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This rare, hands-on recording museum highlights the sonic legacy of guitar god Les Paul

BBG News

Approximately eight decades back, the innovative guitarist and inventor Les Paul established a recording studio in his garage on North Curson Avenue, Hollywood, where he started crafting his unique sound. This new sound was achieved by utilizing advanced recording methods such as layering tracks (overdubbing), close microphone placement, and applying effects like echo and delay.

Unhappy with the standard of commercial recordings he was producing, Paul, a skilled guitarist who had worked with artists like Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters, as well as being a bandleader, aimed to advance recording techniques – to turn them into something sophisticated and artistic. His instrumental single “Lover” was the first commercial pop record to feature multiple layers of music, all played by Paul’s nimble fingers. Billboard magazine praised this technique in its review on February 21, 1948, calling it “sextuplet guitar-ing… a technique so good it’s almost ridiculous.

Today marks the grand opening of a fresh studio in Hollywood, honoring a previous resident’s groundbreaking contributions to recording. Over the past three years, the Les Paul Foundation and a dedicated team of engineers have spared no effort in constructing the Les Paul Recording Studio, which can be found within United Recording on Sunset Boulevard. This establishment showcases some of Paul’s original gear, like his very first multitrack Ampex tape machine and console for multitrack recording, alongside a variety of customized guitars designed by Paul himself, including the Gibson model bearing his name.

Paul’s recording equipment holds immense value due to its historical significance and the fact that it continues to function. To put it in perspective, Michael Braunstein, executive director of the Les Paul Foundation, said, “We have the Wright Brothers’ plane there, and it can actually fly.” The new studio serves as a unique, interactive museum where students and professional artists can learn and experiment with the same methods that Paul used, utilizing his very tools.

1987 saw a heartwarming bond develop between musician Paul and Dweezil Zappa, based in Los Angeles, during an interview on MTV. While on tour celebrating his father’s album “Apostrophe”, Dweezil called Paul to discuss the significant impact of his innovations. As he put it, “Paul was leaps and bounds ahead in numerous aspects, not just as a brilliant guitarist, but also in finding creative ways to capture live music.” He further emphasized that the method used for sound recording back then still outperforms modern techniques. The devices employed and the way they were engineered… there’s simply nothing to match it today.

According to Zappa, he recently checked out a brand-new recording studio and plans to utilize it for creating his own tunes once his tour is over. This studio not only serves as a place for producing music but also has an educational purpose.

As a moviegoer, I can’t help but feel excited when I share that this is an exceptional chance for students to delve into the art of analog recording under the tutelage of a master like Steve Rosenthal. Known as the head archivist and music producer for the Les Paul Foundation, Steve has graced us with his Grammy-winning expertise, not to mention his legendary Manhattan recording studio, The Magic Shop – a place where musical legends like David Bowie, Lou Reed, Sonic Youth, Ramones, and many others have left their indelible marks. Although The Magic Shop is no longer in operation since 2016, the memories and knowledge it housed continue to resonate with us all.

As a passionate movie buff, I’ve had the privilege to attend seminars at a studio guided by Rosenthal and Tom Camuso, a Grammy-winning audio engineer who serves as the Les Paul Foundation’s director of audio engineering. This console resembles one from a battleship, and we allow students to record on it, providing them with an understanding of how challenging it was compared to today’s digital audio workstations. According to Camuso, this connection is crucial because it underscores the fact that this is where it all began – the birthplace of the entire audio industry.

2022 marked the start of Rosenthal’s ambition to gather, arrange, select, and restore Paul’s extensive music collection from the Library of Congress archives. His vision crystallized when he realized that the optimal approach would be to remix the music on Les’ original equipment. He enlisted Camuso, a seasoned collaborator with experience at the Magic Shop, to help him restore the eight-track recording console, affectionately known as “The Monster,” which Paul and engineer Rein Narma had built. This console showcased cutting-edge inline equalization and vibrato effects.

Additionally, they got hold of Paul’s Ampex 5258 Sel-Sync multitrack tape machine, often referred to as the Octopus, which is placed near the console and marked the first eight-track device ever made. The studio also features a three-track machine that was located in Paul’s Mahwah, NJ home, where he would play tapes recorded at other studios. At that time, Paul was the only individual possessing eight-track capabilities. As Camuso put it, “This was essentially his method of interacting with the outside world.

The equipment was found to be in different states of disarray, without any accompanying instructions. Many of the recording console’s wires had been severed, and several of its components were absent. Camuso, along with a team from Thump Recording Studios in Brooklyn, invested ten months in restoring or replacing damaged parts without altering the original design. “We had to find vintage parts from the 1950s,” Camuso explained, “and there were small plastic pieces that had deteriorated. The team would scan these and then create new ones using 3D printing technology.” An Ampex specialist from Canada dismantled the tape machines, rebuilt them from scratch, and restored them to their exact condition when Paul used them.

Prior to utilizing a multitrack tape machine and recording console, Paul’s initial explorations with overdubbing, which he referred to as “sound on sound,” were carried out using two recording-cutting lathes, a record player, a mixer, and hundreds of blank wax discs. He manually layered tracks by employing these devices. In 1948, Bing Crosby bestowed upon Paul his first mono Ampex recorder, which he later upgraded with an additional playback head. This innovation allowed him to record multiple tracks on a single reel of tape simultaneously. Together with his second wife, Mary Ford, he traveled with this device, capturing their songs in hotel rooms and apartments.

Mary Ford was an exceptionally talented singer, known for her impeccable pitch, who could effortlessly handle lead vocals and harmonize with herself using an early version of multitracking by Paul, a groundbreaking yet rudimentary technology that lacked the ability to correct errors. Since Paul’s equipment was analog and unmanipulated, every performance had to be done live without any edits. The duo produced a series of 28 successful singles from 1950 to 1957, starting with a rendition of the jazz standard “How High the Moon.” Their popularity was so significant that Listerine sponsored a widely distributed television show, “Les Paul & Mary Ford at Home,” where they showcased their complex songs live.

According to Florabel Muir’s report in the Los Angeles Mirror in January 1952, the pair’s “Vaya Con Dios” album was incredibly popular, staying at the top of the Billboard Best Sellers in Stores chart for 11 weeks. This chart was eventually replaced by the Billboard Hot 100 in 1958. Notably, Paul and Ford’s steamy rendition of “Smoke Rings,” released in 1952, made an appearance in Todd Haynes’ film “Carol” which was produced in 2015.

Gene Paul, Les’ son from his first marriage who worked as a recording engineer for Atlantic Records, stated that he’s only come across a singer in his life as exceptional as Mary, and that person is Aretha Franklin. He explained that neither of them ever missed a note, and they wouldn’t take money for it. Gene had learned about recording in his father’s home studio in Mahwah and played drums in his touring band from 1959 to 1969. He admitted that it took him years after Les passed away to acknowledge his genius. He initially thought that having a home studio and building his own guitar and eight-track were common things for fathers to do.

Rosenthal and Camuso are working on remastering Paul’s classic recordings that include his hits made alongside Ford. They’re utilizing demixing and speed adjustment software to produce fresh stereo versions of the songs, free from the harshness or distortion caused by Paul’s initial multitracking experiments. This will be the first time any of Paul’s music is released in stereo. The project has resulted in a collection of multitrack recordings, which sets it apart in the new studio. As Rosenthal explained, Lana Del Rey could potentially collaborate with Mary Ford on a song, or she could sing ‘A Fool to Care’ with the original Les Paul guitar parts.

Camuso mentions that several well-known artists have shown interest in utilizing the new recording studio. He stated, “You’d definitely find many people among your record collection.” The historical importance and exceptional audio quality make it quite appealing, but the Les Paul Recording Studio offers more than just that. It presents an opportunity for musicians to be more thoughtful in their work. Although the equipment was once revolutionary, modern digital technology – with its countless tracks, effects, and ability to erase mistakes – is far advanced. The console and tape machines in this studio, however, are limited. To work effectively with them, musicians must plan their recordings in advance. As Zappa noted, while some may not understand the difference, they will certainly feel it due to the enhanced performance quality.

He sees the new studio as a refreshing alternative to the monotonous sonic uniformity often found in commercial recordings due to every artist using the same software. “There’s an overwhelming amount of throwaway music today,” Zappa remarked. “We have never had such powerful tools at our disposal, only to see them used in the most uninspired manner possible.

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2025-05-20 01:01

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