The man who changed the guitar, and us

National Post ^ | 08/14/2009 | Colby Cosh

[fiscon1]

Two men, Les Paul and Bob Moog, stand above all others as creators of the musical environment in which our brains are all now marinated. Moog, who died in 2005, stepped into the nascent field of digital music and devised an interface that took pure sound synthesis across the bridge from engineers to practicing musicians. Paul, who died of pneumonia yesterday at the age of 94, is less recognized as a digital innovator. But maybe he should be. Underlying many of his incredible inventions was an abstract notion that demanded, almost as an afterthought, radical changes to the hardware of music creation: the idea of sound as pure information.

[relictele]

If he ‘perfected’ it why did he allow Gibson to stop production after three short years (of the sunburst model)?

[relictele]

Are all reporters stupid?

Yes.

[relictele]

And why did Les Paul eschew the PAFs in his ‘signature’ model in favor of low impedance pickups?

[Revolting cat!]

[Mad Dawgg]

"Are all reporters stupid? Moog pioneered ANALOG synthesizers."

My thoughts exactly.

Back in the late 70's and early 80s I was a working Musician and played Keyboards. My first synth was a Moog and it was analog and I wish I still had it!

Digital Keyboards are awesome but there is still something about and analog synth that is pleasing to the ears with that fatter warmer sound.

[Mad Dawgg]

"And why did Les Paul eschew the PAFs in his ‘signature’ model in favor of low impedance pickups?"

IIRC initially Les used low impedance pickups to eliminate as much "noise" as possible when running his sound through his "Paulverizer".

[aruanan]

Are all reporters stupid?br>
Moog pioneered ANALOG synthesizers.

Yeah, I think a lot of them are stupid. John Chowning is one of the big digital synthesis innovators. He first took his ideas for digital FM synthesis to American organ manufacturers who weren't interested and then to Yamaha. They were the first to produce a digital music hardware device with the GS1. Later, after they developed VLSI chips, they produced the DX7. I've had one since 1984 when it came out and have had only a single battery change. The interview linked to above is pretty interesting in that it antedates multitimbral synthesizers. But I remember at the time exactly what I was wanting to be able to do and it wasn't until such programs as Logic that I was able to do it without having to literally spend a fortune.

[Mad Dawgg]

"They were the first to produce a digital music hardware device with the GS1. Later, after they developed VLSI chips, they produced the DX7. I've had one since 1984 when it came out and have had only a single battery change"

I've still got both my DX9 and DX7 and never had to change the batteries on either one.

They still have a good sound but I use them mainly as Midi controllers now. Cubase 5 has so many synth patches built in that I never bother with using the Yamahas for actual sound recording.

[Skooz]

Thanks for the ping.

Sweet.

[aruanan]

I've still got both my DX9 and DX7 and never had to change the batteries on either one.

They still have a good sound but I use them mainly as Midi controllers now. Cubase 5 has so many synth patches built in that I never bother with using the Yamahas for actual sound recording.

I also got the TX81Z and the TX802. Since I started grad school in 1994, I have done almost nothing, but before that I spent many, many hours each week recording on the QX7. I got really good at making some very complicated things on that little LCD. If I only had that much time to spend on Logic.

[aruanan]

I've still got both my DX9 and DX7 and never had to change the batteries on either one.

Have you seen this DX7 resource center?

[Drew68]

most players can find something to love about each.

Indeed. My current stable, clockwise from left: Epiphone 335 Dot, Fender Highway One Stratocaster, Gibson Les Paul Classic, Fender 50's Telecaster. And, naturally, they get plugged into a Marshall DSL half stack.

[Drew68]

If he ‘perfected’ it why did he allow Gibson to stop production after three short years (of the sunburst model)?

Because the "Standard" Les Paul was a failure in the marketplace when it was first released. Too heavy. Too expensive. Gibson slapped Paul's name on the new, lighter, "SG" style guitar. Paul didn't want to be associated with this guitar so his name was removed from the headstock and it was rebranded the SG.

It wasn't until the late 60s that the discontinued '58-'60 Les Paul started finding its way into the hands of up and coming British players who appreciated the way it sustained when plugged into the 100 watt Marshall amplifiers of the time. By the 70s, the Les Paul Standard had become the primary guitar of hard rock music. Gibson started producing them again with Paul's name on the headstock in 1969 (albeit a little different from the classic '58-'60 models) and the Les Paul as we know it has stayed in production ever since.

My 2000 Les Paul Classic. Sweetest guitar I've ever owned.

[Mad Dawgg]

"Have you seen this DX7 resource center?"

Thanks for the link, now I have new toys to play with!

[the invisib1e hand]

looks like you’ve got the bases covered there.

[TexasNative2000]

Nice.

[BIGLOOK]

Les Paul was a pioneer and he'll be remembered as such.

Here's another guy you might like....

Django

[353FMG]

Somewhat overated as a guitarist in my opinion. His name became well known because of the following composition by the MJQ.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmpLtYmSlvM&videos=tneeR-UhlZ8&playnext_from=TL&playnext=1

[relictele]

Paul didn't want to be associated with this guitar so his name was removed from the headstock and it was rebranded the SG.

Oops you've accepted the 'official' version of history.

Actually Les Paul & Mary Ford were going through a divorce at the time. In order to minimize his assets (they were targets of the settlement of course) he opted out of his contract. In fact he played the new SG style frequently if not regularly through the 60s.

[StarfireIV]