Two days ago, June 9th, was the late Les Paul's birthday. I had wanted to mention it here then but it slipped my mind. Whatever opinion you have on him or the guitar, it is significant in guitar history. The man himself was a visionary, very much like Leo Fender. He had a certain set of ideals which worked out contrary to the popular opinions of naysayers.
Like Les Paul, I like my Les Paul guitar to be of a certain spec. I started out disliking the LP because it went against my ideals - glossed neck, limited upper fret access & poor body ergonomics are chief culprits. Along the way, I discovered some fringe Les Paul models which offered a compromise & taught me to adapt. The LPJ you see above is an example. Body ergonomics are still wanting but it's spec'd towards my tolerance. Along the way, I appreciate the LP for its tone more than anythings else.
From within my domain of musical interest, there are notable players whose impactful music are delivered by the Les Paul guitar. First & foremost, Mayhem's Euronymous - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas was the LP through & through. We know how this album changed the world of aggressive music.
Towards the end of his time, Jon Nodtveidt (Dissection) put his LP Custom to marked use & it redefined heaviness as documented in Reinkaos.
And there are others. The Les Paul is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to that deep, distorted aural assault. Perhaps the Les Paul experience will be fragments of our musical past if things continue as it is when it comes to the Gibson distribution here.
2 comments:
Gibson's actions against Swee Lee are now part of the Heritage lawsuit against Gibson: https://guitar.com/news/industry-news/gibson-antitrust-litigation-heritage-guitars/
Yes, I'm aware of that - it's threatening to backfire, looks like it.
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