Les Paul's Guitars - Highlights
I had the rare opportunity to see and play some of Les Paul's guitars at The Parlor in Newport, RI last night. See the summary of the event below and enjoy some of the images.
The press release stated:
"...Also appearing will be New Jersey resident Jim Wysocki, a personal friend of the famed inventor/guitarist for nearly 30 years. Jim met Les while employed as a police officer in Mahwah, NJ. They developed a very close relationship from their first meeting in 1981. Les looked to Jim as a confidant since he was far removed from the entertainment industry in those early years. Jim’s stories of Les are nothing short of amazing.
Jim will be “at large” at the Parlor to speak with patrons about the history behind each instrument along with personal stories about Les Paul. Guitars will include Les’ 1952 ES-295, 1969 Les Paul Custom, 53 Epiphone , 50’s l-48, and many others from Jim’s collection. Additional Guitars will include the 1971 Les Paul Recording, 1987 Les Paul Jr., 1971 Gibson C300B Acoustic, and the 1981 Les Paul XR1 from the collection of local performer David Lopes. We will also exhibit Paul’s first 3-4 track recording machine which he built himself and upon which many of his early hits with Mary Ford were recorded.
In accordance with Paul’s wishes, Jim and David make the guitars available for audience members and artists to “touch and play history.” Everyone is free to play any of the guitars on exhibit. Les expressed to many people that he did not want his guitars locked away in a vault. Together, Jim and David create a pop up museum loaded with educational material and history that is engaging for guitarists, music lovers and the general public! This is a unique opportunity to see, touch, and play music history"!
Read MoreThe press release stated:
"...Also appearing will be New Jersey resident Jim Wysocki, a personal friend of the famed inventor/guitarist for nearly 30 years. Jim met Les while employed as a police officer in Mahwah, NJ. They developed a very close relationship from their first meeting in 1981. Les looked to Jim as a confidant since he was far removed from the entertainment industry in those early years. Jim’s stories of Les are nothing short of amazing.
Jim will be “at large” at the Parlor to speak with patrons about the history behind each instrument along with personal stories about Les Paul. Guitars will include Les’ 1952 ES-295, 1969 Les Paul Custom, 53 Epiphone , 50’s l-48, and many others from Jim’s collection. Additional Guitars will include the 1971 Les Paul Recording, 1987 Les Paul Jr., 1971 Gibson C300B Acoustic, and the 1981 Les Paul XR1 from the collection of local performer David Lopes. We will also exhibit Paul’s first 3-4 track recording machine which he built himself and upon which many of his early hits with Mary Ford were recorded.
In accordance with Paul’s wishes, Jim and David make the guitars available for audience members and artists to “touch and play history.” Everyone is free to play any of the guitars on exhibit. Les expressed to many people that he did not want his guitars locked away in a vault. Together, Jim and David create a pop up museum loaded with educational material and history that is engaging for guitarists, music lovers and the general public! This is a unique opportunity to see, touch, and play music history"!
