Gibson’s 1952 goldtop Les Paul Model priced at $210 (without case) competed effectively with Fender’s $189 Telecaster, but Fender also offered the single-pickup Esquire at a significantly lower price of $149. In 1954, Gibson came after the Esquire with it’s own single-pickup model – the Les Paul Junior.

Gibson knew from experience that the least expensive models would always outsell the fancier models, as long as the essential elements were present. The Les Paul Junior did not have the Les Paul Model’s goldtop finish or even it’s maple top cap, and the Junior had no binding, but it had the same body shape, the same neck, and the same pickup.

At $99 it was the best value on the solidbody market. The Junior, especially when sold with a companion amplifier, became the “starter guitar” for thousands of young guitarists in the 50’s. And as Leslie West proved when he used his Junior to create the memorable lead part on Mountain’s 1970 recording “Mississippi Queen”, some guitarists never saw a need to put their Junior down.