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Topic: Les Paul, The Man Who Revolutionised Audio Engineering - Page: 1

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Unfortunatly, now at around 90 years old, Pauls time left with us is very short. Most people know him as the inventor of the electric guitar, but did you know he also invented the multitrack process called "overdubbing"? This is something truely spectacular, before him all recordings were done completly live and were quite the hassle, if you made one little mistake in microphone distancing or screwed up one little note, the recording had to be started from scratch. There was no adjusting the drums volume to fit the guitar, no giving yourself backing instruments or vocals, Pauls invention and first 8 track recording made it possible for people like me to make music.

Check out the official site here http://www.lespaulonline.com/

The following is taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Paul

Les Paul (born Lester William Polfuss June 9, 1915) is an American jazz guitarist and inventor. He is one of the most important figures in the development of modern electric instruments and recording techniques. He is a pioneer in the development of the solid-body electric guitar (the Gibson Les Paul, which he helped design, is one of the most famous and enduring models), multitrack recording, and various reverb and echo effects.

Biography

His birthname was first simplified by his mother to Polfuss before he took his stage name. He was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin. He first became interested in music at the age of eight, when he began playing the harmonica. After an attempt at learning to play the banjo, Paul began to play the guitar. By 13, Paul was performing semi-professionally as a country-music guitarist. At the age of 17, Paul played with Rube Tronson's Cowboys. Soon after, he dropped out of high school to join Wolverton's Radio Band in St. Louis, Missouri on KMOX.

In the 1930s, Paul worked in Chicago in radio, where he performed jazz music. Paul's first two records were released in 1936. One album was credited to Rhubarb Red, Paul's hillbilly alter ego, and the other was in the backing band for blues artist Georgia White.


[ Electric guitar innovations

Les Paul's 'The Log', one of the first solidbody electric guitars.
Paul was unsatisfied by the electric guitars that were sold in the mid 1930s and began experimenting with a few designs of his own. Famously, he created The Log which was nothing more than a length of common "4 by 4" fence post with bridge, guitar neck, and pickup attached. For appearances he attached the body of an Epiphone jazz guitar, sawn lengthwise with The Log in the middle. This solved his two main problems - feedback, as the acoustic body no longer resonated with the amplified sound, and sustain, as the energy of the strings was not dissipated in generating sound through the guitar body.

In 1938, Paul moved to New York and landed a featured spot with Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians radio show. Paul moved to Hollywood in 1943, where he formed a new trio. As a last-minute replacement for Oscar Moore, Paul played with Nat King Cole and other artists in the inaugural Jazz at the Philharmonic concert in Los Angeles on July 2, 1944. Also that year, Paul's trio appeared on Bing Crosby's radio show. Crosby went on to sponsor Paul's recording experiments. The two also recorded together several times, including a 1945 number one hit, "It's Been a Long, Long Time." In addition to backing Crosby and artists like the Andrews Sisters, Paul's trio also recorded a few albums of their own in the late 1940s.


Les Paul and "the Les Paul"
In 1941, Paul designed and built one of the first solid-body electric guitars (though Leo Fender also independently invented his own solid-body electric guitar around the same time, and Adolph Rickenbacher had marketed a solid-body guitar in the 30s). Gibson Guitar Corporation designed a guitar incorporating Paul's suggestions in the early fifties, and presented it to him to try. He was impressed enough to sign a contract for what became the "Les Paul" model (originally only in a "gold top" version), and agreed never to be seen playing in public, or photographed with, anything other than a Gibson guitar. That persisted until 1961, when Gibson changed the design without Paul's knowledge. He said he first saw the "new" Gibson Les Paul in a music store window, and disliked it. Though contract required him to pose with the guitar, he said it was not "his" instrument, and asked Gibson to remove his name from the headstock. Gibson renamed the guitar the "SG", and it also became one of the company's best sellers. It has been also stated that Les had ended his endorsement with Gibson because he was going through a divorce, and didn't want his wife to get all of his endorsement money. Later, Paul resumed his relationship with Gibson, and endorses the instrument even today (though his personal Gibson Les Pauls are much modified by him - Paul always uses his own self-wound pickups on his guitars). To this day, the Gibson Les Paul guitar is used all over the world, both by novice and professional guitarists.


[ Multitrack recording innovations
In 1947, Capitol Records released a recording that had begun as an experiment in Paul's garage, entitled "Lover (When You're Near Me)", which featured Paul playing eight different parts on electric guitar, some of them recorded at half-speed, hence "double-fast" when played back at normal speed for the master. This was the first time that multi-tracking had been used in a recording. Amazingly, these recordings were made, not with magnetic tape, but with wax disks. Paul would record a track onto a disk, then record himself playing another part with the first. He built the multi-track recording with overlaid tracks, rather than parallel ones as he did later. There is no record of how few 'takes' were needed before he was satisfied with one layer and moved onto the next.

Paul even built his own wax-cutter assembly, based on auto parts. He favored the flywheel from a Cadillac for its weight and flatness. Even in these early days, he used the wax disk setup to record parts at different speeds and with delay, resulting in his signature sound with echoes and birdsong-like guitar riffs. When he later began using magnetic tape, the major change was that he could take his recording rig on tour with him, even making episodes for his 15-minute radio show in his hotel room.

In January 1948, Paul was injured in a near-fatal automobile accident in Oklahoma, which shattered his right arm and elbow. Doctors told Paul that there was no way for them to rebuild his elbow in a way that would let him regain movement, and that his arm would remain in whatever position they placed it in permanently. Paul then instructed the surgeons to set his arm at an angle that would allow him to cradle and pick the guitar. It took him a year and a half to recover.


[ Top 40 with Mary Ford
In the early 1950s, Paul made a number of revolutionary recordings with his wife, Mary Ford, who sang as well as played rhythm guitar. These records were unique for their heavy use of overdubbing, which was technically impossible before Paul's invention of multitrack recording. Paul's multitracking system was made possible by the introduction of reel-to-reel audio tape recording, developed by Jack Mullin and the Ampex company in the late 1940s, with the backing of radio, film and recording star Bing Crosby. The couple's hits included "How High the Moon," "Bye, Bye, Blues," "The World is Waiting For The Sunrise," and "Vaya Con Dios"; these songs featured Mary harmonizing with herself, giving the vocals a very novel sound.

Crosby gave Les Paul what was only the second of the now-famous Ampex Model 200 recorder, which was the world's first commercially-produced reel-to-reel tape recorder. Using this machine, Paul developed his tape multitrack system by adding an additional recording head and extra circuitry, allowing multiple tracks to be recorded separately and asynchronously on the same tape. Paul's invention was quickly developed by Ampex into commercially-produced two-track and three-track recorders, and these machines were the backbone of the professional recording studio, radio and TV industry in the 1950s and early 1960s.

In 1954 Paul continued to develop this technology by commissioning Ampex to build the first eight track tape recorder, at his expense. The machine took three years to get working properly, and Paul says that by the time it was functional his music was out of favor and so he never had a hit record using it. His design, later known as "Sel-Sync," (Selective Synchronous) in which a specially-modified recording head could simultaneously record a new track and play back previously recorded ones, was the core technology for multi-track recording for the next thirty years.


[ Radio program
Paul had hosted a fifteen-minute radio program, The Les Paul Show, on NBC in 1950, featuring his trio (himself, Ford, and rhythm player Eddie Stapleton) and his electronics, recorded from their home and with gentle humour between Paul and Ford bridging musical selections, some of which had already been successful on records, some of which anticipated the couple's recordings, and many of which presented dazzling re-interpretations of such jazz and pop selections as "In the Mood," "Little Rock Getaway," "Brazil," and "Tiger Rag." Several recordings of these shows survive among old-time radio collectors today.

During his radio shows, Paul introduced the legendary "Les Paulverizer" device, which multiplies anything fed into it, like a guitar sound or a voice. This even became the subject of comedy, with Ford multiplying herself and her vacuum cleaner with it so she could finish the housework faster. Later Paul made the myth real for his stage show, using hidden equipment which over the years has become smaller and more visible. Currently he uses a small box attached to his guitar - it is not known how much of the device remains off-stage. He typically lays down one track after another on stage, in-sync, and then plays over the repeating forms he has recorded. With newer digital sound technology, such an effect is available commercially. To this day no one knows exactly how the Les Paulverizer works.

In the late 1960s, Paul went into semi-retirement, although he did return to the studio occasionally. He and Mary Ford (born Iris Colleen Summers) had divorced amicably in December 1964, as she could no longer tolerate the itinerant lifestyle their act required of them. Paul's most recognisable recordings from then through the mid-1970s were an album for London Records, Les Paul Now (1967), on which he updated some of his earlier hits; and, backed by some of Nashville's celebrated studio musicians, a meld of jazz and country improvisation with fellow guitar virtuoso Chet Atkins, Chester and Lester (1977), for RCA Victor.

In 1978, Les Paul and Mary Ford were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. He received a Grammy Trustees Award for his lifetime achievements in 1983. In 1988, Paul was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Jeff Beck, who said, "I've copied more licks from Les Paul than I'd like to admit." Les Paul was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in May 2005 for his development of the solid-body electric guitar. In 2006, Paul was inducted into the National Broadcasters Hall of Fame. By the late 1980s, Paul had returned to active weekly live performances in New York City.

In 2006, at the age of 90, Les Paul won two Grammys at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards for his album Les Paul & Friends: American Made World Played. He also performs weekly, accompanied on piano by John Colianni, at the Iridium Jazz Club, on Broadway in New York City, despite the arthritis that has stilled all but two of the fingers on his left hand.

A biographical, feature length film, titled Chasing Sound: Les Paul at 90, is a documentary currently in production which will be distributed by Koch Entertainment.


[ Trivia
Appeared briefly at the beginning of the video for "Satisfaction Guaranteed" by supergroup The Firm, whose guitarist, Jimmy Page, has long been a disciple of Les Paul.
The Klingon word for guitar, leSpol, was derived from his name, and is pronounced to evoke it.
He is the godfather of rock guitarist Steve Miller of the Steve Miller Band, to whom Paul gave his first guitar lesson.
Along with country songwriter Earnie Newton he established a pirate radio station in his New York City apartment building in 1940. [1]
Sometime in the 90s, Les Paul gave Paul McCartney one of his own vintage left-handed Les Paul guitars.

[] Discography

[] Hit singles
"Lover (When You're Near Me)"
"Bye Bye, Blues"
"How High the Moon"
"Vaya con Dios"
"I'm Sitting on Top of the World"

[] Albums
The Les Paul Trio
Swingin' South
Lover's Luau
Warm and Wonderful
The World is Still Waiting for the Sunrise
New Sound
Hits of Les and Mary
Les Paul Now!
Chester and Lester - album with Chet Atkins
Les Paul: The Legend and the Legacy (1996; a four-CD box set chronicling his years with Capitol Records)
Les Paul & Friends: American Made World Played
 

Posted Tue 20 Mar 07 @ 5:15 pm
wow i didn't know a lot of that......they don't make 'em like that anymore......
 

Posted Wed 21 Mar 07 @ 5:21 am
I knew some - not other bits of the story.

amazing jazz guitarist
 

Posted Wed 21 Mar 07 @ 5:27 am
An important thing.

Because there wasn't the opportunity to do a lot of re-recording and editing, musicians had to be very good and practice so that they could perform well in a very few takes.

Filtered out a lot of the dross.

A
 

Posted Wed 21 Mar 07 @ 11:42 am
imagine that practicing singing and playing
 

Posted Wed 21 Mar 07 @ 2:05 pm
Insert awed stare at Stevie Ray Vaughn poster

Insert govelling at Jimi Hendrix poster.
 

Posted Wed 21 Mar 07 @ 4:39 pm
this is a great topic.......

i have tried to start some threads something like this myself......unsuccessfully unfortunately and it makes me wonder if nobody out there plays or sings or really gets into music for there own head and maybe not so commercial all the time as the TOTP that we play so much......????

tonight on my way home from the hideous strip club i stopped in the local watering hole / local institution
(GREAT food, cheap pitchers will make any place popular) and amazingly the band had a drummer that i recognized , except that he was setting up roland v -drums.........so i went up and said hello , and he was an old bud from the way back .....so they were setting up and i tried to be of assistance during there sound check and they seemed to appreciate that....after a few tunes i asked could i sit in on drums and my bud said yes , so his mates went along, and they didn't seem very skeptical of me which was nice.....i asked could we do some Cream , so they said yes, let's do sunshine of your love .....so we did , it was a blast and they loved it, and so did the crowd.....so they asked me to do another, so i said let's do more blues..... so the guitarist says yeah, let's do red house ! i said yer kidding you know red house ....it was so great so we did red house.....

maybe it's me but i live for stuff like that.....there is no substitute for great playing and singing

also i'm probably just old , but i think that great singing isn't strictly about how perfect the notes are......it's very good if you can deliver some emotion.......
 

Posted Thu 22 Mar 07 @ 4:37 am
You got it. Been on stage plenty of times and had that buzz. I think it would be great if more DJs had a go at playing an instrument on stage, or singing, etc. I reckon I'm a decent DJ cos I played in a band for years and I got a good feel for that emotion. Technique doesn't mean a thing if you can't touch peoples lives.

A
 

Posted Thu 22 Mar 07 @ 2:06 pm
I miss that feeling of playing with a band, unfortunatly where I live now all the musicians play country or bluegrass (nothing wrong with either, just doesn't suit my playing style). Hehe, I've actualy been hard at work myself laying down tracks for new recordings of some of my old songs, been working on Shadows for about a week now & still only have the drums, first guitar & bassline to show for it, but I reckon slow & steady gets the job done right. Thank God for Les Pauls innovations, otherwise it'd be just one acoustic guitar, not so good for heavy metal..lol

BTW, did anybody listen to the podcast on Pauls site? He gives alot of good info on production and guitar playing in general, I especialy liked what he said about mixing through a single mono speaker. Any novice players or producers should definatly take a listen, this man is the Einstein or Newton for all trades involving audio;^]
 

Posted Thu 22 Mar 07 @ 5:29 pm
I'm a blues freak.

Most of the stuff that was really innovative in the RnB I listen to wes done by Robert Johnson, T-bone Walker, Guitar slim, and a few others

Lot of guitar based blues muisc I hear new these days is variation on a theme, Without much innovation.
How many covers of Howlin' Wolf - Red Roster can I listen to?

I kinda miss playing in The S.R.V. cover band I used to play in as well. We were called HOME BREW some in the Toronto area might remember us - played the EL Macambo on Spadina and Black Bull on Queen West on a regular basis.

DJ'ing is fun, and I make more money at it; but nothing beat that rush of playing at the Barrie Spring Blues Festival for a 1000 person outdoor crowd.
 

Posted Thu 22 Mar 07 @ 7:34 pm
let's do our own cover of Outside woman blues..........
 

Posted Thu 22 Mar 07 @ 10:39 pm
the blues..... that's about the war between the sexes , isn't it ???????

uhhhh, don't think that's related to Les Paul.....sry
 

Posted Thu 22 Mar 07 @ 10:42 pm
chucknorrisyouwimps wrote :
the blues..... that's about the war between the sexes , isn't it ???????

uhhhh, don't think that's related to Les Paul.....sry


But it is really, imagine where modern blues would be without Les Pauls designs and innovations. Imagine BB King without Lucile (know I prolly spelled that wrong). His design just added so much more sustain than had ever been available, mixed with echoes and reverbs and an overdriven gain allowed the blues to become what it is today;^]
 

Posted Thu 22 Mar 07 @ 10:56 pm
i'll have to check out the podcast......this is wild

Marcel was in an SRV cover band..........i said the blues is about the war btween the sexes and nobody said .....what???

incredible job bringing it back 'round to Les Paul....lol try this one ....... enchilada...... can we somehow get from enchilada to LP ?? let's see ya do that one...lol
 

Posted Fri 23 Mar 07 @ 2:58 am
Tim an old bud of mine from an original band i was in used to do these cool mods to his Marshalls.....he only had i think an old 50 watt model and another a little more than 50 maybe 100watts tops .... i think he pimped out the pre amp.....anyhoo those amps could SHOUT .....sounded sweet

i remember the little 50 watt job looked like a little practice amp and weighed nearly a hernia.....my ears are still ringing.....
 

Posted Fri 23 Mar 07 @ 3:05 am
haha, I'm guessing as in the food, never heard a group or artist by that name...lol

Hmmmm, if I thought enough I'd come up with somethin' smart ass, over exhausted tonight tho..lol;^]
 

Posted Fri 23 Mar 07 @ 3:10 am
chucknorrisyouwimps wrote :
Tim an old bud of mine from an original band i was in used to do these cool mods to his Marshalls.....he only had i think an old 50 watt model and another a little more than 50 maybe 100watts tops .... i think he pimped out the pre amp.....anyhoo those amps could SHOUT .....sounded sweet

i remember the little 50 watt job looked like a little practice amp and weighed nearly a hernia.....my ears are still ringing.....


heh, I use to get my fuzz by connecting to a cheap headphone amp my dad made and connect to my old crate 60 watter that way. I guess he used cheap electronics to make it, 'cause when you tuned it up past 5 it'd go haywire. For some reason it'd sound awful straight through the headphones, but as soon as I hooked it up to my amp it sounded great. I've thought about trying to mod my crate gfx1200h, but I'm not an electrician like the old man so I'm too scared to even take it apart..lol. I use the digitech GNX3 now so as long as I'm using new strings I always manage to get the tones I need. Ahhhh, god bless this hobby, even as expensive as it gets..lol;^]
 

Posted Fri 23 Mar 07 @ 3:21 am
he definitely replaced the original speaker in that little cab cuz that thing was amazingly heavy for it's size

had to be a huge magnet
 

Posted Fri 23 Mar 07 @ 4:50 am
radiofcPRO InfinityMember since 2006
I met the great man a couple of years ago in New York. We went to one of the weekly shows he did (still does?) in a jazz club there, bumped into some off duty cops who naturally loved chatting to a couple of Irish lads (from the old country) and the next thing you know we're back stage. He was very sound to us, signed my ticket and posed for a pic - must dig it out..

..anyway suffice to say it was cool to meet a living legend and it's good to see someone here writing about music other than dance for a change ;)
 

Posted Fri 23 Mar 07 @ 6:35 pm
i used to live in new providence , nj (not rhode island) and i would go to some o f the great local clubs near the island of manhattan .......... it is no exaggeration to say that in the late 70s and early 80s for about $ 20 i could find myself eating a huge burger and enjoying 2 or 3 pitchers while seated , oh about 6 feet from Wes Montgomery ........
 

Posted Fri 23 Mar 07 @ 7:25 pm
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