A Letter from Gene Paul ~ Les Paul's Son and World Renown Grammy Winning Engineer

To whom it may concern:

​My name is Gene Paul, and I am the proud son of Les Paul. I would like to share the story of my father's 2002 White Custom Les Paul guitar, a unique surprise gift given to him by Gibson at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York City. This guitar was created to commemorate 50 years of collaboration between my father and Gibson, as well as the lasting impact of the Les Paul guitar on music, especially in the Rock ‘n Roll genre. In his later years, this guitar became my father's most treasured possession. To him, it was more than just an instrument; it was a living testament to his vision. It represented his "vindication" and served as a "trophy," proving that his idea for the solid-body electric guitar had been right all along.

He often recalled how, back in the 1940s, the folks at Gibson had laughed at him, dismissing him as "that nut with the broomstick with the pickups on it." But nothing would phase my dad; he was determined to have his guitar made by Gibson, no matter how long it took. In 1952, the iconic guitar we know today was born. Although my father was famous for taking apart and modifying nearly every Les Paul guitar, his reverence for this White Beauty prevented him from ever even turning a single screw on it. It was his most precious possession, living in his bedroom, always within sight and easy to grab. He had Gibson refret it to his personal specifications so he could play it often, which he did.

The importance and sentimental value of the guitar to my father are further highlighted by its prominent placement on the cover of his acclaimed autobiography, ‘Les Paul ~ In His Own Words’. During the cover photo shoot, everyone expected Dad to use his personal low-impedance custom Gibson guitar. However, he immediately chose this 50th Anniversary gift (Gibson Serial Number 00332400 aka G180) without any hesitation. When his co-author and the photographer asked why he was so certain about his choice, he replied, "This thing is like my Lifetime Achievement Award. Do you know everything it took to make this exist? How much of myself I put into this whole thing? This is 50 years of my dream come true!"

He also used this guitar exclusively for the now-famous shoot with acclaimed photographer Gene Martin. In these iconic pictures, Les is wearing one of his gray mock turtlenecks and posing with the guitar against a green background, beaming from ear to ear. The most well-known image captures him playfully sticking his tongue out. I have that photo framed here in my studio office.

To those who may not recognize it, this White Custom Les Paul might seem like just another guitar. However, for my father… Mister Les Paul, it marked the culmination of a lifelong journey toward a dream finally realized. As he held it close, he proclaimed, "This thing changed the world!"​