Guitarists who use the Les Paul: the dignified aura of a classic guitar

Live Spot LugHirata Hiroyasu
I’m Hiroyasu Hirata from Live Spot RAG. When I was 15, I was blown away by how cool music—especially rock—was, and I started playing guitar and formed a band. I’m from Kochi Prefecture, where there weren’t many live houses or concert venues, so there were few opportunities to experience live music. Back then, our sources of information were magazines, CDs, and even VHS tapes (!?). Still, I was captivated by the sparkle of music, and I spent my days enjoying guitar and music, mostly neglecting my studies. I moved to Kyoto for university and “graduated” from the light music club, so to speak (laugh). Until then, I mainly listened to Japanese rock and Western hard rock, but thanks to seniors and peers I learned there was so much more music in the world. Now I listen to anything that strikes me as good, regardless of genre. After graduating, I joined RAG. After about six years in the office and about ten years in the music studio, I now work at the long-established Live Spot RAG, which has been around for 39 years, mainly handling promotions. Being exposed to the “real music” performed by Japan’s top musicians and delivering it to our audience lets me feel the brilliance of music anew every day. I still play guitar and keep a band going casually, and in recent years I’ve even started singing—better late than never. I’ve fully become an old guy by now, but I hope we can continue to chase “what lies beyond the dreams I painted with music back then” together.

Gibson’s Les Paul, alongside Fender’s Stratocaster, is one of the most iconic electric guitar models and is beloved by players around the world.

Originally released as an artist model named after the jazz guitarist Les Paul, its construction and the high-output pickups known as humbuckers pair exceptionally well with rock-style overdriven tones.

Thanks to that appeal, many guitarists have chosen it as their instrument of choice.

First manufactured in 1952, it may appear a bit “old-fashioned” from the perspective of the 2020s, more than half a century later, yet it also exudes the dignified presence of “the electric guitar.”

Here are some famous guitarists known for their use of the Les Paul.

[Dignity of the Classic Guitar] Guitarists Who Use Les Pauls (11–20)

Ace Frehley

10 Unforgettable Ace Frehley Moments

Ace Frehley, the guitarist of KISS known for his flamboyant makeup and costumes, is also famous as a devoted Les Paul user.

His signature triple-pickup model is striking.

Those smooth, satisfying humbucker-driven guitar solos are the best.

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Duane Allman

The Allman Brothers Band – Whipping Post | Live at Fillmore East (1970)

Duane Allman, the lead guitarist of the Allman Brothers Band and a representative figure of Southern rock, also favored the Les Paul for his richly expressive guitar tone.

As a prodigious guitarist who died young, he left his name in rock legend.

His nickname was ‘Skydog.’

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Paul Kossoff

FREE – Mr. Big (Doing Their Thing, 1970) Official Live Video

Guitarist of the British hard rock band Free.

The distinctive sound Free pursued—incorporating elements of blues and soul—helped shape the early era of hard rock, and at the center of that band sound was the tone of Paul Kossoff’s Les Paul.

Paul Kossoff was also known for using many Les Pauls, including natural finishes, sunbursts, and flame tops, and it’s fair to say that his Les Paul sound spread across the world along with the band.

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Hoshino Takashi

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Takashi Yamaguchi

Sambomaster / Starting to Shine and Run - MUSIC VIDEO

He is the vocalist and guitarist of Sambomaster, a three-piece rock band formed in 2000.

He’s known for his striking stage presence, belting out vocals while powerfully strumming a Les Paul.

At the core of the band’s sound—defined by live, heated recordings that favor one-take sessions and Takashi Yamaguchi’s direct, passionate messages—is the guitar tone he draws from his Les Paul.

Its thick yet dry timbre could be said to embody the very appeal of guitar-driven rock.

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Hoshino Takashi

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Harui Shindo

PORNOGRAFFITTI “Haneuma Rider (Short ver.)”

Haruichi Shindo, the guitarist of Porno Graffitti who produced many hit songs, is also an avid user of the Les Paul.

He supports Porno’s sound from the ground up—catchy yet tinged with melancholy—that strikes a chord with the Japanese heart.

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Neal Schon

The Neal Schon Interview: the Riffs, the Solos, and the Soul of Journey

The guitarist and central figure of Journey, a flagship American hard rock band formed in San Francisco in 1973.

In the early years, he was known for using a Gibson Les Paul as one of his main guitars alongside a Fender Stratocaster.

In 2005, he unveiled a limited-edition signature model co-developed with Gibson.

It features a Floyd Rose tremolo unit, a Fernandes Sustainer, and a boost control; on the model he personally uses, it even includes a Roland guitar synthesizer pickup.

He is renowned for mastering this highly versatile Les Paul—truly a powerhouse of a guitar.

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Hoshino Takashi

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