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The Gibson Les Paul: The Illustrated History of the Guitar That Changed Rock
The Gibson Les Paul is a massive, illustrated history of this iconic guitar, from its pre-history to its evolution in the 60-plus years since its 1952 introduction.
The result of a collaboration between Gibson's Ted McCarty and jazz guitarist Les Paul in response to the success of Fender's Telecaster, the Les Paul has gone on to become a prized instrument played by most of the greatest guitarists in rock history .
You’ll truly feel the music come to life with our profiles on musicians known for using Les Pauls through the years; including Hubert Sumlin, Carl Perkins, Eric Clapton, Mike Bloomfield, Peter Green, Paul Kossoff, Jimmy Page, Neil Young, Peter Frampton, Keith Richards, Bill F Gibbons, Bob Marley, Mick Ronson, Steve Jones, Johnny Thunders, Angus Young, and more.
Illustrated throughout with studio photography of the guitars, candid and performance photography of the artists, and relevant memorabilia , this book is prefect for music lovers and guitar enthusiasts.
The result of a collaboration between Gibson's Ted McCarty and jazz guitarist Les Paul in response to the success of Fender's Telecaster, the Les Paul has gone on to become a prized instrument played by most of the greatest guitarists in rock history .
You’ll truly feel the music come to life with our profiles on musicians known for using Les Pauls through the years; including Hubert Sumlin, Carl Perkins, Eric Clapton, Mike Bloomfield, Peter Green, Paul Kossoff, Jimmy Page, Neil Young, Peter Frampton, Keith Richards, Bill F Gibbons, Bob Marley, Mick Ronson, Steve Jones, Johnny Thunders, Angus Young, and more.
Illustrated throughout with studio photography of the guitars, candid and performance photography of the artists, and relevant memorabilia , this book is prefect for music lovers and guitar enthusiasts.
- GenresMusicNonfictionHistory
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
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262 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 13, 2014
The Gibson Les Paul by Dave Hunter is a 2014 Voyaguer Press/ Backbeat Books publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
This short illustrated book tells a brief history of Les Paul. Many are not aware that Les Paul had a career as a musician in his own right. So it was only fitting that the book started with a little background on Paul's career and life.
At this point we enter into an illustrated list of various rock performers that have used a Les Paul guitar. Joe Walsh, Eric Clapton, blues performer Freddie King, among many other greats. This section shows color photos of the artist with the guitar and some interesting album covers, along with a brief bio of the artist and what music they are known for and the Les Paul they first used or the one they use most etc.
The third section of the book deals with the making of the guitars. There are also color illustrations in this section.
I do wish Les Paul's history had been a little more in depth. His name is part of what this book is about so a little more history would have been nice. The second section will be the most popular one for readers since we recognize most of these names and it's interesting to see why so many of these musicians chose Les Paul guitars. Classic rock groups and artist from the seventies and eighties are the ones featured the most in this section.
For me, the last section was the most interesting. I don't know a great deal about what goes into the making of a guitar so I learned something I didn't know before.
If I could make a suggestion it would have been to switch the order around and give us the history, the making of the Les Paul guitar and then add the musicians section at the end. This book will appeal to fans of the Les Paul Gibson guitar . Those who like to know what guitar their favorite rock legend choses and why will enjoy the book too. This would make a nice edition for anyone that plays the instrument or is a collector. Overall this is fun and informative book . I give it a or 3.5 stars rounded to 4.
This short illustrated book tells a brief history of Les Paul. Many are not aware that Les Paul had a career as a musician in his own right. So it was only fitting that the book started with a little background on Paul's career and life.
At this point we enter into an illustrated list of various rock performers that have used a Les Paul guitar. Joe Walsh, Eric Clapton, blues performer Freddie King, among many other greats. This section shows color photos of the artist with the guitar and some interesting album covers, along with a brief bio of the artist and what music they are known for and the Les Paul they first used or the one they use most etc.
The third section of the book deals with the making of the guitars. There are also color illustrations in this section.
I do wish Les Paul's history had been a little more in depth. His name is part of what this book is about so a little more history would have been nice. The second section will be the most popular one for readers since we recognize most of these names and it's interesting to see why so many of these musicians chose Les Paul guitars. Classic rock groups and artist from the seventies and eighties are the ones featured the most in this section.
For me, the last section was the most interesting. I don't know a great deal about what goes into the making of a guitar so I learned something I didn't know before.
If I could make a suggestion it would have been to switch the order around and give us the history, the making of the Les Paul guitar and then add the musicians section at the end. This book will appeal to fans of the Les Paul Gibson guitar . Those who like to know what guitar their favorite rock legend choses and why will enjoy the book too. This would make a nice edition for anyone that plays the instrument or is a collector. Overall this is fun and informative book . I give it a or 3.5 stars rounded to 4.
October 1, 2015
This book is a marvel!! I have been a guitarist for 41 years and have owned several Gibson guitars. Usually guitar books are either full of beautiful photograhs with very little written history, or over-run with printed pages accompanied buy a short section of boring black and white pictures in its midsection. This book has it all, and more. Seemingly well researched company and instrument histories, augmented by artist profiles. Photographic documentation of not only guitars, but album covers, advertising, artist portraits, posters, record labels and ticket stubs, patent drawings and applications. The photographs show both full images front and back, some guitars in their cases, and superbly done close-ups of detail. The last section of the book is all about construction and tone. The book went on and on forever. I thought it was never going to end, and I didn't want it to. I would retitle this: The Ultimate Gibson Les Paul Book.
April 26, 2022
This is what every guitar book should be. Period, drop the mic, break the press.
Unlike other books which read like a record company bio (make no mistake-there is bio info aplenty), this book delves more into the artist and instrument better than many others in the genre.
Add to this the in-depth history of one of the most iconic instruments in modern music and its evolution, it is a compelling read for music fans and guitar geeks alike.
It does suffer from the most obvious problem when talking and illustrating such an undertaking - the lack of access to some of the instruments, understandably, and falling back to using images of the artist endorsed replica reissue. But this is a minor nitpick, not everyone gets access like Geddy Lee in his Big Beautiful Book of Bass. It’s the only reason this book doesn’t score a 5/5 for me.
Unlike other books which read like a record company bio (make no mistake-there is bio info aplenty), this book delves more into the artist and instrument better than many others in the genre.
Add to this the in-depth history of one of the most iconic instruments in modern music and its evolution, it is a compelling read for music fans and guitar geeks alike.
It does suffer from the most obvious problem when talking and illustrating such an undertaking - the lack of access to some of the instruments, understandably, and falling back to using images of the artist endorsed replica reissue. But this is a minor nitpick, not everyone gets access like Geddy Lee in his Big Beautiful Book of Bass. It’s the only reason this book doesn’t score a 5/5 for me.
October 21, 2018
Layout was messy, while reading about the history, a page turn will lead to a prominent rock figure and his les paul and a few pages down, back to the history of the les paul
August 10, 2014
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.5 of 5
If you know anything at all about guitars, you know that Gibson Les Paul is one of the best, most popular guitars of the world. Dave Hunter's book, The Gibson Les Paul: The Illustrated History of the Guitar that Changed Rock is at once both a beautiful coffee-table style book, and a history book chronicling the origins and changes of one of the most famous guitars ever made.
Starting with a very brief history of the Gibson guitars and their quest for the 'perfect' electric guitar. Hollow body guitars tended to produce too much feedback and so the move to the solid boy guitar was inevitable. Enter Les Paul and a brief biography. The fact that Les Paul was a musician is often forgotten (if ever known) by most people. Paul's notes and drawings are really a nice addition to this book. The photo of Paul's first attempt at an electric guitar is fascinating. It's got a sort of Frankenstein's monster look to it as it's made of pieces of other guitars.
There was some friction between Gibson and Paul, which is detailed here. Author Hunter doesn't pick sides, but lays out the facts as he can ascertain them. Some of the friction can be traced to the changes in ownership as Gibson was purchased by different companies throughout its history and the Les Paul name was added to some guitars that Paul didn't agree with.
All the history presented appears well researched and there is a real wealth of information. Personally, I found this to be the real rewarding aspect of the book.
Many people will find the second portion of the book to be more to their taste...a photo montage of the various popular artists who use the Gibson Les Paul. What is nicely done here is a very brief biography of the artist, the music they are best known for, a photo of the artist with a guitar, and a sampling of his/her record albums. This is not a complete album list, but just a touch. Something to whet the appetite.
The last section of the book, "Tone and Construction," is the technical section. Hunter tries to explain precisely what it is that makes the Les Paul stand out. This is difficult to do as even Gibson has tried to recreate the technical magic of the classic Les Paul's without getting it exactly right. Whether it's the weight or consistency of the wiring, or the thickness of the wire insulation, or the age of the wood, it is clear that the classic Les Paul guitars had the right blend of everything at the right time. Detailed photographs and hand-written notes from the Les Paul archives really add a personal touch to the book.
I learned a lot about the creation and construction of one of the most famous guitars on the planet, but the book happens to look good, too!
I received this Digital Review Copy for free from edelweiss.com
Looking for a good book? A photographic coffee-table book, a history book, a book on music entertainment... The Gibson Les Paul, by Dave Hunter, is a remarkably good book in all areas and will be much coveted by guitars lovers.
If you know anything at all about guitars, you know that Gibson Les Paul is one of the best, most popular guitars of the world. Dave Hunter's book, The Gibson Les Paul: The Illustrated History of the Guitar that Changed Rock is at once both a beautiful coffee-table style book, and a history book chronicling the origins and changes of one of the most famous guitars ever made.
Starting with a very brief history of the Gibson guitars and their quest for the 'perfect' electric guitar. Hollow body guitars tended to produce too much feedback and so the move to the solid boy guitar was inevitable. Enter Les Paul and a brief biography. The fact that Les Paul was a musician is often forgotten (if ever known) by most people. Paul's notes and drawings are really a nice addition to this book. The photo of Paul's first attempt at an electric guitar is fascinating. It's got a sort of Frankenstein's monster look to it as it's made of pieces of other guitars.
There was some friction between Gibson and Paul, which is detailed here. Author Hunter doesn't pick sides, but lays out the facts as he can ascertain them. Some of the friction can be traced to the changes in ownership as Gibson was purchased by different companies throughout its history and the Les Paul name was added to some guitars that Paul didn't agree with.
All the history presented appears well researched and there is a real wealth of information. Personally, I found this to be the real rewarding aspect of the book.
Many people will find the second portion of the book to be more to their taste...a photo montage of the various popular artists who use the Gibson Les Paul. What is nicely done here is a very brief biography of the artist, the music they are best known for, a photo of the artist with a guitar, and a sampling of his/her record albums. This is not a complete album list, but just a touch. Something to whet the appetite.
The last section of the book, "Tone and Construction," is the technical section. Hunter tries to explain precisely what it is that makes the Les Paul stand out. This is difficult to do as even Gibson has tried to recreate the technical magic of the classic Les Paul's without getting it exactly right. Whether it's the weight or consistency of the wiring, or the thickness of the wire insulation, or the age of the wood, it is clear that the classic Les Paul guitars had the right blend of everything at the right time. Detailed photographs and hand-written notes from the Les Paul archives really add a personal touch to the book.
I learned a lot about the creation and construction of one of the most famous guitars on the planet, but the book happens to look good, too!
I received this Digital Review Copy for free from edelweiss.com
Looking for a good book? A photographic coffee-table book, a history book, a book on music entertainment... The Gibson Les Paul, by Dave Hunter, is a remarkably good book in all areas and will be much coveted by guitars lovers.
February 20, 2015
(I received my copy of this book for free in exchange for a fair review.)
This book, for the right reader, could be fantastic. If you are a guitar enthusiast who knows the names of all the parts and can knowledgeably discuss the sustain and vibrato and all the rest of guitar-playing jargon with ease, this book is for you. I can easily imagine this as a book touring musicians tote along to read on the plane or while enduring those endless hours of driving between gigs.
For everyone else, including musicians who play acoustic guitar and don't know the names of all the parts to an electric guitar yet, this book will be a bit dry and dull. Pretty guitar photos will only go so far to illustrate much of what this book talks about, and there are too few diagrams and instructive illustrations to support the discussions in this book about early pick-ups and different methods for connecting the neck of a guitar to the body, for instance. Throw in a healthy dose of such illustrations, not just in part 2 (which covers guitar construction in more detail), but in the history section as well, and this book could have a much wider readership, while simultaniously attracting more acoustic guitarists to brave the world of electric guitars. Most readers who are not already familiar with the jargon will have put the book aside long before they reach part 2.
For the select crowd for whom such illustrations would be unnecessary, this may be a 5 star book, but for the rest of us, including readers like me with some familiarity with pick-up design and guitar construction, this book left too much to be desired. But, the guitar pictures are pretty, and the history is still interesting and worth reading. The segment spotlighting great guitarists who have played Les Paul guitars was interesting, though again for readers without solid understanding of the jargon much of the detail in this section will be lost. I did enjoy reading some of the lesser-known musicians' biographical information, as not all the featured guitarists are mentioned much, if at all, in today's music scenes.
This book, for the right reader, could be fantastic. If you are a guitar enthusiast who knows the names of all the parts and can knowledgeably discuss the sustain and vibrato and all the rest of guitar-playing jargon with ease, this book is for you. I can easily imagine this as a book touring musicians tote along to read on the plane or while enduring those endless hours of driving between gigs.
For everyone else, including musicians who play acoustic guitar and don't know the names of all the parts to an electric guitar yet, this book will be a bit dry and dull. Pretty guitar photos will only go so far to illustrate much of what this book talks about, and there are too few diagrams and instructive illustrations to support the discussions in this book about early pick-ups and different methods for connecting the neck of a guitar to the body, for instance. Throw in a healthy dose of such illustrations, not just in part 2 (which covers guitar construction in more detail), but in the history section as well, and this book could have a much wider readership, while simultaniously attracting more acoustic guitarists to brave the world of electric guitars. Most readers who are not already familiar with the jargon will have put the book aside long before they reach part 2.
For the select crowd for whom such illustrations would be unnecessary, this may be a 5 star book, but for the rest of us, including readers like me with some familiarity with pick-up design and guitar construction, this book left too much to be desired. But, the guitar pictures are pretty, and the history is still interesting and worth reading. The segment spotlighting great guitarists who have played Les Paul guitars was interesting, though again for readers without solid understanding of the jargon much of the detail in this section will be lost. I did enjoy reading some of the lesser-known musicians' biographical information, as not all the featured guitarists are mentioned much, if at all, in today's music scenes.
July 1, 2014
Mr. Hunter has written a very complete book about one of the most iconic electric guitars ever made. He tells the complete history, explains many of the factors that have made a classic Les Paul such a prized electric guitar. He has short glimpses into the guitar players who have played Les Pauls in their careers. He includes lots of pictures. In fact the pictures rival the text, they tell such a complete story of the artists and their axes. He also includes album covers of the major works in which the artist used his Les Paul. He shows pictures of the custom Les Paul models that Gibson has issued honoring the guitarists that are famous for playing Les Paul guitars.
Mr. Hunter has included some technical details that will be very interesting to guitar players who would like customize their guitars. He talks about pickups, bridges, and various other technical details. He explains how different models of Les Pauls were built, what wood was used, and how they contributed to the sound and playability of the different models. He also has some blueprints and wiring diagrams that were used to build the early Les Pauls.
I give this book 5 Stars out of 5 and 2 Big Thumbs Up! I really enjoyed this book and think that anybody that ever wondered about the mystique of this popular guitar will enjoy it too.
I received this Digital Review Copy for free from edelweiss.com.
Mr. Hunter has included some technical details that will be very interesting to guitar players who would like customize their guitars. He talks about pickups, bridges, and various other technical details. He explains how different models of Les Pauls were built, what wood was used, and how they contributed to the sound and playability of the different models. He also has some blueprints and wiring diagrams that were used to build the early Les Pauls.
I give this book 5 Stars out of 5 and 2 Big Thumbs Up! I really enjoyed this book and think that anybody that ever wondered about the mystique of this popular guitar will enjoy it too.
I received this Digital Review Copy for free from edelweiss.com.
January 6, 2017
Cool history on the great Les Paul guitar
I enjoyed reading about the many varied Les Paul incantations and Gibson in general. Finally know a hell of lot more why the '59 is the one. Great short profiles on players who've used Les Paul's to create some of the soundtrack to my life. Pretty easy read and cool way to spend a few hours if you're into guitars and love blues/rock music.
I enjoyed reading about the many varied Les Paul incantations and Gibson in general. Finally know a hell of lot more why the '59 is the one. Great short profiles on players who've used Les Paul's to create some of the soundtrack to my life. Pretty easy read and cool way to spend a few hours if you're into guitars and love blues/rock music.
May 21, 2015
Great history and back story of the icon.
History of the iconic Les Paul guitar. An in depth look at the genesis of the solid body electric (the LP was not the first, contrary to popular lore). Many more details of the evolution through the 50s and 60s, arguably the zenith of quality and desirability. Many profiles of famous guitarists and their chosen LP models.
History of the iconic Les Paul guitar. An in depth look at the genesis of the solid body electric (the LP was not the first, contrary to popular lore). Many more details of the evolution through the 50s and 60s, arguably the zenith of quality and desirability. Many profiles of famous guitarists and their chosen LP models.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews