Juniors and Esquires are great for developing dynamics in your playing. Stuff where I might normally rely on gear or settings, having a Jr. or an Esquire will force you to make decisions and to be deliberate in how you get the tone. I love single pickup guitars!
This is all I play. I'm65, a nobody and I'm not very good. When I got started 30 years ago, went through same process as everyone and settled on the les Paul jr. I play a couple of modified billy joe's and the new Jr ( like yours). The bullet proof simplicity is reliable and I find all of the expressiveness that I need.
Great video, Mike! One thing you will find is that you can vary the tone by where you play. Hit the strings close to the pickup and you will get a more aggressive tone, play up by the neck (or on the neck) and you'll get a rounder, warmer tone. This is in addition to the tonal changes from picking dynamics and the volume & tone knobs. You'll find that a LP Junior is really versatile if you work with it. Have fun!
A single P90 on a slab of mahogany through a nice amp is an absolute joy to behold. Lucky enough to own a stunningly resonant 2002 Gibson Art Historic 1957 Reissue LP Junior - it’s The Beauty and The Beast combined. Wish I could play better and properly justify owning it. Don’t give this on up - you know you need it! Cheers, Mike - loving your whole vibe.
Single pickup guitars are just so interesting in the variance for tone and musicality. I’ve really enjoyed my Esquire and the nice switch between clean with slight twang to crunchy and sonic.
Ayo! Junior enthusiast here. Mine is in the shop and this video gives me massive envy!! Enjoy the new guitar! As for getting the most out of these, it absolutely is down to your hands. I host a Jam Night, and the Junior is one of the guitars I take out and play all night. I also give it to guests to play in their performances. It really trains you to listen to the band around you, what space you have to fill/work with- and how your hands/rig can get the most out of it. I have a few videos on my channel discussing this, but one conversation with my friend Ash Tucker, he said, to start at both knobs at 7 so you have the headroom on both sides to brighten up or darken the signal. Setting up the amp so it breaks up around 7 also makes 10 that big couragous rock tone you want out of your guitar/pedals. Juniors are great guitars for these principles, and what you learn from them can really be transfered to every guitar. My junior has been out of action for about a year and I have only just taken it in to get worked on, but the things I've mentioned above has really made every guitar I play "The One Guitar To Do It All". Love the videos as always man! I dig the long form conent!
Juniors and Esquires are massively fun to play. Tremendous tonal options in a single pickup format. Tone is in your hands, and these guitars prove that point.
You just described the "Les Paul Junior experience" better than anyone I've ever heard. Fantastic insight! I have 4 single pickup guitars, and I love them. Great video!
Wow that sounded great! I love simple guitars. It forces you to think outside the box in order to achieve the sounds you want. And in the process, you are going to become a much better player for sure. The video is spot on. It's all in the fingers!
Check out The Georgia Satellites, Rick Richards used a LP Jr and Dan Beard used a Tele with EMG’s. Some of the best classic rock tones! Just so damn good together!!
My first Gibson was a junior. I was stuck between an sg and a junior and I went with the junior because something just drew me to it and I wanted to challenge myself it quickly became my favorite guitar to play especially live to the point where I had multiple dings and a couple of paint chips within months of owning the guitar. Cuz I played that thing hard and I treated it like it was a cheap pawn shop guitar. But it definitely fills sound, my rig being a Marshall combo with a boss sd-1 and a tube screamer. With my two guitars being a junior and an has strat. And I love the sound I get from such a simple set up.
I have that very same guitar. Man it's more versitle than my LP standard. You can do litereally anything on that thing - super tactile. Hope you're enjoying it mate.
Leslie West created Mississippi Queen and all of the other Mountain songs using a Les Paul Jr. with light gauge strings. In fact he played Jrs. with P90's mostly for his entire career up until Dean did his signature model that had a single gun bucket. P90's are my favorite pickup and a Jr is on my wish list.
I have a PRS SE One. PRS's version of the LP Jr. It's even simpler having no tone control, just volume. It's awesome. No fidgeting or tone chasing. It is what it is, and you're forced to make it work. It really does help you get better.
I learned about the volume and tone knobs from CS Guitars and different guitar players like Toni Iommi and Brian May. Single coils are super responsive to the volume knob. If you aren’t playing with incredibly high gain then you can really get a lot of different sounds with your knobs.
My only electric is a Les Paul jr. Feels like it’s all I need. I mostly play clean on it with a little bit of overdrive. fingerinpicking chords w the capo on there to sweeten the sound a little. Throw the univibe on w it and you enter heaven.
The P90 is just an amazing pickup since it has the impedance of a humbucker. It blends beautifully with humbuckers and the volume knob should be treated more like a gain knob. It started out as a Jazz pickup. The fact that it breaks up and compresses from 6-10 on its own makes it even more versatile in front of tube amps so long as you keep their gain on a razer's edge between clean and breakup. o
Juniors are friggin awesome guitars. So many tones, one pup and a regular USA is cheap compared to a lot. Just bought one to go with all my high end shit and love it. Great video. Thx.
I had recently gotten a Les Paul Special with P90s and holy yeah, it’s definitely the tone that I absolutely wanted. Between my Trad Pro V les paul and Jazzmaster, it’s the sound I wanted in between for an overall warm sound
Currently building a couple of P90 guitars with 2 P90's. My first full P90 build. My fav so far has been an overwound hum bridge with a P90 neck. That thing is a ridiculous tone machine.
If you use a 500k resistor and no-load tone pot, a Les Paul Special sounds exactly like a Les Paul Junior, but you get the neck pickup too - which most use more often. The magnetic pull of the neck pickup has been proven to have no effect on the strings vibration (unless you have it too close).
I dig single pickup guitars. Simple and elegant. I have 4 at the moment have been finding myself gravitating to my Les Paul Double Cut Junior a lot lately. It does that thing that makes me smile. No choice but to love it. Great video!
For some time now, I happen to be in search for a thing, and your 2hrs old video pops up and you're on the exact topic! I'm going to click that check out button and have my Junior!
I just bought an inexpensive Telecaster which I am converting to an Esquire for the simple reason that converting is much less expensive than buying one, and I want a one pickup guitar precisely for the reasons you mention.
Nice! You got the black one. I couldn't find one so got a vintage sunburst instead. Definitely an inspiring guitar. It really sings even before you plug it in.
one thing the new jrs got wrong was slamming the p90 right against the bridge. the old ones were pulled away my a measurable margin, and it matters. it softens or rounds off the sound a little. not sure why gibson can reproduce their own stuff
I had a faded one Gibson put out years ago. Keith was my reason for getting one then. I’m wanting the Epi version now with this side gig I have and plus the price is ideal
I have a Gibson LP Junior Double Cut. Compared to my Tele the fat neck is a bit of a work around. I like the P90 and experimenting with it is fun. All and all It is a pleasure to play.
My 1st guitar was the Epiphone LP Special P90. So it was a Junior with a neck pickup. I didn't know what I was grabbing off the wall at Guitar Center that day, but I was buying to a budget. Mine was a 2017 worn cherry that I bought late May 2019. So it either hung there for 2+ years or it finally rotated to the wall to be demo'ed & bought. The price was $ 149.99 and that was reduced by $ 10. Eventually it would be a price match within 90 days and final cost was $ 129.99. Anyway, there were 5 guitars I considered for price point. The LP Special P90 I preferred to the LP Special HH. Just for feel alone, the sound & tones were a bonus that I preferred the P90's. I then compared a Squier Mini Strat, a Squier Bullet Strat & Squier Affinity Tele. The LP P90 was better than them too. Ended up leaving the store without anything, I wanted to make sure I was ready to buy anything because I was with 2 frineds that had been playing a living room session & decided they wanted to go to Guitar Center. I wanted to make sure I wasn't buying this instrument as an impulse purchase. Even at $ 160+ after taxes, that's not a candy bar purchase at the checkout register at Walmart or Target. And then there are the other things you're going to need with a open box guitar purchase, the strap, an amp, an instrument cord and now we're looking at closer to $ 300 to find myself with essentially an Epiphone P90 a la carte starter pack. To this day, the Epiphone LP P90 is the most versatile guitar I've owned. If you're still reading this at this point, here's my secret tip for any LP. The secret string recommendation is to get the Gibson Les Paul 10-46 Premium strings. Why ? Well they are silk wound ball ends and the bridge on a Junior or Special is a wrapover tailpiece & intonated saddle as an All in One bridge solution. Also they are Gibson & Les Paul's Studio grade strings. They can be pricey, but you can also find them on sale periodically. I ended up with 3 packs for $ 6.99 each, that's about what D'Addario's go for as Gibson was changing the packaging of their premium strings. I also wanted to test the theory that a Epiphone could become a Gibson with Gibson strings. I won't say that happened, but I will say the Gibson premium grade strings were that & away better than the strings that were on the guitar I walked out of the store with as OEM strings. Epiphone indicated he Guitar Center Special P90 has D'Addario 10's on it. But they aren't silk wound ball ends. Not sure that D'Addario has silk wound 10's that are similar to the Gibson strings. Another brand of strings that work quite well on the Epiphone Special P90 are the Musician's Gear 10-46's.
Versatility is something that’s commonly talked about within these GuitarTube videos. I think we all believe we *want* an incredibly versatile instrument/rig, when really the limits of your sound are ultimately in your hands. You can have a guitar rig that can do “anything”, but that doesn’t make the player anymore skilled. This isn’t to say a single pickup guitar is all you need. But that single pickup guitar will force you to play differently, and that’s where I think versatility lies. Great video!
The les Paul junior is the great revealer of what the term “versatility” really means. You realize that the instrument is just a medium of expression..and the versatility of that medium is only limited by the player holding the instrument.
My main guitar is a Junior style that was built by Roman Rist. It's kind of like a Junior with some minor differences. The volume knob is more in line with a Strat.
Check out Emmylou Harris’ live video version of “Luxury Liner” with Frank Reckard on Lead. He’s playing a TV Yellow Les Paul Jr. Perfect example that a Special or a Junior are perfect for country music.
My Gibson Custom Shop 57' Reissue LPJ is by far my favorite Les Paul I own. I was drawn to it from Billie Joe Armstrong's constant usage of the instrument along with Leslie West. It inspires me to play in a way my other guitars don't. Also, having only one pickup substantially improves the tone to my ear, although I adore the tone of my Fender Custom Shop 1950 Broadcaster reissue. Time to sell my 2014 Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul Custom (Black Beauty).
Love the Les Paul junior.. gibson and epiphone... the epiphone les Paul junior cost me 99 dollars at the time... one of my favorites.. guitar had an attitude..
What I love about Tele's and Broadcasters is the same thing I love about LP Jr.'s: The simplicity forces you to focus on your playing instead of your toys and to tonally milk everything you can from a pickup. I think everyone should begin on electric with a single pickup. I feel like the vast majority of electric guitarists completely overlook the variety of voices and dynamics that are available from a single pickup when the knobs on the guitar are used to shape tone. I see so many people simply treat the volume on the guitar as an on/off switch (0 or 10 and nothing in between) and never use the tone at all. These are usually also the guys who can't sit in without taking a 10 minute intermission to set up a big pedal board or processor that gets in everyone else's way and does nothing for the quality their actual playing. Single pickup guitars force you to use the knobs and learn to play the entire instrument. From that you learn all kinds of things about dynamics, tone shaping, the actual why behind this or that pickup or cable or potentiometer being desirable, etc., etc., and the list goes on and on...
I love a lot of stuff, like Gordan Lightfoot, or Ray Lamontagne, or even like Sturgil Simpson. Or even like Tim Buckley who's son was Jeff Buckley that made an appearance in the 90's or even like John Denver, and James Taylor .. They are becoming my favorite pass times..
Wait... The tone knobs aren't just decoration to be at max? Mind blown. 😉 In all seriousness. I always have way more satisfaction with my tone when I reel those knobs back a bit and boost them for certain parts. Gives you way more to work with.
My tone knob on all my guitars are turned down to like 3ish. I shoot for that warm sound similar to a slide guitarist. Volume up, Tone Down - warm sustain.
Keith Urban was my gateway into country music as well. He can play all sorts of styles. He can do the chicken pickin’ thing like Brad Paisley. Check out their song “Start a Band.”
I think the biggest aspect here’s the P90. They have more output, then most humbuckers, and that is why you get such insane break up with the volume all the way up. The P90 is the world unto itself… as to one pick up or two, I would rather have eight to pick up guitar with to P 90s It doesn’t take anything away: you can just focus on the bridge pick up if you want, but it has a lot of versatility. There are not many things that are sweeter than a P90 in the neck position.
As a metal Player, creating new sounds and tones in metal, specially nowadays is hard because everyone kinda goes for the same things. This kind of guitar configurations, like frankenstrats, like hot rails, like minihumbuckers, are probably the future of guitar sound. I'm so tired of EMG and I have grown to appreciate a GOOD humbucker. And Ts9, Ts9, Ts9 is inevitable.
I just wish Epiphone would make a Les Paul Jr in a finish other than sunburst besides the Green Day model in white...why not black with a tortoise pickguard (like featured in the video) or TV Yellow, and why not a slim tapered neck !?
Your hands are your best device for control over the sound you get , if you want less dynamics use your fingers . On 10 all way up play soft turn down play hard muscle memory my friend . I'm not the best player but I have played for 36 years now and I play every day learn every day
I love my LPJ.. it’s an 05 and I ordered a backup for it and it had a way chunkier neck (normal) than mine. I sent it back and went on a mission to find another LPJ with the super thin neck my 05 tobacco burst has and I can’t find one?? If u have a guitar you love cherish it
Mike….KEEP this guitar!!!! Keep it!!! You sell it? You’ll buy it again. I’ve learned this lesson. The cleans?? Shimmery gorgeous. Mid-gain, the best. High gain???? Woooaaahhhhh so much fun!!
I should not have watched this ! been jonesing for a B J Armstrong LP jr. ( from Sweatwater ) Now I know my microwave is watching me. I feel powerless!
@Mike Cole Just for fun, i want to see you play some metal! The REASON is because players from other genres trying to play metal bring a different and unique sound, tone & style. Just a little challenge for ya just for grins.
LP jrs are rad and Keith sounded awesome. However, he was playing rock, those weren’t country licks he was hitting. He makes his voice nasally to sound like he has a strong southern accent and calls it country.
Nobody ever talks about it (nobody but me, anyway) but if it's a versatile Gibson that you're after...you NEED to try an L6S. They were never that popular but I think it's the best guitar Gibson produced in the 70's. They made a few different versions of it...the Midnight Special, The Custom and the Deluxe...you don't want ant of those. You want the original Standard model...L6S.
Play a Mountain song. That's the guitar that Leslie West used
Good to see Keith getting the recognition he deserves. Totally underrated player
Juniors and Esquires are great for developing dynamics in your playing. Stuff where I might normally rely on gear or settings, having a Jr. or an Esquire will force you to make decisions and to be deliberate in how you get the tone. I love single pickup guitars!
Yes I've heard that before
This is all I play. I'm65, a nobody and I'm not very good. When I got started 30 years ago, went through same process as everyone and settled on the les Paul jr. I play a couple of modified billy joe's and the new Jr ( like yours). The bullet proof simplicity is reliable and I find all of the expressiveness that I need.
Great video, Mike! One thing you will find is that you can vary the tone by where you play. Hit the strings close to the pickup and you will get a more aggressive tone, play up by the neck (or on the neck) and you'll get a rounder, warmer tone. This is in addition to the tonal changes from picking dynamics and the volume & tone knobs. You'll find that a LP Junior is really versatile if you work with it. Have fun!
Nice name lul
A single P90 on a slab of mahogany through a nice amp is an absolute joy to behold. Lucky enough to own a stunningly resonant 2002 Gibson Art Historic 1957 Reissue LP Junior - it’s The Beauty and The Beast combined. Wish I could play better and properly justify owning it.
Don’t give this on up - you know you need it! Cheers, Mike - loving your whole vibe.
Great wordss
I love my 86 Gibson Les Paul Jr Double Cutaway. I bought it in 2020 and it has become my main guitar of how simple and versatile it is.
That's a sweet guitar. The double cutaways just feel right to play. Cheers.
Single pickup guitars are just so interesting in the variance for tone and musicality. I’ve really enjoyed my Esquire and the nice switch between clean with slight twang to crunchy and sonic.
I’ve been watching your videos for a while now and I really like the new, long form videos you’ve been making. Keep it up, your doing great!
Ayo! Junior enthusiast here. Mine is in the shop and this video gives me massive envy!! Enjoy the new guitar!
As for getting the most out of these, it absolutely is down to your hands. I host a Jam Night, and the Junior is one of the guitars I take out and play all night. I also give it to guests to play in their performances. It really trains you to listen to the band around you, what space you have to fill/work with- and how your hands/rig can get the most out of it.
I have a few videos on my channel discussing this, but one conversation with my friend Ash Tucker, he said, to start at both knobs at 7 so you have the headroom on both sides to brighten up or darken the signal.
Setting up the amp so it breaks up around 7 also makes 10 that big couragous rock tone you want out of your guitar/pedals.
Juniors are great guitars for these principles, and what you learn from them can really be transfered to every guitar.
My junior has been out of action for about a year and I have only just taken it in to get worked on, but the things I've mentioned above has really made every guitar I play "The One Guitar To Do It All".
Love the videos as always man! I dig the long form conent!
Juniors and Esquires are massively fun to play. Tremendous tonal options in a single pickup format. Tone is in your hands, and these guitars prove that point.
Apparently so
You just described the "Les Paul Junior experience" better than anyone I've ever heard. Fantastic insight! I have 4 single pickup guitars, and I love them. Great video!
Wow that sounded great! I love simple guitars. It forces you to think outside the box in order to achieve the sounds you want. And in the process, you are going to become a much better player for sure. The video is spot on. It's all in the fingers!
Check out The Georgia Satellites, Rick Richards used a LP Jr and Dan Beard used a Tele with EMG’s. Some of the best classic rock tones! Just so damn good together!!
My first Gibson was a junior. I was stuck between an sg and a junior and I went with the junior because something just drew me to it and I wanted to challenge myself it quickly became my favorite guitar to play especially live to the point where I had multiple dings and a couple of paint chips within months of owning the guitar. Cuz I played that thing hard and I treated it like it was a cheap pawn shop guitar. But it definitely fills sound, my rig being a Marshall combo with a boss sd-1 and a tube screamer. With my two guitars being a junior and an has strat. And I love the sound I get from such a simple set up.
I have that very same guitar. Man it's more versitle than my LP standard. You can do litereally anything on that thing - super tactile. Hope you're enjoying it mate.
Watched this video, then went looking for Stupid Boy....had no idea Keith was so good !
Leslie West created Mississippi Queen and all of the other Mountain songs using a Les Paul Jr. with light gauge strings. In fact he played Jrs. with P90's mostly for his entire career up until Dean did his signature model that had a single gun bucket. P90's are my favorite pickup and a Jr is on my wish list.
P90 pickups, they just sound amazing and raw. Very dynamic and sensitive to picking styles and placement.
I have a PRS SE One. PRS's version of the LP Jr. It's even simpler having no tone control, just volume. It's awesome. No fidgeting or tone chasing. It is what it is, and you're forced to make it work. It really does help you get better.
I learned about the volume and tone knobs from CS Guitars and different guitar players like Toni Iommi and Brian May. Single coils are super responsive to the volume knob. If you aren’t playing with incredibly high gain then you can really get a lot of different sounds with your knobs.
My only electric is a Les Paul jr. Feels like it’s all I need. I mostly play clean on it with a little bit of overdrive. fingerinpicking chords w the capo on there to sweeten the sound a little. Throw the univibe on w it and you enter heaven.
The P90 is just an amazing pickup since it has the impedance of a humbucker. It blends beautifully with humbuckers and the volume knob should be treated more like a gain knob. It started out as a Jazz pickup. The fact that it breaks up and compresses from 6-10 on its own makes it even more versatile in front of tube amps so long as you keep their gain on a razer's edge between clean and breakup. o
Juniors are friggin awesome guitars. So many tones, one pup and a regular USA is cheap compared to a lot. Just bought one to go with all my high end shit and love it. Great video. Thx.
I had recently gotten a Les Paul Special with P90s and holy yeah, it’s definitely the tone that I absolutely wanted. Between my Trad Pro V les paul and Jazzmaster, it’s the sound I wanted in between for an overall warm sound
I got the black. It's sooooo comfy to play
Currently building a couple of P90 guitars with 2 P90's. My first full P90 build. My fav so far has been an overwound hum bridge with a P90 neck. That thing is a ridiculous tone machine.
If you use a 500k resistor and no-load tone pot, a Les Paul Special sounds exactly like a Les Paul Junior, but you get the neck pickup too - which most use more often. The magnetic pull of the neck pickup has been proven to have no effect on the strings vibration (unless you have it too close).
I dig single pickup guitars. Simple and elegant. I have 4 at the moment have been finding myself gravitating to my Les Paul Double Cut Junior a lot lately. It does that thing that makes me smile. No choice but to love it. Great video!
For some time now, I happen to be in search for a thing, and your 2hrs old video pops up and you're on the exact topic! I'm going to click that check out button and have my Junior!
I just bought an inexpensive Telecaster which I am converting to an Esquire for the simple reason that converting is much less expensive than buying one, and I want a one pickup guitar precisely for the reasons you mention.
Nice! You got the black one. I couldn't find one so got a vintage sunburst instead. Definitely an inspiring guitar. It really sings even before you plug it in.
one thing the new jrs got wrong was slamming the p90 right against the bridge. the old ones were pulled away my a measurable margin, and it matters. it softens or rounds off the sound a little. not sure why gibson can reproduce their own stuff
This is where the tone and volume knobs become your best friends. I have one and I love it
You do realize that once you go 'Junior ' you can't go back!!
Welcome to the best guitar in the world.
I love your videos. Im a 68 yo hacker and learn alot from you, thanks
I had a faded one Gibson put out years ago. Keith was my reason for getting one then. I’m wanting the Epi version now with this side gig I have and plus the price is ideal
Nice guitar Mike! You dive into that Junior and go deep!
Just have a fun experience!
Great channel!
I have a Gibson LP Junior Double Cut. Compared to my Tele the fat neck is a bit of a work around. I like the P90 and experimenting with it is fun. All and all It is a pleasure to play.
Bought an Epi Junior. Had to change the wrap around bridge and tuners. I use the tone knob quite a bit. Absolutely love it
My 1st guitar was the Epiphone LP Special P90. So it was a Junior with a neck pickup. I didn't know what I was grabbing off the wall at Guitar Center that day, but I was buying to a budget. Mine was a 2017 worn cherry that I bought late May 2019. So it either hung there for 2+ years or it finally rotated to the wall to be demo'ed & bought. The price was $ 149.99 and that was reduced by $ 10. Eventually it would be a price match within 90 days and final cost was $ 129.99.
Anyway, there were 5 guitars I considered for price point. The LP Special P90 I preferred to the LP Special HH. Just for feel alone, the sound & tones were a bonus that I preferred the P90's. I then compared a Squier Mini Strat, a Squier Bullet Strat & Squier Affinity Tele. The LP P90 was better than them too. Ended up leaving the store without anything, I wanted to make sure I was ready to buy anything because I was with 2 frineds that had been playing a living room session & decided they wanted to go to Guitar Center. I wanted to make sure I wasn't buying this instrument as an impulse purchase. Even at $ 160+ after taxes, that's not a candy bar purchase at the checkout register at Walmart or Target. And then there are the other things you're going to need with a open box guitar purchase, the strap, an amp, an instrument cord and now we're looking at closer to $ 300 to find myself with essentially an Epiphone P90 a la carte starter pack. To this day, the Epiphone LP P90 is the most versatile guitar I've owned.
If you're still reading this at this point, here's my secret tip for any LP. The secret string recommendation is to get the Gibson Les Paul 10-46 Premium strings. Why ? Well they are silk wound ball ends and the bridge on a Junior or Special is a wrapover tailpiece & intonated saddle as an All in One bridge solution. Also they are Gibson & Les Paul's Studio grade strings. They can be pricey, but you can also find them on sale periodically. I ended up with 3 packs for $ 6.99 each, that's about what D'Addario's go for as Gibson was changing the packaging of their premium strings. I also wanted to test the theory that a Epiphone could become a Gibson with Gibson strings. I won't say that happened, but I will say the Gibson premium grade strings were that & away better than the strings that were on the guitar I walked out of the store with as OEM strings. Epiphone indicated he Guitar Center Special P90 has D'Addario 10's on it. But they aren't silk wound ball ends. Not sure that D'Addario has silk wound 10's that are similar to the Gibson strings. Another brand of strings that work quite well on the Epiphone Special P90 are the Musician's Gear 10-46's.
I play my LP special 90% more than my Standard. Those P90's are like aaaahhhhhhh !!! Through my silver face champ. Heaven
Versatility is something that’s commonly talked about within these GuitarTube videos. I think we all believe we *want* an incredibly versatile instrument/rig, when really the limits of your sound are ultimately in your hands.
You can have a guitar rig that can do “anything”, but that doesn’t make the player anymore skilled.
This isn’t to say a single pickup guitar is all you need. But that single pickup guitar will force you to play differently, and that’s where I think versatility lies.
Great video!
With a 50's wiring, which a proper Jr. should have, rolling off the tone knob slightly actually reduces the volume and gives you a cleaner sound.
The les Paul junior is the great revealer of what the term “versatility” really means. You realize that the instrument is just a medium of expression..and the versatility of that medium is only limited by the player holding the instrument.
Billy Jo Armstrong!
Right now my main guitar is an Esquire GT. :)
My main guitar is a Junior style that was built by Roman Rist. It's kind of like a Junior with some minor differences. The volume knob is more in line with a Strat.
The Les Paul Junior is my favorite guitar! I got a tv yellow from 57. I will never let it go!!! And dude yours sounds so good!
Check out Emmylou Harris’ live video version of “Luxury Liner” with Frank Reckard on Lead. He’s playing a TV Yellow Les Paul Jr. Perfect example that a Special or a Junior are perfect for country music.
Single pickup guitars are FINALLY getting the recognition they deserve!!!!!!!!!
John5 is an amazing country player!
Charlie Star of Blackberry Smoke gets incredible Tone out of his
my main guitar is a single humbucker and lone volume knob strat and i swear by it,
My Gibson Custom Shop 57' Reissue LPJ is by far my favorite Les Paul I own. I was drawn to it from Billie Joe Armstrong's constant usage of the instrument along with Leslie West. It inspires me to play in a way my other guitars don't. Also, having only one pickup substantially improves the tone to my ear, although I adore the tone of my Fender Custom Shop 1950 Broadcaster reissue. Time to sell my 2014 Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul Custom (Black Beauty).
Love the Les Paul junior.. gibson and epiphone... the epiphone les Paul junior cost me 99 dollars at the time... one of my favorites.. guitar had an attitude..
What I love about Tele's and Broadcasters is the same thing I love about LP Jr.'s:
The simplicity forces you to focus on your playing instead of your toys and to tonally milk everything you can from a pickup. I think everyone should begin on electric with a single pickup.
I feel like the vast majority of electric guitarists completely overlook the variety of voices and dynamics that are available from a single pickup when the knobs on the guitar are used to shape tone.
I see so many people simply treat the volume on the guitar as an on/off switch (0 or 10 and nothing in between) and never use the tone at all.
These are usually also the guys who can't sit in without taking a 10 minute intermission to set up a big pedal board or processor that gets in everyone else's way and does nothing for the quality their actual playing.
Single pickup guitars force you to use the knobs and learn to play the entire instrument. From that you learn all kinds of things about dynamics, tone shaping, the actual why behind this or that pickup or cable or potentiometer being desirable, etc., etc., and the list goes on and on...
Congrats dude that’s a cool guitar. I want to hear you shredding some Keith Urban now!
me, looking the thumbnail:
-of course not, son
I love a lot of stuff, like Gordan Lightfoot, or Ray Lamontagne, or even like Sturgil Simpson. Or even like Tim Buckley who's son was Jeff Buckley that made an appearance in the 90's or even like John Denver, and James Taylor .. They are becoming my favorite pass times..
Lately.
Those guitars are punk rock powerhouses
I have a Les Paul Jr. and love it. You actually play the guitar.
The question doesn't matter, the answer is always a P90
"... and the thing that got me in to country: 'It's like Applebee's, on a date night...'"
😆
Wait... The tone knobs aren't just decoration to be at max? Mind blown. 😉
In all seriousness. I always have way more satisfaction with my tone when I reel those knobs back a bit and boost them for certain parts. Gives you way more to work with.
I’ve got a Les Paul Special… love P-90s!!!
My dream guitar! That first lick you played sounded exactly like Page! 👍
My SG jr forces me to do the same. I will say that a p90 cleans up on a volume knob in a much more usable way than any guitar I have ever used
My tone knob on all my guitars are turned down to like 3ish. I shoot for that warm sound similar to a slide guitarist. Volume up, Tone Down - warm sustain.
I love single pickup guitars. The SG Junior is just as fun.
Keith Urban was my gateway into country music as well. He can play all sorts of styles. He can do the chicken pickin’ thing like Brad Paisley. Check out their song “Start a Band.”
I think the biggest aspect here’s the P90. They have more output, then most humbuckers, and that is why you get such insane break up with the volume all the way up. The P90 is the world unto itself… as to one pick up or two, I would rather have eight to pick up guitar with to P 90s It doesn’t take anything away: you can just focus on the bridge pick up if you want, but it has a lot of versatility. There are not many things that are sweeter than a P90 in the neck position.
Looks and sounds amazing
P90 is a beautiful thing to hear. Congrats!
As a metal Player, creating new sounds and tones in metal, specially nowadays is hard because everyone kinda goes for the same things. This kind of guitar configurations, like frankenstrats, like hot rails, like minihumbuckers, are probably the future of guitar sound.
I'm so tired of EMG and I have grown to appreciate a GOOD humbucker. And Ts9, Ts9, Ts9 is inevitable.
So, one year later. How do you like it? Do you still own it? Does it get any use? Maybe an idea for a new video?
Juniors are brilliant
Simple, fun, good looking guitar. Great tone machines those Jrs.
Now go find a JCM800 to plug that Jr into, that will open your eyes.
I just wish Epiphone would make a Les Paul Jr in a finish other than sunburst besides the Green Day model in white...why not black with a tortoise pickguard (like featured in the video) or TV Yellow, and why not a slim tapered neck !?
I love it when people break stereotypes and boundaries. Rock on brother
Your hands are your best device for control over the sound you get , if you want less dynamics use your fingers . On 10 all way up play soft turn down play hard muscle memory my friend . I'm not the best player but I have played for 36 years now and I play every day learn every day
Have fun with it. :D
I love my LPJ.. it’s an 05 and I ordered a backup for it and it had a way chunkier neck (normal) than mine. I sent it back and went on a mission to find another LPJ with the super thin neck my 05 tobacco burst has and I can’t find one?? If u have a guitar you love cherish it
You should watch Keith and John Mayer playing dont let me down, its incredible
I am now subscribed. Good stuff.
Sweet looking and sounding guitar! And what are those guits on the wall?
Mike….KEEP this guitar!!!! Keep it!!!
You sell it? You’ll buy it again. I’ve learned this lesson. The cleans?? Shimmery gorgeous. Mid-gain, the best. High gain???? Woooaaahhhhh so much fun!!
I have not ever had a Junior but I want one. Just biding my time....plotting...muahhahahahaha
I should not have watched this ! been jonesing for a B J Armstrong LP jr. ( from Sweatwater ) Now I know my microwave is watching me. I feel powerless!
@Mike Cole Just for fun, i want to see you play some metal! The REASON is because players from other genres trying to play metal bring a different and unique sound, tone & style. Just a little challenge for ya just for grins.
LP jrs are rad and Keith sounded awesome. However, he was playing rock, those weren’t country licks he was hitting. He makes his voice nasally to sound like he has a strong southern accent and calls it country.
Nobody ever talks about it (nobody but me, anyway) but if it's a versatile Gibson that you're after...you NEED to try an L6S. They were never that popular but I think it's the best guitar Gibson produced in the 70's. They made a few different versions of it...the Midnight Special, The Custom and the Deluxe...you don't want ant of those. You want the original Standard model...L6S.
If you are looking for versatility, charvel dk24 hsh and Ibanez az series does the best job. I own the former and it does literally everything
Its Sweetwater Shill Day! That’s what it’s called. . .
Listen to Charlie Starr of Blackberry smoke.
It’s not a Les Paul but it’s a damn cool guitar!
Dat tone...♥
I don’t think of it as limiting, it is so freeing. You can’t hide with a Junior. If you can’t get it done with a Junior, don’t bother.
Awesome vid Mike! Are you self-taught or did you get a teacher??
I’m going to mod an Epiphone LP Junior by putting the P90 in the middle ..
An essential guitar. Super video.