June 9th marked the birth date of one of the most talented, creative, and brilliant guitar makers in the world. Born Lester William Polsfuss in 1915, in the town of Waukesha, Wisconsin, Les Paul began his career as a musician, songwriter, and inventor at age 13.
Over the years Les Paul's guitars have been played by Keith Richards, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Duane Allman, Pete Townshend, Paul McCartney, and Slash... just to name a meager few. Even Neil Young's beloved "Old Black" is said to have been born a Gibson Les Paul Goldtop.
There is a fiercely robust and versatile sound to a Gibson Les Paul that even those of us who are not musicians can pick up distinctly. 
Personally, Gibson Les Pauls are my favorite guitars. While punchy, whammy-bar glutted guitar playing seemed to dominate my MTV introduction to the pop/metal hair bands, it was the hard rock sound of the Gibson Les Paul that finally struck a chord deep in my soul. It's a sound that still has the power to make me stop and listen, whether it's being played on a radio station, or by the kid down the street who just started his own garage band. My first love played a Gibson Les Paul. My love affair with Les Paul's guitars began with him and, unlike that first doomed-to-die-a-cliched-death relationship, this love has never faded.
Stories about Les Paul abound, poignant remembrances told by legendary musicians and those whom he built guitars for, and with. Les Paul's contributions to music history have been honored in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with a permanent exhibit "The New Sound: Les Paul and the Electric Guitar," featuring his guitars and stories from the guitarists whom he influenced, along with his many inventions and recordings.
Article comments
1 - Victor Lana
I think everyone who appreciates music knows Les Paul was (and is) a treasure. Great article!
2 - A Geek Girl
~V
It's not really the same thing I know, but similar to how I felt when Gianni Versace was killed, and when Jim Henson died. A dead crush isn't necessarily about a romantic crush, it's about losing someone whose place just can never be filled again. Donatella is cool, she's awesome, but she's not Gianni. Henson's son has done a remarkable job in his stead, but those of us who grew up watching Sesame Street and the Muppets just feel his absence profoundly.
It's not about doing something as well as...
It's about doing something as passionately as...
And that passion is what can't be replaced.
Others will make Les Pauls, others will create devices and new ways of recording, But Les Paul was the whole package. All we can hope is that the next one will come along during our time--probably some kid sitting at home on his bed right now with tin foil and fishing wire, working on making his own musical instrument.
If I had to put a bet on who has the potential, right now, today, to be the next Les Paul, I would have to go with Jack White. The only person with that kind of talent as both a musician and an inventor. He seems to have vision like Les Paul. He can see how things work; he knows what he wants to achieve and how to achieve it.
I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
GG