Why Musicians Love the Gibson Les Paul

The Gibson Les Paul truly is one of the most iconic guitars available on the market. Named after its erstwhile designer, country and jazz guitarist Les Paul, this line of guitars has captivated the hearts of people throughout the world since its introduction in 1952.

Numerous musicians have built successful careers while brandishing a  Les Paul guitar. Legendary musicians who have used Les Paul guitars include Slash, Pete Townshend, Neil Young, Jimmy Page, Joe Perry, Eric Clapton, and Bob Marley. What attracted these musicians to Les Paul’s notion of what a guitar should be?

Gibson Les Paul Standard: The Guitar of Choice for Top Music Icons

Page, now in his 70s, favours the Gibson Les Paul line of guitars for his gigs. He’s not the only famous musical personality to do so, however. Other music icons including: Bob Marley, Randy Rhodes, and Saul “Slash” Hudson of Guns N’ Roses fame have also performed with a Les Paul in hand. That said, originals of these guitars are quite rare these days and do fetch a hefty price when sold or auctioned. In fact, only a small number of guitar stockists in the U.K., such as Rainbow Music, sell genuine Les Paul guitars—particularly the Gibson Les Paul Standard, which is the most recognised instrument in the line.

What makes the Les Paul Standard the instrument of choice for Jimmy Page and other famous musicians? For the most part, these guitars are widely regarded for their rich, thick, midrange tone and the ability to sustain notes longer than other guitars. All this is possible thanks to a solid mahogany body design, which eliminates feedback whenever a note is sustained.
http://www.rainbowmusic.co.uk/blog/gibson-les-paul-standard-the-guitar-of-choice-for-top-music-icons/

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.