The primitive arrangement had its limitations however – the hollow body of the guitar that gave it its sound in the fi rst place would feed back through the needle, resulting in a loud humming noise. Wanting to be heard by more people (and so increase his tips) he experimented with amplifying his guitar by wiring a gramophone needle to the base and then connecting it to a radio speaker. At 13 he was singing and playing at local barbecues and roadhouses and becoming frustrated with the limitations of his acoustic instrument.

Modern versions are still manufactured according to his basic design. Before he was 12 he had unveiled his first invention: adapting a wire coat hanger into a harmonica holder that looped around his neck, allowing him to simultaneously play both instruments. He has been an influence on artists including Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton and many others.”Įven as a child, the man who would later create the sound of the world’s greatest rock songs was obsessed with two things: music and inventing.īorn in Wisconsin in 1915, he started playing harmonica aged eight, before also taking up guitar. “He brought the guitar from the back of the stage to the front, he is recognized as one of the greatest guitar players ever, he was an engineer, producer, songwriter, and performer. “While that may seem like an overstatement, he was the inventor of the eight track recorder and of course the solid body electric guitar. “We argue that Les Paul was the most influential individual in the music industry ever,” says Michael Braunstein, Executive Director of the Les Paul Foundation in New York. No Sergeant Pepper without Les Paul? It sounds a bold claim, but those in the know believe it to be true.

The man who invented rock and roll