An exceptional 1955 Gibson Les Paul Junior, finished in Sunburst and surviving in remarkably clean, original condition.

It’s hard not to be struck by the colour on this one. The Sunburst remains vibrant, retaining plenty of richness that so often fades on these guitars, and contrasts beautifully with the natural mahogany back and neck. There are a handful of small dings and signs of use, but remarkably little for a guitar over 70 years old. The original lustre is still very much present and overall this is easily one of the cleaner ’55 Juniors we’ve had through ATB.

Part of the magic of these early Juniors is just how little there is to get between you and the guitar: a single-piece mahogany body and neck, wraparound bridge, one P-90 and two controls. What started life as Gibson’s student model has become one of the most celebrated solidbody designs of the ’50s, and a good one makes it very easy to understand why.

The neck is particularly enjoyable, with a comfortable ’50s profile and very little wear to the back. The original frets remain in place and show surprisingly little use, with plenty of height left. The dark mahogany grain through the back of the neck looks superb, and the whole guitar has the feel of something that has been carefully looked after over the years.

Originality is excellent throughout. The plastics are beautifully preserved, the electronics and solder remain untouched and the original wraparound bridge shows no evidence of the modifications sometimes encountered on Juniors of this period. The Kluson 3-a-side tuners are original, although the plastic buttons have naturally shrunk with age.

Plugged in, it has everything you want from a great ’50s Junior. The P-90 is immediate and responsive, with plenty of bite and midrange punch, but there is a surprising amount of range available from the volume and tone controls. Back things off and it cleans up beautifully; turn it up and there is that unmistakable raw, harmonically rich Junior sound that works just as well for blues and roots music as it does flat-out rock ’n’ roll.

The beauty of a great Junior is that nothing feels unnecessary, and this one is a particularly special example: exceptionally clean, original and, most importantly, a seriously good guitar to play.

It comes complete with its original croc-pattern cardboard case. As is so often the case with these, the handle has broken, but it remains a lovely piece of the guitar’s original package.