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More wizards of the Goldtop, Sunburst and Custom
The MusicRadar Team, Thu 1 Oct 2009, 2:11 pm UTC
29 Les Paul legends: part 1
17 unsung Les Paul legends
28 Telecaster legends: part 2
Sharing lead and rhythm guitar duties with Brad Whitford, Aerosmith’s Joe Perry utilised numerous guitars (Strats, Teles, Mockingbirds) during the group’s first brush with fame in the '70s.
But Perry became widely associated with Les Pauls, most notably a 1958 sunburst that he was forced to part with during his drug-addled years.
Broke at the time, Perry sold his ’58 Paul in 1981 because he needed money for Christmas. Several years later, when Whitford recognized the guitar in a centerfold of Slash’s collection, Perry called the Guns N’ Roses axeman and offered to buy it back.
Slash never resold Perry his guitar. Instead, he went one better, reuniting Perry with the ’58 burst at the guitarist’s 50th birthday party (10 September 2000).
In the above photo, Perry plays one of several signature models that have borne his name since the late '90s.
29 Les Paul legends: part 1
17 unsung Les Paul legends
28 Telecaster legends: part 2