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Author Topic: Les Paul has passed away at 94 Bill Gabel Film God Posts: 3873 From: Technicolor / Postworks NY, USA Registered: Jan 2002 posted 08-13-2009 11:35 AM                     Jazz guitarist and inventor Les Paul died on Thursday in White Plains, New York. He was 94 years old.  |  IP: Logged Martin McCaffery Film God Posts: 2481 From: Montgomery, AL Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-13-2009 12:40 PM                        If there is any justice, he will get a funeral to put Michael Jackson's to shame. Every guitar hero in the world should be begging to perform.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 08-13-2009 01:10 PM                     Most modern music fans have no idea how much Les Paul's inventions and innovations shaped the music we've listened to for the last 60 or so years. Les Paul was a pioneer in audio recording techniques, many which he developed while recording music with his wife Mary Ford. Les Paul was among the first to create a solid body electric guitar (his was known simply as "the log"). Leo Fender and Adolph Rickenbacker had also experimented with solid body electric guitar designs. Les Paul's signature guitar, the "Les Paul" is one of the iconic designs that automatically come to mind when the word electric guitar is mentioned. The Fender Stratocaster is the only model that rivals the Les Paul in historical popularity, but the Les Paul has typically been a more exquisitely manufactured, more expensive (not to mention heavier) guitar. I've always wanted a Les Paul. My uncle Covan owns a 1960 Les Paul Custom, one of the first electric guitars I ever saw close up when I was just a little kid. A good Les Paul, even brand new, costs a lot. Les Paul's namesake guitar declined in popularity a bit when the 1980's and hair band metal hit the scene. It's never really come back huge since then, certainly not like some of the Les Paul's peak years such as the 1970's when guitarists from Jimmy Page to Neil Schon were using it as the axe of choice. Still, shredders like Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne & Black Label Society) are keeping the venerable Les Paul in the spotlight. Also, it should be mentioned that while the Les Paul may look a little old fashioned for the rock and roll stage, many guitarists still like recording their original guitar tracks for albums using the Les Paul. Turn the amp up to 11 when you get to heaven, Les.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 08-13-2009 01:43 PM                     His recording techniques was a pioneering beginning as well with introducing overdubbing and multitrack recording. Sad to see such history go, but I had a small slam from him that is actually typical of people that are well up in the entertainment world: His museum was needed a tape machine transport (an AMPEX 300) to add to the display. I had access to one such unit and called the number to mention of my access to one. He answered the phone himself and had our conversation on this device. He then asked me where I resided and I mentioned "the State of Idaho" in which he mentioned "where is that state located-out in the Pacific Ocean or up in Canada?" I told him it was next to Wash. and Ore. He then hung up on me ....'oh well' - not the first time that happened to me agains my State that I reside.. I do have two original 78rpm copies on the old Capital purple label of his trademark song that his wife Mary Ford recorded in 1950 "Mockingbird Hill" -Monte He will be missed by the majority of the guitar players..  |  IP: Logged Phil Hill I love my cootie bug Posts: 7595 From: Hollywood, CA USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 08-13-2009 02:08 PM                  Great post, Bobby! He was an innovative pioneer in music, the guitar, and recording methods. RIP Mr. Paul.  |  IP: Logged Todd McCracken Master Film Handler Posts: 263 From: Northridge, CA, USA Registered: Mar 2008 posted 08-13-2009 02:17 PM                    Gosh, Ill have to break out my Les Paul 78's this weekend (heck I dont even know if I have a 78rpm capable turntable anymore)  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-13-2009 06:51 PM                     Yep! He invented both multi-trrack recording and sound on sound, the latter one first. He will be sorely missed and as Martin says he should get a funeral to top all funerals! Les and Mary are back together again making music. RIP!  |  IP: Logged Mark Lensenmayer Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1605 From: Upper Arlington, OH Registered: Sep 1999 posted 08-13-2009 10:18 PM                     "Somewhere there's music How faint the tune Somewhere there's heaven How high the moon" RIP, Les, you were the giant among giants.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 08-13-2009 11:46 PM                     One thing most of you all missed...He also was a GREAT guitar player! I'm NOT a Jazz person at all but his music is nothing short of BEAUTIFUL. And "How High The Moon" was a masterpiece, every bit as great as any other recording EVER made. It changed EVERYTHING in recording. Greatness of his kind comes along VERY rarely. Any one of his inventions would make him great but when you put all of it together on one person and add to that his music talent...that just goes beyond. And to think, he lost much mobility in his right arm after a bad car wreck and could still play phenomenally. The world was definitely a better place with Les Paul in it. Those that don't know just how good Les Paul was, should definitely check out "Chasing Sound" for a decent, though certainly not complete Biography. You Tube also has some decent clips of him playing and some of his music to just give you a low-rez taste of what he was capable of doing.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 08-14-2009 12:17 AM                     The way the story goes, Les Paul was nearly killed in a car accident somewhere here in Oklahoma. The doctors told him he would lose the use of one of his elbows. He told them to have it locked in guitar playing position. Les Paul had his priorities straight. It's a very rare thing for an inventor and mastermind at electronics to also be a great musician. Tom Scholz, guitarist of Boston, is the only other guitarist who comes to mind that loved messing around with electronics in a very creative way. Scholz earned a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from MIT, worked at the Polaroid company where he helped develop products like the one step camera. My favorite Scholz invention was the "Rockman" portable guitar amplifier. It was about the size of a 8-track cassette tape. Normally users would plug in headphones. The sound of the Rockman was great enough that some guitarists actually used it in the recording studio. Oh, by the way, Tom Scholz typically played Gibson Les Paul guitars.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-14-2009 12:53 PM                        quote: Bobby Henderson a 8-track cassette tape A what?  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 08-14-2009 01:20 PM                     Prob meant an 8track cartridge (and "oh how fun those units were to play with and fix all the time...") -Monte  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 08-15-2009 09:29 AM                        Les Paul: an audio man's audio man. It doesn't get any better than this! (Taught Ampex how to do multi track against their will. Invented sel-sync.)(Invented primative noise reduction by recording l.f. passages first. First use of what we now call click track.) Louis  |  IP: Logged

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