This is topic Les Paul has passed away at 94 in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.


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Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 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.
 

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Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 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.
 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 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.
 

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Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 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..
 

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Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 08-13-2009, 02:08 PM:
 
Great post, Bobby! He was an innovative pioneer in music, the guitar, and recording methods.

RIP Mr. Paul.
 

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Posted by Todd McCracken (Member # 4718) on 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)
 

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Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 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!
 

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Posted by Mark Lensenmayer (Member # 134) on 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.
 

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Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 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.


 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 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.
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 08-14-2009, 12:53 PM:
 

quote: Bobby Henderson

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a 8-track cassette tape

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