In the latest episode of Gibson TV’s The Collection, Paul Stanley showed host Mark Agnesi his whole guitar collection.
In the episode, the rocker shows off his favorite Gibson Les Paul guitars and his prized Korina Flying V. He talks about why rhythm guitar is important and shares stories about his guitars, like his first SG Les Paul and the vintage ones he lost. He also discusses his mirrored Ibanez PS-10 guitar and introduces his newest addition, a Custom Shop 1961 Les Paul SG Standard.
How Did Stanley Start To Be Interested In Guitars?
Stanley reflected on when guitars first caught his attention:
“Oh, I wanna do that. When I was a little kid I saw Eddie Cochran on TV. For some reason, he seemed like an even more dangerous Elvis [Presley]. There was something about him that was rogue and seemed ruthless, a great attitude. ‘Summertime Blues’ and ‘C’mon Everybody’.”
The musician further spoke about his connection with guitars:
“So that was really the start of my introduction to guitar, although I grew up in a family with a lot of folk music and bluegrass and opera and classical music and all. But I was convinced I could play the guitar when I had no knowledge of the guitar, just because there was some sort of connection. Guitar really is the instrument of the blues, which gave birth to rock and roll.”
Paul wanted an electric guitar for his 13th birthday but received a used nylon-string guitar instead. This disappointed him at first because he couldn’t play rock and roll on it. However, a few months later, he decided to give it a try and began learning guitar. He quickly took to it and took some lessons, but he wanted to progress faster than his teacher allowed. Then, he continued learning on his own.