Looking Back At The Les Paul
April 23rd, 2009
Fans of Rock-N-Roll and those who love the music that comes from guitars would probably be surprised to learn exactly where the solid body guitar originated. Believe it or not, the Hawaiian music of the 1920s and the 1930s had a major impact on the invention of the electric guitar. The Hawaiian guitar is played with a metal slide and their sound can be amplified acoustically and electrically. Partially inspired by these guitars, the Gibson Les Paul electric guitar and other electric guitars were created in the early 1950s.
Lester William Polsfuss who is better known as Les Paul is a famous American jazz guitarist who created the Gibson Les Paul. Les Paul didn't like how the first electric guitars sounded so he experimented with different designs. As a result of his designs and the inspiration of the Hawaiian guitars, the Les Paul was born. The first prototype was nicknamed "The Log" and was built in 1941.
This unique approach coupled with the know-how of the Gibson Guitar Corporation resulted in the Gibson Les Paul electric guitar. Les Paul signed a contract that he would always play a Gibson guitar and never be seen or photographed with any other type. This contract with the Gibson company only lasted until 1961 when Gibson decided to change the design to make it a lighter and thinner instrument with a little more style. Les Paul did not like this and wanted his name off of this Gibson guitar which is now called the SG.
You can definitely tell the difference between the Gibson Les Paul and the SG guitar because you can see the history and the function within the original model versus the straight ahead style of the new version. They're both based on the same acoustic and electric standard. There are many people that appreciate the styles of both guitars but prefer the original due to their respect and acknowledgment of the work that Les Paul put into it's creation.
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