10 Gibson Les Paul Junior players
Billie Joe Armstrong
The Green Day frontman has had a long-term love affair with the Junior, preferring his low-slung and loud. He's even had a couple of signature models, including one based on his '56 'Floyd' Junior, and a TV yellow Double Cut.
Keith Urban
Kiwi born, Aussie bred but Nashville famous, Keith Urban's country-pop has made him a superstar, and he's made quite a lot of it with his trusty Les Paul Junior. Far from the most obvious country guitar, but it takes all sorts...
Mick Ralphs
Bowie-endorsed '70s heroes Mott The Hoople were electrifying live in their heyday, with raw power and chops to burn. Guitarist Mick Ralphs' fancy fretwork demonstrated that the Les Paul Junior was more than capable as a rock machine. Check out the solo in the video below...
Bob Marley
Bob was a guitar hero unlike anyone before or since, defining reggae for a generation and generally making us all feel a little bit better about ourselves. Endorsements don't come much higher, and his weapon of choice? An iconic, heavily modified Les Paul Junior.
Paul Westerberg
Paul Westerberg led The Replacements wielding his Les Paul Junior like a weapon. The music was the perfect match for the guitar - raw yet refined.
Chris Carrabba
Chris Carrabba might be best known for his singalong acoustic emo-punk, but of occasion he's been known to make a slightly more raucous racket. Naturally, the only guitar worthy of baring your fragile soul with is the humble, kick-ass Les Paul Junior (apologies for the shaky-cam footage).
Peter Frampton
He came alive, he stayed alive, and he did at least some of that living with a Les Paul Junior (as well as a Talk Box and, frankly, a lot of other guitars). Unfortunately, YouTube didn't want to play ball so we don't have a video of Frampton playing said Junior, so you'll have to trust us on this one...
Mick Jones
The Clash were young, gifted and angry, arguably the greatest band to emerge from the punk wars, and definitely one of the greatest groups London ever produced. Mick Jones' early championing of the Les Paul Junior was probably the result of his youthful obsession with Mott The Hoople, but he turned his into a weapon of mass destruction. The perfect counterpoint to Joe Strummer's machinegun Tele.
John Lennon
After spending the '60s exclusive to pretty much two guitars - first a Rickenbacker 325 and then an Epiphone Casino - he switched to a modded Les Paul Junior at the beginning of his solo career. Here he is making it sing live in New York City.
Leslie West
A big man with a bigger tone and probably the finest exponent of pure, fuzz-heavy Les Paul Junior lovin', Mountain main man Leslie West made his Junior do the business like no one before - and many would argue since.
