Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong is one of the music world’s most prominent Les Paul Junior devotees having used the classic single P-90 pickup guitar for decades.
Having formed in the late ‘80s Green Day went on to sell millions of records, picking up several Grammy Awards along the way as their earworm cuts became the soundtrack of a generation.
In recognition of Billie Joe Armstrong’s dedication to the humble Les Paul Junior, Epiphone have just announced the Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior, complete with the guitarist’s autograph emblem on the headstock rear and a snazzy faux leopard fur-lined hardshell case.
“Working with Billie Joe Armstrong over the years has been an absolute honor for our team,” says Aljon Go, Epiphone Product Manager. “The new Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong signature guitars will help inspire a whole new generation of guitarists with an accessible, quality instrument to blaze their path in making music, just as Billie has throughout his Grammy Award-winning career.”
Although the Les Paul Junior model was originally released by Gibson in 1954 as a student model it has long been used by professional guitarists, particularly hard rock and punk players. Indeed, with its high-quality electronics including a Pro P-90 pickup and CTS pots this new Epiphone model is a capable tool for any stage.
Gibson's golden era Les Paul Junior was revamped with a double-cutaway in 1958 and the Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior boasts the original single-cutaway mahogany slab body design. It’s glued-in mahogany neck with comfy Vintage 50s profile has been capped with a 22-fret Indian Laurel fingerboard featuring a bend-friendly 12-inch radius.
Priced $549 the Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior can be purchased via Epiphone’s website.
Also available is the $399 Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior Player Pack. Comprising a bolt-on neck version of the guitar; 15 watt Epiphone 15G amplifier; gig bag; guitar strap; cable; electronic clip-on tuner; and three Epiphone picks this all-in-one bundle has everything required to start playing immediately.
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