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RARE PHOTOS: 5 - The Real Truth

"I am very aware that so little has happened to the electric guitar from the time that it was conceived to now": A classic interview with innovator Les Paul

Les Paul was born 109 years ago, in 2009 the guitar icon looked back in one of his last-ever interviews – "Leo wanted me to be partners with him, for it to be the Fender guitar – the Les Paul Fender"

MusicRadar

“If Les were still alive today, I have absolutely no doubt that he and Peter would be experimenting together at Les’ house”: Peter Frampton honored with Les Paul Spirit Award

Peter Frampton is being acknowledged for pushing the boundaries of music technology, particularly through his use of the talk box

Guitar World

“If Les were still alive today, I have absolutely no doubt that he and Peter would be experimenting together at Les’ house”: Peter Frampton to receive Les Paul Spirit Award

Veteran guitarist to be honoured next month in Nashville

MusicRadar

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“Tracii has been so important. I’ve always loved his playing – I’m extremely grateful to have him as a mentor”: Schooled by Tracii Guns and serving in three hard-rock powerhouses, Sam Bam Koltun is a Les Paul aficionado to watch

He’s already playing with Faster Pussycat, Dorothy and Budderside, but we get the feeling this L.A.-based guitarist could squeeze a few more bands into his schedule

Guitar World

“I do not endorse your product or any company who uses artificial BS to bamboozle people”: Tyler Bryant calls out guitar company for Photoshopping his picture to promote a Les Paul copy

The Stratocaster loyalist was faked playing an LP replica by a brand bidding to market its own model

Guitar World

“I'm really dumb for doing this, but here goes nothing!” Nuno Bettencourt swapped his Washburn N4 for a Les Paul copy to shred onstage with Stone Temple Pilots – and still sounded exactly like Nuno Bettencourt

The Extreme guitarist was spotted playing a Nelson LP copy as he shared the stage with “one of the greatest rock bands of all time”

Guitar World

“Duane Eddy twanged the thang in the late 50s and 60s and you can hear his character sound appearing throughout the decades of popular music.” Jimmy Page pays tribute to the 'Titan of Twang'

Jimmy Page salutes one of his early guitar heroes, the late Duane Eddy, who passed away this week, aged 86

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“He was one of my greatest heroes… His attack, tone, vibrato and melodic sense was peerless”: Joe Bonamassa pays tribute to Jeff Beck as he shares his favorite licks from the guitar icon

With a Les Paul in hand, Bonamassa checks in from Nerdville to give a lesson in the style of the late, great Jeff Beck

Guitar World

“Sometimes life gives you opportunities to right some wrongs”: Mark Tremonti reunited with “My Own Prison” Les Paul nearly 26 years after it was stolen

It’s the guitar feelgood story of the year as the Creed/Alter Bridge guitarist is reunited with “prized possession” after his superhero manager Tim Tournier tracked it down for his 50th birthday

MusicRadar

“Updated and more authentic than ever”: Epiphone rolls out the Gibson headstock for its latest high-end Inspired by Gibson Custom Shop drop, including a new 1959 Les Paul Standard – and a pink J-180

Epiphone has lifted the curtain on its “new crown jewels”, all featuring the iconic open book headstock

Guitar World

"A high-performance Les Paul that is sure to satisfy even the most contemporary player": Gibson Les Paul Modern Figured review

A flashy contemporary take on the classic LP formula – but is it style over substance?

MusicRadar

“At some point I might come up with a new single-cut unique enough not to upset anybody”: Nik Huber on the perils of riffing on the classics and the evolution of his powerhouse boutique brand

There’s always the risk that someone might object to a maker’s designs. In the case of Nik Huber’s Krautster, it came 15 years after the guitar was introduced…

Guitar World

"With effortless playability and the credentials to absolutely nail those iconic Peter Green, Gary Moore and Kirk Hammett tones": Epiphone Kirk Hammett "Greeny" 1959 Les Paul Standard review

The world's most famous Les Paul finally gets the Epiphone treatment – but is it worth it?

MusicRadar

"What we need is a song that is just really simple that everyone can sing": Paul Rodgers on the mission statement and magical musical combination that fuelled Free classic All Right Now

"I do think Koss’s sound was a big part of it"

MusicRadar

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Guitar World

“It’s the higher-profile artist associations that tend to attract the big money – things like your Pearly Gates and your Jimmy Pages”: Why Gibson’s replicas of famous Les Pauls are commanding almost as much as vintage guitars

Gibson’s highest-tier replicas are seriously sought after on the collector's market. We find out what all the fuss is about and examine a rare recreation of Jimmy Page’s fiendishly complex #2 Les Paul Standard

Guitar World

“I don’t know what it is about my Tele, but it’s special. Roy Buchanan tried it and wanted to buy it! I said, ‘No way in hell I’m giving that up’”: Russell Javors on his wild ride with Billy Joel – and his friendship with Les Paul after he was let go

Billy Joel’s former right-hand man had given up on music until he accidentally reconnected with his old colleagues – so what does he think of the suggestion that their Lords of 52nd Street group are better than Joel’s current band?

Guitar World

“If I knew I was gonna influence thousands of guitar players, I woulda practiced more!” Ace Frehley struts down memory lane to shoot down Kiss myths and reveal the secrets behind an era-defining sound

The former Kiss guitarist on the “dinosaur bends” and dimed amps behind his signature style, and his guitar highlights as the rock institution's original Spaceman

MusicRadar

"George Martin knew Robert Moog, and asked him to come to Abbey Road and show us this Moog thing": Paul McCartney on the synth used on the final Beatles album and how its 'noise' created tension in the band

Did the Moog synth speed up the demise of the Beatles?

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Guitar World

“The Gibson SG took me about 30 years to figure out… it’s completely different from a Les Paul”: Joe Bonamassa explains how he learned to love Gibson’s solid guitar – and teaches you his favorite SG licks

It might have taken Bonamassa a minute (or a few decades) to fall for the SG’s charms, but now he has in a big way, and this video lesson offers a taste of what the Gibson double-cut can do

International Business Times

10 Best Guitarists Of All Time: The Legends Across Generations

Here are some of the best guitarists that have left an indelible mark on music history with their passion for the instrument.

Guitar World

“I felt like I’d stumbled upon this magical sound radiating off people’s turntables… my Strat and Gretsch together had this sound of one guitar, even when it was two”: As Randy Bachman prepares to part with his guitar collection, he’s still burning bright

The 80-year-old Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive pioneer is hitting the road with extra energy after hearing remastered live recordings: “We were on fire! We went to Japan and played as good as Led Zeppelin”

Guitar World

“Effortlessly stylish”: Rapier’s latest madcap model blends elements of Les Paul and Strat builds into a single-cut, set-neck hybrid beast

The Alan Entwistle designs feature his signature mad-scientist wiring on okoume wood builds that nod to the past without breaking the bank

Guitar World

“Staggering”: Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Collection has sold at auction for over $11 million – with a record-breaking ’59 Burst sale and 28 guitars fetching over $100K

The 122 lot sale included the Dire Straits man’s Money for Nothing Les Paul and Walk of Life Schecter, alongside his custom Suhr guitars

Guitar World

“Whichever model you choose, you’ll never be underdressed”: Four of Gibson’s most enduring acoustics have received the Custom Shop tuxedo treatment inspired by the Les Paul Custom

The beloved J-45, Hummingbird, SJ-200 and Songwriter EC models have all been celebrated with custom shop craftsmanship

Guitar World

“We are back!” Al Di Meola plays live for the first time since his onstage heart attack, returning to the songs – and the Gibson Les Paul – that first made his name

Fan-shot footage shows the fusion guitar icon appears to to have made a strong recovery, following his onstage health scare last fall

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