Vintage Guitar® magazine : Current Issue :

SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES

ONLINE READERS GALLERY

ADVERTISING WITH VG

HALL OF FAME

HOME

Current Issue

Issue Archive

FEATURES

1953 GIBSON LES PAUL JUNIOR
Gibson records tell us the Les Paul Junior was introduced in 1954. But this instrument has tone and volume pot codes from ’53. It also differs in regard to other specifications, most notably that its neck joint differs from any other Junior. By George Gruhn

IN DETAIL
Gibson’s 1954-’58 Les Paul Junior
Aimed at the entry-level market, the Junior was launched in 1954 to great response. If you’re looking for one today, you’ll first want to read this guide to one of the grittiest rock machines ever made. By Ward Meeker

BASS SPACE
The Robin Freedom
Much like this instrument’s headstock, the company used a reverse line of thought in manufacturing; it’s one of the few lines that started life as an import and is now U.S.-made. By Willie G. Moseley

ADRIAN BELEW
Musical Modernist
He has gigged with Frank Zappa, Talking Heads, and of course, King Crimson. He also has an offshoot band, and his most recent solo effort includes bassist Les Claypool and drummer Danny Carey. By Willie G. Moseley

1976 HAGSTROM JIMMY
In 1968, the Sweden-based Hagstrom company recruited legendary builder James D’Aquisto to design its archtop jazz guitars. Not bad for a company most associate with little double-cutaway guitars covered in vinyl, with plastic pickup assemblies. By Michael Wright

ON THE ROAD TO ’59
Part 2; Gibson Les Paul Reissues 1983-’93
In 1983, Gibson finally released a model called the Les Paul Reissue. And it was an immediate hit, with features that more closely resembled a late-’50s Les Paul Standard. By Mike Slubowski

THE DIFFERENT STRUMMER
Molding a New Idea of Guitars, Part 2
More of our look at the synthetics used in guitar construction. Whether for reasons sonic, aesthetic, or from a manufacturing perspective, disappearing resources are not always the primary motivation. By Michael Wright

2335