Gibson Les Paul Junior Tobacco Burst Electric Guitar, (Used)

The Gibson Les Paul Junior in Tobacco Burst is a beautifully simple, vintage-inspired electric guitar that captures the raw, expressive character of one of Gibson's most celebrated designs.

Originally introduced in 1954 as an affordable alternative to the Les Paul Standard, the Les Paul Junior quickly developed a reputation as a serious performance instrument. Its straightforward design, distinctive single-pickup sound and responsive playing feel made it a favourite among blues, rock, punk and alternative guitarists.

The traditional Les Paul Junior formula centres around a solid mahogany body, set mahogany neck, single bridge-position P-90 pickup and wraparound bridge. This uncomplicated arrangement gives the Junior a powerful, direct character, rewarding players who use their picking dynamics and guitar controls to shape their sound.

Unlike a conventional dual-humbucker Les Paul Standard, the Junior embraces a minimalist approach. Its single P-90 provides the bite and articulation of a single-coil pickup alongside a muscular midrange response that works particularly well with overdriven valve amplifiers.

The Tobacco Burst finish gives the instrument a timeless appearance inspired by Gibson's golden era, with warm central colouring that gradually transitions into darker edges.

Whether producing warm blues tones, crunchy classic rock rhythms or aggressive punk-inspired sounds, the Les Paul Junior has a distinctive voice that has remained relevant for generations.

This particular Gibson Les Paul Junior is presented in Very Good Pre-Owned Condition, weighs 7.38 lbs (approximately 3.35kg) and comes complete with a hardcase.

For players seeking a traditional American electric guitar with exceptional simplicity, expressive character and classic Gibson styling, the Les Paul Junior is an outstanding choice.

At A Glance

Detail	Information
Brand	Gibson
Model	Les Paul Junior
Finish	Tobacco Burst
Guitar Type	Solid-Body Electric Guitar
Condition	Very Good – Pre-Owned
Weight	7.38 lbs / 3.35kg
Case	Hardcase Included

Pre-Owned Condition Report

Very Good Condition

This Gibson Les Paul Junior Tobacco Burst is presented in Very Good Pre-Owned Condition, indicating some cosmetic wear consistent with careful previous ownership.

The guitar features the traditional single-cutaway Les Paul Junior design and an attractive Tobacco Burst finish, providing the timeless appearance associated with vintage-inspired Gibson electric guitars.

Its straightforward design makes it particularly appealing to players who appreciate the look and feel of traditional electric instruments without unnecessary complications.

Please study the accompanying product photographs carefully for a closer assessment of its individual cosmetic condition.

Weight – 7.38 lbs

This Gibson Les Paul Junior weighs 7.38 lbs (approximately 3.35kg).

Its relatively comfortable weight is particularly appealing to musicians who enjoy traditional Les Paul-style construction but prefer an instrument suitable for extended rehearsals and live performances.

Hardcase Included

This Gibson Les Paul Junior comes complete with a hardcase, providing valuable protection during storage and transportation.

What's Included

• Gibson Les Paul Junior Tobacco Burst Electric Guitar

• Hardcase

Service & Setup

The Gibson Les Paul Junior's traditional design allows routine adjustments to neck relief, string action and overall playability. Regular attention to fret condition, nut slots, bridge positioning, tuning stability and electronics helps maintain consistent performance. The guitar should also be stored and transported carefully, with appropriate protection for its finish and neck. As with all guitars, the setup can naturally change due to variations in humidity, temperature and other environmental conditions, potentially affecting neck relief, string action and overall playability.

Key Features

• Classic Gibson Les Paul Junior: One of the most iconic stripped-back electric guitar designs.

• Tobacco Burst Finish: Beautiful vintage-inspired appearance.

• Traditional Single-Cutaway Body: Familiar Les Paul styling with a straightforward layout.

• Classic P-90 Character: The Junior design is renowned for its punchy, articulate single-coil sound.

• Vintage-Inspired Construction: Designed around the original 1950s Les Paul Junior philosophy.

• Simple, Expressive Controls: A direct approach to shaping the guitar's sound.

• Responsive Playing Dynamics: Particularly rewarding when adjusting picking strength and amplifier gain.

• Ideal for Blues & Rock: The Les Paul Junior is celebrated for its distinctive midrange bite.

• Comfortable Playing Weight: This example weighs 7.38 lbs.

• Hardcase Included: Practical protection during transportation and storage.

• Very Good Pre-Owned Condition: An attractive alternative to purchasing new.

Why You'll Love It

The Gibson Les Paul Junior proves that an electric guitar doesn't need complicated electronics or multiple pickups to deliver an inspiring playing experience.

The Junior's greatest strength is its simplicity. With a traditional single-pickup design, the focus is placed firmly on the player's technique, the response of the amplifier and the interaction between the instrument's volume and tone controls.

The P-90 sound traditionally associated with the Les Paul Junior offers an appealing middle ground between the brightness of a conventional Fender-style single-coil pickup and the fuller response of a humbucker.

Through a clean amplifier, it can produce articulate, dynamic tones with warmth and character. Add some overdrive and the Junior becomes a remarkably expressive rock guitar, delivering punchy rhythm sounds and singing lead tones.

Its Tobacco Burst finish gives it a beautiful vintage appearance, while its manageable 7.38 lb weight adds to its appeal as a regularly played instrument.

Detailed Features & Benefits

The Legendary Les Paul Junior Design

The Gibson Les Paul Junior was introduced in 1954 as a simpler alternative to the original Les Paul models. Rather than relying on elaborate appointments or multiple pickups, the Junior focused on straightforward construction, accessible controls and powerful electric guitar sounds. Its minimal design soon became an attraction in its own right, particularly among musicians who valued direct tonal response and expressive playing dynamics.

Beautiful Tobacco Burst Finish

The Tobacco Burst finish gives this Gibson Les Paul Junior a timeless, vintage-inspired appearance. Its warm central colouring and darker outer shading complement the traditional single-cutaway body, evoking the character of classic American electric guitars. The understated finish works particularly well with the Junior's minimalist design, creating an instrument that looks equally appropriate in a blues club, recording studio or rock performance.

Traditional Solid-Body Character

The Les Paul Junior is closely associated with solid mahogany construction, providing the substantial midrange character and direct response that have helped define its sound. The simplicity of the design creates a playing experience centred on the relationship between the strings, pickup and amplifier. This makes the Junior especially appealing to guitarists who enjoy exploring different sounds through their playing technique rather than relying on extensive onboard electronics.

The Expressive P-90 Sound

The traditional Les Paul Junior is famous for its single dogear P-90 pickup, positioned near the bridge. This pickup design produces a distinctive combination of clarity, bite and powerful midrange, making it particularly effective for blues, classic rock and punk. P-90s respond dynamically to picking strength, allowing players to move from cleaner sounds to more aggressive tones through their technique and amplifier settings. This characteristic has made the Junior a favourite among guitarists seeking expressive, uncomplicated electric guitar sounds.

Minimalist Volume & Tone Controls

One of the most appealing features of the classic Les Paul Junior design is its straightforward volume and tone arrangement. Rather than navigating multiple pickup combinations, players can concentrate on adjusting output and brightness directly from the guitar. Reducing the volume can clean up an overdriven amplifier, while adjusting the tone control allows warmer rhythm sounds and brighter lead tones. This simplicity encourages intuitive, musical interaction with the instrument.

Traditional Wraparound Bridge Design

The classic Les Paul Junior uses a wraparound bridge and tailpiece arrangement, combining string anchoring and bridge functionality into a compact assembly. This design has become closely associated with the Junior's direct playing response and minimalist appearance. It provides a clean, traditional look and reflects Gibson's original approach to creating a straightforward electric guitar without unnecessary hardware.

Classic Gibson Playing Feel

The Les Paul Junior follows the familiar Gibson tradition of a relatively compact single-cutaway body and shorter electric guitar scale length. This combination provides a comfortable platform for expressive string bending, vibrato and chord playing. The straightforward design makes it particularly attractive to players who appreciate traditional electric guitars and want an instrument that responds naturally to their technique.

Powerful Blues & Classic Rock Performance

The Les Paul Junior's distinctive character makes it particularly effective for blues and classic rock. Its traditional single-pickup configuration offers enough clarity for expressive clean guitar while delivering plenty of midrange punch through a driven amplifier. The design works exceptionally well for blues-rock rhythm playing, sustaining lead notes and dynamic chord work, providing a sound that remains immediately recognisable.

An Excellent Guitar for Punk & Garage Rock

The Les Paul Junior has also become strongly associated with punk, garage rock and alternative music. Its uncomplicated construction and aggressive single-pickup character make it particularly appealing to guitarists who favour direct, energetic playing. Through a suitably driven amplifier, the Junior offers a punchy and focused rhythm sound that works particularly well in a band arrangement.

Comfortable 7.38 lb Weight

At 7.38 lbs, this particular Gibson Les Paul Junior offers a manageable weight for a traditional solid-body electric guitar. This can be especially appealing for players who find heavier Les Paul models tiring during extended performances. Combined with the Junior's simple design, the instrument provides an attractive balance of traditional Gibson character and practical everyday comfort.

Who Is It For?

Blues Guitarists: Ideal for expressive playing and dynamic interaction with a valve amplifier.

Classic Rock Musicians: A celebrated design for powerful rhythm guitar and melodic leads.

Punk & Garage Rock Players: The Junior's stripped-back design and aggressive tonal character suit energetic playing.

Gibson Enthusiasts: One of the company's most historically significant electric guitar designs.

Recording Musicians: An appealing alternative to conventional dual-humbucker and Fender-style single-coil guitars.

Players Seeking Simplicity: A traditional design that places the emphasis on the musician rather than complex electronics.

Playing Styles & Applications

The Gibson Les Paul Junior is particularly well suited to blues, blues-rock, classic rock, punk, garage rock, indie, alternative rock and vintage-inspired popular music.

The traditional Junior design excels at expressive rhythm playing and dynamic lead guitar, particularly through a responsive valve amplifier.

For blues, reducing the guitar's volume can provide cleaner, more articulate sounds, while increasing it offers a more driven response.

For rock and punk, a bridge-position P-90 provides the attack and midrange presence required for powerful rhythm guitar.

The model is also appealing for recording, where its direct, focused character can complement other guitar sounds within a mix.

How It Compares

Gibson Les Paul Junior vs Gibson Les Paul Standard

The Gibson Les Paul Standard offers a more elaborate design with a carved maple top, two humbuckers and independent pickup controls.

The Les Paul Junior takes a considerably simpler approach, traditionally using a flat-topped mahogany body, one P-90 pickup and straightforward volume and tone controls.

Players seeking versatility through multiple pickup combinations may prefer the Standard, while musicians who appreciate a direct, responsive single-pickup instrument may favour the Junior.

Gibson Les Paul Junior vs Gibson Les Paul Special

The Les Paul Special follows a similar straightforward design philosophy but traditionally features two P-90 pickups.

The Junior's single-pickup configuration offers a more minimalist approach, particularly appealing to guitarists who favour bridge-pickup sounds.

Both models are closely associated with the raw, expressive character of traditional P-90-equipped Gibson guitars.

Gibson Les Paul Junior vs Fender Telecaster

The Fender Telecaster is celebrated for its bright, articulate single-coil sounds and traditional bolt-on-neck construction.

The Les Paul Junior offers a different response through its Gibson-inspired construction, shorter scale length and characteristic P-90 design.

Both are straightforward professional instruments, but their playing feel and tonal character are noticeably different.

Gibson Les Paul Junior Heritage

The Gibson Les Paul Junior was introduced in 1954, originally positioned as an affordable instrument for students and developing musicians.

Despite its relatively simple specification, the guitar quickly gained recognition among professional players who appreciated its powerful sound and direct playing response.

Over the following decades, the Junior became associated with influential musicians including Leslie West, Johnny Thunders and Billie Joe Armstrong.

Its straightforward design helped establish it as a favourite among blues, rock, punk and alternative musicians.

Today, the Les Paul Junior remains one of Gibson's most recognisable electric guitars, celebrated for demonstrating how a simple design can produce an exceptionally expressive musical instrument.

Technical Specifications

Specification	Details
Product Type	Electric Guitar
Brand	Gibson
Model	Les Paul Junior
Finish	Tobacco Burst
Body Style	Single Cutaway
Body Construction	Solid Body
Number of Strings	6
Weight	7.38 lbs / Approx. 3.35kg
Condition	Very Good – Pre-Owned
Case	Hardcase Included

Power Requirements

The traditional Gibson Les Paul Junior uses passive guitar electronics and does not require a battery or external power supply.

The guitar connects to a suitable amplifier, effects processor or recording interface using a standard ¼-inch instrument cable.

Fair Deal Music Expert Verdict

The Gibson Les Paul Junior Tobacco Burst is a fantastic example of how a straightforward electric guitar design can offer exceptional musical character.

With its vintage-inspired styling, traditional single-pickup philosophy and direct playing response, the Junior has earned its place among the most respected electric guitar designs ever produced.

Its greatest strength is the way it encourages players to work with their technique, amplifier and guitar controls to produce expressive sounds.

From blues and classic rock to punk and alternative music, the Les Paul Junior remains an enduring favourite.

This particular example is presented in Very Good Pre-Owned Condition, weighs 7.38 lbs and comes complete with a hardcase.

Best Suited For: Blues, blues-rock, classic rock, punk and vintage-inspired guitarists.

Customers Usually Upgrade From: Epiphone Les Paul Juniors, entry-level single-cutaway guitars and conventional solid-body electric guitars.

Most Commonly Paired With: Marshall-style valve amplifiers, Fender-style clean amplifiers, boutique overdrive pedals and analogue delay.

Our Tip: Explore the guitar's volume control through a lightly driven valve amplifier. Traditional Les Paul Juniors are particularly responsive to changes in picking dynamics and volume, allowing musicians to move between cleaner and more aggressive sounds without switching channels.

Showroom Advice: The Les Paul Junior is particularly appealing to players who value simplicity. Its traditional design and comfortable 7.38 lb weight make this example worth considering for regular rehearsals and live performances.

Why Buy Pre-Owned From Fair Deal Music?

Buying a pre-owned Gibson Les Paul Junior from Fair Deal Music provides an opportunity to own one of Gibson's most enduring electric guitar designs at an attractive alternative to purchasing new.

Our experienced team understands the importance of accurate condition grading, clear descriptions and transparent information about included accessories.

This particular guitar is presented in Very Good Pre-Owned Condition, weighs 7.38 lbs and comes complete with a hardcase.

Choosing pre-owned equipment can provide excellent value while extending the useful life of quality musical instruments.

Warranty, Returns & Delivery

This is a pre-owned electric guitar, with its condition and confirmed accessories detailed above.

Applicable warranty and returns arrangements are governed by Fair Deal Music's current terms, with available UK delivery and showroom collection options provided at checkout.

The included hardcase provides valuable protection during storage and transportation.

Why Buy From Fair Deal Music?

When you buy from Fair Deal Music, you're choosing one of the UK's most established, independent family run music retailers since 1987.

Based in Birmingham, Fair Deal Music specialises in new, used, vintage and collectable guitars, basses, amplifiers, effects pedals, keyboards and professional audio equipment.

Our experienced team of musicians provides knowledgeable advice and personal service, helping customers find instruments suited to their playing styles and requirements.

Customers benefit from competitive pricing, UK delivery options, our Birmingham showroom and part-exchange services.

Part Exchange – Trade In. Trade Up. Save More.

Fair Deal Music buys and part-exchanges a wide range of musical equipment, including Gibson electric guitars, acoustic guitars, basses, amplifiers, effects pedals and keyboards.

Your existing equipment could help towards the cost of this Gibson Les Paul Junior.

Frequently Asked Questions

What condition is this Gibson Les Paul Junior in?

It is presented in Very Good Pre-Owned Condition, indicating some cosmetic wear consistent with careful previous ownership.

Does the guitar come with a case?

Yes. A hardcase is included.

How much does the guitar weigh?

This example weighs 7.38 lbs, approximately 3.35kg.

What finish does it have?

It features a Tobacco Burst finish.

What is a Gibson Les Paul Junior?

The Les Paul Junior is a traditional single-cutaway electric guitar originally introduced by Gibson in 1954.

What makes the Les Paul Junior different from a Les Paul Standard?

The Junior uses a simpler design, traditionally featuring a single P-90 pickup, flat-topped mahogany body and basic volume and tone controls.

What pickup is the Les Paul Junior traditionally equipped with?

A single bridge-position dogear P-90 pickup.

What does a P-90 pickup sound like?

P-90 pickups are known for their articulate attack, strong midrange and expressive response to picking dynamics.

Does the Les Paul Junior have a neck pickup?

The classic single-pickup Les Paul Junior design features only a bridge pickup.

What type of bridge does a traditional Les Paul Junior use?

A wraparound bridge and tailpiece.

Is the Les Paul Junior suitable for blues?

Yes. Its traditional P-90 character is particularly well suited to expressive blues and blues-rock guitar.

Can it be used for classic rock?

Yes. The Les Paul Junior is celebrated for its powerful, direct rock guitar sounds.

Is it suitable for punk?

Yes. The Les Paul Junior has a long history in punk and garage rock.

Can it be used for recording?

Yes. The Junior provides a distinctive electric guitar sound for rhythm and lead recording.

Is it lighter than a traditional Les Paul Standard?

At 7.38 lbs, this particular example is relatively lightweight compared with many conventional Les Paul Standards.

Does the guitar require a battery?

The traditional passive Les Paul Junior design does not require battery power.

Can I part-exchange another guitar towards this Gibson?

Yes. Fair Deal Music considers guitars and other musical equipment for part exchange.