9781422287521

12 Rock ’n’ Roll: Voice of American Youth

Now, folks all over Beekman’s parking lot would be able to hear the music. Lester Polfuss had just made the first electric guitar. The phonograph needle had served as the “pick-up,” the key part of the electric guitar that transfers the sound from the strings to the electric amplifier. It was crude, but the principle behind what Lester had done would be copied by guitar makers in years to come. The instru- ment would dominate rock ’n’ roll music in America. Even Lester knew he was on to something big. The VITAL FIGURE: Les Paul Les Paul (born 1915) was one of the architects of rock ‘n’ roll music. As a musician, he played jazz and blues, and had little to do with perfecting the sound that would come to dominate the American music scene. Paul’s contribution to rock music can be traced to his innovations in guitar playing and his interest in developing the guitar as an important musical instrument. His designs for solid-body electric guitars prompted the Gibson Guitar Company to start manufacturing electric guitars in 1951. The company continues to manufacture a “Les Paul” series of guitars. He also helped launch “multi-track” recording—the technique used by engineers to record many parts played by the same musician, then merge them into the song during the production process. His 1948 song “Brazil” featured six guitar parts, all played by Paul. Many musicians, including Paul McCartney of The Beatles, have said this innovation was Les Paul’s most important contribution to rock music. In the meantime, he had many successes as a recording artist. His two No. 1 hits were “How High the Moon” and “Vaya Con Dios.” He decid- ed to retire in the 1960s, but over the next four decades performed on television specials and at music festivals. He died in 2009.