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Electric Guitar Pioneer Les Paul Passes Away

posted Aug 13, 2009 at 4:46 PM by xFiruath.  (40 Comments)

Famous electric guitar pioneer Les Paul (Lester William Polsfuss) passed away today at the age of 94. Les Paul reportedly died in White Plains, New York from complications related to pneumonia. Born in Wisconsin in 1915, Paul was involved with music and recording his entire life, and performed on dozens of albums and singles. He made his first solid body guitar design in the late 1930's dubbed "The Log," because it was made out of a normal length of wood. Paul was also known for being involved in the invention of multitrack recording and tape delay.

In 2005, a month shy of his 90th birthday, Les Paul was one of 14 people inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. The electric guitar brought Paul international renown as a musician, won him five Grammys, put him on television for eight years with his wife, Mary Ford, and made Gibson Guitar Corp.'s signature Les Paul Standard a guitar of choice for garage bands and virtuosos on five continents.

"In my wildest dreams, I never thought I would see so many people using them," Paul said in a telephone interview prior to his induction. "I owe it to the rock-and-roll players, especially the Jeff Becks, the Paul McCartneys and Jimi Hendrix. All of them were playing a Les Paul guitar."

"[Gibson] laughed at me for 10 years," Paul said. "They called me 'the guy with the broomstick with the pickups on it.' "

More information on Les Paul can be found at his official website.

What's Next?

40 Comments on "Les Paul Passes Away"

brandedcfh420's avatar

Member

1. brandedcfh420 writes:

REST IN PEACE SIR!! THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU HAVE DONE FOR MUSIC. YOU WILL BE MISSED!

# Aug 13, 2009 @ 5:07 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
godlike's avatar

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2. godlike writes:

R.I.P.

# Aug 13, 2009 @ 5:15 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

3. thrashbuster writes:

dude will be missed. not only did he invent the les paul. he also invented multi-track recording... EVERYONE owes Les a massive debt.\

# Aug 13, 2009 @ 5:23 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
macky3214's avatar

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4. macky3214 writes:

dude was a legend

# Aug 13, 2009 @ 5:29 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
zMETALlica's avatar

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5. zMETALlica writes:

i'm proud to live in the same county as him. wish i went to see him play. he played til the year he died, that's truly someone who cares more about the music than making money. I wish more people would be as innovative as this guy instead of reinventing sh** we already have just done differently. makes me wish i was better with electronics.

# Aug 13, 2009 @ 5:47 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Blindgreed1's avatar

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6. Blindgreed1 writes:

I saw him play. The dude shreded all the way to the grave man. Hands riddled with arthritis. It doesn't get anymore metal that that. RIP Les. The world is a better place for having you in it.

# Aug 13, 2009 @ 5:52 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

7. Chazz writes:

R.I.P. Mr. Guitar Man!

# Aug 13, 2009 @ 5:57 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Elliott's avatar

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8. Elliott writes:

Rest In Peace

# Aug 13, 2009 @ 6:02 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

9. RTB writes:

A great man with great passion.....idk if hes in the rock n roll hall of fame or not, but he should be...RIP sir

# Aug 13, 2009 @ 6:04 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

10. Mikey writes:

I think everyone needs to take this weekend and really appreciate what a legend the music world has just lost. I think that today, what Les has done for music is taken for granted and is easily forgotten but if it wasnt for him we would not be where we are at in music today. I will greatly miss Les and I think the music world has lost its biggest legend. R.I.P. Les Paul.

# Aug 13, 2009 @ 6:22 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

11. RTB writes:

Long week im tired, hes in there, that was stupid my bad

# Aug 13, 2009 @ 6:24 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
jbalanzar's avatar

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12. jbalanzar writes:

R.I.P.

# Aug 13, 2009 @ 7:07 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
SHREDDER13's avatar

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13. SHREDDER13 writes:

Riff In Paradise Les...

Your legacy will live on forever.

NP - "Wild Horses" by The Rolling Stones

# Aug 13, 2009 @ 9:33 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Kalis_wrath's avatar

Supporter

14. Kalis_wrath writes:

WOW! Rest in peace, Les Paul.

94 years is a good long life. Glad he was around to help make music what it is today.

# Aug 14, 2009 @ 12:29 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
That_One_Guy's avatar

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15. That_One_Guy writes:

R.I.P. Les Paul. The man was a legend, and music wouldn't be where it is without him.

# Aug 14, 2009 @ 1:36 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Gytrash's avatar

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16. Gytrash writes:

We all owe him. RIP, Sir Les

# Aug 14, 2009 @ 4:22 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Zukros's avatar

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17. Zukros writes:

Rest in Peace.

# Aug 14, 2009 @ 5:10 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Jamez's avatar

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18. Jamez writes:

Mr. Les Paul´s achievements not only in the guitar world but in music in general are so underrated.
Basically all the Explorers, Vs, most of BC Rich models, ESP ECs and many other guitars out there are based on the Gibson Les Paul. In addition he was one hell of a player and quite a butt kicker.

Rest In Peace, Sir

# Aug 14, 2009 @ 7:35 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

19. sadimz writes:

R.I.P

# Aug 14, 2009 @ 8:41 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
inhatredofme's avatar

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20. inhatredofme writes:

a true musical badass.

# Aug 14, 2009 @ 9:15 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Jake.Shall.Perish's avatar

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21. Jake.Shall.Perish writes:

RIP man, Les Paul guitars have definitly shaped my guitar playing in many ways

# Aug 14, 2009 @ 9:27 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

22. mfh writes:

Still playing at 94, that is the epitomy of rock, RIP.

# Aug 14, 2009 @ 9:47 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
hater_guy's avatar

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23. hater_guy writes:

R.i.P.

# Aug 14, 2009 @ 9:53 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
decapitator94's avatar

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24. decapitator94 writes:

R.I.P

# Aug 14, 2009 @ 10:28 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
KanadianKoRn's avatar

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25. KanadianKoRn writes:

RIP Les \m/

# Aug 14, 2009 @ 10:40 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
LordAssenfroth's avatar

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26. LordAssenfroth writes:

wow as an audio engineer this is a big loss. he was one of my true heroes, he was the inventer of multitrack recording! how f***ing collosal is that! i mean where would we be without his breakthroughs?? in mono hell thats where, and knowing the state of the world today i bet he doesnt get the recognition that he deserves, as apposed to other f***-tards who have died recently. man this guy was so f***ing metal.

this beer and bong hit are for you les paul! your a true hero! rest in peace!!!!

# Aug 14, 2009 @ 12:04 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

27. deeznutz writes:

les pauls suck....give me an ibanez... old people smell funny

# Aug 14, 2009 @ 1:07 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
SHREDDER13's avatar

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28. SHREDDER13 writes:

deeznutz - Ibanez's are great too but not one of them can compare to a left handed 59' Les Paul that I once toyed around with at a guitar shop. It was roaring out of a Marshall half stack with a MG100HFX Head + MG4X12A and MG4X12B Cabinets.

# Aug 14, 2009 @ 1:25 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
wilco's avatar

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29. wilco writes:

rip in peace bro
the father of electric guitar
he will be missed

# Aug 14, 2009 @ 4:59 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
godlike's avatar

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30. godlike writes:

deeznutz - Give me a fvcking break.!!
You can have all the damn Ibeenhads in the world..!!

There isn't any other guitar out there, that has the legacy that the Les Paul has...
Jimmy Page
Randy Rhodes
Slash
Zakk Wylde
Me
Peter Frampton
Joe Perry
Ace Frehley
and countless others have made their entire careers around this one guitar.!

# Aug 14, 2009 @ 5:33 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

31. Acid/Rain writes:

Another living legend gone... A very sad thing

# Aug 14, 2009 @ 6:34 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Crucify_The_Whore's avatar

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32. Crucify_The_Whore writes:

Atleast he was able to fvcking shred till the end. R.I.P man

\m/

# Aug 15, 2009 @ 10:22 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
eddy27's avatar

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33. eddy27 writes:

all had written by god

# Aug 15, 2009 @ 1:50 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
utoad9's avatar

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34. utoad9 writes:

R.I.P. Les was at least as important as

# Aug 15, 2009 @ 9:23 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
utoad9's avatar

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35. utoad9 writes:

the Beatles ,etc. to the history of rock.

# Aug 15, 2009 @ 9:25 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Jamez's avatar

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36. Jamez writes:

Godlike /P30, Agreed 100%, and the list grows and grows...
Adam Jones - Tool
Brent Hinds & Bill Kelliher - Mastodon

Needless to say these guys didnt pick up the LP by accident

# Aug 18, 2009 @ 12:00 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Rychemn's avatar

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37. Rychemn writes:

Thanks Les for all the great music over the years.....for myself.....the Les Paul guitar was one of the greatest inventions of all time!!!!!!! Rest in Peace old friend...you deserve it..........Nice touch there godlike.....love how you said "ME".....LMFAO!!!!!!!

# Aug 18, 2009 @ 5:42 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Necrovomit's avatar

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38. Necrovomit writes:

R.I.P. was just thinking of getting an LP to go with my warlock, excellant guitars

# Aug 18, 2009 @ 11:15 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
nocturno666's avatar

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39. nocturno666 writes:

R.I.P.

# Aug 20, 2009 @ 12:05 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
necrosadism666's avatar

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40. necrosadism666 writes:

R.I.P

# Sep 1, 2009 @ 12:54 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address

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