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While Chuck Berry introduced the world to “the guitar hero”, and The Beatles standardized the four piece band, it would be bands like Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and The Jimi Hendrix Experience who would most exemplify the guitar hero as a member of band rather than a solo artist (although some may argue Hendrix was a solo artist).  Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page (who previously played with the Yardbirds, and with countless bands as a session musician) quickly became one of the biggest guitar gods of all time with his massive stage presence and his massive sound.  Although many people associate Page with the Double-Neck Gibson EDS-1275 (which he uses live to play the legendary Stairway to Heaven), and his first famous guitar was a 1959 psychedelic Fender Telecaster given to him by Jeff Beck, his number one guitar was his 1958 (and #2 1959) Gibson Les Paul.  Like the Telecaster, the Les Paul was invented by Les Paul and was one of the first electric guitars ever made.  With his unique playing style, including using a violin bow across his guitar strings, Jimmy Page is to the Les Paul as slicing is to bread.

Since Page, countless number of guitar players have made the Gibson Les Paul their main ax, including: Ace Frehley (KISS), Stone Gossard (and Mike McCready #2 ax) (Pearl Jam), Slash (Guns’n'Roses), Pete Townsend (The Who 1973-78), and Neil Young (when not playing an acoustic) while signature models have been made for artists such as Zakk Wylde (Bullseye) and Joe Perry (Boneyard).  Jimmy Page would also regularly be seen playing a Danelectro (which had various parts from two 1959 DC models), usually on songs that were in an alternate tunning. Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin’s influence can be seen predominantly in nearly all blues-rock/hard-rock bands and the infamous hair metal bands of the 80s.  Although it seems like centuries since the legendary original lineup of Led Zeppelin played live, hundreds of bands still credit them as their number one influence and Jimmy Page’s costume wearing stage antics can still be seen today, if you know where to look.  You don’t have to look very hard to find the Les Paul though, as it is still featured predominately in music as a leader in the high-end, top-quality guitar category.