An Early Sixties Epiphone "Les Paul Junior"

This featherweight guitar weighs in at just 5.70 lbs. and has a nice, fat nut width of 1 11/16 inches and a standard Gibson scale length of 24 3/4 inches. Solid mahogany body, one-piece mahogany neck with a medium profile, and rosewood fretboard with 22 jumbo frets and inlaid pearl dot position markers. Headstock with gold silk-screened "Epiphone" script logo. Serial number ("29367") impressed into the back of the headstock in black. Three-in-a-row single-line Kluson Deluxe strip tuners with white plastic oval buttons. Single P-90 pickup with black plastic cover and an output of 7.68k. Three-layer (white/black/white) plastic pickguard with four screws. Two controls (one volume, one tone) on the lower treble bout. Black plastic bell-shaped knobs with metal tops. The pots are stamped "134 6102" (Centralab January 1961) and "134 5947" (Centralab December 1959). The Epiphone Maestro Vibrola tailpiece has been removed (as is evidenced by three small holes on the top of the guitar) and a (later) replacement stud bar bridge has now been used in the alternative combination wrap-over bar bridge/tailpiece mode. There are a few tiny marks on the top and on the back of the guitar and a couple of small dings on the edges. There is very little fretwear, mainly confined to the first three frets. Otherwise this very "rare bird" is in excellent plus (8.75) condition. Housed in its original Epiphone rectangular black hardshell case with purple plush lining (9.00). This guitar is one of the best examples that we have ever seen. It was very common for players to remove the Maestro Vibrola and use the existing bridge in its alternative role as a wrap-over stud tailpiece as was standard on all of the Gibson Les Paul Juniors. The guitar actually plays much better (á la Junior) set up like this.

We are not absolutely certain about the originality of the pickguard -- because it does not have the Epiphone stylized "E" on it -- but it has certainly been on this guitar for most of its life.

This very rare version of the Coronet was only made between 1960 and 1963 and, with a price tag in 1961 of $132.00, it was just 50 cents cheaper than its cousin, the Les Paul Junior. Not only is this great guitar similar to the early 1960s Les Paul Junior in looks, but with its single P-90 pickup, which rests right up against the combined bridge/tailpiece, it actually sounds like one too...