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| Modern Guitars Magazine - News Archive Updated : Guitarist and Inventor Les Paul Passes Away at 94 Electric guitar icon Les Paul passed away today, the result of complications of severe pneumonia, at White Plains Hospital in White Plains, New York. He was 94. Born June 9, 1915, as Lester William Polsfuss in Waukesha, Wisconsin, he later adopted the stage name Les Paul and, in addition to his contributions as a performing artist, played a major role in the development of the solidbody electric guitar, most closely associated with his namesake instrument, the Gibson Les Paul, Gibson Guitar's best selling instrument. The only person with membership in all of the following: the Grammy Hall of Fame, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, National Inventors Hall of Fame, and the National Broadcasters Hall of Fame, Les Paul enjoyed a long and illustrious career as a recording artist, inventor and innovator, and a performer who, despite arthritis, permanent hearing loss and a heart attack followed by bypass surgery, for over 12 years maintained a twice-weekly performance residence at New York City's Iridium Jazz Club until recently. His 2005 CD, Les Paul & Friends; American Made World Played, was a double-Grammy winner. More » Steve Vai to Release Live Concert Film from Sound Theories Tour Guitarist Steve Vai has announced the release of a live concert film (DVD, Blu-ray) and live CD on September 29, 2009. Titled Where The Wild Things Are, the material was recorded before a sold-out audience at the State Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 2007 during Vai's Sound Theories world tour. With 20 million units sold worldwide to-date, Where The Wild Things Are represents his 21st solo project over a 30-year career. The two-hour and forty minute set contains both several new tracks and re-orchestrated pieces from his rich catalog and was filmed at the State Theatre because of the venue's lush acoustics and attractive interior. Vai's Sound Theories Tour supported the release of the Sound Theories Vol. I & II CDs featuring Vai and the Netherlands Metropole Orchestra. Volume I presents Vai performing with the orchestra, while Volume II consists of the orchestra playing tunes written by Vai. The orchestral nature of Sound Theories accounts for the presence of two violinists in the touring band's lineup, Alex De Pue and Ann Marie Calhoun, both of whom double on keyboards. The other band members were Jeremy Colson (drums and percussion), Bryan Beller (bass), Dave Weiner (guitar and sitar), and Zack Wiesinger (lap steel). More » Gibson Guitar Introduces the Zoot Suit SG Electric Guitar Though at first glance the look of the Gibson Zoot Suit SG electric guitar might be more reminiscent of '60s era psychedelia than the zoot suits of the '30s and '40s, behind the name are some interesting construction twists certain to garner interest from players and possibly collectors. This new entry from Gibson USA has not started to ship yet, but is expected to carry an MSRP of $1,999 with a likely street price from retailers in the area of $1,199. The instrument comes in six color schemes: Rainbow, Black and Red, Black and Natural, Black and Orange, and Red and Blue. While certainly colorful, it's interesting to note that they are not painted. Instead, the Zoot Suit SG is constructed from a number of laminated birch wood pieces (each approximately .075" thick) dyed with a different color, given two coats of satin nitrocellulose lacquer, then bonded together to form the body and the neck. In addition to the cosmetic effect, Gibson claims that the construction method "...yields maximum sustain and resonance." More » Taylor Guitars Responds to 'United Breaks Guitars' United Airlines may have reason to sing the blues, but if they are, it's unlikely they're playing Taylor guitars. Singer, songwriter and guitarist Dave Carroll's viral YouTube video "United Breaks Guitars" (close to two million views as of this writing), tells the story of his guitar's mishandling by United Airline employees and the indifference with which his claim for compensation from United was met. A well-produced and engaging musical rant, the tale's told with humor while giving voice to a scenario often recounted in the guitar community. Though in 2003 the American Federation of Musicians and the Transportation Security Administration produced an agreement whereby guitars would be considered carry-on luggage, there are restrictions on the size of the case and situations in which airline baggage handlers still come into contact with instruments destined for the cargo hold or passenger compartment. Carroll's unfortunate experience occurred in 2008 when he and his band, Sons of Maxwell, flew from Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada) to Omaha, Nebraska, via United Airlines. More » Peter Wolf on the Guitar Manufacturing Industry In July of 2009, Modern Guitars columnist Peter Wolf announced the launch of his new business, Brandwolf Consulting, LLC, aimed at helping music instrument makers with sales, marketing and related strategic concerns such as branding and distribution. Wolf recently left Paul Reed Smith Guitars where he served as the company's Director of Sales & Marketing from 2004, having previously been the International Sales Manager for PRS since 1997. His business relationship with PRS, however, goes back to 1990 and Wolf's founding of PRS Guitars Germany, a distribution company that imported and distributed high-end guitars and amplifiers to Central European countries. According to a recent press release from Brandwolf Consulting, "Under his direction, PRS Guitars’ export sales increased 10-fold in only 10 years and distributors and dealers in 56 additional countries were appointed and cultivated." While on some levels the driving force behind guitar lutherie and making is a passion for the art and craft, economics plays a significant role in the contined health of the industry. Today's financial climate poses a challenge to how guitar makers and manufacturers go forward, if not an outright threat to whether or not they can. 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