Lester William Polsfuss is a man who needs no introduction, at least when you introduce him by his other name: Les Paul.
The guitarist and music gear innovator changed the course of the electric guitar’s history with his eponymous guitar design. He also masterminded the invention of multi-track recording, with his Monster console a vital piece of music history.
As such, he’s left behind a raft of historic, change-making gear, and for a day, Dre DiMura was given free rein to explore his studio, play his guitars, and record through “the most important recording console in music history.”
The guitarist and social media star was invited down to the Les Paul Recording Studio in Hollywood, which opened in March 2025 as a way of honoring his legacy, to run wild.
While his Number 1 Les Paul, a 1990 model he played in his later years, remains (mostly) locked behind a case in the studio, there are others that visitors can play. Those include a 1941 Epiphone Zephyr, a super-rare Les Paul Jumbo acoustic that sports a “weird” low-impedance pickup, the Signature and Recording models, and a more recognizable Goldtop.
“This is a guitarist's dream,” DiMura beams. “For a few hours, I got to live it; one piece of priceless gear after another.” During those hours, he tracked an Iron Maiden hit on the historic ‘Monster’ console with Les’s very own quirky 1965 Signature model.
Hearing The Trooper twang as it does here is certainly unusual, but it’s hard not to admire the sound of the guitar – and marvel at the Monster process.
But the best surprise happened when Les’s Number 1 was lifted from its case, with the strings that Les Paul played still on it.
“It's crazy because it's been totally messed with, like everything else,” says studio tour guide, Tom. “He shaved the bridge out of a solid piece of metal. It was sitting in a case since he passed [in 2009], and when we got it out here, the intonation was perfect. The action was perfect. Nothing buzzes, and there's really no adjustment on it.”
So, what does DiMura do when he gets the legendary six-string in his lap? Well, he see if it can djent, of course. And it sort of does – even without distortion.
In related Les Paul (guitar) news, Ace Frehley's prized 1975 workhorse is headed to auction, where it's expected to reach $600K.
