Guitar Gear

Here’s a quick quip from the NAMM news page on the Gibson site:

Gibson has designated 2013 as the Year of Les Paul, paying tribute to the avid inventor, expert player, creative sound engineer, and long-time partner of Gibson Guitars. The entire Les Paul collection will be showcased at NAMM – that’s awesome, still bringing in guitars from the bus though… Set-up day is crazy!

As I said yesterday, there really hasn’t been much to compel me to go to NAMM. But I’d actually go – just for a day – to see the entire Les Paul collection, and I could salivate over all the LPs I can’t have because I’m too broke to buy one. 🙂 That’s okay, I’m happy with the two I have and I’ll never sell them.

As for Gibby dedicating this year as the Year of the Les Paul well… when isn’t it the Year of the Les Paul for Gibson? Personally, even before I was into Les Pauls, when I saw the Gibson logo, or heard the Gibson name, the image that came into my mind was that of a Les Paul. Not an SG, not an Explorer, not a Flying V. But a Les Paul. I suppose it’s because of the bands I listened to as youngster: Peter Frampton, Cream, Heart, REO Speedwagon. They all played Les Pauls.

Look, I don’t want to knock Gibson. It’s a venerable brand. But to me at least, EVERY year is the Year of the Les Paul. 🙂