Les discusses his special friendship with speaker innovator James B. Lansing.  Les realized that the key to hearing his music came down to the accuracy of the speakers that reproduced it.  Les Paul and Jim Lansing became very good friends and collaborators early on in the renaissance of great American audio innovation.

Dad tells a story about the musician's interpretation being replaced by the audio engineer that highlights the resistance many had to the new technology.

Les & Peter Freedman on Microphones


Les and Peter discuss microphones, tubes vs solid state, recording techniques and Les's favorite mic of all time.

From  Thomas Edison to his involvement with the advent of magnetic tape recording and Ampex,  Jack Mullin describes the history of recording and playback.

Amplifier section of the

The  German Magnetophon

Musician vs Audio Engineer Les's view

Look who's coming to dinner at Les's house?

Rein Narma & Les Paul

Click For The Rest Of The Story

Click For The Rest Of The Story

Click For The Rest Of The Story

Les always surrounded himself with smart people.  If he didn't know how to do something he would find the person who could.  Here Les tells the story of his "Monster" and the famous Fairchild Compressor

Les Paul, Bing Crosby

and the

First Tape Recorder

in America

Dad talks about how this invention of the 1930's led to the advances in recording technology a decade later.

History of Recorded Sound Comes Alive:

An afternoon with Jack Mullin

.2 Les Paul on Jim Lansing

Dad would say, "You are who you're around."

Les talks about introducing

Gibson to a new idea.  

An incredible walk through the Gibson USA facility in Nashville with Jim Decola.  

And an inventor's dream comes true.

.2 Les' Dream & How It's Made