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HISTORICAL FACTS: 3 | History Defined

“That one’s a ’62. It’s also been shot. There’s a mark on the bottom where the bullet went in”: From his legendary Franken-Les Paul, Old Black, to his Hank Williams-owned Martin, and a pedalboard “ugly button,” Neil Young's rig is like no other

“When it comes to equipment, the idea with Neil is that you don’t change anything,” Young's guitar tech, Larry Cragg, told GW in 2009. “You don’t even think about it”

Guitar World

“My first reaction was, ‘There’s only one Les Paul.’ I prolonged the conversation”: Gibson spent years trying to convince Warren Haynes to work on a signature guitar – this is what changed his mind

His signature Les Paul steps away from his usual spec choices, and with good reason

Guitar World

“It was under a staircase for 50 years. The owner’s family thought it could be worth £5,000. They were told, ’It’s worth more than that…’” The curious tale of Joe Bonamassa’s ‘Royal Albert’ Les Paul – and its mysterious mod

Bonamassa tells the story of the salvaged 1960 Les Paul and its bizarre mod, which was theorized to be inspired by Peter Green

Guitar World

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“PRS' most daring signature guitar to date? Without a shadow of a doubt”: Here is all the new gear that has caught my eye this week – including an affordable replica of a $1 million Les Paul

PRS ushers in a new era of shred with its Herman Li signature model and Epiphone honors a great

Guitar World

“I don’t know how he got my address. He sent me a videotape of him jamming his head off. I was like, ‘Who is this guy?’” Buckethead gives rare ‘interview’ to Bootsy Collins – but speaks through his Les Paul

Collins talks and Buckethead riffs in the strangest guitar interview of 2025

Guitar World

“You can do anything with a Stratocaster”: Joe Bonamassa explains how to make any Fender Strat the “Swiss army knife of guitars” – and unlock Gibson-like Angus Young tones in the process

The guitarist has detailed how to mimic infamous Les Paul and SG tones from the instrument, believing its versatility is unmatched

Guitar World

“It’s very weird and the only song we ever did that on”: Warren Haynes picks his favorite Gov’t Mule guitar riffs and shows you how to play them – properly

The blues rock giant sits down with Guitar World to go through his back catalog of riffs, picking out a few favorites along the way

Guitar World

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“Don’t miss this rare opportunity to own an accessible tribute to one of the world’s most famous, cherished, and valuable electric guitars”: Epiphone unveils Inspired By Gibson Custom version of Jeff Beck’s iconic 1954 Oxblood Les Paul

This limited edition replica of the late Jeff Beck's most-famous Les Paul arrives on the great man's birthday, and is strapped with Gibson USA Custombucker pickups

MusicRadar

Gibson brings back its wild Les Paul acoustic hybrid for the first time in more than 20 years – and it’s unlike any other version that came before it

The firm’s third attempt at converting its iconic single-cut shape into a campfire companion settles on a parlor design reminiscent of a scaled-down SJ-200

Guitar World

“That’s one of the first things Phil said to me, ‘You’re in, but we gotta change that guitar’”: Scott Gorham may have passed his Thin Lizzy audition – but his budget Les Paul copy certainly didn’t

The Irish rockers finally found their man after auditioning 24 hopefuls when Gorham turned up for his turn – but Phil Lynott was left underwhelmed by his choice of instrument

Guitar World

“Looks, feels and sounds far more expensive than it actually is”: Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Special Double Cut Reissue TV Yellow review

The most affordable of the new Inspired by Gibson Custom models – but it could be a highlight of the range

MusicRadar

"It’s certainly worth considering against the start-point of the Gibson USA Les Paul range. The lines are getting blurred.": Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom 1959 Les Paul Standard Reissue review

Epiphone chases the flame of the world’s most coveted electric guitar

Guitar World

“Whole Lotta Love was clearly the track that everybody would go to. That riff was so fresh — and it still is”: A classic interview with Jimmy Page

The Zeppelin legend spoke to Total Guitar's Chris Bird in 2020

MusicRadar

“What better way to honor the past than by letting the YardBurst, once played by Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck, live on through today's artists?”: Marcus King follows in Craig Ross’ footsteps to wield Jeff Beck’s iconic Les Paul on stage

KALEO's JJ Julius Son and Marcus King Band's Drew Smithers also played the legendary LP, which fetched over $490,000 at auction earlier this year

Guitar World

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Guitar World

“We haven’t broken a string on a Les Paul for more than three years”: Joe Bonamassa swears by this easy string-saving hack – which was inspired by Jimmy Page and Billy Gibbons

Bonamassa’s go-to stringing method for his Les Pauls improves durability – and helps achieve a slinkier feel

Guitar World

“Tokai’s LS series are probably the best-built Les Paul-style guitars that have ever come through my shop”: How the Japanese guitar market came of age with ’80s Fender and Gibson clones – some that would rival the originals

You can’t tell the story of the Japanese guitar industry without the story of the clones – Keith Anderson of Japanese specialist Gas Station Guitars explains the history of the high-quality knock-offs that made its reputation

Guitar World

“I must’ve played hundreds of Les Pauls, and I can safely say this is up there with the best sounding of them – it even gives my own Gibson Les Paul Standard a run for its money”: Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Goldtop review

Epiphone has struck gold with this ambitious recreation of a pivotal guitar in the Les Paul history books

MusicRadar

“If you’re all about getting as close as possible to period-correct as you can for this price point, then you won’t be disappointed here”: Epiphone Inspired By Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Reissue review

We get hands-on with Epiphone’s ode to one of the most coveted Gibson guitars of all time

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Guitar World

“These measures threaten the economic and cultural impact of U.S.-made musical instruments”: NAMM president responds to Trump's tariffs – urgently urging the administration to exempt the musical instrument market

NAMM president John Mlynczak warns that current tariff actions will lead U.S. musical instrument companies to lose their global competitive advantage

MusicRadar

“To be honest, I feel like I am playing a high-end Gibson guitar”: Epiphone and Guitar Center team up for a colourful riff on a cult classic with the limited edition run Les Paul Custom Widow

The coolest new guitar on the web? The Les Paul Custom gets a super-saturated Widow makeover with Orange, Purple, Red and Indigo Burst finishes and colour-matched binding...

Guitar World

Epiphone brings one of Gibson’s most desirable one-off finishes to the masses with Guitar Center-exclusive Widow Les Paul – but it’s been given a twist

The guitar store is bringing the highly sought-after Widow design – and a recently revived finish – to players for less than $1,000

Guitar World

“A new take on the classic”: Gibson gives its Les Paul Special an ultra-rare pickup overhaul with new Mini Humbucker models

It could potentially be the first time in history that mini-humbuckers have come as standard in a slab-bodied Les Paul Special

Guitar World

“The Strat is the most versatile electric guitar that there is; but the Les Paul is a perfect instrument”: Sting guitarist Dominic Miller weighs in on the Strat vs. Les Paul debate – says the Strat loses despite being a more versatile instrument

It’s a debate that has raged for decades, and Sting’s six-string foil has some interesting arguments

Guitar World

“I turned up at one of his shows with Greeny and said, ‘Bro, check it out...’” Kirk Hammett on the time Jack White played the original Greeny onstage

It turns out the two have a history of sharing gear – and White has sent the Metallica guitarist some "totally psycho" kit

Guitar World

“The covers are off and it's time to rock ’n’ roll”: Gibson's Double Trouble Les Pauls offer time machine takes on ’50s and ’60s models, with faded nitro finishes –and a cheeky nod to its dispute with DiMarzio

The two new models take the Les Paul Standard recipe down memory lane, with uncovered 'Double Classic White' humbuckers

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