At first glance, the 1959 debut Melody Maker closely resembles the original single-cut, sunburst-finished Gibson Les Paul Junior introduced earlier in 1954. Similarly constructed using a mahogany slab-body and neck with an unbound 22-fret Brazilian rosewood ’board featuring dot markers, it’s clear where this single-pickup electric guitar takes its design cues from.
But with a depth of just 1 3/8", the body of the Melody Maker is significantly thinner than the 1 1/4"-deep Junior. Its headstock, too, is more slender than the Junior’s, with a straighter appearance it forgoes Gibson’s iconic profile.
