Eric Clapton’s patronage of the Gibson Les Paul Standard was brief, but it was hugely influential.

He bought a Standard (likely a 1960 model) after seeing the cover to Freddie King’s Let’s Hide Away… album, and playing through a Marshall Model 1962 combo, he changed blues-rock guitar tone overnight.

Fellow LP aficionado Gary Moore calls the album “a turning point. It blew me away completely. I wore that out and scratched the shit out of it just learning the solos.”

Clapton had his prime Les Paul Standard stolen during rehearsals for Cream's first gig in 1966. He’s played others since but he admits his Standard was “just magnificent. I never really found one as good as that. I do miss that one."

Advice to Eric: just pick up a Les Paul again? Just once?