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Over the years I have owned and played a wide variety of guitars, mostly budget models but my latest acquisition has to be my favourite.

My first guitar was a 1970s classic, a Zenta. I haven't seen one of these for years but to my 16 year old mind it was the coolest thing imaginable. over the years I have owned a range of other instruments, an Encore SG copy, a Columbus Strat copy and even a Kay!

latterly I had a Fender acoustic which sounded great but was uncomfortable to play and after that I built two from scratch, a Telecaster copy and a Stratocaster, which I am very pleased with. Now that I understood a bit more about the way guitars go together I decided to fulfill the dream of my teenage years and buy a Gibson Les Paul Studio, it only took 35 years to get around to it but now I have it I really understand why they carry the price tag.

My first Les Paul experience was in the 1970s, when I was given the chance to play one at a gig. The only down side to it was the weight. A solid 13 pound slab of mahogany can make the shoulders ache but the sound is unmistakable. I promised myself that I would own one some day, I didn't realise that I would be 50 before that dream came true.

My new Les Paul is somewhat lighter, there are cavities routed into the body that improve the tone and happily reduce the weight by several pounds. It's one of the cheaper Les Pauls, retailing in the UK at around 700GBP, for this you get the set neck, mahogany body, Gibson Humbucker Pickups and a solid guitar case that protects the instrument when not being played. The case looks so comfortable that I may start sleeping in it and let the Les Paul have my bed!

Everything that has ever been written about the Les Paul is true. The tone range available from it is, as the youth of today would say, Awesome! The action is flawless and the sustain that can be achieved is little short of miraculous. Having made a couple of guitar necks and knowing how hard this is I can appreciate the way that the Gibson neck is put together. I have fairly small hands so the chunky necks on cheaper guitars make playing hard. you do need to get a decent amplifier to get the best from it, preferably something valve (or tube) driven, to get the best sound.

Strangely enough, I would strongly recommend a Gibson for a beginner. Although the price tag is quite daunting there are two reasons for this statement: Firstly, the quality of the Gibson is such that you always play your best and the way that the fingerboard is laid out means that it is very forgiving. Secondly, provided you don't break it or burn it, it will maintain or even appreciate in value, making it a good investment.

Learn more about this author, Jeff Dray.
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