Here for sale we have a Gibson Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior in Ebony finish. This signature guitar is based on BJA's own '56 Junior which he calls 'Floyd'. In the wake of Green Day's huge 2004 album 'American Idiot' & the roaring success of their 2005 live album 'Bullet in a Bible', Billie Joe ascended to the level of rock star and cemented Green Day's place amongst the most seminal & influential bands of all time. As a result, Gibson offered him the opportunity to develop his own signature guitar. As 'Floyd' was his main guitar, and its no-frills utilitarian vibe fit so well with Green Day's punk ideology & appeal, it made sense for his signature model to be based on that guitar. The model was released in 2006 and is largely an unfettered reproduction of 'Floyd', save for a SlimTaper '60s neck profile and the addition of an H-90 pickup - a stacked P-90 which cancels the hum often associated with single-coil pickups which is exclusive to Armstrong's signature models.

This example was made in the USA in 2010, and features a set-neck construction comprising a Mahogany body, Mahogany neck and 22 fret Rosewood fingerboard. Nickel hardware is fitted including a wrap-tail bridge & aftermarket Grover tuning machines. A single Gibson H-90 pickup is installed in the bridge position and is wired to master volume & tone controls. Billie Joe's signature is printed on the rear of the headstock behind the nut - the only visual cue on the instrument that associates it to him. The case however is much less subtle, featuring a Green Day decal to the exterior & leopard print plush lining - there's simply no mistaking it. 

The Mahogany neck plays very well, with the SlimTaper '60s profile offering a slightly more modern feel over the '50s profile that is present on BJA's 'Floyd'. This allows for faster, more articulate playing across the register, perfect for contemporary punk players. That said, the neck does retain enough thickness to deliver an authentic vintage vibe which is very inspiring in the hands. The no-frills approach that this guitar assumes is refreshing amongst the increasing prevalence of complicated pickup switching & control layouts, not to mention the propensity towards fancy Maple tops & flamed binding. It means you can focus fully on your playing without any distraction. It's everything you need and nothing you don't.

The single H-90 pickup in the bridge position uses two P-90 coils stacked together to emulate the noise cancelling attributes of a humbucker whilst retaining the growl, chunk & bite that we associate with P-90s. Nice & bright, the pickup captures the attack and articulation of your playing beautifully, and cuts through the mix nicely to put your playing front and centre. Whilst not as versatile as a twin pickup instrument, the H-90 does it's thing very nicely, and the master volume & tone controls do allow you to dial in a range of tones without over-complicating things. Taking a Longview, you'd have to be a real Basket Case not to grab this one. 

Brand- Gibson

Model- Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior

Finish- Ebony

Year- 2010

Made In- USA

Body- Mahogany

Neck- Mahogany

Neck Profile- SlimTaper '60s

Fingerboard- Rosewood

Fingerboard Radius- 12"

Frets- 22

Scale Length- 24.75"

Nut Width- 1.71"

Pickups- Gibson P-90 Size Stacked H-90

Controls- Master Volume, Master Tone

Luthier Report

Our ID: 1290926245902

Weight: lbs  

Serial: 100557

Aesthetic Condition:

Headstock: Overall very good condition, the rear face demonstrates screw holes from the original tuners. All aspects demonstrate light scratching and indentation, most apparent to the top corners. A small chip is apparent to the clearcoat on the front face beside the A tuner. This reveals the colour coat beneath. A moderate scratch is apparent to the rear face towards the neck. This has been tested and is not a crack, nor is it a historic repair.

Neck: Overall very good condition, The finish at either side of the fingerboard edges can be felt beneath the thumb, sinking into the grain. This appears to be from factory. The fingerboard demonstrates light indentations difficult to discern from the natural grain. The rear of the neck demonstrates light indentation and scratching visible only under direct lighting at certain angles, somewhat discernible beneath the thumb.

Body: Overall very good condition, the treble side horn demonstrates moderate indentations, piercing the finish and revealing the wood beneath. This continues around the treble side edges to a lesser degree. All aspects of the body demonstrate consistent light scratching and indentation visible only under direct lighting at certain angles. This is most apparent to the rear face consistent with buckle rash.

Condition of Frets:

The frets demonstrate light signs of use, not affecting playability. There is considerable material remaining for future fret work.

Current Set Up:

Truss Rod: Fully functional. Truss rod tool (5/16" socket) not included.

Hardware: Fully functional with moderate signs of use, most notably oxidation to the tuning machines. Aftermarket Grover tuning machines have been fitted. Moderate scratching can be seen to the scratchplate.

Structural: No concerns or issues to note.

Height of the string from the 12th Fret-1.5mm - Bass 2mm

Please be aware that the action on a guitar may move slightly in transit and this measurement is the current height.

Strings on Guitar - 10-46

Electrics: Fully functional. Original wiring harness has been replaced with a custom wiring harness using Oil in Paper Capacitor and CTS pots. Made in America sticker is present to the harness.

Case & Accessories

Original hard case

The case demonstrates moderate signs of use to the exterior. 

Please be aware that for international buyers import fees are not included in our postage and packaging cost, this only covers the cost of the guitar being sent to you. Import fees will be charged by Customs upon the guitar's arrival in the recipient country. Due to Brexit, this also applies to EU buyers. We advise checking the total import cost with Customs as this is not information we are able to accurately provide