Equipment
Explore the groundbreaking innovations that revolutionized modern recording, fully restored and ready for your next production.
EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
Les Paul’s historic recording equipment—including his Monster console, the Octopus 8-track machine, and the Arcturus record-cutting lathe—has been fully restored and installed at The Les Paul Recording Studio in Hollywood, California. These legendary tools, which played central roles in the development of multitrack recording, overdubbing, and modern studio workflow, have been meticulously returned to full working condition to preserve their original functionality and character.
Now integrated into the legendary United Recording (formerly Ocean Way Recording), this collection allows artists, engineers, and students to work hands-on with the same groundbreaking technology Les Paul used to shape the sound of modern music. The studio serves as both a living museum and a fully operational recording studio, showcasing the evolution of audio engineering while keeping Les Paul’s innovations alive for future generations.
Les Paul’s “Monster” console was a custom-built recording desk engineered to give him unprecedented control over sound. Featuring modified electronics and innovative routing options, it allowed Les to experiment with complex signal chains long before modern consoles existed. Its flexibility and power made it a cornerstone of his groundbreaking studio workflow.
Les Paul’s Arcturus record-cutting lathe was the tool he used to create his early overdub experiments, manually layering performances by cutting directly to disc. This process required exceptional accuracy and creativity, and the lathe became a key part of his pioneering work in sound-on-sound recording. It remains an important artifact of the era when overdubbing was invented.
Nicknamed the “Octopus,” Les Paul’s 8-track machine was the world’s first functional multitrack recorder. Built in collaboration with Ampex, it allowed him to record, layer, and perfect performances with a level of precision that revolutionized studio production. The Octopus became the foundation of modern multitrack recording and cemented Les Paul’s legacy as an audio innovator.
This iconic mic—famous for its warm, velvety tone and legendary presence on countless classic recordings—is fully restored and available for use during studio sessions. A true piece of audio history, it offers artists the rare opportunity to capture performances through the same technology favored by Les himself and many of the greatest engineers of the 20th century.
The Monster console
The Octopus - Ampex 8-track
Ampex 300-3 tape machine
Avid ProTools - DAD AX64 Converters 16in / 16 out
Grace M905 Monitor Controller
ATC SCM50 Speakers
ATC C4 Sub MK2
OUTBOARD
• Fairchild 670
• (2) Teletronics LA-2A
• (4) Universal Audio 1176
• (2) DBX 160
• SSL G Series Compressor
• UA 2108 Dual Mic Pre
• Sontec MPE-250A
• ITI ME-230
• GML 8200
• (4) API 512C
• (6) BAE 312A
GUITARS
• 1940 Epiphone Zephyr (Les’)
• 1974 Les Paul Gold Top Signature (Les’)
• 72-75 Les Paul Recording Model Bass (Les’)
• Les Paul (Les’)
• 70-75 Les Paul Recording Model (Les’)
• 70-72 Les Paul Jumbo (Les’)
• Gibson J-45
• 2024 Les Paul - Mary Ford Model
• Les Paul - Custom Shop Historic
• Les Paul - Custom Shop Historic
• 2022 Gibson SG Bass 225730122
Specifications:
• Rosewood fretboard with acrylic trapezoid inlays and 22 medium jumbo frets
• Mahogany neck with SlimTaper profile
• Burstbucker 2 and Burstbucker 3 pickups
• Non–weight-relieved mahogany body with carved maple cap
• ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic bridge
• Gold Top Hat knobs with dial pointers
• Nickel hardware finish
• ES-295–style cream pickguard with gold floral design
Specifications:
• Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer finish
• Mahogany body, SG shape
• Lead SG Bass & Rhythm SG Bass pickups
• 3-Point Adjustable bridge
• 2 Volumes & 1 Master Tone controls
• Groover Shamrock tuning machines
Specifications:
• 2-piece plain maple top with hide glue fit
• 1-piece lightweight mahogany back
• Nitrocellulose VOS finish (Vintage Patina)
• Custombucker Alnico 3 pickups (bridge and neck)
• No-Wire ABR-1 bridge
• Lightweight aluminum stop bar tailpiece
• Authentic 1950s No-Tube truss rod
• Kluson Single Line, Single Ring tuning machines
Specifications:
• Solid mahogany body with no weight relief
• Multi-ply binding
• Nitrocellulose VOS finish (Vintage Patina)
• Custom Staple neck pickup
• Custom Soapbar P-90 bridge pickup
• 2 Volume and 2 Tone controls with CTS 500K potentiometers
• ABR-1 bridge
• Kluson Waffleback tuning machines
Specifications:
• Sitka spruce top
• Mahogany back and sides
• Traditional hand-scalloped X-bracing
• Rosewood fingerboard with 20 frets
• SlimTaper mahogany neck
• L.R. Baggs VTC preamp and under-saddle pickup
• Multi-ply top binding and single-ply back binding
Specifications:
• Walnut back and sides
• Sitka spruce top
• Traditional hand-scalloped X-bracing
• L.R. Baggs Element Bronze electronics
• Gloss Nitro Lacquer finish on top; Satin Nitro Lacquer on back, neck, and sides
• Belly-up walnut bridge
• Grover Rotomatic tuning machines
Specifications:
• ES-335 cornerstone model from 1958
• Pearloid dot inlay rosewood fingerboard
• Hand-rolled Rounded "C" mahogany neck
• Calibrated T-Type humbucking pickups
• Hand-wired control assembly
• Vintage Deluxe tuners with Keystone buttons
• Aluminum ABR-1 bridge and Stop Bar tailpiece
AMPLIFIERS
• Gibson Dual Falcon 20
• Mesa Boogie Badlander
Specifications:
• 50 or 20 Watt selectable (Global)
• 2 Channels with 3-Mode Channel Cloning
• 2x Mesa EL-34 (or optional 6L6) power tubes
• 5x Mesa 12AX7 preamp tubes
• Built-in CabClone IR Cab Simulator with 8 Mesa cabinet IRs
• 8 Ohm Celestion Creamback 65 speaker
• Fully buffered series tube FX loop
• Class A/B power with Full/Variac power switch
• Dimensions: 19 1/4" H × 22 3/4" W × 10 3/8" D
• Weight: 60 lbs
Specifications:
• Selectable Full (15W), Half (6W), or Low (2W) power modes
• 2 channels with 2 modes per channel (Normal or Low)
• 2x 6L6 power tubes (or optional 2x 6V6)
• 4x 12AX7 preamp tubes
• 2x 16 Ohm 10" Jensen Blackbird ALNICO 40 speakers
• Footswitchable all-tube spring reverb and tremolo
• Aluminum chassis with polished stainless-steel faceplate
• Cream Bronco vinyl with Oxblood grille
• Dimensions: 19" H × 21 3/4" W × 8 7/8" D
• Weight: 39.45 lbs
