Are These The Best 5 Les Paul Guitars Ever?

I have continued to be a Gibson Les Paul player for many years and there have been certain individual Les Pauls, played by a few well-known players that made a big impression on me. They all have a different tone, partly due to the guitars and their humbucker pickups and partly on account of the player's style and their amp setup.

So not in any particular order, I present you with my five greatest Les Pauls of all time:

1. Billy Gibbons' Pearly Gates - This guitar just oozes Texas blues. A 1959 Sunburst model with one of the most gorgeous tones ever to come out of a 59 burst. Purchased from money raised from the sale of a vehicle called 'Pearly Gates', this is undoubtedly the best buy the Reverend Billy ever made. The guitar pickups alone would cost you an arm and a leg (rumour has it that Billy turned down $5m for this axe!).

2. Peter Frampton's Black 3 pickup Custom - Who can forget the iconic image of Frampton holding on to his Les Paul on the front cover of the incredible 'Frampton Comes Alive'. This guitar had a wonderfully musical sound and incredibly it was given him by a generous soul by the name of Mark Mariana. Unfortunately this guitar was destroyed in a plane crash in 1980.

3. Jimmy Page's No1 Standard - A simply stunning 1959 Sunburst model which was bought by Jimmy fom Joe Walsh, who'd been adamant that this specific electric guitar was ideal for him. With a scalloped neck and customised electrics including push-pull controls, Jimmy's No1 was definitely his favourite electric guitar and has been described by him as his 'mistress'. This guitar may be heard on any Led Zep album and has been captured in an incredible number of iconic Page images from through the years.

4. Mick Ronson's Natural Finish Custom - This is the cool Les Paul that can be seen or in almost any 'David Bowie and the Spiders From Mars' images. This guitar started its life as a solid black 1968 Custom version but Mick had the top sanded off and re-finished in clear. Mick played this guitar amazingly on all the Spiders' acclaimed albums.

5. Eric Clapton's Beano Les Paul - Thought by many to be the one that started it all, this 1960 burst gained its name from the John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers' Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton album, as Clapton can be seen reading a 'Beano' comic, giving rise to the name 'The Beano Album' and also The 'Beano' Les Paul. Considering the amazing famous tone achieved by Clapton on this brilliant album it's certainly strange that he defected to a Stratocaster for a huge part of his career.

So there are my favourite 5 fabulous Gibson Les Pauls. Not sure how I can conceivably leave out Jeff Beck's superb oxblood model or Peter Green's infamous 'Greeny'.

Costway US $1118.00 72 Inch Small Fabric Loveseat Sofa Couch with Wood Legs Costway US $210.00 Outdoor Loveseat Chair Set with Tempered Glass Coffee Table Costway US $278.00 2 Pieces Patio Loveseat Bench Table Furniture Set with Cushioned Chair-Blue Costway US $259.00 3 pcs Outdoor Patio Table Chairs Set Acacia Wood Loveseat-Red Costway US $141.00 Loveseat Cushioned Patio Steel Frame Swing Glider-Brown Costway US $323.00 Modern Loveseat Sofa with 2 Bolsters and Side Storage Pocket-Pink Costway US $1438.00 Modern Loveseat with Comfy Backrest Cushions-White Costway US $152.00 Swing Glider Chair 48 Inch Loveseat Rocker Lounge Backyard-Brown Costway US $348.00 Modern Fabric Loveseat Sofa for with Metal Legs and Armrest Pillows-Rust Red Costway US $458.00 4 Pieces Patio Rattan Furniture Set with Glass Table and Loveseat-Gray