Mike McCready’s 1959 Gibson Les Paul Jr.

Mike received this guitar for his 40th birthday from his wife Ashley. Unsurprisingly, it’s a 1959 model – a year that is so special to Mike that had it tattoed on his wrist.

I just love that year. I don’t know what it is, there is something about it. [The guitar] knows how to break up and it sounds tough.

Fretboard Journal interview, 2013

Specs

Mike’s Les Paul Jr. has a double cutaway mahogany body, and is equipped with a single P-90 pickup in the bridge position. The guitar is finished in what’s known as the “TV Yellow” color – a finish designed by Gibson in order to “pop out” and seem like its bright snowy color on the old black & white television screens.

The guitar also has the number “2” written on the back meaning it probably was considered as “second” or “reject”. This basically means that the company was selling it for cheaper or they couldn’t sell it at all because in this particular case, it had paint defects.

Usage

Mike most notably has been using it live as well as on the recording of the song Mind Your Manners in
which music video we can see him treating it properly with his attack.