Existing comment:
"The Klunker" No. 3 (serial no. 7133)
ca. 1942
Les Paul
Visionary guitarist and inventor Les Paul used a variety of experimental models, including "the Log" and three archtops nicknamed "Klunkers," as testbeds for new ideas in amplification and pickup design, and as fully functional performance instruments. He built doors in the guitar backs so he could easily install and replace his homemade, hand-wound pickups and experiment with different tone circuits. The Klunkers were at the core of Paul's "New Sound," in which he combined amplification with groundbreaking studio techniques like tape-based "slapback" delay and multitrack recording. Paul refused to stop playing his Klunkers until Gibson built him a solid-body electric guitar to his specifications -- the famous Les Paul model, introduced in 1952. |