Legendary guitarist and musical inventor Les Paul died yesterday at 94.  Paul’s contribution to the world it much greater than just a Jazz guitarist with a famous model named after him.  He is more than just inventor.  He is perhaps the most important figure in the history of 20 century music making.  He was the father of the electric guitar and likely created the first ever.  He was the first person to use overdubbing and multi-tracking in fact the first 8-track recorder was in the world was in his garage.  He is responsible for changing how people though about recording.  Before Les Paul it was simple a way to document a performance.  Paul recording into a art creating music that would be impossible with out the process of recording it self.  He could “play” multiple guitar parts at once and “play” them impossibly fast by slowing down the recording speed. 

He was a true DIY’er before there was such a term.  His garage tinkering led to modern recording, the solid body electric guitar and the idea of audio boxes effects.  Even his own Les Paul was highly modified.  It hard to imagine any modern music popular music not effected my his legacy in someway.  He seemed to remain a nice guy through it all and performed regularly until is death. 

For more information on Les Paul the is a documentary on Paul called Les Paul Chasing Sound.  It can be streamed off Netflix.