• Guys, we've spent considerable money converting the Les Paul Forum to this new XenForo platform, and we have ongoing monthly operating expenses. THE "DONATIONS" TAB IS NOW WORKING, AND WE WOULD APPRECIATE ANY DONATIONS YOU CAN MAKE TO KEEP THE LES PAUL FORUM GOING! Thank you!

New 1963 Les Paul Junior day!

fernieite

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 3, 2010
Messages
609
Well, I finally did it. I've been wanting one of these for quite sometime, since playing a few in vintage stores over the years. So, yesterday I bought a very cool 1963 Les Paul Junior! (SG) :) I was able to sell a bit of gear this past week...


Anyway, this one has Centralab pots dated the 21st week of 1963, (1346321) and a serial number of 1207XX. It's also a birth year guitar for me. The neck shape is very nice. I just measured the following - 1st fret .80" / 3rd .84 / 5th .88 / 7th .92 / 9th .96 / 12th 1.01 / 15th 1.04 / 17th 1.06. I like the feel - it's just right. And yes, it sounds killer! :yah

The cherry finish has faded quite a bit on the top, and has tons of finish checking all over. I've just cleaned it with Virtuoso cleaner and will do it again to get the final grunge off. The board looks quite nice and dark, but needs a cleaning too.

I've just emailed Dan (Danelectro) at Mojoaxe to get a replacement pickguard and bridge. The original bridge was in the non-original generic case, and some sort of butt ugly compensated bridge was installed. (I have a generation 1 Protector case, so I'll sell off the generic case) The original pickguard has shrunken at the holes and cracked. The nut maybe original, but it has been shimmed a bit higher for the slightly higher replacement bridge, I suspect.

The original tuners are gone, and it has a set of Gibson deluxe (made in Germany) white tipped pegs. They look like Klusons on the back and Grovers (with the nut and washer) on the front. I may want to get a set of original tuners or repros, if it's possible to put it back to stock. Conversion bushings maybe?

Is the Gibson logo under the finish on these? If so, I'd like to clean the headstock. I'm pretty sure the silk screened "les Paul junior" in on top of the finish, right? - So I'll avoid that area...

Sorry, I don't have any pictures yet. But, they'll come later...
 
Last edited:

fernieite

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 3, 2010
Messages
609
Thanks man! Pictures of your 62 over the years kept the desire going. :)
 

Bruce R

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 2, 2007
Messages
1,029
Very beautiful guitar!! Thanks for the photos!! I once had a '63 Special and it was gorgeous as well.
 

Dynaman

New member
Joined
Feb 25, 2016
Messages
18
Love it. I had never played a P90 until I got myself a 67 SG Jr. Should have done that a long time ago.
 

Hotshot

Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2017
Messages
282
best thing i ever did was fly to Halifax from Toronto to answer a local classified and score my almost mint 64 SG J. Is amazing. i keep in on a rack lying our every day and its been great...
 

fernieite

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 3, 2010
Messages
609
Thanks guys! I'm totally stoked - I love this guitar!

I've got a very cool set of original vintage Kluson single lined "3 on a plate" tuners coming, and an aged pickguard and compensated "lightning bolt" bridge from Dan (Mojoaxe)

I'll also be getting a few vintage bits and screws to bring this beauty back to stock.:yah
 
Last edited:

fernieite

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 3, 2010
Messages
609
I got a nice surprise email from Gibson last week. I thought they had stopped giving out the shipping ledger info. Maybe it's just a matter of timing...
Anyway, here's my guitar's shipping date:

Hi,
In the Gibson Shipping Ledger Archives the serial number 1207XX shows a Les Paul (SG) Junior model shipped from the Kalamazoo, MI factory on 6/25/1963.
Thanks, and I hope this helps!

Interesting. My pots are dated the 21st week of 1963 - so May 20-26, and the guitar was shipped out about a month later - on Tuesday June the 25th.

I guess they got a fresh order of 500k pots from Centralab towards the end of May and soon after installed a set in my guitar, before setting it up and shipping it out towards the end of June. I was born around the middle of March that year, so this guitar and I are very close to the same age.
:)
 
Last edited:
Joined
Mar 31, 2020
Messages
33
Love the pictures man,
ive became really taken with juniors. Love that extra bit of grit those dog ears give
 

fernieite

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 3, 2010
Messages
609
Thanks bro! Juniors have something special going on for sure.:spabout
 
Top