rocketman Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 Read this and listen to this. Interesting story. Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RudyH Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 It's kind of like saying somebody invented the car. It's just another example of where it takes manufacturing and business know-how to make something successful. Without Fender, the solid body may be nothing more than a historical curiosity today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted March 9, 2009 Author Share Posted March 9, 2009 It's kind of like saying somebody invented the car. It's just another example of where it takes manufacturing and business know-how to make something successful. Without Fender' date=' the solid body may be nothing more than a historical curiosity today. [/quote'] Very good point. It's also like saying "who invented the radio?" Marconi actually used 17 of Tesla's patents. The Supreme Court rightfully gave it back to Tesla in 1943 (after his death), although there were politics involved. Anyhow, unlike Marconi, it seems as though Les Paul is giving credit to Bigsby... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gitfidl Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 Back in the 20's banjo's were a band instrument and had the volume needed to play with horns, pianos, drums. Music was generally "live" since radio and broadcasts were limited. SO lots of people went to a ball room and paid the tab for a large band to play live music. But as the 30's gave way to the 40's big bands became big NAME bands (Dorsey, Les Brown, etc.) and BIG cost bands and the door tab was not enough to pay for the big band. (and, as you can imagine, big bands need to practice so the band members want pay for TIME that is not playing to a paying audience). In short, the economics of a BIG band changed. Little bands (quartets and trios) could replace a big band but the instruments had to cover a lot of ground .. the electric guitar could be MADE loud enough, and with tremelo bridges (like Bixby) could do some special effects. "Dancing" went from big dance floors to jitterbug and sock hop (dancing on one place) and radio (and later TV) could broadcast music (but it was not "hi-fi") So instruments changed and the Les Paul electric guitar is living history. Country music too adopted electric guitars and Hawaiian guitars -- and electric dobro. Fewer instruments and fewer players = lower cost to produce music. (Some of them made millions, of course, like Elvis and Little Richard) As post-war technology advanced Lowry type organs became keyboards (organs generated the money needed to advance the technology) and electric guitars/amplifiers were easy to modify (saxes and trumpets are not)(but keyboards could be made to sound like trumpets and vibraphones and accordions) .. drums could be "built in" to amplifiers and some bass rhythms too. It got easier and cheaper to equip two or three players to sound like 10 or 15 players. Technology and costs drove the engineer and presentation of music. In the 70's and 80's it was possible to make "machine music (no musicians -- just electronics). Today a large band is mostly a "volunteer" activity by older musicians who remember the "big band" era. What will "music" be in ten to 15 years? Will it be mainly electronic? How will the costs be paid? (what will be downloaded to cells and iPod devices? (bits and bytes of course). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thundergod Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 I always thought paul bigsby came with the idea first... that said, at that time, builders and enthusiasts didn't have any place of their own to work in, and so most of the good ones would ask (say) epiphone to use some room and some tools to work their designs... There's some controversy as to wether paul (bigsby) copied the headstock from leos' designs or it was leo that copied it from pauls designs. Now the les paul story... we all know the truth about that dont we? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elantric Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 "First Electric Guitar" Its a bit misleading The Bigsby may be the first "solid body" electric guitar with frets. But this is the timeline here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_guitar 1932 - First electric was a lap steel by rickenbacker "the frying pan" then in 1934 the Gibson ES150 "Charlie Christian" Archtop with magnetic PU arrived - with competing arch tops from Epiphone, Vega, Volutone all about 16 years prior to Paul Bigbsy 1948 Solid body for Merle Travis The "Fender" 6 in line headstock was modeled after a french guitar from the 1920's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeRom Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 Al I know is that my guitar solo's are completely original and I never lifted licks from Eric Clapton -or- BB King -or- SRV -or- Johhny Winter -or- Alvin Lee -or- Ted Nugent -or- or a host of lesser knowns ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thundergod Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 "First Electric Guitar" Its a bit misleading The Bigsby may be the first "solid body" electric guitar with frets. Indeed... the first would be one of those hawaian frying pans... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elantric Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 Thundergod, Tell me about your Red Tele with P90's Is that a JA-90? http://elderly.com/fmic/items/JA90-EBT.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
80LPC Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 All I know is that my guitar solo's are completely original and I never lifted licks fromClapton etc. I'd like to hear one of your solos. It's ok - I promise not to copy it ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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