This looks weird, right?

[Dilver]

I’m on the hunt for a modestly priced Custom Junior and this one popped up an Reverb. But this headstock looks like someone removed the holy veneer, refinished it and put new decals on. Seller says previous owner says it came from the Custom Shop that way. I don’t buy it.
…And the truss Rod cover is 2 ply instead of 1 - easy enough to swap out but makes me wonder. But the rest of the guitar looks legit, even the case. Thoughts?

Gibson Custom Shop Historic Collection '57 Les Paul Junior Single Cutaway Reissue 1997 - 2006 | Reverb

The Gibson Custom Historic '57 Les Paul Junior Reissue features a mahogany body, rounded '50s neck profile with rosewood fretboard, wraparound tailpiece, and single dog-ear P90. Available in TV Yellow, TV White, Faded Cherry, and Vintage Sunburst Produced with minor variations until it was up...

reverb.com

 

[truckermde]

Huh.

Never seen that before.

I'll be interested to hear what the experts say...

 

[truckermde]

Headstock Veneer Les Paul Junior DC '58

Hy Luthiers Just a short question. Is there a headstock veneer on the Les Paul Junior DC 1958? The Plan says there is no veneer on it, but on all pics on the Internet it seems like every LP has one? Or is it just sprayed black without a veneer? Thanks guys!

www.mylespaul.com

 

[Dilver]

Headstock Veneer Les Paul Junior DC '58

Hy Luthiers Just a short question. Is there a headstock veneer on the Les Paul Junior DC 1958? The Plan says there is no veneer on it, but on all pics on the Internet it seems like every LP has one? Or is it just sprayed black without a veneer? Thanks guys!

www.mylespaul.com

Very interesting…. But can’t seem to find a single image of any Les Paul with grain showing on the headstock.

 

[LocoTex]

Did the Custom Shop ever make a cherry single-cut? And that headstock looks weird.......also no pictures of the back of the headstock.

 

[DanD]

Seller is Winnfield Amps. I doubt they'd be pushing a fake.

If it's the proper case it's an early version from 2000 which would explain it being a '57 reissue versus the more common, later version singlecut (inaccurate) '60 reissue.

Looks from the headstock Gibson logo as if the headstock was exposed to heat or sat in a window in direct sunlight for many years.

As long as you can get along with 'aged' headstock face I don't see a problem.

 

[DarrellV]

the truss Rod cover is 2 ply instead of 1

Cracked too!

 

[Tim Plains]

It's not fake.

 

[Dilver]

I don’t think it’s fake. I’m just wondering if the headstock has been doctored. No COA, though

 

[DanD]

No regular COAs for 2000. 1999 had COAs for all reissues. Then they stopped supplying regular reissue COAs in 2000. From 2001 to present all should come with a cert of some sort.

Nothing wrong that I can see. My only concern would be weight. I know the neck is on the larger side just because of what it is. But 8.5+ pound Juniors and Specials weren't unheard of at that time.

Should all be Honduran hog but on Juniors and Specials I think Gibson used some of the heavier hog that wouldn't be acceptable for an R8, R9, R0 etc model.

I remember scouting for one at that time and most were around 8 pounds which isn't heavy for a Standard but, at least for me, JRs and Specials should be 7.5 or less. I only remember seeing a few in that range and they were already spoken for.

 

[Dilver]

Well, looks like someone else moved on it and it sold. I guess it just wasn’t meant to be. Oh well, thanks everyone for the info and time.

 

[THDNUT]

Looked like someone spritzed the faceplate with Everclear.

Edit: headplate, I meant to say headplate.

 

[kungpow!]

One of the ugliest Jrs I've seen.

Headstock is a red flag

 

[Owntone]

Has there been a headstock repair perhaps?

 

[LessPaulMoreStrat]

Can’t comment on the authenticity of the guitar, but the headline for the post tickled my funny bone.

“This looks weird, right?”sounds like something you’d say to your doctor at your physical. (Not based on my personal experience as far as any of you know! )

 

[dancsgrv]

Is it just me, or is that serious orange peel on that headstock?

 

[Johnnytslide]

Looks correct to me.. it has the separate pieces on both sides of the headstock and I have never seen that on a fake.
I have a 2005 les paul faded and the print quality is the same... It looks good to me!!

 

[cjp54]

Moot point since the guitar is gone but I don’t believe the juniors got a holly veneer and the writing is not a decal they should be silk screened. It looks to me like a very porous piece of mahogany was used for the neck and no grain filler applied to the face of the headstock perhaps.

 

[DanD]

The guitar was in AZ. I'm still betting on heat related finish shrinkage.

Could've sat in the back of a semi at some point during 100° plus days. That's around 130° plus in the back of a closed trailer.

I've had guitars with finish shrinkage where you could see every pore in the hog.

My Historic SG Special showed the same type of finish shrinkage all over the body but the headstock has a holly veneer on Specials so the headstock was unaffected.

That guitar came from NV in the summer time.

Seller said the the finish was smooth when he sent it. His pics didn't show the shrinkage either.

I actually didn't mind too much. It looked much older than the 4 years since producion.

 

[zdoggie]

not being an one who is able to authenicate the head stock doesn't look right without the holly cap I see red flags ,as far a a collecror is concerened this I don't believe this will affect the playability .

zdog