In an interview with Dan Forte in 1985, Clapton remembers: "The best Les Paul that I ever had was stolen during rehearsals for Cream's first gig. It was the one I had with John Mayall, just a regular sunburst Les Paul that I bought in one of the shops in London right after I'd seen Freddie King's album cover of 'Let's Hide Away And Dance Away', where he's playing a gold top. It had humbuckers and was almost brand new - original case with that lovely purple velvet lining. Just magnificent. I never really found one as good as that. I do miss that one. And in the 1989 interview, Clapton reiterates: "All during Cream, I never really had a favourite guitar because I never really replaced the Les Paul and I was constantly looking for something to come up to scratch - I'd play the ES-335 or the SG or the Firebird. I don't think I had a Fender - I think it was only Gibsons - but I may have toyed with it..."

The stage-shot illustrated shows Eric Clapton playing a Les Paul Standard with Cream at The Marquee, London, September 27, 1966.

Many of the leading British guitarists during the 1960s adopted this model including: Peter Green, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, George Harrison, Keith Richards, Mick Taylor and Paul Kossoff.