I've been sleeping pretty well lately, but this morning I was up and wide awake at 3:15. So, I spent my time chain smoking and listening to YouTube. I found myself really interested in Les Paul and the various musicians who play the Gibson Les Paul guitar.
For those of you who don't know (and please forgive me, I'm pretty much cutting and pasting this from Wikipedia), Les Paul was an American jazz,
country and blues guitarist, songwriter, and
inventor. He was one of the pioneers of the
solid-body electric guitar, which made the sound of
rock and roll possible.
He is credited with many recording innovations. Although he was not the first to use the technique, his early experiments with
overdubbing (also known as
sound on sound),
delay effects such as
tape delay,
phasing effects and
multitrack recording were among the first to attract widespread attention.
His innovative talents extended into his playing style, including
licks,
trills,
chording sequences,
fretting techniques and timing, which set him apart from his contemporaries and inspired many guitarists of the present day.
He recorded with his wife
Mary Ford in the 1950s, and they sold
millions of records.
Among his many honors, Paul is one of a handful of artists with a permanent, stand-alone exhibit in the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
He is prominently named by the music museum on its website as an "architect" and a "key inductee" along with
Sam Phillips and
Alan Freed.
The Gibson Les Paul is a
solid body electric guitar that was first sold in 1952.
The Les Paul was designed by
Ted McCarty in collaboration with popular guitarist
Les Paul,
whom Gibson enlisted to endorse the new model. It is one of the most
well-known electric guitar types in the world.
The
Gibson Les Paul is one of the most recognizable guitars of all-time and
the artists who brandish it seem to transcend age, era, gender and
genre. From heavy metal enthusiasts to indie rock icons to reggae
superstars, it seems like nearly every musical legend has strapped on a
Les Paul at some point to take advantage of its signature sound.
Here are YouTube links to some of the music I found by musicians playing the Les Paul.
Les Paul playing Sleep Walk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HH8vjxFIUC4
Duane
Allman used a 1957 Les Paul Goldtop with PAF pickups, a 1959 cherry
sunburst Les Paul, a 1958 tobacco sunburst Les Paul and a 1968 cherry SG
which he used for slide guitar.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCtdKWWfZG8
All
of the guitarists of the Rolling Stones (Keith Richards, Mick Taylor,
Ronnie Wood, and Brian Jones) played (and still play) Gibson guitars, including Les Paul
models.
The American
blues musician who is considered the "father of modern Chicago blues,"
Muddy Waters was a major inspiration for the British blues explosion in
the 1960s and is ranked No. 17 in Rolling Stone magazine's list of
the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. Muddy Waters used a Les Paul
Goldtop in his early career.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aav1shpaK6s
B.B.
King has used many different Gibson models, including an ES-5 and an
ES-175 early in his career; later he began using thinline semi-acoustic
models such as an ES-330, ES-335 and ES-345. King's Signature ES-355,
nicknamed Lucille, has been his main guitar for many years.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9ozjCQkqZs
Mick
Ralphs used a Les Paul Junior, a Firebird and a Les Paul during his
Mott the Hoople tenure; and a Les Paul Standard and a Flying V during
his years with Bad Company. Although being a British band, Bad
Company had more success in the United States than in the United
Kingdom. Four of their albums were certified Gold by the British
Phonographic Industry, while another four other albums were certified
Multi-Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOj_93UP8kY
Eddie Van Halen has used a Les Paul, an ES-335 and a 1958 Flying V.
Joe
Walsh uses a Les Paul Standard and an EDS-1275. Walsh was known for
"hot-wiring" the pickups on these guitars to create his trademark
"attack" sound
Another
Gibson guitar player, George Thorogood's Move It On Over is the second
album by George Thorogood & The Destroyers released by Rounder
Records in 1978. The album contains no original material. Its title
track received major FM radio airplay when released, as did the Bo
Diddley cover, "Who Do You Love?"
Mark
Knopfler is known for playing a 1979 Gibson Les Paul Standard Reissue
'59 on the Dire Straits song 'Money for nothing'. He also owns a 1985
Gibson Les Paul Standard Reissue '59, Sunburst. This customshop model
has got his birthdate (12849) as the serialnumber. He also plays
other Gibson models like a 'super 400', an 'es 175' and a 'Chet Atkins.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rztpwexog30
Albert
King was a left-handed "upside-down/backwards" guitarist: he usually
played a Flying V flipped over upside-down so the low E string was on
the bottom.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=gopiZc1F_Yk
The Les Paul guitar is produced by Gibson. Another signature guitar produced by Gibson is the Duane Eddy Signature Model.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xErUve8MmII
Jeff Beck purchased his first Les Paul, a 1959 model, for £150 while still a
member of The Yardbirds. Beck's fascination with the guitar sprang as
much from his interest in Les Paul,
the man, as from his love of the guitar itself. Beck told an
interviewer: "It had a deep powerful sound and you could use it to
imitate just about anything - violin, sax, cello, even a sitar."
Beck also used an "oxblood" colored 1954 Les Paul Standard, with PAF
pickups, from 1972 to 1976 and is pictured with the guitar on the cover
artwork of his Blow by Blow album.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ej3BdMpgZw
Les Paul and his Wife, Mary Ford
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iGXP_UBog4
Hope you enjoyed this varied collection and found something you like.
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