Les Paul: 1915-2009

From the desk of Ned P. Rauch:

For the first time in 94 years, the world is without Les Paul, and that's really, really sad. (NY Times obit here.)  Every time you listen to any music recorded, say, since WWII, you're hearing his innovations. And man, could he play. A brilliant musician and a wiz of a tinkerer, he figured out a lot of the recording techniques that are now standard practice, he invented amplifiers, pickups, effects and sounds no one had ever dreamed of, and, of course, he designed one of the most important instruments of modern times: The Gibson Les Paul. Without that guitar, no Led Zeppelin. And no Led Zeppelin, well...

For a list of famous Les Paul players and more information about the man's namesake guitar, click here.

(Photo by Jennifer Taylor lifted from the NY Times' site. Thanks, Ms. Taylor; it's a great shot of a great man.)