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Clean players who use Les Pauls

Fornax

Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2011
Messages
57
I've been using my '11 Paul as my workhorse guitar playing in a classic rock band, formally being a Fender player. I am struck on how beautiful the clean tones can be if the amp is up to the task, e.g. Fender twin. The LP design is, by accident or genius, a best of both worlds, straddling clean and dirty timbres. Why don't I hear a lot of players using the LP for clean stuff?

Topic for discussion:

Let's highlight popular players who have used Les Pauls as a clean, undistorted instrument.

I'll start with:

1. Les Paul
2. Jerry Garcia
 

Big Al

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
14,537
Robert Johnson. Memphis tone monster.

Jimmy Page, the tone on "Ten Years Gone" is just syrup.
 

Ad_02Std

Active member
Joined
Apr 12, 2005
Messages
5,055
Jimmy Page, the tone on "Ten Years Gone" is just syrup.

There's an awful lot of Strat on that track. Jimmy Page did get some great clean tones from his Les Paul though, especially on live performances.
 

Ad_02Std

Active member
Joined
Apr 12, 2005
Messages
5,055
Paul Kossoff had great clean tones.

I've always thought the Les Paul excelled at clean tones. People seem to think it's just a crunchy sustaining rock machine, but I find myself playing clean more often because I love that sound so much.

I think the same about big Marshalls though. I love the big fat clean tones you can get from a Marshall, but they're really not known for that. In fact I've heard a lot of people say that you can't get a good clean tone from a Marshall. Okay, it doesn't have that crystal clarity of a Fender, but maybe that's not what I'm after.
 

GotTheSilver

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 14, 2007
Messages
2,433
Lou Pallo

My '13 R8 has beautiful bell-like clean tones on the middle position!
 

fakejake

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 3, 2010
Messages
1,274
Early Jim Hall, before he got his 175. Used it (a '55 Custom) with Chico Hamilton, those records are AWESOME!!
 

Bob Womack

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 8, 2002
Messages
2,191
David Gilmour - "Another Brick in the Wall pt.2" solo is a '54 with P-90s clean through a limiter into the board. They re-amped it to get a little tiny bit of grit.

Bob
 

tonar8353

Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2007
Messages
490
Sean Costello, Hubert Sumlin, and early Freddie King.

I love me a P90 Lester through a Fender Amp!
 
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