Famous Players of Gibson Les Pauls
May 14, 2009The Gibson Les Paul has been popular across all styles and eras of music. Here are a few musical legends who have made the Les Paul guitar part of their sound.
Eric Clapton
Clapton rediscovered the classic late 1950s Les Paul Standard, and put it to good use while playing with John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers and The Yardbirds. He was able to create an amazing variety of sounds out of his Les Paul. Eric Clapton’s early years were marked by his amazing experimentation with tone, and are a testament to the versatility of the instrument.
Slash
Slash, born Saul Hudson on July 23, 1965 in West Hampstead, London, England, became the guitarist of Guns N’ Roses. He has incorporated the sunburst Gibson Les Pauls as part of his trademark look, along with his wild hair and top hat. His famous sound was made possible by his Les Paul and Marshall stack.
Jimmy Page
Page, the former member of The Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin, is one of the most influential guitarists of all time. His Les Paul added a needed dose of heaviness to classic Zeppelin tracks like “Black Dog” and “Whole Lotta Love”. He continues to use the Gibson Les Paul to good effect to this day.
Bob Marley
Marley, a famous Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician, was the lead singer, songwriter and guitarist for the ska, rocksteady and reggae bands The Wailers and Bob Marley & the Wailers. As an influential reggae musician, Bob Marley utilized the Les Paul in a unique way to craft his own signature sound. He utilized the guitar’s warmth and smooth, clean tones in his songwriting, showing that the Gibson Les Paul is really one of the most versatile guitars around.
Paul McCartney
Former Beatles Paul McCartney and John Lennon formed one of the most successful songwriting partnerships and wrote some of the most popular rock and roll music in history. When not playing bass, McCartney has often been seen playing 1960-vintage cherryburst left-handed Les Paul Standards.
Pete Townshend
The Who’s Townshend had a signature sound throughout the 1970s primarily produced on Gibson Les Pauls. For much of the decade, he used Gibson Les Paul Deluxes, some with only two mini-humbucker pickups and others modified with a third pickup in the “middle position” – a DiMarzio Superdistortion / Dual Sound. He can be seen using several of these guitars in the documentary The Kids Are Alright.
