Difference between Custom Shop Junior and Billie Joe Armstrong series Juniors?

Bruce R · Jan 11, 2019

Considering that the price differential is significant, what are the primary differences between a mid 50's, Leslie West style Custom Shop LP Junior singlecut and a Billie Joe Armstrong Junior with a similar finish?

It doesn't appear that this model is still being made, and the Gibson website isn't much help.

J.D. · Jan 12, 2019

I think they built these with slim necks and not the larger Historic profile. The construction details are more Gibson USA than Historic spec. And maybe they used a different pickup than a traditional P-90.

toxpert · Jan 12, 2019

Profile of headstock top, headstock logo and placement, angle of tailpiece, pickup location, slim neck profile, pickguard for the newer BJA models

MeHereNow · Jan 12, 2019

They're not far off of a historic in look and feel, except the thinner neck.
I had a 2009 BJA Jr and it featured:

-a 1 piece body,
-the neck is set shallow like the vintage one's and the tenon "butt" is not visible when the pickguard is removed
-body has the "lip" in the cutaway
-pickup rout is slightly deeper to accomodate the bulkier "H-90" stacked coil pickup that came with these
-it had a fiber veneer on the headstock
-finish was pretty thin (colour and clearcoat) and you could see it sunk in the mahony grain, it weatherchecked like crazy!

Mine was a white one and came with a ebony board.
And i Grovered it :salude

Dilver · Jan 21, 2019

Besides the headstock logo, the pickup position and tuners, I think the 2018 Les Paul Junior LE was pretty damn close to a Custom Shop Junior... 50s neck profile, “step”, color, thin finish. I love mine way more than I expected to!

https://i.imgur.com/dI8dbx5.jpg

Big Al · Jan 21, 2019

Dilver said:
Besides the headstock logo, the pickup position and tuners, I think the 2018 Les Paul Junior LE was pretty damn close to a Custom Shop Junior... 50s neck profile, “step”, color, thin finish. I love mine way more than I expected to!

https://i.imgur.com/dI8dbx5.jpg

The "50's" profile is in fact a close copy of a 1960 shallow profile and not even close to a 50's or Historic. Knobs are wrong as are electronics. Back color is an incorrect deep wine and not pore filled walnut with shaded heel, headstock shape way off as is truss cover. Stamped impressed serial and made in USA on headstock rear. Dark sides make it hard to determine if body is one piece.

Lot's to like for the money with only the neck profile as a real issue.

Dilver · Jan 21, 2019

Big Al said:
The "50's" profile is in fact a close copy of a 1960 shallow profile and not even close to a 50's or Historic. Knobs are wrong as are electronics. Back color is an incorrect deep wine and not pore filled walnut with shaded heel, headstock shape way off as is truss cover. Stamped impressed serial and made in USA on headstock rear. Dark sides make it hard to determine if body is one piece.

Lot's to like for the money with only the neck profile as a real issue.

Ok, I was exaggerating, :hmm But the neck on mine is definitely NOT a 1960 profile and is *closer* to the “59” profile of my 2017 R8. Knobs, TRC and electronics are easily swapped out. I agree on the rest (BTW, looks like the body is one piece) but my point was more to offer another consideration to the OP besides the BJA Junior which very clearly has a thin neck.

AA00475Bassman · Jan 21, 2019

Dilver said:
Besides the headstock logo, the pickup position and tuners, I think the 2018 Les Paul Junior LE was pretty damn close to a Custom Shop Junior... 50s neck profile, “step”, color, thin finish. I love mine way more than I expected to!

https://i.imgur.com/dI8dbx5.jpg

Love mine its a killer for the money & it is not a 60's profile . What crack did you pull that out of Al don't think you played one the fact is the neck you are describing has no common with my guitar ! My 2018 Explorer has a 60's profile !

Difference between Custom Shop Junior and Billie Joe Armstrong series Juniors?

Bruce R

Well-known member

J.D.

Well-known member

toxpert

Active member

MeHereNow

Member

Dilver

Active member

Big Al

Well-known member

Dilver

Active member

AA00475Bassman

Well-known member