‘What Have I Done?!’” — Joe Perry on the Gibson Les Paul Junior That Refused to Die

“When the Guitar Flew Up, I Thought, ‘That Looks Incredible.’ On the Way Down I Was Thinking, ‘What Have I Done?!’” — Joe Perry on the Gibson Les Paul Junior That Refused to Die

Aerosmith legend Joe Perry reflects on his iconic black Gibson Les Paul Junior, the custom mother-of-pearl artwork that transformed it forever, his ultimate desert-island guitar. 

If you’ve watched Joe Perry perform over the years — whether with Aerosmith, The Hollywood Vampires, or his own solo projects — chances are you’ve spotted the stunning black Gibson Les Paul Junior with its unmistakable pearl inlay artwork.

What many fans may not realize is that the guitar never looked like that when it originally left the Gibson factory in the 1950s. In fact, it didn’t even look that way when Perry bought it in the late ’70s. The transformation happened only after a dramatic onstage accident nearly destroyed the instrument forever — and after Steven Tyler almost hurled its remains into the audience.

That disaster ultimately gave birth to one of rock’s most recognizable Juniors.

The Story Behind Joe Perry’s Legendary Les Paul Junior

“I’m pretty sure it’s a 1956 model,” says Joe Perry.

“It originally had the classic cherry finish. Not a burst — just that solid cherry stain. It’s got a single P-90 pickup. Back in the mid-’70s, I actually owned two of these guitars, similar to the ones played by Johnny Thunders and Leslie West. They’re unbelievable guitars. Just volume, tone, and one P-90 — but they absolutely scream. I was lucky enough to end up with two of them.”

The Onstage Accident That Changed Everything

One of those Juniors suffered a catastrophic accident during a live show.

“We were playing a festival, and at the end of a song I threw the guitar up into the air. This was before wireless systems existed, so the guitar was still attached to the cable. It hit the end of the cord, came crashing down on the neck, and the headstock snapped clean off.”

Perry vividly remembers the split-second emotional swing.

“As it was going up, I remember thinking, ‘Wow, I can’t believe how cool that looks.’ Then on the way down I was thinking, ‘Holy hell… what did I just do?’”

Things got even crazier moments later.

“After it broke, Steven Tyler grabbed the guitar and wanted to throw it into the crowd. I literally had to wrestle it away from him,” Perry laughs. “I knew the guitar could be saved.”

How the Famous Pearl Artwork Was Created

Instead of simply repairing the guitar, Perry decided to completely reinvent it visually.

“At the house I was living in, I had these marble gargoyles in the backyard. I took Polaroid pictures of them and sent the photos to Gruhn Guitars in Nashville to see if we could somehow incorporate those images into the guitar.”

That idea eventually became the now-famous custom pearl inlay.

“A lot of people think it’s just a decal, but it’s actually all real mother-of-pearl inlay work,” Perry explains. “And the crazy thing is — it’s still an incredible guitar. I still use it both in the studio and on the road.”

He also still owns the second Les Paul Junior.

“I still have its brother guitar, too. That one is almost completely original except for the chrome Grover tuners — which pretty much everybody installed on their ’50s and ’60s Gibsons once the original tuners started wearing out.”

The Guitar That Comes Closest to ‘Doing It All’

Despite owning hundreds of instruments, Perry admits one guitar consistently stands above the rest.

“My Burned Strat pretty much checks every box for me.”

According to Perry, vintage guitars need time to fully settle into their personality.

“Guitars weren’t originally designed for super-light strings. I’m generalizing here, but Strats and Les Pauls were really built around heavier gauges. I’d bet that if you bought a Telecaster in the ’50s, it probably came with flatwounds.”

Laughing, he adds:

“Honestly, Joe Bonamassa could probably tell you more about that than I could.”

Why Light Strings and Vega-Trem Changed His Strat

Perry says switching to lighter strings and using a Vega-Trem system transformed the feel of his famous Stratocaster.

“The lighter the strings, the harder it becomes to get everything stable. Any Strat-style guitar with that kind of bridge needs time before everything settles properly. Maybe that’s part of the magic.”

That trust is exactly why he continues relying on the guitar live.

“I know it’s going to stay in tune. Of course, if you break a string on a floating bridge, you’re basically done,” he jokes.

“The Song Always Comes First”

For Perry, gear has always served the music — never the other way around.

“I’m driven by the song.”

He also follows a few strict rules during live performances.

“When you’re onstage, always follow the singer. If things start falling apart because somebody made a mistake, staying with the vocal usually hides the damage.”

And sometimes, he says, imperfection has its own charm.

“A little trainwreck energy onstage can actually be cool. At least it proves we’re not performing to backing tracks.”

Joe Perry on Finding the Perfect Tone

Perry firmly believes there’s no such thing as a universally “wrong” sound.

“There might be a wrong sound for a specific song, but there’s no wrong sound in general. You just keep searching until something fits.”

That philosophy explains why some inexpensive guitars became part of rock history.

“I’ve got guitars that cost me maybe a hundred bucks, and they ended up on some of our biggest records. In that moment, they were exactly the right tool.”

Why Joe Perry Still Reads Guitar World

Even after decades at the top, Perry remains obsessed with discovering new gear.

“I still get guitar magazines all the time. I read Guitar World, check the back pages for new pedals, speakers, and all kinds of gear. I’m always experimenting.”

He admits he’s never been especially organized about documenting sounds digitally.

“I’m not the kind of guy who keeps everything cataloged on a computer. But I always know where to find a certain sound or feel. In the end, it all comes down to one thing — does it work for the song?”