Here for sale we have a Gibson Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior in Ebony finish. This signature guitar is based on BJA's own '56 Junior which he calls 'Floyd'. In the wake of Green Day's huge 2004 album 'American Idiot' & the roaring success of their 2005 live album 'Bullet in a Bible', Billie Joe ascended to the level of rock star and cemented Green Day's place amongst the most seminal & influential bands of all time. As a result, Gibson offered him the opportunity to develop his own signature guitar. As 'Floyd' was his main guitar, and its no-frills utilitarian vibe fit so well with Green Day's punk ideology & appeal, it made sense for his signature model to be based on that guitar. The model was released in 2006 and is largely an unfettered reproduction of 'Floyd', save for a SlimTaper '60s neck profile and the addition of an H-90 pickup - a stacked P-90 which cancels the hum often associated with single-coil pickups which is exclusive to Armstrong's signature models.
 
This example was made in the USA in 2010, and features a set-neck construction comprising a Mahogany body, Mahogany neck and 22 fret Rosewood fingerboard. Nickel hardware is fitted including a wrap-tail bridge & Gibson Deluxe tuning machines with plastic buttons. A single Gibson H-90 pickup is installed in the bridge position and is wired to master volume & tone controls. Billie Joe's signature is printed on the rear of the headstock behind the nut - the only visual cue on the instrument that associates it to him. The case however is much less subtle, featuring a Green Day decal to the exterior & leopard print plush lining - there's simply no mistaking it. 
 
The Mahogany neck plays very well, with the SlimTaper '60s profile offering a slightly more modern feel over the '50s profile that is present on BJA's 'Floyd'. This allows for faster, more articulate playing across the register, perfect for contemporary punk players. That said, the neck does retain enough thickness to deliver an authentic vintage vibe which is very inspiring in the hands. The no-frills approach that this guitar assumes is refreshing amongst the increasing prevalence of complicated pickup switching & control layouts, not to mention the propensity towards fancy Maple tops & flamed binding. It means you can focus fully on your playing without any distraction. It's everything you need and nothing you don't.
 
The single H-90 pickup in the bridge position uses two P-90 coils stacked together to emulate the noise cancelling attributes of a humbucker whilst retaining the growl, chunk & bite that we associate with P-90s. Nice & bright, the pickup captures the attack and articulation of your playing beautifully, and cuts through the mix nicely to put your playing front and centre. Whilst not as versatile as a twin pickup instrument, the H-90 does it's thing very nicely, and the master volume & tone controls do allow you to dial in a range of tones without over-complicating things. Taking a Longview, you'd have to be a real Basket Case not to grab this one.
 
Please be aware that for international buyers import fees are not included in our postage and packaging cost, this only covers the cost of the guitar being sent to you. Import fees will be charged by Customs upon the guitar's arrival in the recipient country. Due to Brexit, this also applies to EU buyers. We advise checking the total import cost with Customs as this is not information we are able to accurately provide.