WELCOME
A LIFE LES ORDINARY • Lester William Polsfuss – better known as Les Paul – was one of the greatest players the world has ever seen. But the guitar that still bears his name also went on to achieve a legendary status. This is the story of both the man and the machine
WAVES AHEAD • Necessity is the mother of invention, and thankfully Lester’s mother let him go ahead and invent! Child tinkerer to electronics innovator – a whistle-stop tour from Rhubarb Red to Les Paul
ROCK SOLID • Take a piece of 4 x 4, attach sides, strings, a bridge and a pickup. This is the future of rock ’n’ roll – anyone interested?
THE GUITAR LES NEVER LIKED? • It was destined to become more famous than the man himself, but what did Les really think of the Gibson Les Paul guitar?
LES & HENRY • Les Paul is linked so inextricably with Gibson, the two have become synonymous. The Man at the top of the company shares his thoughts
FROM FIRST TO ’BURST • The Les Paul took six years and a series of significant design revisions before Gibson hit on what many regard as the high-water mark of the electric solidbody guitar. We go back to 1952 and take a look…
ANATOMY • Gibson has been making the Les Paul model in one style or another since 1952, and with regular maintenance they can give you decades of service. Here are the key points to check
LES PAUL TONES
GOLD TOPS • Gibson’s first Les Pauls were clad in an opulent gold finish that gave the guitar a lustrous elegance that remains iconic today. The golden years began with the model’s launch in 1952, after which it underwent many changes as it evolved towards the classic Les Paul specification, featuring twin PAF humbuckers and a Tune-o-Matic tailpiece, by 1957
1952 GIBSON LES PAUL • The first incarnation of the visionary guitar that bore Les Paul’s name had many short-lived, early features
1953 GIBSON LES PAUL • A pivotal development on the ’53 Les Paul proved a godsend for guitarists
1956 GIBSON LES PAUL GOLDTOP & 1959 FENDER CHAMP • We visited the guitar vaults of Phil Hylander and Michael Ross – the founders of the London show Seven Decades – to discover a couple of vintage wonders…
1957 GIBSON LES PAUL • The introduction of the 1957 Les Paul broadened the sonic palette for future generations of guitarists
SUNBURSTS • Responding to the success of Fender’s Stratocaster, Gibson upped the ante in 1958 by giving the Les Paul a new look. At first, the vivid cherry sunburst finish that graced the maple tops of its late 1958 models met with only lukewarm sales. But, despite this faltering start, nearly 1,500 were made between 1958 and 1960, acquiring the Les Paul Standard moniker along the way. These were later to become the most sought-after vintage electric guitars of all time, known simply as ‘Bursts...
BORN AGAIN • It’s hard to imagine, but back in the late 50s, the fabled Les Paul Standard wasn’t a hit and soon disappeared from Gibson’s catalogue. We find out how it took more than 20 years for Gibson to get the magic formula right
THE FIRST ’BURST • A very special guitar turned up in Nashville a while back – a 1958 Les Paul Standard prototype that is the earliest surviving example of the ’Burst. We talk to Walter Carter about how it lay undiscovered for over 50 years
1958 GIBSON LES PAUL STANDARD & 1958 FENDER SUPER • We revisit Michael Ross and Phil Hylander of London Show Seven Decades to discover how their hunt for that one special Sunburst saw them embark on a voyage of discovery
KEEF ’BURST • Some guitars can become more famous than their owners, but when the owner was once Keith Richards, that’s a tall order. Guitarist discovers how his first 1959 Les Paul is still causing controversy some 45-plus years after he last strummed...