Les Paul Players
The Gibson Les Paul guitar is by a near-infinite margin my favorite electric guitar. As what I play and write is mostly bluesy and funky grunge, there is nothing remotely like a heavy slab of mahogany and their particular pickups to get an incomparable thunk sound out of an instrument. Using only the neck pickup and doing stuff like strumming hard enough to bounce the strings off the fretboard only enhance this.
So I was really interested when I saw a link to the article ”15 Iconic Les Paul Players” at gibson.com, and while I agree with most of their inclusions (Jimmy Page, Slash, Ace Frehley, and Pete Townshend, for instance), there were a couple of frustrating omissions. Some should-be-obvious guitarists such as Neil Young, some recent converts that might easily be missed such as Alex Lifeson, and those in my personal pantheon (that might not be in everyone’s) such as Stone Gossard and Adam Jones. But the most bizarre omission? Les Freakin’ Paul.
I miss my axe. I hate thieves.
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July 28th, 2010 at 23h40
The Gibson Les Paul guitar is by a near-infinite margin my favorite electric guitar.
Mine, too (well, tied for second anyway). My favorite vampire owns one – in black, naturally.
Sorry yours got stolen – people totally suck! I’ve always thought of buying one, even though I don’t play – very poser of me, yeah? I tend to be the air drummer in the band anyway, but at least I actually own a pair of drumsticks – yeah, I know, again with the poser.
It’s so cool that you play, though! Can you sing as well? I used to take singing lessons – I have a 4 octave range, which I’m told is uncommon – though, I doubt I could hit A above High C with the allergies I’ve been having lately. My teacher always wanted me to sing Italian Operas, but I was really only interested in singing Tom Petty tunes, which, sadly, don’t have much range to them. Oh well, doesn’t matter – the stagefrightness rules all anyway.
Truly
July 28th, 2010 at 23h46
Can you sing as well?
Yes, a baritone — although I am nowhere near as in-practice as I was in college.
But please note for the record that I am not at all a talented guitar player, and only slightly better as a songwriter and vocalist.
I have a 4 octave range, which I’m told is uncommon
Yes it is. Bravo.
My favorite vampire owns one
Qui?
Tom Petty tunes, which, sadly, don’t have much range to them
And yet he still can’t hit all the notes! </troll>
July 29th, 2010 at 22h53
I am nowhere near as in-practice as I was in college
Probably true for many of us – especially those who didn’t pursue a career in music.
not at all a talented guitar player
I still think it’s cool that you play. I took lessons when I was a wee wobbler, but had the willingness-to-learn embarrassed out of me pretty early on.
And yet he still can’t hit all the notes
Which just goes to show you that it’s not all about ONE thing when it comes to music.
If you play some of his stuff on the piano – it’s got a real ragtime feel, which I found both surprising and interesting (but maybe that’s just me).
I still say he made the best version of Alice In Wonderland with his “Don’t Come Around Here No More” video.
Qui?
Old show – “Forever Knight” – vampire’s name was Vachon, he had long hair and an electric guitar. He also lived ironically, in a church (and, no, there’s shouldn’t be a comma after lived )