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1955 GIBSON Les Paul Junior – Sunburst 

Serial number: 511517

Cosmetic Condition: Very good, light play wear for its age on front of body, a few dings on the back of body on neck and headstock.

Upgrades/modifications: Repro Kluson Deluxe Tuners, original tuners are included, they shrunk but they are still nice and complete.

These early Jr models did have a design flaw that was later rectified by Gibson, not only were the stop tail studs inadequate, but the pick-up cavity was too close to the treble stud, under string tension the stud would collapse forward, stress the wood between the stud and cavity, and leave the bridge tilting forward, they later moved the pick-up closer to the neck, leaving more wood between the cavity and studs. We have re-glued the affected wood and installed longer 1” studs to prevent this happening in the future, its now rock- solid and barely visible, only under blacklight.

Work professionally done by luthier Enrico Crippa from Sound City – Piacenza IT.

Description:

This Jr plays and sounds great with endless sustain, it rings like a bell, very resonant, the P-90 is strong and punchy, great vintage feel and tone, the intonation is good and the trussrod works fine. The Sunburst finish is beautiful, the 3 colors are deep and strong and the checking is just the way it should be. On the back there are some dings, signs due to time. Untouched electronics and wiring, original hardware and plastics. Original frets are still in good shape.

History:

The Gibson Les Paul Junior, introduced in 1954, was born out of Gibson’s desire to offer a more affordable, no-frills electric guitar to student musicians and beginners. But by the time this 1955 model rolled off the Kalamazoo factory floor, it had already begun to earn a reputation far beyond its “entry-level” status.

With its single P-90 pickup, solid mahogany slab body, and wraparound bridge, the Junior was a stripped-down rock machine—simple, yet incredibly effective. The Junior wasn’t about flashy features; it was about pure, unadulterated tone. Its design allowed for maximum resonance and sustain, and the P-90 delivered a hot, gritty, and responsive sound that made it a favorite among blues, rock, and punk guitarists for decades to come.

The 1955 model still featured the original single-cutaway body, a feature that would evolve into the double-cutaway design in 1958. These mid-’50s Juniors are now widely regarded as some of the best-sounding guitars Gibson ever made, thanks to their lightweight construction and raw, punchy voice.

Over time, the Les Paul Junior found its way into the hands of legends like Leslie West, Johnny Thunders, Keith Richards, and Billie Joe Armstrong—each drawn to its simple layout and massive tone. What began as a student instrument has become a vintage classic, sought after by collectors and players alike.

A 1955 Gibson Les Paul Junior isn’t just a guitar—it’s a time capsule from the golden age of American guitar making. Its voice is raw, rebellious, and unmistakably rock ‘n’ roll.

Specifications:

Body:

  • Mahogany single-cutaway solid body (1-piece)
  • Sunburst finish / nitrocellulose lacquer
  • Set neck (glued-in neck joint)

Neck:

  • Mahogany (1-piece)
  • Chunky C-shape profile (baseball bat style)
  • Scale Length is 24.75 inches (628.65 mm)
  • Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard (dark, high-quality)
  • Nut Width is 1.6875″ (42.8 mm)
  • Radius is 12″
  • Neck depth is 0.95″ at 1st fret / 0.90″ at 12th fret
  • 22 frets
  • Pearloid dot position markers – inlays
  • Single-action trussrod, adjustable at the headstock

Headstock:

  • Gold “Gibson” silkscreen logo
  •  Repro Kluson Deluxe strip tuners with white plastic buttons – the original tuners are included, they did shrunk but are still nice and complete
  • Black bell-shaped trussrod cover, single-ply, with no inscription

Electronics:

  • Pickup is 1 × P-90 single-coil pickup in bridge position w. black dog-ear cover
  • Pickup output: ~7.80kΩ
  • Controls are 1 × Volume and 1 × Tone
  • Original potentiometers typically CTS-branded
  • Bumblebee capacitor (.022 μF), often paper-in-oil type

Hardware & plastics

  • Wraparound bridge/tailpiece combination (non-compensated aluminum)
  • Black single-ply pickguard (often referred to as the “teardrop” shape)
  • Nickel-plated strap buttons
  • Side-mounted, metal jack plate output jack

Miscellaneous:

  • Weight; 3.345 kg / 7.357 lbs
  • Comes in a non original black vintage case with yellow inerior, the original Gibson Cardboard Alligator case in bad condition comes with it

All guitars are professionally inspected and set up, ensuring optimal playability and performance.

* Don’t hesitate to ask for more infos and details, I can send manufacturing date codes and interior pics per request: e-mail

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