Les Paul Junior (and Fender Esquire) question (2025)

I understand that the LPJr (and the single-pickup Fender Esquire) were the "economy models" of their day and thus each had only one pickup. Makes sense.

But why was that single pickup in the bridge position?

Most single-pickup electric guitars at that time either only had a neck position pickup or an in-between position (e.g. ES-175s). Plus, the pop and jazz sounds popular at that time were a lot easier to get on a neck pickup. The obsession with "twang" didn't come along for a few years afterwards.

The only thing I can think of is that these guitars designed so you used the tone control if you wanted a less bright tone.

I was just think about this the other day, crazy! On Fenders' end I think it was just a continuation of the steel guitars they were making.

The only thing I came up with for the Junior was that it had to do with that GA-5 that it was paired up with. I know those things give a little and start to distort with the neck pickup. I dont know, just a though.

As far as twang, there was definetly twangin going on in '50.

IMO you can always dial-down from treble to bass, but you can't dial up from bass to treble.

Rev.WillieVK said:

IMO you can always dial-down from treble to bass, but you can't dial up from bass to treble.

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Exactly. Also the Esquire came first, which was a one PU Tele. The PU was intregal to the bridge hardware so if Fender had wanted a one PU guitar with a neck PU, they would had to design and build a different bridge. Perhaps the LP Jr was somewhat modeled after the Esquire. They both got it right in any event.

Rev.WillieVK said:

IMO you can always dial-down from treble to bass, but you can't dial up from bass to treble.

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Man, that black on yellow combo of the tv junior gets me everytime. Such a cool guitar.
Whereas, I prefer white guards over blackgaurds on teles/esquires.

27sauce said:

The ES-300 had a bridge pickup too FWIW.

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When did the ES-300 come out?

toxpert said:

Gotta remember that 'back in the day'... a guitar with a good treble voice is what cut through the band mix and was desired by many.

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Was it? As I understand musical tastes in 1950 (when the single-pickup Esquire first came out) the "Spanish" guitar was more of a rhythm instrument.

Maybe Leo Fender was thinking of building a rival to the steel guitar when he designed the Esquire? That would also explain why it had a cutaway. Relatively few archtops at that time had cutaways.

buyusfear said:

Man, that black on yellow combo of the tv junior gets me everytime. Such a cool guitar.
Whereas, I prefer white guards over blackgaurds on teles/esquires.

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Yes indeed. The Rev knows his yellow on black. http://www.lespaulforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=95906
:wow check these out!:wow :salude

wooderson said:

When did the ES-300 come out?

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1940, but the version I'm talking about was from '41

27sauce said:

1940, but the version I'm talking about was from '41

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If it is the model I am thinking of, it had a long diagonal pickup. Or are you talking about the slightly later model?

From the website everyone loves to quote:

ES-300 Electric Archtop
Available: 1940 to 1952
Collectibility Rating: C (non-cutaway model. early examples with the long diagonal pickup are historically interesting, but sound terible!)

1940 ES-300 introduction specs:
17" wide, large 6.25" long slate-mounted oblong pickup with adjustable poles, jack on side, L-5 style plate tailpiece with center insert missing, triple bound top and back, maple neck, double parallelagram fingerboard inlays, crown peghead inlay, pearl logo, sunburst or natural finish.
1941 ES-300 specs:
smaller slat-mounted pickup, trapeze tailpiece with pointed ends and raised arrows. Production halted in 1942.
1946 ES-300 specs:
P-90 pickup in neck position, laminated beveled-edge pickguard, bound peghead and fingerboard.
1948 ES-300 specs:
2 P-90 pickups, 2 volume knobs on lower treble bout, master tone knob on upper treble bout.
ES-300 discontinued 1952.

Yup, thats the one I'm talking about.