I've been working on this one for about three weeks; Poser had trouble getting it to render. It would either give me an error message immediately or else crawl through about two-thirds of the render before giving up. DAZ|Studio wasn't any help, getting stuck at 98% of building the scene and not budging. But it's finally done, just later than I wanted. - - - This is meant as a tribute to Les Paul, who died a little over three weeks ago. To help me out, my blue haired guitar goddess has brought out Mask-da's LP Custom to play with (yes, leezace, it's not an Epiphone). Born Lester Polsfuss in 1914, Les Paul's musical journey began early on, learning to play on his mother's piano and adding holes to the music rolls so it would sound like two. He took up the harmonica and guitar, creating a neck worn harmonica holder, the basic design of which is still used today (he never patented his creation). Had it not been for a comment that his guitar playing needed to be louder, things might have ended up much differently. He started off making his own electric guitar with a needle connected to a radio speaker. This was only the beginning. Sometime after securing a record deal after sneaking into Capitol Records with some recordings he had made, Les began to work on a solid body electric guitar, unsatisfied with the electric guitars available. His initial design was rejected but he didn't give up. He nearly electrocuted himself once and a car accident threatened to end his career; doctors told them they could set his arm, but it would be in a permanent position. Les chose to have them put his arm at an angle that would allow him to play guitar. Eventually, Gibson picked up on Les' idea after other guitars were made by Fender. Les was pleased with the results, and thus the Les Paul Standard (the gold top) was born, leading to other models of the Les Paul and eventually the guitar that would be renamed the SG, since Les Paul didn't like the new design. Les' own contributions to the guitar are debatable, whether he actually designed the guitar or liked what Gibson came up with enough to lend his name to it is unknown to me. Since then, the Les Paul become an icon and a staple in music - often imitated, never matched. Now, I must admit, it's not my #1 choice in guitars (plus, I suck at guitar), but I wouldn't turn one down if I found a good deal on one. It's hard to deny what it did for the guitar industry, music (all kinds) and were it not for the Les Paul, a lot of other guitars might not have ever been made. But Les Paul was more than some hits in the 40's and 50's or the guitar by Gibson. Les Paul was a pioneer in recording as well, making use of tape delay, multitracking and various microphone effects, all of which have been in use for decades. If Les Paul hadn't been around fooling around with guitars and electronics, where would things stand today? There would be electric guitars, but without the Les Paul things would probably have progressed much differently. Without tape delay and multi-track recording, what would music be like today? I'd say that most music, regardless of genre, owes Les Paul a token of gratitude for these innovations, more so that his better known contribution. Even in his 90's, he still played regularly, even if not as much as in previous years. And to play for nearly 60 years with his arm in a fixed position is remarkable. With three Grammys, a permanent exhibit at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and a place in the Inventors Hall Of Fame, Les Paul has a lasting place in music that will never fade. Les Paul was one of the original guitar gods and had a passion for music like few others. Even as a bassist (or former one, if you will), Les Paul is one of the guitarists I would have to put on my own list of heroes, for all that he was able to accomplish. - - - And so, to anyone who's made it through all of this, thanks for reading. Oh, you'll be seeing her again too sometime soon with more. Or less.