I used to own an original 1959 cherry red LP Junior DC in late 70\'s and always wished I\'d kept it, I bought the custom shop TV version because it just looked so good and took me back to 1978. How does it compare? I play mostly blues music from 1950\'s to present day and \'classic\' rock from the 1960\'s and 70\'s. The sound is fantastic and absolutely perfect for me either directly into a fender valve amp or through a Boss ME5 board. The guitar has an edgy bright but \'woody\' tone that just fattens and distorts as the volume is turned up, very 1960\'s, or think Free. It gives a great rock sound. I use 11 guage string set and have no problem with bends etc. The neck is chunky compared to modern guitars but after 5 minutes it just feels perfect. For chicago blues the junior is superb sounding like all the greats while retaining personality and a distinctive edgy sound. I find the single pick to be reasonably versatile and the junior has been my first choice gigging and playing guitar for 2 years, relegating my 25 year old strat to a box under the bed. It is expensive when compared to other instruments but the simplicity and sound are the attraction. Try one but make sure to turn the volume up and you will become a convert. For me its a \'keeper\'.