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 The Les Paul guitar is probably the most recognised, and copied guitar design, along with the Gibson SG and Fender stratocaster and telecaster. It was developed by the famous jazz guitarist Les Paul, who not only played, but also invented instruments. Gibson had resisted solid-bodied guitars whilst Rickenbacker had a solid body twenty years earlier, and Fender had recently launched the esquire and broadcaster (which became the telecaster). In 1952 Gibson responded to public demand and with Les Paul created a guitar carrying his name. It has been in production (on and off) for the last 50 years.
Click on the images for more details of some of the Les Paul models
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Just about every famous guitar player has played one, though it is particularly associated with Keith Richards (Rolling Stones), Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Eric Clapton (Cream), Peter Green (Fleetwood Mac) and Slash (Guns and Roses). Keith Richards appeared on the cover of the 1975 Les Paul catalogue with an LP custom.
The Les Paul came in several variations. The first was produced in 1952 as the 'Les Paul Model'. It had a mahogany body and neck, with a gold finished maple top (gold top), Gibsons first solid body. It was regularly upgraded throughout the 1950s, and many would argue that it was at its pinacle in 1958. It had had two soap bar P90 pickups from 1952, however in late 57 they were replaced by standard Gibson humbuckers. Cherry sunburst became the standard colour rather than the goldtop, and to differentiate itself from the other Les Paul models, it was renamed the Les Paul Standard.
The single pickup Les Paul Junior was launched in 1954. One again this was a mahogany instrument, both body and neck, but without the carved maple tops of the other Les Pauls. It was the only model not to change its pickup to a humbucker in 1957. A limed-mahogany version was also available (at a slightly increased price, and was known as the Les Paul TV.
1955 saw the two pickup custom (the black beauty), which again started out with single coil pickups, but became a three humbucker model in '58. By 1960 the whole range was redesigned - it was given a new double cutaway shape (todays SG) however Les Paul did not approve, and his name was removed from these guitars.
Public demand for Les Paul guitars precipitated a reissue in 1968; they sold well and have been available ever since
The Les Paul Special 55 was reissued in 1975, and the Les Paul Pro Deluxe, another guitar based on the 1950s models was first launched in 1976.
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