Les Paul, jazz guitarist and famed designer of the Gibson Les Paul has passed away today at the age of 94.  According to news reports Les Paul died from complications from pneumonia at White Plains Hospital with family and friends at his side.

Les Paul is probably best known as one of the pioneers in the development of the solid-body guitar electric guitar.   Born in Waukesha, Wisconsin, Les Paul began his musical career at age 8 playing harmonica and later banjo and then the guitar.  Unhappy with acoustic guitars Les Paul built the now famous “Log” which comprised of a 4″x4″ piece of wood bridge, guitar neck, and pickup with Epiphone body attached for appearance.  The big problem Les Paul solved with “The Log” was feedback.  The solid piece of wood helped reduce the feedback that was common in hollow body electrics.

But the magic really happened when Les Paul and Gibson teamed up in the early fifties to create the first Gibson Les Paul Goldtop guitar.  Through out the 1950s Gibson produced the Les Paul, moving from P90s to humbuckers and then finally to adding the now famous flamed maple tops of the late 1950’s Les Pauls.  Unfortunately sales also lagged around the same time and Gibson stopped producing the Les Paul and replaced it with the Gibson SG in 1961.

Les Paul did more than just help user in the solid body electric guitar.  He also pioneered multitrack recording with the song “Lover (When You’re Near Me)” recorded in his garage and featured eight different guitar parts.  Les Paul also was one of the first people to work with reel-to-reel tape recorders.  Les Paul and his wife Mary Ford scored a number of Top 40 hits using these new recording techniques in the early 1950s.   Les Paul even had a radio show on NBC in the early ’50s called the The Les Paul Show featuring his trio (Les, Mary Ford and Eddie Stapleton) playing jazz.

Les Paul was truly an innovator in the music industry and in the guitar industry.  His impact in modern music cannot be understated.  His name is written on what is now considered to be the most valuable and collectible guitars (Gibson Les Pauls from 1958-1960) and his impact on multitrack recording helped usher in a whole new way of recording music.  He was truly a legend.

For more information:

BBC: Rock guitar pioneer Les Paul dies

Wikipedia: Les Paul

Update: The family asks that in lieu of flowers for the services that will be announced soon, donations be made to the Les Paul Foundation, 236 West 30th Street, 7th Floor, New York, New York 10001.