These very different takes on Gibson’s strippeddown Junior and Special ‘student’ guitars are still valid some 60 years after they were introduced
Gibson first introduced its Les Paul Junior and Special models in 1954, aiming at players on a budget who aspired to trade up to the pricier Standard or Custom at a later date. The company certainly didn’t realise what lasting appeal these instruments would have beyond this ‘student’ market, particularly the start-up Junior, which found its way into the hands of Johnny Thunders, Mick Ralphs, Bob Marley, John Lennon and Leslie West to name a few.
Our two review guitars call to mind differing aspects of the Junior and Special’s legacy. Both are styled after the single-cut version (rather than the post-’58 double-cut ‘revamp’) with simple controls and traditional passive electronics. Interestingly, both also address the traditional ‘single-cut’ issue of limited-upper fret access with similar offset, contoured neck-to-body joints (glued-in, of course), with 22-fret bound-edge rosewood ’boards and medium jumbo frets.
The similarity between the two models ends there. Schecter’s Solo II Special has a highly sculpted body with a slim C profile three-piece mahogany neck, which all looks very smart but functional in its matt Vintage White Pearl finish. Even the black headstock face is finished in matt. The AXL is a different story with its double-bound mahogany slab body resplendent in glossy Orange Sparkle; its one-piece mahogany neck is chunkier and features a kitsch 50s-style headstock logo. In the way that Fano has created a hybrid of Gibson and Fender styles with its SP6, for example, this AXL mixes in Gretsch twists to the hallowed Gibson formula, with a Bigsby vibrato and Power’Tron pickup. This is going to be interesting…
Feel & Sounds
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Denne historien er fra February 2017-utgaven av Guitarist.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Sonic Shaper
Electro-Harmonix revisits the effect that launched the company with the LPB-3 Linear Power Booster and EQ
Platinum Blonde
PRS has updated its Texas-voiced David Grissom signature amp with more features, lower wattage and a more approachable price tag
TAN LINES
Many of us regard straps as a bit of an afterthought, but to find one that matches the quality of a custom or vintage guitar, Rod Boyes of Pinegrove Leather can help
ELECTRIC STRINGS
Your tone starts with your strings - strike a balance between sound, tuning and durability with six of our favourites
DIFFERENT WINDS
While there's no end to repros of all the classic pickup styles, more and more pickup makers are mixing things up to move forward - Cream T is a good example
Long termers
A few months' gigging, recording and everything that goes with it - welcome to Guitarist's longterm test report
Top Guns
Chapman's new factory move coincides with a bit of a rethink. We track down the key players all around the world
the Wishlist
Dream gear to beg, borrow and steal for...
Reach For The Star
Earlier this year Guild reorganised its 70s-era Polara range. We spent some time with this mid-range 2024 model: a modern pawn-shop prize or a copy too far?
HIGH FLYER
Adrian Thorpe of ThorpyFX remembers the flight path - and turbulence behind Chris Buck's Electric Lightning overdrive/boost, named after a fighter jet and packing a bona fide valve