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Les Paul, often credited as the inventor of the solid body electric guitar, died today at age 94.  In addition to being an imaginative jazz guitar player himself, he changed the sound, context and bravado of the guitar forever.  He brought innovations to the realm of multi-track recording, overdubbing and delay and phasing effects throughout the 1940s and 50s, helping give birth to rock n’ roll as we know it.  His development of the solid body guitar started in the 1930s with “the log” (above), a guitar he made from a piece of lumber and electronics, integrated into an Epiphone acoustic body.   Les Paul’s inventions have had an incredibly far reach.   Fingers of the greats from all genres have graced the Gibson Les Paul  guitar.  See Les and his instruments here and here.

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