The trailblazing guitar player, songwriter, innovator and inventor Les Paul died today at age 94. He leaves a legacy of music behind: instrumental in the development of early electric guitars, and an early adopter and innovator of multitrack recording, his influence on rock and roll - and recorded music in general - can still be heard today.But, other people will cover this portion of his life better than myself. I have a tenuous connection to Mr. Paul that I had only begun to explore a couple weeks before. Clyde Stanley, the man who hand built a guitar he later gave to my grandfather, and which I inherited, is said to have hosted Les Paul in his home for informal jam sessions. Clyde's daughter, Muriel, has told me that she remembers Les visiting the house to play guitar with Clyde on more than one occasion, and being joined by Mary Ford at least once. Having just heard about this possible connection, I had been planning a trip to New York to meet Les at one of his weekly gigs at the Iridium, to ask him if he could shed any light on story, and if he had any direct knowledge of the guitar I have. With his death, it looks like another part of the legacy of the infamous Clyde Stanley will fade into legend.
The solidbody, handbuilt Stanley guitar that I have was clearly influenced by Les Paul's eponymous Gibson guitar. Most obviously, the Stanley's body shape recalls the Gibson's - which is itself an echo of archtop acoustic guitars - with a twist found in the Stanley's small cutaway on the bass side of the body at the neck. The Stanley also differs from the Gibson in that the Stanley has a flat top, as opposed to the Gibson's carved, arched top. (Gibson later offered a flat top Les Paul in the Junior model beginning in 1954. I have been unable to establish a build date for the Stanley.) Other similarities include the solid mahogany construction (although the Stanley eschews the Gibson's maple cap for a one piece slab of mahogany for the entire body), set neck joint, and trapeze tailpiece similar to the original Gold Top Les Paul.
I had the pleasure of recording with the Stanley on Trigger 5's record Heartbreak and Regret. The two solos on 'The Sangria Isn't Strong Enough' were played on the Stanley, though a Smokey Amp - an amplifier self-contained in a pack of cigarettes. Marlboro reds, in this case. The Stanley's thick hunk of a neck takes a little getting used to, but the tone from the single neck-mounted DeArmond pickup is pure hot, vintage tone that's unattainable with anything newer than 40 years old.
It's a joy to play and an honor to own - made even more special knowing that none other than Les Paul may have had a direct and personal influence on its construction.
