Les Paul Dies at 94: Father of the Electric Guitar

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Les Paul at his home

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How High The Moon

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Guitar legend Les Paul has died of complications from pneumonia. He was 94.

Paul is widely considered the "father of the electric guitar," having created the classic Gibson guitar that bears his name.

Les Paul worked as a jazz musician and recorded several songs with his wife, vocalist Mary Ford. Their biggest hit was the 1951 single How High the Moon, which highlighted many of Paul's innovative recording techniques.

In the 1930s, Paul had experimented with hollow-body electric guitars but found that they suffered from feedback and distortion. Paul then looked to build something more solid. One early prototype was nothing more than a piece of lumber with strings attached, which he referred to as "The Log."

In 1941, Paul was among the first to create the solid body electric guitar. Paul refined its electric guitar design for more than a decade until Gibson introduced the Les Paul model to the public back in 1952. Ever since, the guitar has become a cultural icon. The legion of Les Gibson users include Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Bob Dylan, Slash, and many others.

The Gibson Les Paul wasn't his own innovation. Paul was the first to use "overdubbing" or "multi-tracking," techniques where he would record several different tracks and overlay them on top of each other. His 1947 recording of Lover (When You're Near Me) was made from eight separate guitar parts, all dubbed over each other. The technique has been standard practice for decades.  

In addition, Paul commissioned the first eight-track tape recorder and created techniques such as close miking and echo delay.