Gibson Les Paul Jr. Special Exclusive

The gibson Les Paul Jr. Special is a great new addition to the Gibson USA line. The guitar is a mahogany body and mahogany set neck. The LP Jr. Special is equipped with soapbar styled p90s (490R/490T) wired through the signature les paul styled 3 way toggle and independent volume and tone controls. The simplicity of the guitar is matched with a vintage flavored TV yellow gloss finish that looks very nice under stage lights. Getting neck binding at this price point is also a new thing for Gibson, and it's a welcome addition.

UTILIZATION

The slim taper neck is very fast and pairs well with the flat top body for a comfortable, light weight playing experience. The guitar that I received appears to have been given the plek treatment, and it feels great in the hands. Tuning stability was very good with this particular guitar, I rarely found myself looking at a tuner. The p90's in the Jr. Special are sound hotter than typical soapbars and deliver a powerful sound.

SOUNDS

I played the Les Paul Jr. Special through a Mesa Boogie Stiletto Deuce. Mesa 4x12 cab. No pedals.

This guitar is very fun to play. It definitely invokes a vintage vibe that sneaks it's way into your playing. The p90's sound most at home on the edge of breakup, giving you a snarling authentic classic rock sound. Adding gain I was able to pull off Mastodon sounds without too much of an issue.

OVERALL OPINION

The Gibson Les Paul Jr. Special is somewhat of a new direction for the brand. Typically guitars with neck binding push over the $1000 price point with ease, yet this model is comfortably set at around $600. If you need a workhorse, p90 equipped guitar with the classic Gibson style cues, this guitar is for you. I never felt like I made a compromise with purchasing this guitar.