Google Today: Les Paul

I love Google's current doodle today!

 

Today's Google doodle of an interactive guitar is a tribute to Les Paul's 96th birthday! He was born on June 9, 1915.

If you go over Google today and hover on the the string of the doodle, you can create beautiful guitar strums.

Born Lester William Polsfuss, he was very well known to guitar enthusiasts. He was the man behind the development of solid-body electric guitar. Aside for being an inventor he was also an American jazz and country guitarist and songwriter.

In 1940, Les Paul built an innovative guitar called The Log. It was on of the first solid-body electric guitar. He then approached Gibson Guitar Corporation with his guitar idea, though initially they showed no interest on his design, their partnership continued until 1961. 

When sales started to decline, Gibson changed his design without his knowledge. Les Paul didn't like it but have no choice but to pose with the guitar since he was under contract. He then said that it was not his designed instrument and requested Gibson to remove his name from the headstock.

A few years later, the original Gibson Les Paul guitar design regained its popularity when Eric Clapton started using it. Les Paul then again endorsed the original Gibson Les Paul. 

In 1962, Les Paul received the patent from US Patend and Trademark Office, Patent No. 3,018,680, for an "Electrical Music Instrument."

At the age of 92, Les Paul died with of complications from pneumonia.