Double Takes

Hot on the heels of the Les Paul Custom 70s, two more blasts from the past rejoin Gibson's USA line-up. The DCs are back!

- Words Dave Burrluck Photography Matt Lincoln

GIBSON LES PAUL JUNIOR DOUBLE CUT & LES PAUL SPECIAL DOUBLE CUT £1,499 & £1,699

CONTACT Gibson PHONE [phone] WEB www.gibson.​com

What You Need To Know

These aren't new guitars, they've been around forever!

We're sure plenty of readers of a certain age will agree! But while the classic single-cut Junior and Special have been a part of the current Gibson USA lineup for a while, these double-cut models are more recent additions: the Junior was initially available online/Gibson Garage-only, then fully released along with the Special in November 2025.

Are they 'reissues', then?

Technically, no. If you want that attention to vintage detail, head over to Gibson Custom. Like the current USA versions of the Les Paul Custom 70s, the Les Paul Deluxe and even the Standards, these are modern production versions of what went before - and in this case, the second wave of 'student' models released at the end of the 1950s.

But aren't the single-cut Juniors and Specials better than these?

Better? That's down to taste. Different? Yes. Some prefer the original single-cut style, plenty of other players prefer these. You now have that choice.

As history buffs will know, the first Les Paul Junior launched in 1954, the most affordable 'economy' Les Paul below the standard Les Paul model and the top-line Custom. A 'TV' Junior model followed, then the twin-pickup Special launched in 1955. With an eye on sales, the new double-cut Junior and TV were launched in 1958 (the Special was announced then, but production samples weren't shipped until '59).