Gibson has collaborated with Lukas Nelson to release the first-ever Gibson USA Lukas Nelson ’56 Les Paul Junior. The customised Gibson guitar is inspired by Lukas Nelson’s own 1956 Junior.

The special edition is available at all Authorized Gibson Dealers from August 2020, worldwide. 

Lukas and Gibson’s Luthiers worked closely to develop the Lukas Nelson ’56 Les Paul Junior. Several prototypes were road tested by Lukas on tour.

Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real have released six studio albums.

Like the original, the single cutaway slab Mahogany body and neck are crafted of Mahogany, chosen for its resonant tonal characteristics and moderate weight. The fat 50’s-style neck profile is designed to feel smooth and comfortable. 

It features a Rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays and medium jumbo frets for a vintage feel with modern playability. Finished in a deluxe satin Vintage Sunburst, this shade was developed to capture the same vintage patina of his original. The single, dog-ear P-90 pickup features Alnico III magnets and is voiced to replicate the tonal response that Lukas requires. 

The single volume and tone controls have gold speed knobs (as used back in 1956) and are hand-wired featuring an orange drop capacitor and original spec 500k vintage audio taper pots. The 50’s style wraparound bridge provides the same look and solid resonance as the original, but it is made with a stealthy compensation contour to improve intonation accuracy. 

“The beauty of this guitar is that it is very versatile with the sound. In fact, I can get a lot of different tones just from the P90 and the way that I attack the strings and through the intonation and the vibrato that I give,” says Nelson. “If I hit it lighter, it doesn’t break up as much. If I get into it, it gets a lot of grit and dirt and breaks up. It’s a versatile tone, which I’m pretty grateful for. Frankly, Gibson has been nothing but incredible to us – to me – since I’ve met them. And this guitar has taken me on a long journey. It’s taken me to some amazing places, and I hope that a lot of other people get the same opportunity with their version of my guitar.”