1959 Les Paul Junior Build

Self built and self assembly ;)

Moderators: Slowy, Capt. Black

Lostininverness
Gibson
Posts: 806
meble-kuchenne.warszawa.pl
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2015 11:11 am
Has liked: 499 times
Been liked: 136 times

Re: 1959 Les Paul Junior Build

Post by Lostininverness »

That colour looks great!! Are you planning to age it?

User avatar
GrantB
ADMIN
Posts: 15843
Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2003 9:04 am
Location: Where I need to be
Has liked: 1353 times
Been liked: 2087 times

Re: 1959 Les Paul Junior Build

Post by GrantB »

Image
"Man is the most insane species. He worships an invisible god and destroys a visible nature. Unaware that this nature he's destroying is this god he's worshipping." - Hubert Reeves

User avatar
GrantB
ADMIN
Posts: 15843
Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2003 9:04 am
Location: Where I need to be
Has liked: 1353 times
Been liked: 2087 times

Re: 1959 Les Paul Junior Build

Post by GrantB »

Lostininverness wrote: Wed Apr 14, 2021 5:17 pm That colour looks great!! Are you planning to age it?
Yes, not massively, but I weirdly feel more comfy playing something cracked n knocked up....I guess as almost everything I own is in various stages of degradation!
"Man is the most insane species. He worships an invisible god and destroys a visible nature. Unaware that this nature he's destroying is this god he's worshipping." - Hubert Reeves

User avatar
jeremyb
Chorus of Organs
Posts: 40878
Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2008 9:03 am
Has liked: 7685 times
Been liked: 4157 times

Re: 1959 Les Paul Junior Build

Post by jeremyb »

robthemac wrote: Wed Apr 14, 2021 5:06 pm
GrantB wrote: Wed Apr 14, 2021 3:59 pm Building up the tinted coats. 4 on this now, 4 to go, then final two thick coats of clear.
I think it needs a couple of coats of Shell Pink.
Purple headstock on his pink junior?
Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.

User avatar
sizzlingbadger
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 8241
Joined: Sat Jan 15, 2011 7:12 am
Location: Wire Wrapper
Has liked: 1200 times
Been liked: 1398 times

Re: 1959 Les Paul Junior Build

Post by sizzlingbadger »

Looking good Grant !
Tube amp and guitar tones straight from 1958… amazing how believable the sounds were back then, even without the modellers...

User avatar
StrummersOfThunder
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 7160
Joined: Sun Jul 15, 2012 2:23 pm
Has liked: 807 times
Been liked: 1294 times

Re: 1959 Les Paul Junior Build

Post by StrummersOfThunder »

Looks all class G
Im not usually one for 'ageing' but I agree with you, guitars dont feel right to me unless they have a bit of wear to them. Ive intentionally mistreated my shell pink JM over the past couple of years. Not fritzel family mistreatment but certainly been somewhat negligent at times.
Tell me about the neck. Bound or unbound? Bright white binding is eww.

User avatar
GrantB
ADMIN
Posts: 15843
Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2003 9:04 am
Location: Where I need to be
Has liked: 1353 times
Been liked: 2087 times

Re: 1959 Les Paul Junior Build

Post by GrantB »

No binding - Jnr :)
"Man is the most insane species. He worships an invisible god and destroys a visible nature. Unaware that this nature he's destroying is this god he's worshipping." - Hubert Reeves

User avatar
robthemac
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 8518
Joined: Sun Apr 28, 2019 3:47 pm
Has liked: 1102 times
Been liked: 1419 times

Re: 1959 Les Paul Junior Build

Post by robthemac »

StrummersOfThunder wrote: Wed Apr 14, 2021 7:03 pm Not fritzel family mistreatment but certainly been somewhat negligent at times.
:sick:
Jops wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 7:46 am Spring is the comic sans of reverbs anyway.

User avatar
GrantB
ADMIN
Posts: 15843
Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2003 9:04 am
Location: Where I need to be
Has liked: 1353 times
Been liked: 2087 times

Re: 1959 Les Paul Junior Build

Post by GrantB »

To change the tone a little...and yes, I had managed to erase most of the Fritzel trauma, until now....I am using some original 60’s bell knobs with inserts, a Faber compensated bridge, 50’s length inserts and studs, some prototype Kluson aged tuners I got at a guitar show in Texas from Kluson themselves. They had this really really good range of aged product they were peddling...in house aging...they never did it "mass produced" in the end but I got some in line tuners and some Les Paul style. I’ll take some shots.
"Man is the most insane species. He worships an invisible god and destroys a visible nature. Unaware that this nature he's destroying is this god he's worshipping." - Hubert Reeves

User avatar
GrantB
ADMIN
Posts: 15843
Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2003 9:04 am
Location: Where I need to be
Has liked: 1353 times
Been liked: 2087 times

Re: 1959 Les Paul Junior Build

Post by GrantB »

And yes, it will have a Gibson decal. 😬

And for those budding luthier types, you'll know this pain....roughing out the nut with my last good unbleached bone piece, took too much off the top in the shaping step. Dammit - goes back into the parts draw for a Gibson with a shallower fingerboard.

More unbleached bone on order.
"Man is the most insane species. He worships an invisible god and destroys a visible nature. Unaware that this nature he's destroying is this god he's worshipping." - Hubert Reeves

User avatar
GrantB
ADMIN
Posts: 15843
Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2003 9:04 am
Location: Where I need to be
Has liked: 1353 times
Been liked: 2087 times

Re: 1959 Les Paul Junior Build

Post by GrantB »

Colour target reached, using 2 fewer colour coats than planed. Straight onto clear now x 4 initially. May do a quick wet sand at 400 after a week and 2 x final super fine coats....not sure.

Mocked up the look today. Not sure the blue fingerboard is gonna catch on!

Note the hum bucker placement. Dharmajester and I have oft discussed the potentially shrill hum bucker tone when the pickup is placed so close to the bridge, having both owned wrap tail Les Paul's. So, I moved it forward to tame a little...and it is a T Top, so it's going to want to get a little bright anyway.

Gibson logo has been toned down from its bright gold finish so it looks older...still, quite "popping" as is.

Electrics are VI Pots and a NOS cap from them also. Wired and ready to go.
Attachments
7176F7BF-026D-4A90-9DD9-F7C93EFB3776_1_105_c.jpg
7176F7BF-026D-4A90-9DD9-F7C93EFB3776_1_105_c.jpg (24.75 KiB) Viewed 3786 times
AD914D0C-4F8F-4C51-9FF2-29293AA25B87_1_201_a.jpg
AD914D0C-4F8F-4C51-9FF2-29293AA25B87_1_201_a.jpg (263.85 KiB) Viewed 3786 times
D8D484B7-4DCB-4BE1-8D02-F12471C16A9E_1_201_a.jpg
D8D484B7-4DCB-4BE1-8D02-F12471C16A9E_1_201_a.jpg (339.01 KiB) Viewed 3786 times
02743B95-9BED-4DA0-ADDD-AF192855E4FC_1_201_a.jpg
02743B95-9BED-4DA0-ADDD-AF192855E4FC_1_201_a.jpg (339.75 KiB) Viewed 3786 times
"Man is the most insane species. He worships an invisible god and destroys a visible nature. Unaware that this nature he's destroying is this god he's worshipping." - Hubert Reeves

User avatar
Zaulkin
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 5425
Joined: Thu Nov 27, 2008 4:01 pm
Has liked: 737 times
Been liked: 511 times

Re: 1959 Les Paul Junior Build

Post by Zaulkin »

Hot!!

User avatar
Molly
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 24937
Joined: Sat Dec 21, 2013 12:17 pm
Has liked: 2482 times
Been liked: 2794 times

Re: 1959 Les Paul Junior Build

Post by Molly »

Looks great. A real labour of love.

User avatar
GrantB
ADMIN
Posts: 15843
Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2003 9:04 am
Location: Where I need to be
Has liked: 1353 times
Been liked: 2087 times

Re: 1959 Les Paul Junior Build

Post by GrantB »

Molly wrote: Sat Apr 17, 2021 6:46 pm Looks great. A real labour of love.
You are not wrong - I hear this echoing in my head “just buy one”... thanks beeg :roll: :)
"Man is the most insane species. He worships an invisible god and destroys a visible nature. Unaware that this nature he's destroying is this god he's worshipping." - Hubert Reeves

Lostininverness
Gibson
Posts: 806
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2015 11:11 am
Has liked: 499 times
Been liked: 136 times

Re: 1959 Les Paul Junior Build

Post by Lostininverness »

GrantB wrote: Sat Apr 17, 2021 5:59 pm Colour target reached, using 2 fewer colour coats than planed. Straight onto clear now x 4 initially. May do a quick wet sand at 400 after a week and 2 x final super fine coats....not sure.

Mocked up the look today. Not sure the blue fingerboard is gonna catch on!

Note the hum bucker placement. Dharmajester and I have oft discussed the potentially shrill hum bucker tone when the pickup is placed so close to the bridge, having both owned wrap tail Les Paul's. So, I moved it forward to tame a little...and it is a T Top, so it's going to want to get a little bright anyway.

Gibson logo has been toned down from its bright gold finish so it looks older...still, quite "popping" as is.

Electrics are VI Pots and a NOS cap from them also. Wired and ready to go.
nice final colour!! I like how its coming together. Buy one - schmy one......wheres the fun in that!

Post Reply