Les Paul

Susan M. Davis has fond memories of Les Paul and Mary Ford coming over to her house for dinner when she was a little girl. Her father was Gibson Guitar president Ted McCarty who signed Les Paul to a company contract and who introduced a line of electric guitars with Les Paul’s name on it. Susan also recounts how hard her father worked for the company in building up the product line and promoting their new innovations and yet she recalls that he always made it home for the family dinner each night.  

Al Di Meola has long been known for his impeccable technique, perfect sense of rhythm and timing, and lightning fast displays of guitar virtuoso. Al has also become a very unique and multi-faceted composer. Al strives hard to build upon and improve with every album whether they be original compositions or rearrangements of other composers/groups such as his incredible album of Astor Piazzolla pieces and his amazing tribute to the Beatles. Additionally, Al has numerous ties to the music industry with a number model guitars over the years by PRS, Ovation, Gibson, and Conde Hermanos.

Steve Gibson repeated, “I’ve been blessed,” which acted as a recurring theme throughout his NAMM Oral History interview. The sentiment comes from a review of his extraordinary career as a studio musician, producer, and musical director based in Nashville. At 19 years old, in the early 1970s, he came to town and was recording in a studio on his first day. Within that year, he played on his first of many million-selling songs: David Loggin’s, “Please Come to Boston.” Becoming a member of the session musicians, known as The Nashville Cats, Steve played guitar on thousands of hit reco

Greg Golden was in the vintage guitar business back in the days when such instruments were referred to as simply “used.” Along with a handful of key dealers across the United States, Greg played a vital role in developing the vintage market by not only offering top quality instruments and setting them up for playability but also by his vast knowledge of each guitar brand and model.  His own store, Bizarre Guitar, opened its doors in 1975 in Reno and has since developed into one of the leading retailers in both vintage and used instruments and gear.  Greg’s personal passion just se

Dan Hagedorn grew up watching his father run the family’s music retail business and always knew he would work in the music industry. His father, known as Crazy Al, began his business in the basement of the family home and Dan can recall vividly the Vox Amplifier boom of the 1960s and the impact it had on the industry, let alone his father's small business. In those early days Dan would work for his father after school and then go out and gig with him at night. In 1974 they moved the business out of the basement and into a real brick-and-mortar store they named DJ’s Rock N’ Roll.

Humberto Bermeo was immersed in music from an early age in Ecuador, inspired by his father’s guitar playing. He formed a punk rock band, recording his first album that showcased his raw energy and distinctive style. Throughout his career, he performed with notable bands such as Inwait, Acaba Un Día, and Curetaje, refining his sound and stage presence. Living in Buenos Aires, Argentina, left a lasting imprint on his music, infusing it with regional influences. As a solo artist, Humberto blended South American musical traditions into his compositions, with songs like “Hiphopmenca,”

Henry Juszkiewicz, Gibson Guitar Corporation’s former CEO, attended the Rainforest Alliance’s annual gala concert in 1994, where he first heard about the SmartWood program. He realized by teaming with environmentally friendly operations, Gibson could sustain its wood supply for a longer period of time. Just four years later the company revealed the Les Paul SmartWood Exotic series, which included among its features environmentally friendly harvested tropical woods.

 Art Laboe admired radio broadcasters from the first moment he heard voices coming out of a box his aunt had sent to Art's family when he was eight.  He went on to have a successful and innovative broadcasting career that not only included pioneering DJ programming and remote request programs but put an imprint on the world by coining the phrase "oldies but goodies."  As a music publisher and record producer, he formed the company Original Sound and promoted many records including two instrumental hits performed by Preston Epps (Bongo Rock) and Sandy Nelson (Teen Beat).

Greg Martin was able to combine the many musical styles he admired growing up when he helped form the Kentucky Headhunters. The band made up of friends began playing together in 1968 and in 1986 officially changed their name from the Itchy Brother to the Kentucky Headhunters. They released their Grammy-winning album three years later entitled Pickin’ On Nashville, which some critics referred to as heavy metal bluegrass. The band enjoyed great success with songs such as “Dumas Walker,” “Redneck Girl,” “Oh Lonesome Me” and “Walk Softly on this Heart of Mine,” many of which Greg not

Ted McCarty was the president of Gibson Guitars when he signed Les Paul to help design a series of instruments with his name.  Ted went on to design and patent guitars such as the Flying V before working with Chicago Musical Instruments and Bigsby Guitars, becoming an industry icon.  Among the classic moments of the industry’s history in which Ted took part in was in the 1950s when he asked Seth Lover to design a pick-up for the newly created electric guitars that would "buck the hum."  Later in his life he was befriended by Paul Reed Smith who sought Ted's advice and friendship a

TJ McGann, a distinguished guitar repair technician, boasts an illustrious career spanning decades. Renowned for his meticulous craftsmanship, TJ has served a multitude of esteemed guitarists, including Bucky Pizzarelli, and the iconic Les Paul. His expertise has been instrumental in shaping the musical instruments of legends. A stalwart presence at the NAMM show, TJ has contributed significantly to its success for many years. Notably, he played a pivotal role in Muriel Anderson’s All-Star guitar night in Nashville during the early 2000s, leaving an indelible mark on the event's h

Buddy Merrill played the pedal steel guitar on the Lawrence Welk TV program from its start in 1954 until he left the show in 1974. Buddy played Fender products while on the Welk Show, which was an exciting time as several key instrument innovations were released during this time, including the Stratocaster. His passion for music and musical products started as a child when he played alongside his country-western singing father, Les Merrill. After leaving the Welk Show, Buddy worked in the movies and wrote background music for many years.

Steve Miller led a popular rock band beginning in the 1960s with a string of hit songs, most of which he wrote. His passion for music began at a very young age. Did you know Les Paul was his godfather? The Steve Miller Band was formed in San Francisco in 1966 and went on to record some 25 albums (including five of which were recorded live). Their biggest hits include “The Joker,” “Take The Money and Run,” “Rockin’ Me,” Fly Like an Eagle,” “Jet Airliner,” “Abracadabra”, “Swingtown” and “Jungle Love.” Steve is also a gear-head and a big fan of innovative musical products.

Maudie Moore was hired by Gibson Guitars in 1962 to do small piece work and soon branched out to engraving, which became a specialty for her over the next several decades.  In fact, she opened her own shop called Moore’s Engraving in Kalamazoo in 1972, which allowed her to work with several other companies over the years including C. F. Martin and Heritage Guitars.  Her special projects included the Gibson anniversary series with Les Paul and the BB King signature models known as “Lucille.”  Maudie’s great passion for her craft was clear in each and everyone of her projects. 

Les Paul will forever be known for his role in the popularity of the electric guitar, the design of the Gibson Les Paul guitar, the multi track recording, the early guitar effects, and his million selling recordings with wife Mary Ford. However, did you know Les also appeared as product endorsee in more NAMM shows than just about any other artist? From the 1950s onward Les stood in the Gibson booth shaking hands and signing autographs while promoting the guitar line. In fact in 2006, after the Gibson Company purchased Baldwin Pianos, Les was at the NAMM show promoting the Les Paul

Hillel Resner wrote for Mix Magazine for several years before the idea of creating a special award for audio engineering came into existence. Hillel worked alongside David Schwartz, the founder of Mix, to establish what is now known as the TEC Awards. The goal behind the awards is to recognize excellence in the Pro Audio world and over the years has become a coveted prize for those who design and produce recording equipment. When Hillel left Mix he became the president of the TEC Awards Foundation, and under his leadership the organization established the Les Paul Award as well as

Sharon Sagar is the daughter of Paul Barth, the founder of Bartell Guitars. Paul started his guitar and bass manufacturing factory in Riverside, California, in 1964. As a teenager, Sharon worked in the factory in the summers and enjoyed getting to know the other dedicated employees who impressed her with their dedication to the quality of the instruments. Sharon recalled the relationship her father had with electric guitar pioneer George Beauchamp (1899-1941), and the time they spent together. The Bartell company produced some 2,000 instruments before closing in 1969.

Tom Wittrock remembers the very moment he decided to dedicate his career to the guitar: when he purchased his first Les Paul sunburst in the mid-1970s.  Many of his friends thought he was crazy when he paid more for a used instrument instead of getting a new one cheaper, but Tom knew just what he was doing.  Soon after he established Third Eye Music in Springfield, Missouri and gained great knowledge as the vintage guitar market grew and developed before his eyes.