Jacksnax: Vintage Les Paul Junior and Special Comparison

[@shreddy412]

Absolutely loved this. I’m a massive Junior fan and you did a wonderful job of showing these off. Great video!

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

Thnx👍😊✌️

[@tito.tarantula]

I recently purchased a 57 Junior Reissue in TV Yellow and it has quickly become my desert island guitar. Everything about it, the look, the feel, the clean tones, the growl... it's just so much fun to play. One thing this guitar has taught me is that less is definitely more. Thx so much for the comparison vid.

[@moose6676]

That first LP Junior is absolutely deadly you just can’t beat a LPJ. What a selection of guitars👍🏻 Thanks for your video 👍🏻Love your playing 👍🏻

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

Agreed…the old dog has it where it counts.

[@josephfemoyer7218]

I have owned over 20-25 vintage juniors and I have never had a bad sounding junior,they were all different but Great in their own right

[@pomod]

That first Jr sounded killer. Great playin' some classic licks in there.

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

I agree! That ‘55 has “it”.

[@Bigsbeee]

Man did I enjoy that - Love to see and hear you rip on a 59-60 Melody Maker Subbed

[@svtman93]

I have a 1956 Les Paul Special myself, the original bridge pickup on it is INCREDIBLY bitey. It's the best sounding P90 I've ever had, and I've had a 1953 Goldtop as well.

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

@@svtman93 great stuff for sure

[@michelleneeds4165]

I'm only listening to this on my phone speaker but that little bend you do before midnight rambler on the 55 sounds like a harp being blown through a green bullet mic. It screams man! Amazing sound!

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

Yep! That’s the sound I’m going for

[@aptsafarinyc]

Sounding Good Jack! Was hearing some just a tourist here licks in there!

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

Hey Jake how’s it going man as a matter fact I listen to that whole record not three days ago good stuff great mix on it by the way hope you’re doing well take care

[@dekzan]

Very nice work and you play very well.

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

Thank you✌️

[@toastoftowne1076]

Thanks I just love this kind of stuff. Your playing is great, you make everything look easy to play........I know it’s not as easy as it looks because I’m trying to copy it everyday. I’ve been picking the Cumberland Blues lesson apart for weeks. I’m gaining ground little by little. Sometimes I wonder if I can ever get that fast or fluid but I keep trying. Be well. Aloha

[@nigeljohnston2193]

Spot on about reissues tending to have uncomfortably big necks whereas the old ones can be fat but fit in the hand beautifully, and I agree that it's all about the depth and angle of the shoulders; after all, that's where most of the contact with the hand is.

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

Right on

[@gingerjam2192]

That 55 junior sounds huge and dynamic! I love it. Your 56 is really good too.

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

I agree… that specific 55 is one of those crazy, near magical, vintage guitars that has that extra special thing going on. The 56 is great… but there’s something almost “wrong” about how great that 55 sounds. It does need a fret job… but it’s owner isn’t that kind of guy. He likes it the way it is… can’t say I blame him.

[@fretboarder4752]

Great sounding demos of these guitars..

[@mofo1739]

Thanks for a great video , a lesson on the hot licks you did in this one would be killer .

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

Hot Licks! Wow…haven’t thought of that series of videos in a while.

[@antoniogutierrez3496]

Really nice playing!

[@markjoy4511]

Les hated what we now know as the SG shape. His relationship with Gibson ended in 1963 because he was going through a divorce from Mary and did not want the Gibson contract to be part of the proceedings.

[@alraymond1618]

Wow. Fantastic overview....

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

Thanks!

[@tylerboley1786]

some great sounds here. can I ask what the amp was? Extremely smooth breakup

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

@@tylerboley1786 That’s a Kemper profiler I’m using a Deluxe Reverb and a tube screamer simulation.

[@patrickmclaughlin7296]

I think the guitar I bought used many years ago may likely be the special. Did they come in a sunburst finish?

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

It’s my understanding that no…not when originally issued in the 50s However in the 70s they reissued the special in a burst.

[@markgrimm3564]

is that a vox ac10 srt in the back is can ya do a review on it love the one on the doug and pat show

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

Yes

[@mofo1739]

Killer sounds and playing ,love these guitars . You've got some tasty licks and tunes going there .what's the name of the drop tuned tune you are playing please

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

Thanks Children of the Grave (Sabbath)

[@chrisseger6420]

I agree with you about the magic of Les Paul JR. But as many says a lot of the magic comes from the fingers of the player and in combination with a lot of feeling this guitars really fly. And that's what I hear in this video.

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

That’s kind of you to say...

[@salgadoMCR]

Awesome sound 55’ jr! What is amp and tubescreamer?

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

It’s all in the Kemper Stage Profiler I use. Top Jimi profiles. This one is a Deluxe Reverb from 1964 and the built in “green scream”. In my opinion it’s more full range than a real tube screamer which lops off a ton of lows. This is a little flatter. I think there’s some reverb and a hint of warm delay.

[@gregweilersbacher8883]

Thanks for the video. Not sure if you already answered this question but what amplifier are you playing through? I’ve been trying to find the right amp for my Junior. Thanks.

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

No problem. I’m playing through aKemper profiler. I’m using a Top Jimi Deluxe reverb and a few emulations of pedals…OD, Delay, Verb

[@thomasjohnson2750]

Loved them all!! Great comparison. Do you think the 55 sounded slightly more aggressive simply because the pot values drifted? Maybe that volume pot was up to 700-800k and the 56 was closer to 500k?

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

More likely the pickup is hotter

[@karendizefalo8950]

That '55 is GLORIOUS! I'm looking to modify an Epiphone LP Junior to see if I can get anywhere close to that same heavy vintage tone. Any suggestions for the best P90 that gets me somewhere in that Leslie West tone realm? Or other advice for recommended mods.. Thanks for throwing in a little COTG there. (Huge Black Sabbath fan here!!)

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

Sadly I’ve never heard a new p90 that can keep up. There are a lot of great new pickup manufacturers…but I’ve never heard a new LPjr. That can compare😪

[@georgebennett2243]

JACK....are you playing any places in Brooklyn or the CITY ?

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

Sadly no!!!

[@guitarstrange2478]

What fuzz are you using on the Sabbath? Sounds great!

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

I’m not sure. Some digital simulation of. Big muff with an eq to get the eq a bit more balanced so I guess it’s not a pedal per se.

[@dane6k6]

Great video. I picked up a 1998 Epiphone Les Paul Junior. do you know if it is a direct copy of the 50's Gibson LPJ?

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

Cosmetics yes… in terms of materials and craftsmanship it’s not the same. Built much differently not worse if you prefer it BTW. These old ones have a thing about them, in particular the pickups are pretty unique when compared to the stuff that’s being manufactured today. Thanks for tuning in! Please sub if you want to support the channel. 👍😊✌️

[@dane6k6]

@@jacksnax4guitar460 Thank you for your response. Mine is even more interesting as it is Indonesian made. (SI) I believe most in this year were made in Japan (SJ).

[@markjoy4511]

Great video, Jack.

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

Hi Mark! Tried calling you not too long ago

[@markjoy4511]

Good to hear from you. I will send an email.

[@Felix-so8ez]

What pedal did you use to get the Midnight Rambler sound?

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

It’s Kemper’s simulation of a TS9. But it’s more full range and allows me to blend in some dry signal too if desired.

[@tomi1537]

Killer sound! I'm not sure I heard you saying what amp and pedals you are using in this comparison. Do you mind sharing the rest of your rig?

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

Kemper stage profiler. Deluxe reverb profile by Top Jimi and the onboard TS9 simulation and reverb.

[@tomi1537]

@@jacksnax4guitar460 thank you for the quick answer! 🙂

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

@@tomi1537 I happened to be up! No worries👍

[@Ledzepfan88]

What are your thoughts on junior vs standard?? I've been looking for this comparison everywhere kinda like the heavyweight vs the underdog David and Goliath. Wether vintage, vintage reissue or modern iteration, that hog slab with a single p90 vs the traditional maple cap on mahogany recipe with two paf style pups. I know Seth lover originally designed pafs to retain that single coil character while bucking the hum. Just using the volume and tone control is One juicy p90 to slather on the tone all ya need or does the maple cap add something, not talking about the figure and fancy inlays for eye candy I mean strictly from a wood and electronic guts standpoint. And would you really miss the neck pup or can tweaking the amp get u there.. People do these newfangled coil splitting where the p90 is the real deal. So, thoughts?? Perhaps future video?

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

I can make a video like that I suppose.

[@Ledzepfan88]

@@jacksnax4guitar460 that would be much appreciated. Being on a fixed income it can be intimidating trying to choose. I have it narrowed between junior, SG standard and Les Paul standard (wether humbuckers or gold top p90s, I suppose the logical comparison being the gold top p90 vs junior. I would include the es but that's opening a can of worms and higher price point unless I went Epiphone. But I can't stand thick poly candycoat shell like finish 😂 cheers

[@Ledzepfan88]

@@jacksnax4guitar460 ps that tone is monstrous!!! Fabulous playing, conjures Leslie West vibes

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

@@Ledzepfan88 Well…It might take a bit. I’m preparing for a some shows and building out two recording studios at the moment…all while teaching a pretty full roster. That said…super cool idea.

[@Ledzepfan88]

@@jacksnax4guitar460 thank you! I'm curious what preconceived notions are about the outcome, and whenever it comes to fruition we can be surprised together. I Think the junior may be ballsier with the maple cap being a bit brighter but that's on paper 😂

[@chuckmatses6803]

That was great. I just hope that my newly acquired Custom Shop ‘57 is better than you say here, waiting for a new bridge to arrive. Nice playing as well.

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

Hey! Don’t worry. I’m sure your guitar is going to be awesome. This is vintage cork-sniffing at its finest. Don’t sweat it. BTW-They figured it out… they overwind bridge pickups to compensate. It’s just physics, there’s more vibration (volume/amplitude) in the center of the string which is closer to the neck pickup. So they make the bridge hotter. Back in the 50s they just had pickups…no distinction between the bridge and neck. That said the old pickups sound a little different.

[@chuckmatses6803]

@@jacksnax4guitar460 Thank you, Jack. Very interesting. That’s funny about the “cork sniffing “.

[@josephfemoyer7218]

Jack,did the tv special sell?

[@doc_matter]

What amp where you using for this?

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

Kemper Top Jimi 1964 Deluxe reverb profile and the Kemper TS9

[@josephfemoyer7218]

What amp are you using,all sound great whatever it is

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

I’m playing through a Kemper profiler. I think this is a deluxe reverb with a boost in front (full range TS9 simulation) a little delay and verb

[@josephfemoyer7218]

@@jacksnax4guitar460 what kind of crazy person is up at this hour playing guitar watching youtube videos????

[@josephfemoyer7218]

I,i guess i am

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

@@josephfemoyer7218 My sleep has been really off lately…this cold has been a real pain.

[@josephfemoyer7218]

@@jacksnax4guitar460 thank God for guitars I told my wife,it could be Whiskey,Women,gambling

[@antoniogutierrez3496]

The 55 is way to go ❤

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

It sounds wonderful

[@joshua0226]

What amplifier and pedals were you using in this video ? These are the greatest rock tones I’ve heard ever.

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

That’s my Kemper amp profiler. It’s a deluxe reverb and a TS9 simulation. Reverb and delay too. Pretty good sound at low & high volumes. Check it out! Thanks for the comment and I hope you’ll poke around, enjoy the channel and consider subbing! Cheers, J

[@fabbianniccolo8267]

What string gauge you use on these guitars?

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

Those are .10’s

[@josephfemoyer7218]

Jack,your missing the Gibson 1959 double cut junior,killer guitar.sell me the 1955 junior and the 1956 special

[@RussC123]

Holy smokes- the tone and your playing skills are on point! Would you have a recommendation for a current production dog ear p90 that would get close to the sound of that 55’ Jr? The “thud” effect you eluded to, even in the non-wound strings, is what I’m looking for in a p90.

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

No idea who does it right these days… I think I’d look for an old one

[@RussC123]

@@jacksnax4guitar460 Gotcha- And you’d suggest looking for a hotter/overwound p90, correct? Any idea on a number to shoot for on output?

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

@@RussC123 not too brutish… I’d have to do some research before I’d opine to the power. If it was for a one pickup guitar I’d say it’s not too big a concern, because there’s nothing to balance the output against. Look for a 50s dogear P90

[@tomasvanecek8626]

Try Wolfe McLeod, of Wolfetone Pickups. He has 3 varieties of P90s, all unwaxed, his Mean and Meaner are A2, the Meanest is A5. After putting a Meaner in my LP Jr, I couldnt be happier.. So, my R4, another LP Jr CS 57 and LP Spec CS 60 are waiting, to get rid of Gibson P90s A5.. no comparison. His humbuckers are also top notch, and I have Throbaks, SD Custom Shop, OX4.. he is just doing it right, and the price isnt crazy.. the best deal there is if you ask ME :)

[@bapaynes]

Wow

[@josephfemoyer7218]

I collect 1950’s juniors,sell me all 4.

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

I only own the ‘56. The special is sol and the ‘55 isn’t for sale. The ‘61 could be had I bet.

[@josephfemoyer7218]

@@jacksnax4guitar460 how much for the 61 SG les Paul jr? Is it all 100% original with no mods,repairs,no broken soldier connections?

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

@@josephfemoyer7218 I think so…original bridge in case. I’ll ask the owner when I’m back in town.

[@josephfemoyer7218]

@@jacksnax4guitar460 ok Jack!please keep me posted?

[@SDPickups]

On The Special, all you have to do is lower the pole screws down flat, and raise the pickup really close to the strings. Gibson NEVER made bridge and neck pickups, they only made one model and installed them regardless of how many "ohms" they were. So, there was no intention of installing "matched" pickups, not EVER. Its all in the setup. Furthermore, all vintage Gibson P90's and PAF's had very weak magnets in them, because alnico was not perfected, the old magnets by today's standards would be considered junk quality.

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

Thanks for the comment. As to the pickups and setup-I understand that… however, this was already the case with this guitar, so go figure. The pickup couldn’t be brought any closer without installing a riser and exposing the bottom of the bridge pickup, or installing a new pickup cover. As the guitar was being sold at the time of the review…that wasn’t an option. Cheers and thanks for watching! J

[@AlexG-ok1zc]

@@jacksnax4guitar460 Love the video and the different tones. I have a Gibson Custom VOS TV Yellow singlecut special. I believe the bridge pup is higher output these days, though vintage voiced and very "single-coily". I've done what the commenter above described and it seemed to help a bit giving the bridge a bigger sound compared to the neck. I wonder if the electronic components, capacitance, and less magnetic pull of single pickup also all contribute to the bridge on a Jr sounding "bigger".

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

@@AlexG-ok1zc After noticing it year after year, guitar after guitar… I’m convinced it’s just something that’s going to be there on vintage examples when they didn’t make different pickups for the bridge. I’m not saying it’s bad either… just part of the deal. Similar issues with strats right? Bridge pickup with no tone control and same power= really bright.

[@tomasvanecek8626]

@@AlexG-ok1zc I think Gibson still has/makes only one P90, no difference if Custom Shop or USA line.. all are waxed Alnico V, same specs for bridge vs neck.

[@tomasvanecek8626]

@@jacksnax4guitar460 In those days it was just a pickup, they just took them from the bin and slapped them on a guitar. Same with P90s, same with PAFs. Reading interviews with S.Lover and the old guys, they didnt even know what magnets were there.. somewhere I read : all we knew it was just a formula XY.. go figure :)) and now tell me, what was A2,A3,A4 etc.. Anyway A3 as in Nocaster CS, and degaussed in Masterbuild Tele just sounds best to me.. Les Pauls its all A2 for me.

[@josephfemoyer7218]

Jack,take off the pick guard the neck joint is much stronger,sturdier than the weak ass neck joint in the specials.all the Gibson custom shop historic reissue LP specials were corrected with the long neck tenons.the reissues are better made than the vintage original 1960 special 2 pickup models

[@tomasvanecek8626]

Well, I hope so... I have a 2007 LP Special 1960 CS on its way to me 😆 to join my 2 LP Jrs, 2005 and 2006, so great guitars...

[@g.graves8939]

Loved the video but cringed every time he hit the pickup selector switch!🥺

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

I don’t understand

[@g.graves8939]

@@jacksnax4guitar460 I was scared you'd break the switch

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

@@g.graves8939 nah!

[@g.graves8939]

@@jacksnax4guitar460 my favorite guitar is the Les Paul Jr..best guitar ever! I sold mine because of a fear of headstock break..got a fender esquire instead, as you'd know not the same beast! I've finally decided to get another & your video helped me make that decision..the tone is undeniable!

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

@@g.graves8939 100% I feel like a Tele is closer to an esq. than a special is to a jr

[@josephfemoyer7218]

Wronggggggggggg,the les Paul SG specials had weak neck joints due to the close proximity of neck pickup cavity.all juniors have extremely strong Neck joints

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

Hi Joseph… I’m sorry, what are you saying? If I recall correctly I didn’t make any claims that the necks joints on the SC juniors had any issues. If you can point me to the spot in the video where I said whatever you’re responding too I’d be grateful. Certainly not my intent to spread incorrect info…please help me by letting me know what’s wrong or in accurate? Thnx, J

[@tomasvanecek8626]

@@jacksnax4guitar460 Well. I´m no Joseph :) .. but he is right and you just misread what he wrote: the SG Specials - as did all 2 pickup SGs - had their so-so neck/body joint compromised even more by routing a neck pickup cavity into a tenon area, even worse without the upper bout support that single cut LP Spec. did have.. To sum it up: he was talking about SG SPECIALS, no mention about SG JUNIORS, which didnt suffer from weakening of the neck/body joint.. is it clear now ? Btw, nice playing.. really great. 🤩

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

@@tomasvanecek8626 yeah clear… I still think the SG (regardless of number of pickups) is a design with greater structural vulnerability than the LP. But…sure SG specials are EVEN weaker than SG juniors.

[@tomasvanecek8626]

@@jacksnax4guitar460 Sure I agree with you.. you look at the SG wrong - and it is out of tune 😂 Funny enough, the best sound I ever heard was Clapton with the Fool, live - Sleepy Time... That must have been a very special example of an SG indeed !

[@jacksnax4guitar460]

@@tomasvanecek8626 just because it’s fragile doesn’t mean it’s not awesome…I have an SH special from’64. Neck/Heel break/repair. Sounds INCREDIBLE! Just gotta be careful… Anyway thanks for the interaction and watching!!!

[@projectmoon13]

Sg means solid guitar. They are all technically SG’s. Lol