Les Paul

Musician

Les Paul was an American guitarist and inventor known for pioneering the electric guitar and multi-track recording, significantly influencing modern music.

Born
June 9, 1915
Died
August 12, 2009
Quotes
24
Rank
#5285

About Les Paul

Les Paul — Life and Legacy

Les Paul, a groundbreaking guitarist and inventor, is celebrated for his pivotal role in the development of the electric guitar and multi-track recording technology. His innovations not only transformed the music industry but also redefined how music is created and experienced. Paul's philosophy centered around creativity and experimentation, as encapsulated in his quote, 'You can't just sit there and wait for it to happen. You have to make it happen.' This reflects his proactive approach to music and life, emphasizing the importance of taking initiative in the creative process. His work with the electric guitar, particularly the Gibson Les Paul model, showcases his desire to blend artistry with technology. Paul believed that the guitar was more than just an instrument; it was a means of personal expression. He famously stated, 'The guitar is a wonderful instrument, but it is not an instrument of the mind,' highlighting the emotional connection between the musician and their craft. This perspective allowed him to challenge conventional boundaries, leading to innovations that would shape the sound of rock and roll. Today, Les Paul's legacy continues to resonate, as his quotes and ideas inspire musicians to embrace creativity and innovation. His impact on sound recording and guitar design remains a cornerstone of modern music, encouraging artists to explore new possibilities and redefine their artistic boundaries.

Quote collection

Les Paul quotes (page 1 of 2)

24 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.

Les Paul Musician
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"I wanted something very dense, something that would sustain long and more pieces of wood that would be soft, sweet, for more of a mellow sound."

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Les Paul Musician
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"One minute we're over here, the next minute we're doing something completely different. But it's interesting because you are producing so many things you couldn't do with analog."

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"Every setback might be the very thing that makes you carry on and fight all the harder and become much better."

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"A guitar is something you can hold and love and it's never going to bug you. But here's the secret about the guitar - it's defiant. It will never let you conquer it. The more you get involved with it, the more you realize how little you know."

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"You can't go to the store and buy a good ear and rhythm."

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Les Paul Musician
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"..I wanted to create music that was so different that my mother could tell me from anyone else"

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Les Paul Musician
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".. the guitar is just a wonderful instrument. It's everything: a bartender, a psychiatrist, a housewife. It's everything, but it's elusive"

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"My chops were not as fast... [but] I just learned more on what was in my mind than what was in my chops. I learned a long time ago that one note can go a long way if it's the right one, and it will probably whip the guy with twenty notes"

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"Now I need to take a piece of wood and make it sound like the railroad track, but I also had to make it beautiful and lovable so that a person playing it would think of it in terms of his mistress, a bartender, his wife, a good psychiatrist - whatever."

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"When you just get mixed up & there's too much going on, then it's time to pick up your guitar."

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"This guitar is such a pal. It's a psychiatrist. It's a doggone bartender. It's a housewife. This guy is everything. Whenever I find that I've got a problem, I'll go pick my guitar up and play. It's the greatest pal in the whole world."

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"I don't know of a guitar player that has only one guitar. They're never happy with one. I'm never happy with just one of them. I woke up and ended up with six, even if you can only play one at a time!"

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Les Paul Musician
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"I used my mother's radio as a PA system. I'd take the telephone, the speaking part, and take those two leads off and lead them into the radio and the sound would come out of the speaker."

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Les Paul Musician
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"Paint pictures with sound. First, find your white-the deepest, roundest sound you can play on the guitar. Then, find your black-which is the most extreme tonal difference from white you can play. Now, just pick the note where you've got white, pick it where you've got black, and then find all those colors in between. Get those colors down, and you'll be able to express almost any emotion on the guitar.?"

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"I think the most important thing about playing is to walk out with confidence, look the people right in the eye and say 'Here I am,' and go and do your thing. As soon as they know you're confident, they're confident. As long as you adjust to them you're not in trouble. You should eyeball them, find out what they want, and give it to them. They didn't pay to come out and look at the tapestries."

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"I never stop being amazed by all the different ways of playing the guitar and making it deliver a message."

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"The audience, they're not professionals. They just love music. It isn't necessary to play over their heads to be admired."

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Les Paul Musician
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"When I got my first guitar my fingers wouldn't go to the sixth string so I took off the big E and played with just five strings. I was only 6 or 7."

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"If you're in the U.S. and talk to someone on the phone who's in Iraq, you'll experience sound delay. It isn't long, but the sound has to go to a satellite and back, it's used for everything. I'm proud to have that be something I invented."

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