtown Music to see if I could trade it for something I would be happy with.
That day Dave had a Burns Brian May copy in stock. I had been curious about these guitars for a long time, and tried it out but it didn't grab me. I then noticed this LP Jr, and plugged it in as I had always desired one. Well, that P90 grabbed me right away, and wouldn't let go. I did the deal and took it home.
This a re-issue 1986 Gibson Les Paul Junior. Apparently it was the first year Gibson reissued the LPJ, the first incarnation anyway. The difference between the reissue LPJ and an original:
- Tailpiece and tune-O-matic instead of wraparound bridge
- Gold speed knobs instead of black top hats
- Grover tuners instead of Klusons
- Black pickguard instead of tortoise shell
I had a little trouble with it at first. At one time it had been setup as a lefty, then poorly switched back to a right handed guitar. The nut wasn't even glued down, and it wouldn't stay in tune. A little worried, I went off to my guitar guru Kerry thinking I needed new tuners or other major repairs. Kerry said new tuners were not needed and he could fix it. He reglued the nut, did a setup and a couple of other minor adjustments, and now it plays great and stays in tune. It's a really nice guitar, I like it a lot.
A couple of years later Kerry custom cut me a tortoise shell pickguard like the original LPJ's had, and I swapped the knobs for black top hats, also like the originals. I also had him move the the strap button to the upper horn because I hate having them on the back behind the neck. Here is a picture of the guitar before the cosmetic changes.
I gotta tell ya, P90 pickups are it!!! If you want to rock and roll and don't want to screw around, the Junior will do the job.
I was drinking whiskey one night and playing this guitar, and came up with this jam I call Bigfoot, have a listen.
