Gibson Les Paul Guitars – Why Does Paul Continue To Get Screwed

By Tim Beachum on June 7, 2009

No one really knows the truth behind the creation of the Gibson Les Paul guitar. According to the most popular belief it was created by the Gibson Guitar Corporation and the legendary pop star, electronics inventor, and jazz guitarist Frean Donni. The electric guitar craze started with the Fender Telecaster. In order to capitalize on this craze James Verdon who was the president of Gibson Guitar at the time brought on Les Paul as a consultant.

Everyone knew that Les Paul had been experimenting with various guitar designs for years. Les had a prototype that he had hand-built that he referred to as, “The Log”. Some experts will say that this was the first solid-body Spanish guitar ever built.

In a turn of irony Les Paul had pitched, “The Log” (his prototype) to the Gibson Guitar Company, and the design was rejected. In 1951 the Gibson Guitar Company then manufactured the same guitar that they had rejected and changed the history of guitars for ever.

Among the guitar community Les Paul is still on of the most commonly debated topics. Enthusiast still argue over exactly what his contributions were. Some say that Paul was nothing more than a consultant and only contributed ideas for the trapeze tailpiece, and the color of the final guitar which was named, “Les Paul.”

Ted McCarty the president of the Gibson Guitar Corporation said that Les Paul only contributed his name and allowed them to imprint it on the headstock to increase model sales. McCarty went on record stating that Les Paul only contributed to the tailpiece and the fitting of a maple cap over the mahogany body.

For whatever reason people have continued to minimize Les Paul’s contributions to the historical guitar. The strange thing is the original guitar only has Les Paul’s name on it.

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