Dylan’s electric guitar and, 218–20
fuzz pedals used for, 252–53
Hendrix’s amp stacks and, 252, 259
Hendrix’s “Star-Spangled Banner” and, 258–59
Holly and, 148
Lover, Seth, 144–45
“Lover” (Paul), 42–44, 54–55, 56, 57, 58, 62, 79
“Maggie’s Farm” (Dylan), 217–18
Maphis, Joe and Rose Lee, 103–5
Marshall amplifiers, 224, 225–26, 246, 252, 253, 257, 259
Martin, C. F., 124
Martin acoustic guitars, 39, 133
Mayall, John, 222–23, 223–24, 225, 227, 228, 230, 245
“Maybellene” (Berry), 133, 134, 151
McCartney, Paul, 149, 150, 196, 197, 241
McCarty, Ted, 86, 87–88, 89, 96, 110, 112, 120, 144, 171, 232, 280
McVie, John, 225
Mead, David, 225
Melody Maker, 108, 152–53, 229, 230, 245
Memphis Recording Service, 191, 103, 118, 163
Merrill, Buddy, 145–46
Miller, Steve, 232
Mississippi Delta blues, 99–100
Mitchell, Mitch, 169, 252, 259
Monsour, Richard, 156, 157–58
Moore, Scotty, 133
Morris, Roy, 194
Motown, 240–42, 244
multitracking (sound-on-sound) recording, 33, 57, 62, 79, 80, 82, 231, 275, 281
Murphy, Joaquin, 34
Murray, Charles Shaar, 251
music industry
cultural shift after 1965 and, 250–51
Fender’s recognition in, 272
Ford’s legacy for female rockers in, 276
music-making style pioneered by Paul in, 281
Paul’s tributes and awards in, 278–79
racial divide in, 3, 134, 241–42
Randall as pioneer in, 266–67
Musicmaster guitars (Fender), 165–66
NBC, 61, 62, 194
Neal, Grady, 142
Newport Folk Festival, 217–18, 219, 220, 230
Norlin Corporation, 278
Norman, Philip, 148
O’Day, Anita, 110
O’Jays, 191
Oldham, Andrew Loog, 236
Orange Blossom Playboys, 104
Paar, Jack, 170
Page, Jimmy, 230, 232, 255, 273, 277, 278–79
Page, Patti, 79, 129
Paley, William S., 206, 265, 266, 270, 271
Palmer, Earl, 191
Palmer, Robert, 101
Paul, Colleen (daughter), 118, 126–27, 170
Paul, Les, 4–5, 273–81
BACKGROUND AND CHILDHOOD, 8–10
early hillbilly music performances, 8–9
guitar plus radio experiment, 9–10
musical instruments played in childhood, 8–9
passion for electric gadgets, 8
MUSIC CAREER
accident with electricity jolt, 12–13
Andrews Sisters tour, 26, 27, 57
Bigsby’s guitar inventions, 36–37, 39
Capitol Records contracts, 43–44, 54–55, 58
Chester and Lester album, 276–77
commercial success, 111
Crosby’s recording with Paul, 24, 57
duo with Ford. See Les Paul and Mary Ford
early guitar amplification experiment (“the Log”) in New York, 7–8, 10–13, 39
echo use during playing, 163
electric guitar prototypes, 41–43
Fender guitar designs and inspiration from Paul, 271, 280
Fender Telecaster endorsement, 84–86
Fender’s friendship and later rivalry, 5, 34–35, 38–39
first solo record deal, 43–44
focus on sonic prominence of his guitar, 9–10, 26–27, 33, 34, 38
Ford’s first meeting and audition with Paul, 22–23
garage studio sessions, 22–23, 24–25, 33–34, 37–38, 43, 62
Gibson contract, 88–89, 110, 170–71, 172, 276
Gibson guitar named for Paul, 89, 111
Gibson guitars used in early career, 10–11
Gibson’s replacement for Les Paul guitars, 171–72, 173
guitar design tinkering, 275
health issues affecting playing, 274–75, 279
jam sessions in New York, 7
legacy of guitar playing, 4, 280–81
Les Paul Trio, 10, 25, 277, 279
“Lover,” 42–44, 54–55, 56, 57, 58, 62
move to California for career, 5, 23–24
multitracking (sound-on-sound), 33, 57, 62, 79, 80, 82, 231, 275, 281
music-making style pioneered by Paul, 281
playing in Fred Waring’s Pennsylvanians broadcasts, 10, 13
rediscovery of performance, 277, 279
resurgence in demand for Gibson Les Paul guitars, 231–32, 254
rock ’n’ roll music’s impact on Paul, 129
songs and recordings, 54, 55, 56, 58, 79
tributes and awards, 277, 278–79
PERSONAL LIFE
arm injury and surgery, 55–57, 60
army service, 24
auto accident with Mary, 44–45, 54, 55
birth and death of first child, 118, 126–28
children with Ford, 170, 173
death, 281
early romance with Ford, 25–26, 42–43, 61, 62–63
health, 44, 231, 274–75, 279, 281
marriage to Mary. See Ford, Mary
marriage to Virginia, 23, 25, 26, 58, 59, 61
reaction to Ford’s death, 276
retirement, 183, 274
seventy-second birthday party, 273–74, 277, 278–79
Paul, Mary Colleen (daughter), 170, 173
Paul, Robert (son), 170, 173
Paul, Virginia (wife), 23, 25, 26, 58, 59, 61
Perine, Robert “Bob,” 166, 266
Perkins, Carl, 143
Pet Sounds (Beach Boys), 239, 240, 242, 244
Phillips, Sam, 101, 102, 103, 118, 121, 134, 143, 163
Polsfuss, Evelyn (mother), 8, 26, 33, 44, 63
Polsfuss, George (father), 9, 44, 62–63, 109
Polsfuss, Lester. See Paul, Les
Polsfuss, Ralph (brother), 63
pop music
Beatles and realignment in, 209
computerized instruments in, 278
Dylan and, 220
electric guitars and, 217, 220
Fender electric bass’s essential role in, 244
Fender’s role in, 3
Paul’s guitar playing and, 111, 280
teenagers’ control of, 2–3, 151
Precision Basses (Fender), 114
description and features of, 94–95
development of, 90–95, 114, 122, 271, 272
Kaye’s session work with, 190–92, 241, 243
Leo’s mariachi insight for, 91–92
Motown releases using, 241, 242
musicians using, 159, 168, 196, 240, 241, 243
naming of, 94
popular music and essential role of, 244
reactions to introduction of, 94, 95
Stratocaster guitar’s similarity to, 122
update and modification of, 201
Presley, Elvis, 118, 129, 132, 150, 151, 154
guitars used by, 133, 141
Holly and, 120, 121, 148, 149
later musicians and, 146, 156, 164, 253
music industry’s reaction to, 121
racial lines in music and, 134
tape echo system, 163
punk rock, 274
race
divide in music industry by, 3, 134, 241–42
electric guitars’ use and tolerance for 2, 5
music charts divided by, 3, 240, 242
race records, 103. See also black music; black musicians
racial equality, music and pursuit of, 2
Randall, Don, 136
background of, 69
Beatles and, 194, 196, 200, 203–4, 209
Bigsby vibrato bridge and, 115, 117
CBS consultants’ report on, 208, 209
CBS-Fender management by, 210, 214, 265–66
CBS’s Fender purchase and, 206, 209–10, 211, 212, 216
company backlog and, 181, 209
compensation of, 181–82, 208, 210, 214
Fender sales and, 30, 31, 32, 48, 68–71, 76, 77, 83–84, 114, 118, 137, 139, 140–41, 167, 180, 204, 208
Fender’s electric bass and, 94
Fender’s new guitar and, 117, 118, 124
Fender’s offer to sell the company to, 183, 200, 202–3
Fender’s purchase of Hall’s shares and, 139–40
Fender’s relationship with, 139, 140, 141, 142, 203, 267
Gretsch’s Broadkaster trademark and, 77
Hall’s employment of, 140
Hall’s Rickenbacker purchase and, 193
marketing by, 166
as music industry pioneer, 266–67
musicians using Fender guitars and, 145–46
possible purchasers of Fender and, 203, 205, 206, 209–10
quality issues and, 70–71, 75, 76, 114
salesman Hayes’s death and, 138–39
Stratocaster naming by, 122, 123
Randall Amplifiers, 266
recording machines, early version of, 61–62
recording sessions
Clapton’s loudness in, 225–27
first with Fender’s new electric guitar, 73
guitar design for comfort during, 115–16
Kaye with the Beach Boys during, 238–40
Paul and Ford’s house used as, 109
Paul’s garage used for, 22–23, 24–25, 33–34, 37–38, 43, 62
Paul’s multitracking (sound-on-sound) in, 33, 57, 62, 79, 80, 82, 231, 275, 281
Paul’s music-making style in, 33, 43, 281
typical studio room in, 238–39
Redding, Noel, 252
Reverb units (Fender), 164, 165, 169, 201, 264
Rhodes, Harold, 181, 205
Rhodes-Fender electric piano division, Fender, 181, 205–6
rhythm and blues (R & B), 73, 80, 102, 103, 120, 133, 134, 152, 186, 235, 236, 239
Richard, Little, 129, 149, 151, 154, 186, 247
Richards, Keith, 4, 5, 222, 223, 234, 235, 252, 277
Rickenbacker guitar company
Beatles’ New York trip and, 197–99, 200
Fender’s use of method from, 53, 271
Hall’s purchase of, 137, 139, 193
Rickenbacker guitars, 140, 181, 193
Beatles’ use of, 194–95, 196–99
semihollow prototype of, 197–98
Righteous Brothers, 190
rock ’n’ roll
Beach Boys and, 168, 195, 209, 220, 239–40
Beatles and, 196–97, 220, 239
Berry and, 133, 134, 135, 242
Cream and, 245
Crosby on, 154, 155, 168
Dale and, 156–57, 160, 167–68, 216
Dylan and folk music and, 218–20, 239
early recordings in, 118, 129
electric amplifiers in, 141, 166
electric guitars and arrival of, 3, 38, 150
Fender amps and, 160, 216, 252
Fender company and, 165, 197, 266
Fender guitars and, 132–33, 135, 251, 254, 269–70
Fender-Paul guitar rivalry in, 5, 254–55
Fender profits from, 214
Fender Stratocasters and, 135, 251, 255, 263
Fender’s reaction to, 146, 269–70
first filmed concert of, 2, 4
Ford’s legacy for female rockers in, 276
Freed’s naming of, 134
Gibson Les Paul guitars used in, 4, 5, 143–44, 171, 231, 232, 253, 254, 274
Hendrix and, 235, 252, 255, 260, 263
Holly and, 132, 135, 147, 148
jazz-trained musicians and, 188–89
Paul’s reaction to, 129, 232
Presley and, 118, 120, 121, 133
racial lines in music and, 134
Rolling Stones and, 4, 5
Southern California guitarists and, 155–56, 168
surf rock and, 161–62, 167–68
Waters and, 151
rockabilly, 120, 143, 156, 273
“Rocket 88” (Kings of Rhythm), 101, 102–3
Rogers, Jimmy, 100, 101, 150
Rolling Stones, 2, 4, 5, 6, 153, 222, 223, 235, 236
Rose, Tim, 235
Rossmeisl, Roger, 181, 205–6
Rush, Otis, 227, 248
Schultz, William, 272
sessions. See recording sessions
Shamblin, Eldon, 115
Shaughnessy, Mary, 25, 172, 275
Showman amplifiers (Fender), 157–61, 165, 167–68, 217
Simmonds, Kim, 230
Simon, George, 111
Simoni, Babe, 178, 265, 268
Sinatra, Frank, 129
Sly and the Family Stone, 5, 261–62
Smith, Richard R., 18, 139, 140, 182, 203, 209, 214, 268
sound-on-sound (multitracking) recording, 33, 57, 62, 79, 80, 82, 231, 275, 281
Spector, Phil, 190, 192
Spickard, Bob, 164–65
stacked amplifiers
Fender’s design of, 160, 161
Hendrix and, 252, 253, 257, 259
Standish, Tony, 153
“Star-Spangled Banner, The” (Hendrix), 257–60
Starr, Kay, 57, 72, 73
Starr, Ringo, 196
StingRay bass (Music Man), 268
Stratocaster guitars (Fender)
amps with, 148, 157, 159–61, 253
Beatles and, 196
Bigsby guitars’ similar to, 123, 124–25, 232
CBS-Fender’s design of, 264–65, 268
Clapton and, 251, 253, 261, 262–63
competitors’ copying of design of, 272
cultural shift after 1965 and, 251
Dale and, 157, 159, 164
design for comfort of, 122–23, 171
Dylan’s use of, 124, 217, 218
Fender’s design of, 263, 270
fuzz pedal on, 252–53
Gibson Les Paul guitars as competition for, 122, 171, 252
guitar design influences on, 124
guitar weight when performing with, 144
Hendrix’s use of, 235, 236, 246–47, 249, 251–53, 255, 256, 257–59, 260
Holly’s use of, 123, 135, 145, 148–50, 155, 251
introduction of, 122–23, 141
Japanese copies of, 272
later models’ improvements on, 165
marketing of, 123, 166
musicians using, 146, 159, 196, 251
naming of, 3, 122, 123
reverb system and, 164
rock ’n’ roll era and, 149–50, 251
success of, 142
tremolo (whammy) design of, 123–24, 232
Sullivan, Ed, 131–32, 195–97
Sullivan, Niki, 132
Summers, Colleen “Mary.” See Ford, Mary
Sun Records, 143
Sunshine Girls, 23
Supremes, 3, 240–41
surf culture, 161–62, 166, 167, 168
surf rock, 165, 167–68, 189, 216, 251
T.A.M.I. Show, The (movie), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Tavares, Freddie, 117, 158, 160, 178, 207, 270–71
Telecaster guitars (Fender), 270
Bigsby’s guitar for Travis copied for, 280
Bigsby’s vibrato bridge for, 114–15, 123
competitors’ copying of design of, 272
complaints about early models of, 115–16
country music and, 104–5, 113
critics on loudness of, 152
Esquire prototype for, 70–76
Fender’s design of, 70–71, 74, 75, 76, 85, 91, 96, 115, 125, 263, 270, 280
Gibson’s competition against,
114, 122
Gretsch’s trademark and, 76–77
guitar weight when performing with, 144
Japanese copies of, 272
later Fender guitars and, 122, 165, 270
musicians using, 104, 151–53, 217, 222, 251
naming of, 76, 77–78
Paul endorsement sought for, 84–86, 114
Precision Bass’s similarities to, 95
sales of, 83–84, 87, 141, 150, 217
sound of, 89, 115
Temptations, 241
Thielemans, Toots, 197, 198
Thomas, Irma, 192
Tooze, Sandra B., 150
Townshend, Pete, 224
Travis, Merle, 103, 114
Bigsby’s guitar for, 39–40, 41, 50, 67, 68, 118, 280
Fender prototype guitar’s similarities to Bigsby’s guitar for, 47–48, 58, 66–67, 68
sketch for guitar drawn by, 40, 47, 280
True Vibrato (Bigsby), 114–15, 123–24, 232
Turner, Ike, 101–3, 186, 248, 251
Twin Reverb units (Fender), 201, 264
union, at Fender, 201
Valens, Ritchie, 155–56
Vernon, Mike, 225, 227, 228
Vietnam War, 250, 260
Vincent, Gene, 135
Vox amplifiers, 196, 219
wah-wah pedal, 258, 259
Wald, Elijah, 219
Walter, Little, 100, 101, 227
Waring, Fred, 10, 13
Waters, Muddy, 97–101
background of, 97–98
Clapton and, 222
early Chicago performances of, 98–99
electric blues and, 100, 152, 221–22
English performances of, 151–53, 222
guitars used by, 141, 151–53, 222, 248
later career of, 151, 221–22
musicians influenced by, 102, 133, 153, 185, 222, 248
songs by, 99–101, 150
Welk, Lawrence, 145–46, 166
Wells, Mary, 240
West, Speedy, 72–73, 182
western swing music, 18, 19, 33, 38, 73, 103, 119, 133, 141, 182
Wheeler, Tom, 124, 171
White, Forrest
CBS acquisition of Fender and, 210–11, 214–15
as Fender plant manager, 116–17, 136–37, 140, 179, 181, 208
Fender union and, 201
Fender’s relationship with, 117, 178, 207
Music Man company and, 268
prototype amplifier and, 263–64
white audiences
black music and, 103, 133, 134, 153, 222, 242
music charts for, 3, 240, 242
white musicians
black music used by, 4, 134, 241–42
racial divide in music industry and, 2, 134, 241–42
Williams, Hank, 120, 141
Williams, Jim, 204
Williamson, James, 274
Williamson, Sonny Boy, 222
Wills, Bob, 14–15, 18–20, 31, 38, 103, 115, 133
Wilson, Brian, 242–44
Dale and surf rock and, 161, 167
early performance by, 167, 168
Kaye in session with, 192, 239, 242–43