The Les Paul™ Junior was first introduced in 1954 during Gibson’s first Golden Era as an affordable, high-quality solidbody electric guitar designed for students and beginners. Compared to the standard Les Paul models of the early and mid-1950s, the Les Paul Junior was stripped down to the essentials. Features like the carved maple top, fretboard and body binding, second pickup and its controls, and ornate decorative appointments were removed, leaving a slab mahogany body with a single pickup that allowed it to be priced more accessibly.

It didn’t take long for players of all experience levels—including many professionals—to discover the magic of this former “student model.” The Les Paul Junior soon found its way onto recordings and stages worldwide across a wide range of musical genres. Notable players include Leslie West of Mountain, Martin Barre of Jethro Tull, Charlie Starr of Blackberry Smoke, Glenn Frey of the Eagles, Johnny Thunders, John Lennon, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day, and Steve Howe, among many others.

The appeal lies in the Junior’s deceptive simplicity. With a single pickup, volume control, and tone control, a surprising range of tones is available. By varying where you place your picking hand and adjusting the master volume and tone knobs, you can coax a wide variety of distinctive and expressive sounds from a Les Paul Junior.

The updated Epiphone Les Paul Junior is designed for today’s players—whether students or seasoned professionals—while embodying the spirit of the original vintage Juniors. It retains the defining features that have made the model a favorite for more than 70 years, including a single-cutaway slab mahogany body, a mahogany neck with a satisfyingly hand-filling 50s Vintage profile, and a rosewood fretboard with simple pearloid dot inlays.

The headstock is fitted with Epiphone Deluxe tuners with ivory buttons for a period-correct look, along with a Graph Tech® nut to ensure stable tuning. At the opposite end, a compensated Lightning Bar wraparound bridge is bolted directly into the mahogany body, delivering the exceptional sustain and punchy tone the Les Paul Junior is known for.

The Epiphone Les Paul Junior ships in a premium gig bag, making it ready to go whenever and wherever you are.