Les Paul, a pioneer among musicians and inventors, died this past week. The picture is of "the log", his first (and the first ever) solid-body electric guitar. This "Log" was fashioned from guitar parts and a 4 by 4 fencepost.
Les Paul perfected the solid body guitar (they had formerly been hollow bodied), and then played the heck out of 'em, charting a few hits along with his wife, Mary Ford. To this day, the Gibson Les Paul is a leading guitar; my son plays a non-Gibson version of a Les Paul.
Les also came up with the whole concept of multi-tracking by using tape heads. His wife could harmonize with herself thanks to his invention. we think nothing of this today, of course, as musicians go into the studio and add all the tracks they want now, digitally. But back in the day, it was a big deal.
Just to keep things interesting, I hope there are more people out there with minds like Mr. Paul's. Rest in peace, Les, or may your peace be occasionally broken by strains sound from the product of your mind.
1 comment:
I'm actually old enough to remember hearing Mary Ford singing with herself. It sounded to me like it was coming from another planet - our first step toward Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody". Later she and Les did Robert Hall clothing store commercials: "when the values go up, up, up, and the prices go down, down, down..." Without which Neil Sedaka could have never "come-a come-a down shooby-doo down down..."
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