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RIP Les Paul

Aug 13

RossMusic guitars, innovator, inventor, Les Paul, Music No Comments

'56 Les Paul Gold Top

Don Maclean wrote the line “the day that music died” in memory of that February day in 1959 when Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and JP Richardson (aka “The Big Bopper”) were tragically lost before their time.

More recently, the demise of a certain MJ Jackson rocked the world of popular music. But today, dear reader, there is, sadly, a more poignant loss.

Today, 13th August 2009, saw the passing of one Lester Polsfuss, aka Rhubarb Red, aka Les Paul. To musicians (especially guitarists) he was a legend… Nay, an icon.

If you’ve listened to any piece if popular music made since the 1950’s, you owe him a debt of gratitude for inventing multitrack recording. He was a man that would never accept the status quo, and wouldn’t be beaten. If it wasn’t for his foresight and tenacity, the guitar that bears his name would not exist… And that might’ve meant no Clapton, Page, Beck, Green, Slash, Rhoads and countless others.

Even at 94 years of age, he was still packing them in every week at the Iridium, NYC.

RIP Les Paul – the most important man in music in the last 100 years…

How about the power… to move you?*

Mar 24

RossMusic, Musings emotions, guitars, moving, Music No Comments

It struck me the other day that there are several pieces of music that have a real, physical, effect on me.  Most of the time that means giving me spinal shivers, heartstring-tugs or a bout of eviscerating gut-wrenching.  Other tunes simply cause me to bang my head repeatedly on the wall in a vain attempt to remove all trace of them from my brain.

So, in no particular order, I give you the winners…

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Blue Meanie

Mar 17

RossMusic arrowhead guitars, blue meanie, ebay, guitars, Music, parts No Comments

Blue Meanie

It’s taken a while, but I’ve finally got around to taking a few photos of my bitsa-super-jackson-strat-type guitar that was completed in October 2006.

I’d collected the parts over the previous year or so; some from friends, other from that great guitar-parts emporium known as eBay.

I chickened out of assembling the thing myself, and instead dumped a gig-bag of parts on Paul Creedy’s doorstep.  To stop him thinking I was some crazed fly-tipper, I thrust some crinkly beer tokens into his hand and waited…

…a few months later (hey, I wasn’t in any real rush), he presented me with the results.

Darned fine results, too!