Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Guitars
  • Synths
  • Controllers
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Drums
  • Guitar Amps
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About Us
More
  • Prime Day music deals still live
  • Todd Rundgren's top 5 productions
  • Steve Porcaro
  • 95k+ free music samples
  • Ozzy mix wisdom
Don't miss these
Laney Lionheart Foundry Super60
Guitar Amps "There’s something incredibly satisfying about playing through this amp": Laney Lionheart Foundry Super 60 112 review
Loog Guitars x Gibson: these child-friendly 3-strings reimagine the Les Paul and SG for young beginners.
Guitars Gibson teams up with Loog for child-friendly 3-string versions of its most famous electric guitars
Epiphone Joe Bonamassa 1959 Les Paul Custom: a the dual-pickup Custom was a lesser-spotted model in the Gibson catalogue in the '50s – they didn't make many of them. But Bonamassa presents us with one and this 'Black Beauty' is equipped with a Bigsby.
Artists Epiphone raids Joe Bonamassa’s Nerdville archive for another reproduction of a vintage unicorn
Jackson Pro Origins 1985 San Dimas: these retro S-styles take the high-performance electric guitar brand back to the '80s, offering single and dual-humbucker platforms for shred with the choice of rosewood or maple fingerboards – and what about that "Two-Face" black-and-white finish?
Guitars “These guitars empower metal artists with the authentic, crushing tone that built Jackson’s legendary reputation”: Jackson takes us back to the heyday of shred with the Pro Origins 1985 San Dimas series – and what about that Two Face finish?
Dusty Hill and Billy Gibbons tear it up as ZZ Top play the Aragon Ballroom at Chicago in 1980, with Gibbons playing his legendary Les Paul Standard, Pearly Gates
Artists “"There is something magic in that instrument”: Billy Gibbons on why Pearly Gates is one of the greatest Les Pauls ever
Jackson Pro Series Limited Edition Phil Demmel KV King V: the V-style electric is finished in black-and-white polka dots, and looks good in all settings, against a white background or barroom scene alike.
Artists Jackson and Phil Demmel salute Randy Rhoads with limited run Pro Series King V in polka dot finish
Debbie Gough of Heriot demoes the new Jackson Pro Plus Metal Phase II Warrior on a darkened studio set.
Guitars Jackson adds Warrior, King V and Concert Bass to its limited edition Pro Plus Pure Metal range
Gretsch Electromatic CVT: The bolt-on double-cut assumes a familiar form to the Jack Antonoff signature model, and features dual humbuckers, a wraparound tailpiece, and some neat vintage finishes.
Guitars Like the Jack Antonoff signature Gretsch? Then you are going to love the CVT Electromatic
A black-and-white image of Jimmy Page using a violin bow on his 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard.
Guitars Bare Knuckle supremo Tim Mills reveals the tone secrets of Jimmy Page’s ‘Number One’ Les Paul
Phil X of the Drills and Bon Jovi performs at a Leslie West Tribute concert and plays a Cherry Red Gibson SG.
Artists Bon Jovi guitarist Phil X shares details about upcoming signature Gibson – an SG like no other?
A PRS McCarty 594 on a hard case
Electric Guitars Best electric guitars 2025: Our pick of guitars to suit all budgets
The Seymour Duncan Joe Bonamassa Bolin Burst Signature Pickup Set replicates the same humbuckers that are in the blues superstar's 1960 Les Paul Standard once owned by Tommy Bolin.
Artists Seymour Duncan expands Joe Bonamassa range with humbucker set based on pickups from his ‘Bolin Burst’ Les Paul
A Fender Player II Stratocaster and Telecaster on a white piece of wood with lots of holes in it
Electric Guitars Best electric guitars under $1,000/£1,000 in 2025: My top picks for players of all styles
Gretsch Electromatic CVT Double-Cut in Wychwood greenburst finish
Electric Guitars "For garage, punk, and rock styles, it’s got the tonal firepower on offer": Gretsch Electromatic CVT Double-Cut review
Andy Fraser in 1971
Artists “The notes he didn’t play were more important than the notes he did play”: A salute from one great bassist to another
  1. Guitars
  2. Electric Guitars

10 Gibson Les Paul Junior players

News
By Rob Power published 14 June 2013

Rock royalty love the stripped-back attack of the Junior

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Billie Joe Armstrong

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.

Page 1 of 10
Page 1 of 10
Keith Urban

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...

Page 2 of 10
Page 2 of 10
Mick Ralphs

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...

Page 3 of 10
Page 3 of 10
Bob Marley

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.

Page 4 of 10
Page 4 of 10
Paul Westerberg

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.

Page 5 of 10
Page 5 of 10
Chris Carrabba

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).

Page 6 of 10
Page 6 of 10
Peter Frampton

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...

Page 7 of 10
Page 7 of 10
Mick Jones

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.

Page 8 of 10
Page 8 of 10
John Lennon

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.

Page 9 of 10
Page 9 of 10
Leslie West

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.

Page 10 of 10
Page 10 of 10
Rob Power
Read more
Loog Guitars x Gibson: these child-friendly 3-strings reimagine the Les Paul and SG for young beginners.
Gibson teams up with Loog for child-friendly 3-string versions of its most famous electric guitars
 
 
Epiphone Joe Bonamassa 1959 Les Paul Custom: a the dual-pickup Custom was a lesser-spotted model in the Gibson catalogue in the '50s – they didn't make many of them. But Bonamassa presents us with one and this 'Black Beauty' is equipped with a Bigsby.
Epiphone raids Joe Bonamassa’s Nerdville archive for another reproduction of a vintage unicorn
 
 
Jackson Pro Origins 1985 San Dimas: these retro S-styles take the high-performance electric guitar brand back to the '80s, offering single and dual-humbucker platforms for shred with the choice of rosewood or maple fingerboards – and what about that "Two-Face" black-and-white finish?
“These guitars empower metal artists with the authentic, crushing tone that built Jackson’s legendary reputation”: Jackson takes us back to the heyday of shred with the Pro Origins 1985 San Dimas series – and what about that Two Face finish?
 
 
Dusty Hill and Billy Gibbons tear it up as ZZ Top play the Aragon Ballroom at Chicago in 1980, with Gibbons playing his legendary Les Paul Standard, Pearly Gates
“"There is something magic in that instrument”: Billy Gibbons on why Pearly Gates is one of the greatest Les Pauls ever
 
 
Jackson Pro Series Limited Edition Phil Demmel KV King V: the V-style electric is finished in black-and-white polka dots, and looks good in all settings, against a white background or barroom scene alike.
Jackson and Phil Demmel salute Randy Rhoads with limited run Pro Series King V in polka dot finish
 
 
Debbie Gough of Heriot demoes the new Jackson Pro Plus Metal Phase II Warrior on a darkened studio set.
Jackson adds Warrior, King V and Concert Bass to its limited edition Pro Plus Pure Metal range
 
 
Latest in Electric Guitars
Epiphone Joe Bonamassa 1959 Les Paul Custom: a the dual-pickup Custom was a lesser-spotted model in the Gibson catalogue in the '50s – they didn't make many of them. But Bonamassa presents us with one and this 'Black Beauty' is equipped with a Bigsby.
Epiphone raids Joe Bonamassa’s Nerdville archive for another reproduction of a vintage unicorn
 
 
The legendary luthier Ken Parker in his workshop with one of his groundbreaking archtop designs.
Ken Parker, the visionary luthier behind the Parker Fly, has died, aged 73
 
 
Korn's Brian 'Head' Welch and James 'Munky' Shaffer show off their new Ibanez signature 7-strings
Korn’s Head and Munky unveil new Ibanez 7-strings – and explain how it all comes back to Steve Vai
 
 
Dave Davis pictured on the left in black-and-white, circa 1964, playing a Guild semi-hollow and singing into the mic; Dave Davies pictured from behind, slashing a speaker to show us how he got the distorted tone on You Really Got Me.
“So, Dave, how do I slash the amp?”: Dave Davies picks up a razor and slashes a speaker on camera to demonstrate how he got the Kinks’ iconic proto-fuzz guitar tone
 
 
A still from KHDK's Instagram reel with the logo emblazoned over one of the stompbox company's new and as-yet-unannounced and unreleased electric guitar designs.
KHDK Electronics makes pedals for metal's biggest stars; now it's going to make electric guitars too
 
 
The Seymour Duncan Joe Bonamassa Bolin Burst Signature Pickup Set replicates the same humbuckers that are in the blues superstar's 1960 Les Paul Standard once owned by Tommy Bolin.
Seymour Duncan expands Joe Bonamassa range with humbucker set based on pickups from his ‘Bolin Burst’ Les Paul
 
 
Latest in News
Freddie Mercury in 1975
“Oh, we're Number One again! It almost got boring after a while”: Brian May and Roger Taylor on Queen’s masterpiece
 
 
hisong
Hisong's AirStudio S1 is a pocket-sized all-in-one recording solution for musicians on the move
 
 
THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON -- Episode 2196 -- Pictured: (l-r) Musical guests Rei Ami, Ejae, and Audrey Nuna of "KPop Demon Hunters" perform on Tuesday, October 7, 2025 -- (Photo by: Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images)
EJAE on the making of the KPop Demon Hunters "banger" that's taken over the world
 
 
yamaha
Steinberg rebrands hardware products under Yamaha and shifts focus exclusively to software
 
 
allen heath
Allen & Heath's Xone:K3 brings RGB backlighting, improved hardware and USB-C to its portable performance-oriented MIDI controller
 
 
Zach Bryan performs at MetLife Stadium on July 20, 2025
“We all say things that are misconstrued sometimes": Zach Bryan attempts to calm furore over Bad News
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...