Paul Kossoff’s 1957 Gibson Les Paul Junior

Not long after Paul bought his first electric guitar, a 1960s Eko 500, he found a job at Selmer’s music shop in Charring Cross Rd. in London. A couple of months’ worth of savings allowed him to make a switch to a more serious instrument, his first Gibson.

Kossoff’s LP Junior

The guitar in question was a 1957 Les Paul Junior finished in TV yellow. This particular finish was developed in 1954 by Gibson in order to solve the problem of the actual white finish appearing too bright and reflective on the old black and white TVs. This custom finish solved that problem, and it actually looked white when seen through an old TV set.

Paul’s particular guitar was made in 1957 and featured a single cutout body and a single P90 pickup in the bridge position.

Paul used it from 1966 up until the point when he bought a 1955 Les Paul Custom. From then on it most likely remained in his possession until his untimely death in 1976.

The guitar is currently owned by the Hard Rock Cafe (see Guardians of Grandeur – The Men Who Tend to the Guitars of the Hard Rock Cafe)