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Les Paul Jr Identification help needed

Teejs

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Jan 6, 2020
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This LPJR has had much help of the wrong type....Someone tried to drill out the tuner holes and popped off the corner and side of the peghead...I could deal with that but when they went to reattach the edge the edge sat proud of the face and it appears this was the beginning of woes...the sn is now gone and it is making restoration and dating a bit more frustrating.
The finish is Lacquer, there is red mahogany finish in the control cavity, The Les Paul logo is there but no "Junior" is there. The nut appears original bone(I haven't pulled it off to verify). The neck is reasonably wide: @nut: 1 3/4 / 1st fret: 1 23/32 / 12th: 2 1/16.
I do not believe the pots are original...they are a matched pair from DiMarzio and the pickup was not original.
So I do feel that it is 'for real':
There is no reason why these actions would be taken to do a fake. The face of the headstock, while there are issues, is mostly intact decal wise
Most of the sanding and leveling was done on the back of the headstock and no attempt was made to fake a number.
I'm sure that there are other ways to help date the guitar i.e. the heel shape the headstock nuances etc...There are no blends...yet!
though I will be blending the headstock but will maintain the existing decals.
Any help will be appreciated.
 

fernieite

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Jan 3, 2010
Messages
609
First of all - Welcome to the forum!

Secondly, (as everyone will say) it would really help to see some pictures!

Since this is the 61-69 part of the forum - Is this a double cut Les Paul Junior or SG? (Les Paul Junior)
 

Teejs

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Jan 6, 2020
Messages
14
First of all - Welcome to the forum!

Secondly, (as everyone will say) it would really help to see some pictures!

Since this is the 61-69 part of the forum - Is this a double cut Les Paul Junior or SG? (Les Paul Junior)

It is a LP Jr DC....the 'permissions' state "You may not post attachments"...so I don't know how to get a pic displayed
 

fernieite

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Jan 3, 2010
Messages
609
Yeah, I think you have to have a photo sharing account, like Photobucket or the like. You would then click on the "insert image" icon in your message and add the photo.

Too bad your Junior doesn't have the serial number or original pots anymore. :dang

An expert can chime in, but didn't Gibson only make the DC Junior from 1958 to 1961?
 

Teejs

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Joined
Jan 6, 2020
Messages
14
[/IMG]
LPJr-7.jpg
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04-02-20-LPJr-pu-cavity1.jpg
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04-02-20-LPJr-Headstock-2.jpg
[/URL][/IMG]
 
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Tom Wittrock

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42,567

Teejs

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Jan 6, 2020
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My feeble attempts to trudge the mire of the net:
The Les Paul Decal on the headstock should help date this...as there is no "junior" on it
The heel is a bit different than the later models...the early ones are not sharply D shaped
The transition from the neck to the headstock on the earlier ones seem to be a lot softer...not sharply defined lines
Just MHO
These pics are after a thorough cleaning and buffing...the back of the neck is lacking a lot of lacquer..a lot of dull areas but dings are minimal.

Otherwise I'm continuing to repair the holy situation on the back of the headstock, I am considering redoing the "G" so I can bring that area of the face level. I do not intend to change of replace any of the rest of the face other than doing a blend of the Black area.
Then I need to find age appropriate pickup and controls...hence why I'm looking for assistance with age...
Tj
 

fernieite

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Jan 3, 2010
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609
Last edited:

latestarter

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Nov 9, 2009
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Nice little project. Looks like a Humbucker could be squeezed in there (as in, the hole has been made larger by the looks).

id take the same approach - leave mostly as is for now and just do some cosmetic stuff first. Maybe refret if needed.
 

Teejs

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Jan 6, 2020
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Thanks for the reply....Yeah, the cavity has been enlarged...and it will need a refret at some point, starting to look like Mosrite frets...
 

DANELECTRO

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Feb 24, 2003
Messages
6,318
That’s definitely a 58-60 DC Junior. As mentioned, it’s been chiseled for a humbucker. It’s also been refinished. The serial number would have been inked on, so it was lost with the finish. The Les Paul JUNIOR silkscreen on the headstock would have been applied over the lacquer. Considering the wear on the headstock, I’d guess that the “JUNIOR” text simply wore off. If you need parts to make it whole, I might be able to help out.
 

Teejs

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Jan 6, 2020
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Thank you Danelectro and Poor Man's Burst....
What was left of the serial ...mostly the lower third and a bit of the left side of the first number but no way I could make it out...
I don't think it was refinned...I could be wrong...the botch job they did on the headstock...the edge was reglued but not lined up properly so they tried to sand the back of the headstock to make it look right and the front also...that's why the sn all but disappeared. This is also why I'll replace the 'G' with the dot..

The nut is actually the nylon one...I just didn't take the time to figure it out...

Parts wise I'm still looking for pots and cap. I'm probably going to use a repro guard..I haven't seen a good used on that I could possibly afford.
I actually have a p90 and the proper tuners that I have had stashed for quite sometime...
The bridge that came on it is a Quan...I'll be in the market for a proper one.
Thanks again...I really appreciate the help!
 

Teejs

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Jan 6, 2020
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Danelectro,
Looking at the finish..I'm gonna take the "I'm Out To Lunch" approach on it....I was 'a lookin' and thinkin' on it' and ...that was a few years ago so It may have been refinned.
I'm going to take the Conservation approach and fix the G so I can complete the re-flattening of the edge and will wait till that is done before deciding wether to leave well enough alone or...

Tom
 

Teejs

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Jan 6, 2020
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14
Completed the Headstock and P.U. Cavity....Posted with original pics
 
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