“A real giggers’ delight, far from precious and with a very strong, full-fat P-90 roar”: Gibson Charlie Starr Les Paul Junior and Epiphone USA Collection Coronet review

Introduced in 1954 and always overshadowed by ‘proper’ Les Pauls, the 70-year-old Junior is now rather senior. With two just released, it’s time to celebrate the Junior style

Gibson Charlie Starr Les Paul Junior
(Image: © Future / Neil Godwin)

Guitar World Verdict

From a sound and, to a certain extent, playability perspective, both of these ‘Juniors’ hit the spot. But it’s at the expense of the finer details that many makers simply wouldn’t allow. That said, for those who need the Gibson logo and embrace the Junior style, Charlie’s model has got something going on: it comes across as a real giggers’ delight, far from precious and with a very strong, full-fat P-90 roar.

Pros

  • +

    The Gibson is a cleaned-up version of Charlie’s modded 1956 LP Junior.

  • +

    Plenty of juicy P-90 grind and roar.

  • +

    Very stage-aimed.

  • +

    Epiphone has very tidy build with excellent finish.

  • +

    It's lightweight and very resonant.

  • +

    Highly valid lighter voicing – a very vibey guitar.

Cons

  • -

    Finish issues on Starr Junior

  • -

    ‘Unfinished’ pickguards.

  • -

    Rather square ’board edges.

  • -

    Vintage frets don’t suit Starr's Junior modded style.

  • -

    We’d be tempted to rewire the circuit to vintage style.

  • -

    Epiphone badge looks a little budget.

  • -

    Coronet has sharp pointed control knobs.

You can trust Guitar World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing guitar products so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

For a guitar that was specifically created and aimed at beginners, the Gibson Les Paul Junior has been embraced by many professionals since it first saw the light of day in 1954. Gibson had no idea it had created a rock ’n’ roll benchmark that would still provide inspiration for players – and guitar makers – everywhere some 70 years on.

Later in that decade, Gibson changed the Junior’s ‘dress’ with a new double-cutaway version, which certainly has its fans and, as on the ES-335, that extra cutaway gave full access to the fingerboard, as well as increasing the unsupported length of the neck, of course.

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