The Les Paul Standard: A Brief History

Gibson’s Les Paul came to market in 1952, but it took a while before the model took off. In fact, Gibson stopped producing Les Pauls altogether in 1961 because sales of the guitar were so low. It wasn’t until Eric Clapton crafted the ‘Woman Tone’ with a Les Paul Black Beauty that the Les Paul experienced a renaissance. Soon, every guitarist was lining up to get his hands on one of these newly reborn instruments. With such an overwhelming demand, Gibson decided to reintroduce the Les Paul in the late 1960s, and the company has been producing the guitar ever since.

The Gibson Les Paul: Then and Now

Few guitars can match the clout and influence that the Gibson Les Paul has achieved in modern music. Proof of its enduring legacy is the thousands upon thousands of Les Paul imitations out there, from cheap copies to faithful renditions. If you really want to feel that genuine Les Paul vibe, it can’t get better than the original.

Then

The original Les Paul Model released by Gibson in 1952

The Les Paul is a solid body single cutaway electric guitar conceived by design genius Ted McCarty in collaboration with the instrument’s namesake, jazz and country guitarist Les Paul. The guitar was first sold in 1952. It may surprise you to learn that the guitar didn’t resonate well with musicians in its earliest days. It wasn’t until Eric Clapton plugged his Paul into a Marshall Bluesbreaker amp and recorded the ground-breaking album, ‘Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton’ that the guitar’s popularity was set in stone.