(Belated) First Impressions: Gibson USA Les Paul Junior Double Cut in Dark Walnut

Late last year, I bought a brand-new Gibson USA Les Paul Junior, in that delicious dark walnut finish.

What do I think of it? Read on for my first impressions.

What Did You Buy?

I bought a Gibson USA Les Paul Junior, in walnut finish.

“Gibson” is the manufacturer.
“Gibson USA” indicates that this was made in Gibson’s Nashville factory by their regular production line; it is not made by Gibson’s Custom Shop.
“Les Paul” is the series of guitars.
“Les Paul Junior” indicates that this is a guitar with a single P90 pickup at the bridge, with a single wrap-around non-adjustable, non-intonated bridge.
“Double Cut” indicates that the guitar has a body shape with both an upper and a lower horn (unlike a “single cut” guitar, which only has a lower horn).
“Dark walnut” indicates that this guitar is part of Gibson’s “Dark Walnut” range of guitars launched in 2024 (or maybe not …)

I bought it brand new from AStrings.co.uk, my local guitar store.

Les Paul Juniors, to me, are the Gibson equivalent of the Fender Esquire: a basic guitar with a single bridge pickup that’s a lot of fun to play, a great platform to learn how to express yourself through playing technique, and more versatile than they first appear.

A Most Mysterious History

Although I bought mine in November 2025, just a couple of days after it arrived at the store (sorry, Adam!), the serial number indicates that this guitar is quite a bit older.

Most serial number sites suggest that this guitar was made in 2022; Gibson’s official site suggests it was made on 30th September 2024.

Either way, this guitar isn’t fresh off the production line.

There’s no evidence that this is a return, or factory second. Guitars can – and do – hang around in shops for years before they’re bought. I’m a bit surprised that Gibson’s had stock kicking around their warehouse for so long, though.

Where has this guitar been hiding? I’d love to know the story.

It doesn’t bother me; it’s just an amusing discovery. For what it’s worth, most of the Les Pauls that I’ve owned over the years were guitars that were gathering dust in guitar shops. I’ve loved every single one of them.

Why Did You Buy It?

Why Were You Looking For Another Guitar?

This guitar is a replacement for Morag.

Back in 2018, I bought a custom-made single-P90 guitar from Ragh Guitars, which I’ve named Morag. It’s a guitar with absolutely monster tone, and it’s brought me a lot of joy over the years.

It’s also got a slight problem: the strings catch on the P90 pickup cover as I play further up the neck.

Ragh Guitars are no longer around, so I can’t ask Grant to redesign the neck joint to provide a better angle over the body. And I’m reluctant to have anyone else work on Morag; I don’t want to take the risk of losing the magic that it currently has.

I can probably get around this by replacing the bridge saddles. Morag’s original saddles are nylon, and it looks to me like the strings have cut themselves deeper and deeper into the saddles. A new set of saddles will definitely raise the string height at the bridge. I can’t tell if this will raise the strings enough to clear the pickup.

(Update: I did get new bridge saddles installed in Morag at the end of the year … and discovered that some of that monster tone was down to the strings being so low over the pickup 🤷‍♂️)

So, for the last few years, I’ve been keeping an eye out for another Les Paul Junior-style guitar.

Why Didn’t You Go Custom Shop?

I didn’t realise this, but until this model turned up in UK dealers, apparently the only way to get a Gibson Les Paul Junior Double Cut was to buy the Custom Shop model.

Just like the white guard Telecaster that I bought earlier in the year, this guitar wasn’t worth Custom Shop prices to me. I’m not fussed about having a vintage-correct spec.

This is what I call a go-kart: a guitar for when I just want some fun. It’s not meant to be my #1.

Why This Guitar?

There’s a lot to like about the guitar that I bought.

First off, it has a monster tone. The P90 isn’t quite the fire-breathing Scottish monster that Morag boasts – and it has a little less low-end too – but make no mistake, this is not a polite guitar in the best possible way.

Second, it’s really light for a Gibson. That’s handy for me. I’m getting older, and last year’s emergency surgery taught me that – sometimes – it’s better to have a guitar you can pick up rather than a guitar you can only look at longingly.

Third, the finish on the back of the neck has set like glass. I don’t come across many guitars where that’s the case, and (to date) every single one of them has been very special to me.

The moment I picked this up in my local guitar store to try, the Gretsch I’d gone to audition and buy was left completely forgotten. This guitar really suits me.

Let’s Talk About The Colour

Dark Walnut Is Just The Colour, Not The Body Wood

When I first heard of this guitar, I (wrongly!) assumed that the guitar itself was made out of dark walnut. It isn’t: it’s an all-mahogany Les Paul (these are often called “hogs” online).

This Is Exactly My Kind Of Look

The colour – this dark walnut look – is the #1 reason why I asked to try this guitar.

There’s one look that, if I could, I’d have on every guitar: the barncaster look. Imagine what a guitar might look like if it’s been sat outside for decades, leaving a weathered, dark wood look.

Now, this dark walnut finish isn’t quite that: it’s all glossy and new. But it has the kind of colour that I’d want from a barncaster-type finish.

What Do I Think Of The Specs?

I Do Like The Neck Profile A Lot

This guitar has a neck with a slim taper profile.

I’ve owned a few Les Pauls with slim taper neck profiles. They were all made in the Henry J era. This neck doesn’t feel like those, to me.

This neck feels wider to me, especially at the nut. And the neck doesn’t feel super-slim in the hand, either. Even though I prefer big vintage profile necks these days, the neck on my Les Paul Junior feels super comfy. I have no trouble at all playing the guitar for extended periods.

No Hardshell Case, But No Reduction In Price

Mine came with a (very nice!) gig bag, and not the hard case that Gibson advertises. (More on that advert in a moment.)

Personally, I don’t mind. I’d rather have a gig bag than a hard case for this particular guitar.

My only (minor) gripe about this is that the downgrade in case didn’t come with a price reduction to match.

Not A Gibson Exclusive, But Still Advertised As Such

When I bought this guitar back in 2025, Gibson’s website was advertising this guitar as being exclusive to Gibson’s own stores. I checked again on 21st February 2026, and that was still the case.

Let’s give Gibson the benefit of the doubt here, and assume that this is a classic case of the left hand (Gibson’s website and own stores) not knowing what the right hand (Gibson’s distribution and dealer team) has been doing.

Personally, I’d love to see Gibson get these guitars back in stock in their dealers. Honestly, if mine is typical, these guitars are so good they will sell themselves – but that only works if you get the chance to play one.

Any QC Issues?

The Gibson name is long synonymous with a (possibly unfair) reputation for quality control issues. Are there any issues with this particular guitar that are worth bringing up?

Before anyone leaves a comment, I completely agree: there should be no QC-related issues at all with a guitar at this price point (or higher).

That goes double for a company like Gibson that describes its QC process as “rigorous”. And it goes double again for any company who pushes the claim that American-made instruments are the gold standard.

Alas, the reality is that I’ve owned guitars from all of the big three (Fender, Gibson and PRS) that came with issues that (I feel) should have been caught at the factory. When it comes to quality claims, none of the big three have lived up to their own marketing for me.

And if QC issues are inevitable, I’d rather have a fully-working instrument over one where the looks are flawless, but its use as an instrument is compromised in any way.

Fortunately, in my experience, this is exactly where Gibson can be trusted way more than Fender or PRS. (That probably belongs as its own blog post one day …)

No QC Issues That Affect Its Use As A Musical Instrument

Let’s start with the headline: there’s nothing wrong with this guitar as a musical instrument.

I have owned 9 different Gibson Les Pauls over the years (including this one), and not one of them has ever had an issue that affected it as a musical instrument.

This is (by far!) the most important QC-related topic for me with any guitar.

Yes, intonation isn’t perfect, because it has a single tailpiece instead of a proper bridge. That’s not a QC issue; it’s part of the original design (just like how a Telecaster with traditional bridge saddles intonates poorly). It’s not really bothering me right now (probably because of how much I’m playing my Telecaster at the moment!)

Tool Marks And Uneven Fretboard Edges

There’s a couple of tool marks on the side of the fretboard at the first fret. I’ve tried to photograph them, but I haven’t managed to take a photo where they are clearly visible.

All along the neck, the fretboard has been rounded off unevenly. Some parts of the fretboard have an almost scalloped appearance. To my eye, the fretboard edge on this LPJ isn’t as straight as the fretboard edge on the Made-in-Mexico Fender Telecaster that I bought earlier this year.

I only notice these issues when I’m looking at the guitar. I don’t feel them when I’m playing, and they don’t cause me to change my playing technique whatsoever.

But Gibson should be taking more care in the first place, and their “rigorous” QC should be catching these mistakes at the factory.

Has This Fretboard Been Stained At The Factory?

When I play the guitar, my fingers are black afterwards.

I don’t know for sure where this black substance is coming from. Makes me wonder, though: has Gibson stained the rosewood to darken the appearance?

I’m assuming that, over time, I’ll rub off all the remaining stain through a combination of playing it and cleaning the fretboard.

If you’ve got any tips to speed up this process, please leave me a comment!

That’s About It On QC Issues

I can’t find anything else worth mentioning.

And, once again, I want to emphasise that none of these issues affect its use as a musical instrument in any way, shape or form.

Any Other Discussion Points?

The Guitar Doesn’t Come With A Certificate of Authenticity

This one made me laugh, especially after Gibson’s infamous “Play Authentic” campaign.

All joking at Gibson’s expense besides, why doesn’t the guitar come with a Certificate of Authenticity (known as a CoA for short)?

Does The Guitar Have A Name?

It does. I’ve called this guitar Desiré.

And no, I haven’t given this guitar a stripper name (thanks Kristi for that one!). It’s the name of an old French folk story set in Scotland, which keeps the Scottish theme alive (Morag is a Scottish folk monster).

Final Thoughts

This is my first Gibson Les Paul from the post-Henry J era. I don’t have much experience with other guitars made under the current management; if you’re here for general points, I can’t help you.

As a musical instrument, I think this particular guitar is great. It plays well, has lots of character and tone, and I’m loving how light the weight is too. I’m very happy with it, and you should expect to hear it a lot on the blog in 2026.

Especially as I love how it sounds through my Tweed Deluxe …