Too good to be true -- 1959 Gibson Les Paul Jr.?

A '59 Gibson Les Paul Jr. at Willie's Guitars for $3,250. Too good to be true right?



What's wrong with this picture? I could definitely live with the refret, but the the original P90 has been removed and the cavity rerouted to fit a replacement DiMarzio pickup. The headstock has been repaired and the original bridge has been replaced, as have the original tuners with Grovers. Of course, if it was much closer to original, it wouldn't be $3,250, now would it?

And while I'm on the subject of vintage Gibsons, a '62 SG Special on Music-Go-Round for $3,600 seems like a much better deal, IMO.

Well, if nothing else, the added Leo Quan bridge is a positive upgrade. Proper intonation is good for you.

That might be a decent price if it wasn't such a mess. Every Junior I've got had one of those badass things added when I bought it. I can't stand the looks of 'em so I always get rid of 'em.

...but a must to play in tune.

Good points, espeically about proper intonation. I'm still kind of amazing about the apparently magical quality of all guitars 1959. It's as if you put 1959 in front of any guitar and the price automatically goes up exponentially. Maybe there's a lengthly article in there, or a book, about just what is it about 1959 that made it such a magical year for guitars?

Is it real or is it all just hype?

Thunderface said:

Is it real or is it all just hype?

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Probably a little of both!

I like the double cutaway shape of the '59 Junior and the two P90s on the '62 SG Special. Cheaper, less vintage American made options would be an early 90s Hamer Special and an '03 Blues90 -- which Hammer is in the process of buying and/or has bought. Both sunburst, both with two P90s, both exceptionally fine and both I wish were mine.

Thunderface said:

I'm still kind of amazing about the apparently magical quality of all guitars 1959.

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The attitude has been around for a while. I met a guitarist in '73 or '74 who had a gold top Les Paul that was only a couple years old then and he kept apologizing for it because it wasn't a 1959. (That's the story and the dates I remember anyway).