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| Rock guitar pioneer Les Paul dies | Rock guitar pioneer Les Paul dies |
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| Les Paul, whose pioneering electric guitars were used by a legion of rock stars, has died at the age of 94. | Les Paul, whose pioneering electric guitars were used by a legion of rock stars, has died at the age of 94. |
| Mr Paul died from complications of pneumonia in New York, according to Gibson, the firm that sold his guitars. | Mr Paul died from complications of pneumonia in New York, according to Gibson, the firm that sold his guitars. |
| He is credited with developing one of the first solid-body electric guitars, which went on sale in 1952 and contributed to the birth of rock. | He is credited with developing one of the first solid-body electric guitars, which went on sale in 1952 and contributed to the birth of rock. |
| He also developed other influential recording innovations such as multi-track recording and overdubbing. | He also developed other influential recording innovations such as multi-track recording and overdubbing. |
| And he was credited with inventing the eight-track tape recorder. | And he was credited with inventing the eight-track tape recorder. |
| Les Paul began as a country and jazz musician. Photo: Gene Martin | Les Paul began as a country and jazz musician. Photo: Gene Martin |
| U2 guitarist The Edge, Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, Guns N' Roses star Slash and The Who's Pete Townshend are among those closely associated with the Les Paul sound. | |
| Henry Juszkiewicz, chairman of Gibson Guitar, said: "His influence extends around the globe and across every boundary." | Henry Juszkiewicz, chairman of Gibson Guitar, said: "His influence extends around the globe and across every boundary." |
| Gibson president Dave Berryman said: "As the 'father of the electric guitar', he was not only one of the world's greatest innovators but a legend who created, inspired and contributed to the success of musicians around the world." | Gibson president Dave Berryman said: "As the 'father of the electric guitar', he was not only one of the world's greatest innovators but a legend who created, inspired and contributed to the success of musicians around the world." |
| He was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1978 and the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. | He was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1978 and the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. |
| Les Paul began as a country and jazz musician, playing with such acts as Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole during his career. Unhappy with acoustic guitars, he designed his solid-body electric guitar in 1941. | |
| "I went into a nightclub and played it. Of course, everybody had me labelled as a nut," he once said. | |
| It did not go on sale for another 11 years, by which time Leo Fender's rival model was already on the market. | It did not go on sale for another 11 years, by which time Leo Fender's rival model was already on the market. |
| Mr Paul continued to refine his guitar design throughout the 1950s. Its basic structure has barely changed over the decades and continues to be popular among stars and amateurs alike. | |
| "Suddenly, it was recognised that power was a very important part of music," he said. "To have the dynamics, to have the way of expressing yourself beyond the normal limits of an unamplified instrument, was incredible." | |
| Les Paul performed with his wife Mary Ford | |
| He worked on other technical innovations at the same time as his guitars. He first used multi-tracking - where separate recordings are combined - in the 1950 number one hit How High the Moon, a duet with his future wife Mary Ford. | |
| Stephen Lawson, Editor of Total Guitar magazine, said: "It was a beautiful guitarÂ… it was hand crafted, it was carved, it was a really beautiful looking instrument. | |
| "I've been trying to imagine a world without Les Paul - it would be so different. Until he invented multi-track recording, you had to make a record gathered round a microphone in the middle of room. | |
| "One of the most obvious classic Les Paul Guitar solos is Sweet Child of Mine by Guns N' Roses - that intro has such a distinctive Les Paul sound to it. | |
| "It can go from a mellow beautiful sound that really hits you in your soul, all the way to a shredding searing lead guitar tone." |