Thanks to Mr. Jesse Dayton for showing us this clip
Les Paul, the musician who literally created the definitive sound of rock 'n roll with his slew of equipment inventions, has passed away at the rockin' age of 94. Seriously if you make it that far after spending your life in smoky halls and recording studios you officially own. The technical baby daddy of rock 'n roll succumbed to complications from pneumonia.
The list of innovations credited and patented by Les Paul stand as a monument to the man that helped shape the sound of rock 'n roll. He pioneered the art of multi-tracking, various delays, phasing, and overdubs. All this on top of helping create with Ted McCarty one the world's most iconic guitars, the Gibson Les Paul.
Any rock aficionado or guitarist will talk your fool ear off about how the sound of a Gibson Les Paul affected the course of music forever. Initially rejected, his prototype guitar dubbed "The Log" ended up influencing the final product that lit the fires of a million listeners and players.Paul's early multi-tracking work made works like the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper and the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds the aural monolithic art pieces they would become. His "Les Paulverizer" effects pedal started out as a stage gag, but a few years down the line it actually became a reality, as the "stomp box".
To watch Paul play guitar was a thing of beauty. He had a nimble old-world style that ended up influencing people as diverse as Billy Gibbons, Slash, "Skunk" Baxter, and Duane Eddy. The list of people who used his guitars is endless. In fact, it was a whammy bar on a Les Paul that The Who's Pete Townshend found his hand impaled on doing one of his "windmill" guitar moves in the '70s.
No one did more to popularize the brand than Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page. It's hard to find a picture of Page where he is not destroying a crowd with one slung around his slight frame. One of Paul's guitars helped create the signature sound of Eric Clapton's Cream output as well.
