Each year, Clements Custom Guitars produces one signed work of the luthiers’ art that commemorates a certain period in the development of guitar-based music. Last year a baritone guitar entitled “Blond On Blond” was presented at the Trinity Art Show, capturing the era when folk music surrendered its traditional acoustic presentation and controversially embraced electric instrumentation.
In acknowledgement of the recent passing of popular music legend Les Paul, this year’s guitar recognizes his achievement in the development and construction of the first professionally viable and desirable electric guitar. Manufactured by the Gibson Guitar Company beginning in the early 1950’s, the Les Paul model has been played by musicians such as Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, The Who’s Pete Townsend, Frank Zappa, Neil Young, Jerry Garcia, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, and, of course, Les Paul himself. Until last month, Paul could still be found performing weekly at New York’s Iridium Jazz Club, showing the audience the range and power of his eponymous guitar. As with its originator, the Gibson LP remains more popular than ever.
Using the familiar Les Paul shape and design, this work utilizes traditional media in its arch top mahogany body, maple top and neck and rosewood fingerboard. Additional appointments include trapezoidal perloid inlay, Grover Die Cast tuners, and a Stop-Bar tailpiece. The original and singular tone and sound is replicated by the use of vintage-style wax potted ceramic humbucker pickups, regulated by two volume and tone controls and a three-way adjustor. As 1952’s “Tiger Rag” was one of the first recordings to make use of the Les Paul guitar, the laminate is finished in a tiger stripe pattern.