Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
UK EditionUK US EditionUS AU EditionAustralia SG EditionSingapore
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About us
Don't miss these
Kiss
Artists “It’s the exact same model Paul McCartney played on Yesterday”: The metal star whose most prized guitar is an acoustic
Gibson Mark Ronson Les Paul Custom
Guitars Gibson unveils Murphy Lab replica of Mick Ronson’s Bowie-era 1968 Les Paul Custom
Mark Morton with his signature Les Paul Modern
Artists How Mark Morton and Gibson reinvented the Les Paul for modern metal – and why passive beats active humbuckers hands down
Lamb of God's Mark Morton performs live on a stage lit in yellow and orange. He plays his new Les Paul Modern Quilt
Artists Mark Morton and Gibson unveil a signature Les Paul that brings the fire with a “flamethrower” bridge humbucker
Angus Young, live onstage at the Los Angeles Colisseum in 1984
Artists “The sound of his guitar has got that hard edge to it. It’s not clean – it’s nasty!”: Angus Young's guitar heroes
Gary Clark Jr plays his signature Cobra Burst ES-355 live onstage.
Artists Gary Clark Jr channels the King of the Blues for limited edition Gibson Custom Shop collab
A PRS McCarty 594 on a hard case
Electric Guitars Best electric guitars 2026: Our pick of guitars to suit all budgets
Gibson Original Collection (L-R) featuring the SJ-200 60s, J-160E, and the LG-2 50s.
Guitars The Beatles-approved J-160E makes its return as Gibson unveils a trio of Original Collection flat-tops celebrating the golden era of acoustic guitar making
Yardbirds
Artists “Clapton hated it when the volume went up. He actually said to Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck, ‘You’re too loud!’”
Gretsch Synchromatic Flacon close up of pickguard
Electric Guitars Best Gretsch guitars 2026: Nail that Gretsch sound at any price point
Joe Bonamassa [left] wears a dark blue suit and shades as he performs with a Gibson Les Paul in 2024. BB King [right] has a mischevious look on his face as he performs seated with Lucille.
Artists BB King was the undisputed King of the Blues – but Joe Bonamassa says he also taught him how to use an iPod
The Rolling Stones
Artists “Brian Jones was the first steel slide player I heard”: Keith Richards pays tribute to Stones guitarists past and present
Jimmy Page
Artists “I had such a connection with it”: On his 26th birthday, Jimmy Page played his beloved Les Paul Black Beauty in a legendary Led Zeppelin show
Keith Richards tries out the meticulous Custom Shop replica of his original 1960 Gibson ES-355, with many more replicas in the background.
Artists Gibson surprise launches $19,999 Keith Richards Collector’s Edition 1960 ES-355, signed by the man himself
Rusty Anderson and Paul McCartney
Artists “Maybe I’m Amazed is always a fun song to play and sing”: How a Beatles fan ended up playing guitar for Paul McCartney
More
  • Sly and Survivor
  • In My Life
  • 95k+ free music samples
  • One chord Diamond
  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.

YouTube YouTube
Watch On
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
Kiss
Artists “It’s the exact same model Paul McCartney played on Yesterday”: The metal star whose most prized guitar is an acoustic
 
 
Gibson Mark Ronson Les Paul Custom
Guitars Gibson unveils Murphy Lab replica of Mick Ronson’s Bowie-era 1968 Les Paul Custom
 
 
Mark Morton with his signature Les Paul Modern
Artists How Mark Morton and Gibson reinvented the Les Paul for modern metal – and why passive beats active humbuckers hands down
 
 
Lamb of God's Mark Morton performs live on a stage lit in yellow and orange. He plays his new Les Paul Modern Quilt
Artists Mark Morton and Gibson unveil a signature Les Paul that brings the fire with a “flamethrower” bridge humbucker
 
 
Angus Young, live onstage at the Los Angeles Colisseum in 1984
Artists “The sound of his guitar has got that hard edge to it. It’s not clean – it’s nasty!”: Angus Young's guitar heroes
 
 
Gary Clark Jr plays his signature Cobra Burst ES-355 live onstage.
Artists Gary Clark Jr channels the King of the Blues for limited edition Gibson Custom Shop collab
 
 
Latest in Electric Guitars
Christian Andreu plays his Jackson signature Rhoads with a whole lot of pyro in the background.
Artists Jackson launches spectacular EverTune refresh of Christian Andreu’s signature Rhoads
 
 
Harley Benton TE Tremolo Series
Guitars Harley Benton unveils three entry-level T-styles with Bigbsy-style vibratos and vintage mojo to burn
 
 
The Gretsch Electromatic Premier Jet reinvents the classic singlecut. Yes, there is the chambered body as before but with a compound radius fingerboard, Twin Six pickups, and contemporary touches such as Luminlay side-markers it is very much a modern update.
Guitars “The perfect marriage of brilliance and brute force”: Gretsch unveils the reinvention of the Jet
 
 
YouTuber Jamie Slays puts the Charvel Standard Series SD2 through its paces
Guitars Charvel’s hotrodded shred performance just got more affordable with the launch of the $569 Standard SD Series
 
 
The Gibson Michael Schenker 1971 Flying V Collector's Edition is a forensic replica of the guitar made famous by the former UFO and Scorpions guitarist – a guitar that is now owned by Metallica's Kirk Hammett.
Artists How a broken string, a loan from his brother and a fresh paint job helped Michael Schenker turn this Flying V into an icon of rock
 
 
Mark Morton with his signature Les Paul Modern
Artists Mark Morton on the secret to his crushing Lamb Of God rhythm tone, and why some effects are best left to post-production
 
 
Latest in News
Paul McCartney
Artists How an unfamiliar guitar chord proved to be the catalyst for Paul McCartney’s new album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane
 
 
Chaka Khan (left), and Whitney Houston perform during the finale of the VH1 DIVAS LIVE '99 at the Beacon Theatre in New York on Tuesday, April 13.  Other performers include Brandy, Tina Turner, and Cher, with a special performance by Elton John. Photo by Frank Micelotta/ImageDirect.
Artists Chaka Khan on her early encounter with the ‘80s star who would later cover one of her biggest hits
 
 
deadmau5
Synths “I have severe Gear Acquisition Syndrome”: Deadmau5 shows off his insane synth collection
 
 
Guitars baggage handler LAX
Guitars Viral footage shows a baggage handler throwing multiple guitars to the ground at LAX
 
 
spotify
Streaming Spotify's new SongDNA feature reveals the "complex web of people, stories and inspirations" behind each song
 
 
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 08: Jay-Z and daughter Blue Ivy Carter look onprior to the start of Super Bowl LX  between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots at Levi's Stadium on February 08, 2026 in Santa Clara, California.  (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Artists Jay-Z says that his daughter Blue Ivy is a “crazy pianist” who has a rare musical gift
 
 

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

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • 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...