Fans of the Les Paul guitar tend to be ardent purists, always seeking the most authentic recreation of 1959. Ironically, the guitar was designed by one of the most forward-thinking musicians of the 20th century. Les had prototyped his own solidbodies in the 1930s, one out of a railway sleeper and another, ‘the Log’, out of a 4x4” board with strings. He was looking to eliminate body resonance entirely to maximise sustain. In practice, the most desirable guitars are those that resonate exactly the right amount, producing long sustain with woody tone. The extremely heavy Les Pauls of the 70s and 80s are closer to Les’s vision, but less popular.