When Did Les Paul Invent His Guitar?

Legendary jazz guitarist Les Paul changed the entire future of music with the invention of the electric guitar, now the most popular instrument on the planet. Only 13 years old at the time of the electric guitar's invention in 1927, Les Paul also invented the first electric bass guitar.

13-Year-Old Inventor

Les Paul invented the first electric guitar by applying a phonograph pickup to a SIlvertone acoustic guitar he bought for $2.49.

Early Electric Guitars

Some of Les Paul's early guitar designs included the SIlvertone, a crude 4 by 4 with another dedicated "electric guitar pickup." This design was significant because Paul was first to put into practice the idea that a 6-string guitar need not have a hollow body in order to make sound.

Performance

Les Paul used his electric guitar creations in his own performances, gradually honing its shape and electronics over several years.

Rejected by Gibson

Les Paul first submitted a design for a solid-body electric guitar to Gibson in 1945, and was promptly rejected.

Fender Telecaster

Les Paul's design was not the first mass-produced solid-body electric guitar: the Fender Telecaster owns that honor.

Gibson Les Paul

Gibson realized its error in rejecting the Les Paul guitar, and brought an electric guitar he helped design to market in 1952.

Les Paul Today

Les Paul is still a touring jazz guitarist and inventor today, with his Gibson Les Paul still sold relatively unchanged.