The 10 Best Gibson Les Paul Guitarists Of All Time

Here's the top ten, as voted by you.   23-Nov-12

4. Eric Clapton

Derek is as well known for his Strat playing as he is for his Les Paul playing, but when you've had a career as distinguished as Eric Clapton's, you can pretty much get away with it.

Again, as with Slash, we would have predicted a place in the top five for Eric, and you voted him in at number four. Rolling Stone magazine recently put him in at number two in their list of the greatest guitarists of all time, just behind Jimi Hendrix at number one.

But Eric Clapton's sustained success throughout the sixties and right up to present day (with a new tour next year) shows that his candle has shone as brightly as any other guitarist out there, and his music has stood the test of time.

He's played in incarnations of the Yardbirds, Cream, Derek and the Dominoes, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, as well as playing on records by the likes of the Beatles

Giorgio Gomelsky, manager for the Yardbirds, coined the sarcastic term 'Slowhand' to describe Clapton's incredibly quick playing. At that time, alongside Jeff Beck he was widely considered to be one of the best guitarists outside of the jazz fraternity. 

He's a worthy player on any list of top 10 guitarists, and helped transform the blues-rock movement of the 60s into the classic rock and hard rock movements of the 70s.

Click here: Number 3