Les Paul

Les Paul, the musician and inventor, died Thursday at the age of 94. He was probably best known as the creator of the solid-body electric guitar which bears his name but his other contributions to the music world were equally valuable. One of his other inventions was multi-track recording which allows for “multiple layers of ‘overdubs’ to guitar reverb and other sound effects.” Not educated as an engineer, he was a tinkerer from early on. At age 13 he was already experimenting with amplification. He learned to play the guitar, in fact, to test his electronic theories. As a musician during the 50’s he and his wife Mary Ford had 36 gold records.

If you don’t know much about Les Paul but would like to know more I recommend the film Les Paul: Chasing Sound. His contribution to the world of popular music is inestimable and his legacy will live forever.