LP

The great Les Paul died ten years ago today.  He played guitars and built guitars, and also came up with great innovations in recording technique.

He had some tough times.  Born in 1915, he was an early experimenter with electric guitars, and actually electrocuted himself in 1941.  Then, as his career was taking off, he was in a car accident in 1948 where he shattered his right arm and elbow.  There was talk of amputation, but he asked them to set his arm at a 90 degree angle so he could play guitar.  He eventually got the feeling back in his fingers and became bigger than ever.

With the solid-body guitars he helped develop, and techniques such as overdubbing (done in a studio he built in his garage), he and his partner, wife Mary Ford, created a new sound that took off.