Introduction - man, myth and legend

Les Paul demonstrates demonstrate the American pursuit for perfection and innovation through his personal pursuit of the “perfect” tone and his invention of multi-track audio recording. The Les Paul electric guitar is the embodiment of Les Pau’s belief that anything is possible. His legacy will endure because musicians everywhere, like Les Paul, are chasing sound.

Historical Background

Les Paul was born Lester William Polsfuss (June 9, 1915 – August 12, 2009) outside Milwaukee, in Waukesha, Wisconsin, to George and Evelyn Polsfus. His family was of German ancestry and Paul's mother was related to the founders of Milwaukee's Valentin Blatz Brewing Company and the makers of the Stutz Bearcat automobile; his parents divorced when he was a child. The Prussian family name was first simplified by his mother to Polfuss before he took his stage name of Les Paul. He also used the nicknames Red Hot Red and Rhubarb Red.

Geographic - Les Paul Inducted into Inventor's Hall of Fame

Les Paul was inducted into the Inventor's Hall of Fame in Akron, Ohio on May 13, 2005. His acceptance speech is here.

Les Paul's innovations led to his first solid-body electric guitar in 1941. Coupled with his pioneering recording techniques, Paul produced a series of extremely popular recordings that introduced the public to his fast, multi-layered productions that frequently included Paul playing as many as six musical parts simultaneously through the process of overdubbing. He also designed and built his own multi-track tape recorders.

The quality and originality of Les Paul's work inspired a generation of musicians to embrace his guitar and recording techniques. In 1952 the Gibson Musical Instrument Co. began selling its popular Les Paul model electric guitar. It rapidly established the new instrument as a powerful influence in the entertainment industry.


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Technological - What is the Les Paul?

As with many inventions, the electric guitar initially met with skepticism from traditionalists—performers as well as makers and audiences. But country and blues players and jazz instrumentalists soon took to the variety of new tones and sounds that the electric guitar could produce, exploring innovative ways to alter, bend, and sustain notes.

The instrument's volume and tones proved particularly appealing to the enthusiasts of rock and roll, which emerged in the 1950s. While it was important to other genres, the electric guitar was at the heart of the cultural revolution that rock and roll symbolized. The media capitalized on the image of the rock and roller with his slicked-back hair, leather jacket, motorcycle—and electric guitar. ("The Guitars").

Artistic

Les Paul cover art on the Economist magazine, December 2008, and the article, "Why Music?"



Black Les Paul by Toastman85 at deviantart.com

Biographic - Les Paul Chasing Sound

Societal - How Les Paul Influences the World of Music

As a player, inventor and recording artist, Les Paul has been an innovator his entire life. Born Lester William Polfus in 1915 in Waukesha, Wisconsin, Paul built his first crystal radio at age nine - which was about the time he first picked up a guitar. By age 13 he was performing semi-professionally as a country-music guitarist and working diligently on sound-related inventions. In 1941, Paul built his first solid-body electric guitar, and he continued to make refinements to his prototype throughout the decade. It’s safe to say that rock and roll as we know it would not exist without his invention.

But Les Paul didn’t stop there. He also refined the technology of sound recording, developing revolutionary engineering techniques such as close miking, echo delay, overdubbing and multitracking. He also busied himself as a versatile bandleader and performer who could play jazz, country and pop.

The guitar that bears his name – the Gibson Les Paul – is his crowning achievement. It grew out of his desire, as a musician and inventor, to create a stringed instrument that could make electronic sound without distorting. What he came up with, after almost a decade of work, was a solid bodied instrument – that is, one that didn’t have the deep, resonant chamber of an acoustic guitar. ("Les Paul - Rock Hall")

Conclusion

On November 15, 2008, Les Paul received the American Music Masters award through the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at a tribute concert in the State Theater in Cleveland, Ohio. Among the many guest performers were Duane Eddy, Eric Carmen, Lonnie Mack, Jennifer Batten, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, Dennis Coffey, James Burton, Billy Gibbons, Lenny Kaye, Steve Lukather, Barbara Lynn, Katy Moffatt, Alannah Myles, Richie Sambora, The Ventures, and Slash. This is proof of is iconic stature and his enduring influence on American culture.

Works CIted

"Les Paul". Hall of Fame/Inventor's Profile. Invent Now. Inventor's Hall of Fame. 2002. 10 Mar. 2009. <http://www.invent.org/hall_of_fame/225.html>.

"Les Paul". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 2007. 10 Mar. 2009. <http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/les-paul>.

“The Wizard of Waukesha: The Life and Legacy of Les Paul” Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. <http://www.rockhall.com/pressroom/2008-american-music-masters>

"The Guitars". The Lemelson Center. <http://invention.smithsonian.org/centerpieces/electricguitar/>.

Tianen, Dave. The Wizard of Waukesha. <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/les-paul/introduction/100/>.