jesussaddle
Power User
I mosdef appreciate cliff and his products but I'm guessing you're not aware of some of the guitars it Les Paul's history.
When Les Paul tried to find makers for his prototype Fender already sold the Broadcaster (Telecaster).
And Rickenbacker had the first commercially available solid body guitar a decade before the Les proto.
The sales of Les Paul's had declined enough that Gibson stored making them in 61, originally calling the SG Les Paul. Les ended his relationship with Gibson and only resumed after the Les Paul gained popularity again by Clapton using and actually popularising it. Blues breakers era.
Also Les' more important achievements were that he popularized the use of delay and sound on sound (multi tracking) but again he did not invent it.
Interesting. Judging invention is such a very subjective thing. In a world where there is not relatively instant communication (more so in the 50's and earlier), you can have a number of "inventors" of the same 'product area'. I'm not sure how much Les borrowed (v.s. originating his stuff without being aware of others' efforts). It's like arguing about EVH's tapping; we don't really know who influenced who with absolute certainty, but we sense whose artful employment of something ignited it on the world stage when the communication media was present to reach an audience of listeners & players-to-be.
Cliff is providing both technical as well as creative innovation with his software/hardware.
And the technical side has become totally daunting. I'm humbled when I think about how ignorant I am about a lot of technical subjects, and how much I rely on good "positive", "helpful" efforts in those areas, versus implementation I might consider questionable at best, such as GMO's and weather manipulation (should have been called Whether Manipulation cuz I'm not sure it was such a good idea...) Meanwhile most of us are just barely aware of these things. We are literally a hundred years behind if our understanding is needed to make an ethical choice for the present and future. E.g. few people realize that Nicola Tesla's patents on automobiles in the late 1800's resulted in no one being able patent computer processing (he usefully described and made claims on computer-like circuitry that would aid the driver). If you believe some of the evidence, he didn't just invent fluorescent bulbs, and Tesla coils, but computers and robotics, along with X-rays, in addition to remote control, radio broadcast, fax, weather manipulation, and so on, as well as alternating current that is necessary for the transmission of power over distances of more than a few miles - which is all DC current would travel. But most people I know are only aware that he made the Tesla coil, such as the one displayed at Griffith Park in L.A.)
Maybe Les was a bit more creative. It seems he completely inspired the imaginations out there at the time (with his art), and hence went on attracting the attention needed for the electrical side of things to eventually bloom into the 60's and 70's. Whereas Cliff is providing hardcore innovation in two areas at once, highly technical, and highly creative.
IMHO, he is highly creative in the manner in which he provides optimal user control. (In the future Cliff could, if he wanted, license his technologies as a standard for online use to Mpeg, so my guitar input could be received in my grandchild's Axe FX unit, all while we stream seamless video conferencing and do veejay editing. This is all because of both his technical wizardry, via his understanding and harnessing real phenomena, but also because of certain creative choices Cliff made that, when combined, are in my estimation more user-empowering than the other, more commercially-entrenched technology producers out there.
More importantly, he likes all cats.
Presumably my cat will appreciate these new Wah sounds...
Last edited: