Les Paul, innovator of the solid-body guitar and multitrack recording, died this morning at age 94.
A tinkerer and musician since childhood, he experimented with guitar amplification for years before coming up in 1941 with what he called “The Log,” a four-by-four piece of wood strung with steel strings.
“I went into a nightclub and played it. Of course, everybody had me labeled as a nut.” He later put the wooden wings onto the body to give it a tradition guitar shape.
In 1952, Gibson Guitars began production on the Les Paul guitar.
Pete Townshend of the Who, Steve Howe of Yes, jazz great Al DiMeola and Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page all made the Gibson Les Paul their trademark six-string.
Look around your room, office, or wherever you may be at this moment. Chances are there is some piece of audio equipment you’re either listening to or is lying around in the vicinity. Believe it or not, that equipment would not exist without Les Paul. Back in the days of primitive sound, all that existed was monophonic recording. Everything had to be recorded at once in a live setting. Phonographs, radio, and television all used this format. Originally using acetate disks, Paul was the first to create a multitrack recording. This innovation in sound led many companies to create stereo equipment that could support this technique. These days, the bulk of recordings are made by “dubbing” tracks. Rarely are guitar, bass, piano, drums, and vocals done “live” for a recording. They are multitracked, and Les Paul was the first to record with this method.
Still, Les Paul will always be best known for his signature guitar, the “Gibson Les Paul.” Guitarists the world over are loyal to the instrument and original models are treasured collectors’ items. Along with Leo Fender and Adolph Rickenbacher, Les Paul designed some of the first solid-body guitars. He needed a way for the traditional acoustic guitar to sound louder. By adding a phonographic needle into the body of the guitar, the sound was amplified. These innovations, essentially, led to the first electric guitar. Nearly everyone who plays or loves music should be very appreciative of this man.
There’s enough biography on Les Paul all over the Internet, so there’s no need reiterating it here. The importance of this post is to honor one of the most important people involved in music’s intriguing history. I’m amazed at how many music fans are unfamiliar with him. Watch the videos above. Even at 90, the guy was one of the better players.
