Music Alive! Music Education for Today's Generation

In Praise of Les Paul

Jeff Beck purchased his first Les Paul, a 1959 model, for £150 while still a member of The Yardbirds. Beck's fascination with the guitar sprang as much from his interest in Les Paul, the man, as from his love of the guitar itself. Beck told an interviewer: "It had a deep powerful sound and you could use it to imitate just about anything - violin, sax, cello, even a sitar." Beck also used an "oxblood" coloured 1954 Les Paul Standard, with PAF pickups, from 1972-1976 and is pictured with the guitar on the cover artwork of his Blow by Blow album.

The late, great reggae star Bob Marley used a Les Paul Special. The guitar is actually buried with him in his mausoleum. Since his death in XXXX, Gibson has released a Bob Marley Signature Les Paul Special.
Paul McCartney owns a rare left-handed 1957 Les Paul Goldtop[60] Like many players, McCartney has replaced the fragile original tuning machines with a more modern sturdy set.[61] He uses a left-handed 1960 Les Paul Standard (one of three known examples) as his main stage guitar.

And here are just a selection of other artists who treasure their Les Paul guitars:

*Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day)

*Buckethead

*Eric Clapton

*Sheryl Crow

*The Edge (U2)

*Peter Frampton

*Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top)

*Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters and Nirvana

*Lenny Kravitz

*Joe Perry of Aerosmith

*Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones

*Pete Townshend of the Who

*Eddie Van Halen

The next time you’re in a musical instrument store, strum a Les Paul and see what you think of how it feels and how it sounds.