Everyone wants a Les Paul Junior, but why follow the heard?

Introduced in 1960 as an entry level guitar along the same lines as Gibson’s Melody maker, the Olympic had a makeover in 1963, aligning it with the Coronet, Wiltshire and Crestwood but retaining the narrower body depth. Available in both single and double pickup configurations, the maestro vibrato becoming standard in 1965. The line was discontinued in 1970.

This particular example has the rare sunburst finish, a little faded but in overall very good condition. The neck is slim although not skinny and is extremely comfortable in the hand. All of us who have played this at the shop have felt instantly at home on this guitar.

The hardware and electrics are all correct and in good shape. The bridge has had slots cut in it to guide the strings but no other modification are evident. The maestro vibrato works well and the guitar stays in tune without difficulty.

Sonically this guitar is a surprise. The single pickup seem to be locate in the perfect position so as to provide that right amount of treble without being shrill. This means that the controls can be manipulated without the loss of output and yielding a wide variety of very useful tones. The neck is very comfortable and the light weight makes it a joy to play sat down or stood.

As with all these so called ‘student instruments’ there is so much more than meets the eye with his guitar. If you’re on the hunt for something a little different, look no further…