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The Birth of Loud: Leo Fender, Les Paul, and the Guitar-Pioneering Rivalry That Shaped Rock 'n' Roll
“A hot-rod joy ride through mid-20th-century American history” ( The New York Times Book Review ), this one-of-a-kind narrative masterfully recreates the rivalry between the two men who innovated the electric guitar’s amplified sound—Leo Fender and Les Paul—and their intense competition to convince rock stars like the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Eric Clapton to play the instruments they built.
In the years after World War II, music was evolving from big-band jazz into rock ’n’ roll—and these louder styles demanded revolutionary instruments. When Leo Fender’s tiny firm marketed the first solid-body electric guitar, the Esquire, musicians immediately saw its appeal. Not to be out-maneuvered, Gibson, the largest guitar manufacturer, raced to build a competitive product. The company designed an “axe” that would make Fender’s Esquire look cheap and convinced Les Paul—whose endorsement Leo Fender had sought—to put his name on it. Thus was born the guitar world’s most heated Gibson versus Fender, Les versus Leo.
While Fender was a quiet, half-blind, self-taught radio repairman, Paul was a brilliant but headstrong pop star and guitarist who spent years toying with new musical technologies. Their contest turned into an arms race as the most inventive musicians of the 1950s and 1960s—including bluesman Muddy Waters, rocker Buddy Holly, the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Eric Clapton—adopted one maker’s guitar or another. By 1969 it was clear that these new electric instruments had launched music into a radical new age, empowering artists with a vibrancy and volume never before attainable.
In “an excellent dual portrait” ( The Wall Street Journal ), Ian S. Port tells the full story in The Birth of Loud, offering “spot-on human characterizations, and erotic paeans to the bodies of guitars” ( The Atlantic ). “The story of these instruments is the story of America in the postwar loud, cocky, brash, aggressively new” ( The Washington Post ).
In the years after World War II, music was evolving from big-band jazz into rock ’n’ roll—and these louder styles demanded revolutionary instruments. When Leo Fender’s tiny firm marketed the first solid-body electric guitar, the Esquire, musicians immediately saw its appeal. Not to be out-maneuvered, Gibson, the largest guitar manufacturer, raced to build a competitive product. The company designed an “axe” that would make Fender’s Esquire look cheap and convinced Les Paul—whose endorsement Leo Fender had sought—to put his name on it. Thus was born the guitar world’s most heated Gibson versus Fender, Les versus Leo.
While Fender was a quiet, half-blind, self-taught radio repairman, Paul was a brilliant but headstrong pop star and guitarist who spent years toying with new musical technologies. Their contest turned into an arms race as the most inventive musicians of the 1950s and 1960s—including bluesman Muddy Waters, rocker Buddy Holly, the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Eric Clapton—adopted one maker’s guitar or another. By 1969 it was clear that these new electric instruments had launched music into a radical new age, empowering artists with a vibrancy and volume never before attainable.
In “an excellent dual portrait” ( The Wall Street Journal ), Ian S. Port tells the full story in The Birth of Loud, offering “spot-on human characterizations, and erotic paeans to the bodies of guitars” ( The Atlantic ). “The story of these instruments is the story of America in the postwar loud, cocky, brash, aggressively new” ( The Washington Post ).
340 pages, Hardcover
First published January 15, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 258 reviews
March 31, 2020
"The [Fender] Stratocaster was the 'lone hot rod' - a pinup model among musical instruments. For the teenagers watching Buddy Holly [on the Ed Sullivan Show] at home, its lascivious shape was a tell that this singer - for all his nice neckties, for all the adult tolerance he might receive next to the likes of Elvis Presley - wanted to get it on just as much as they did." -- the author, on page 150
Author / music critic Ian Port's The Birth of Loud is a happy marriage of some of my favorite topics - American history, pop culture, and rock 'n roll music. It traces the birth of some of the early electric guitar models, the people behind the production and/or developments, and ultimately the lasting impact on popular music in the days after WWII up to the legendary Woodstock concert in 1969. (Or, to put it succinctly, if you're listening to a well-known rock or R&B song from the 50's, 60's or 70's, it is very likely the 'axe' being plucked bears the imprint of either 'Fender' or 'Paul' on its body.)
As noted in the subtitle, two men receive much of the focus. Les Paul was a successful / respected jazz and pop music guitarist in the late 40's / early 50's who, although not a technician, lent his name to be used on a line of Gibson guitars. Paul's career took a severe hit with the arrival of rock, but his namesake instruments would live on in the hands of the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Eric Clapton.
The other man is Leo Fender. Fender was not a musician (and, like Les Paul, not really a fan of rock music) but was an unassuming, self-taught electrician. First working as a sound tech guy for county & western swing bands in the 30's, his interest and self-tinkering for developing better and louder-sounding instrumentation resulted in a line of guitars, basses, and amplifiers that are still used today. Among the artists known for using Fenders are Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, and Dick Dale.
What was especially enjoyable about this book was the many cameo-type appearances by the above-named rock stars in the narrative. Besides centering on how guitars would forever after be linked to the names Paul or Fender, it is also sort of a story of how rock music exploded in America circa 1955, fell by the wayside (courtesy of Elvis' military service and scandals involving Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, etc.) for a few years, but then had a monster rebirth courtesy of the British Invasion in 1964. I'm a fan of books 'making history come alive,' and The Birth of Loud hit all of the right notes.
Author / music critic Ian Port's The Birth of Loud is a happy marriage of some of my favorite topics - American history, pop culture, and rock 'n roll music. It traces the birth of some of the early electric guitar models, the people behind the production and/or developments, and ultimately the lasting impact on popular music in the days after WWII up to the legendary Woodstock concert in 1969. (Or, to put it succinctly, if you're listening to a well-known rock or R&B song from the 50's, 60's or 70's, it is very likely the 'axe' being plucked bears the imprint of either 'Fender' or 'Paul' on its body.)
As noted in the subtitle, two men receive much of the focus. Les Paul was a successful / respected jazz and pop music guitarist in the late 40's / early 50's who, although not a technician, lent his name to be used on a line of Gibson guitars. Paul's career took a severe hit with the arrival of rock, but his namesake instruments would live on in the hands of the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Eric Clapton.
The other man is Leo Fender. Fender was not a musician (and, like Les Paul, not really a fan of rock music) but was an unassuming, self-taught electrician. First working as a sound tech guy for county & western swing bands in the 30's, his interest and self-tinkering for developing better and louder-sounding instrumentation resulted in a line of guitars, basses, and amplifiers that are still used today. Among the artists known for using Fenders are Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, and Dick Dale.
What was especially enjoyable about this book was the many cameo-type appearances by the above-named rock stars in the narrative. Besides centering on how guitars would forever after be linked to the names Paul or Fender, it is also sort of a story of how rock music exploded in America circa 1955, fell by the wayside (courtesy of Elvis' military service and scandals involving Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, etc.) for a few years, but then had a monster rebirth courtesy of the British Invasion in 1964. I'm a fan of books 'making history come alive,' and The Birth of Loud hit all of the right notes.
January 23, 2019
Much more than a biography of the two titans of the electric guitar industry, Leo Fender and Les Paul, this book is a fascinating history of American music between 1950 and 1970, that includes several interesting profiles of musicians such as Muddy Waters, Eric Clapton, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and Jimmy Hendrix. Thoroughly researched, and very well written, the book is a testament to the American ideals of ingenuity, hard work, and perseverance.
The Audible version is excellent, and the 9+ hours of text flew by on a road trip as I listened to the intriguing narrative of how the mild-mannered radio repairman Leo Fender (who could not play the guitar or any other musical instrument) and the outrageously self-absorbed Les Paul (a very popular performer in his day) competed to design and produce the most iconic electric guitars in the world.
The personalities, technology, culture, and music of this era, combined with the author's compelling narrative, make this a hard book to put down.
The Audible version is excellent, and the 9+ hours of text flew by on a road trip as I listened to the intriguing narrative of how the mild-mannered radio repairman Leo Fender (who could not play the guitar or any other musical instrument) and the outrageously self-absorbed Les Paul (a very popular performer in his day) competed to design and produce the most iconic electric guitars in the world.
The personalities, technology, culture, and music of this era, combined with the author's compelling narrative, make this a hard book to put down.
February 21, 2022
A highly evocative and nostalgic romp through the development of electric guitar music by its two main protagonists - Leo Fender (an electronics whizz who couldn’t even play guitar!) and Les Paul (a larger than life musician, producer and TV entertainer). The book also provides a great testament to the lives of the dozens of other important characters in the lives of Fender and Paul, without whom they would never have succeeded to the same degree.
I’m not normally a fan of overly romanticised and descriptive prose, but when it is done well it can really hit the mark - and the author does it very well indeed. In fact, he’s a bit of a revelation. I’m definitely going to follow him, regardless of the topics on which he writes.
I am guessing (with zero facts at my disposal) that a good proportion of people who have read this book have played either a Fender or a Les Paul model guitar (I play the latter). But I would recommend this book to anyone who likes guitar music or can remember how music developed in the 1950’s and 60’s, even if they have never picked up a guitar in their life.
I’m not normally a fan of overly romanticised and descriptive prose, but when it is done well it can really hit the mark - and the author does it very well indeed. In fact, he’s a bit of a revelation. I’m definitely going to follow him, regardless of the topics on which he writes.
I am guessing (with zero facts at my disposal) that a good proportion of people who have read this book have played either a Fender or a Les Paul model guitar (I play the latter). But I would recommend this book to anyone who likes guitar music or can remember how music developed in the 1950’s and 60’s, even if they have never picked up a guitar in their life.
May 6, 2024
Goes well beyond their respective biographies, and breathes room to completely nerddd out on the beginnings of home garage radio, hi-fi, and sound amplification tech!🔇🔊🎸🎸
May 18, 2020
You don't have to be a guitar player, or even a Southern California history buff to be engaged by this book. The story of the rivalry between Leo Fender and Les Paul captures you from the first pages. It is an excellent read and for those of us who grew up in SoCal it has a bunch of local history. Full disclosure: The author is my son-in-law. That being said, Objectively, I would still highly recommend this book. Plus, if you want the author to sign your copy, I can make that happen for you.
July 22, 2020
Does what it sets out to do. Good reading for music geeks of all stripes.
June 9, 2020
I really liked this one.
The Birth of Loud covers quite a lot; It tells the story of many of the people central to the genesis of rock music; through either their inventions, innovations and/or playing.
The book focuses on Leo Fender and Les Paul, but also talks about their wives, Paul Bigsby, and many other central figures to this story.
The Birth of Loud is also the story of the invention of the first electric guitar; the development of the first Fender electric guitar, the Les Paul guitar, the Bigsby tremolo, and more.
Author Ian Port takes the reader through a bit of Rock n' Roll 101; mentioning Buddy Holly, Elvis, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, and many others.
There are so many interesting stories to be told here, and the author does a decent job of capturing many of them. A great quote from the later part of the book:
"...And so the long-simmering rivalry between Leo Fender and Les Paul bubbled up again on stages and in recording studios and rehearsal rooms everywhere.
Years earlier, neither man could have imagined the sounds these guitars now made. Eric Clapton had elevated the Gibson into the choice battering ram of hard rock, soon to be adopted by Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page. Meanwhile, Jimi Hendrix had transformed the Stratocaster into an incomparably eloquent voice for his soulful psychedelia.
Fenders and Les Pauls were twins, opposites, companions—rivals that were remarkably complementary. Through the odd meanderings of time and fashion and technology, two musical instruments born largely in 1940s Hollywood had risen to become the cherished tools of an
unfathomably louder age.
The guitars of Leo and Les had far outlived the dreams of their makers—and yet, to the current generation of players, and to future ones, they were just being born."
The writing here is very good, and I found the book super-interesting, and very informative.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested, although I may be a bit biased, both as a life-long fan of rock music and the electric guitar, and as a guitar player, as well.
5 stars.
The Birth of Loud covers quite a lot; It tells the story of many of the people central to the genesis of rock music; through either their inventions, innovations and/or playing.
The book focuses on Leo Fender and Les Paul, but also talks about their wives, Paul Bigsby, and many other central figures to this story.
The Birth of Loud is also the story of the invention of the first electric guitar; the development of the first Fender electric guitar, the Les Paul guitar, the Bigsby tremolo, and more.
Author Ian Port takes the reader through a bit of Rock n' Roll 101; mentioning Buddy Holly, Elvis, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, and many others.
There are so many interesting stories to be told here, and the author does a decent job of capturing many of them. A great quote from the later part of the book:
"...And so the long-simmering rivalry between Leo Fender and Les Paul bubbled up again on stages and in recording studios and rehearsal rooms everywhere.
Years earlier, neither man could have imagined the sounds these guitars now made. Eric Clapton had elevated the Gibson into the choice battering ram of hard rock, soon to be adopted by Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page. Meanwhile, Jimi Hendrix had transformed the Stratocaster into an incomparably eloquent voice for his soulful psychedelia.
Fenders and Les Pauls were twins, opposites, companions—rivals that were remarkably complementary. Through the odd meanderings of time and fashion and technology, two musical instruments born largely in 1940s Hollywood had risen to become the cherished tools of an
unfathomably louder age.
The guitars of Leo and Les had far outlived the dreams of their makers—and yet, to the current generation of players, and to future ones, they were just being born."
The writing here is very good, and I found the book super-interesting, and very informative.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested, although I may be a bit biased, both as a life-long fan of rock music and the electric guitar, and as a guitar player, as well.
5 stars.
May 11, 2019
I learned a lot about the history of guitars in the 20th century, and grew to appreciate the inventiveness and persistence of Leo Fender and Les Paul in being on the ground floor, so to speak, of the music that would lead to pop and then rock and roll. The author does an exceptional job of putting all this into the context of the times, and also is first-rate in his descriptions of the lives of some of the giants of not just guitar music, but of the rise of rock and roll, including Buddy Holly, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Dick Dale, and others. But---and the reason I can't give this book 5 stars--the writing suffers when the author tries to describe a song. In my opinion, no author can adequately do this in writing. A song has to be heard, felt in your heart and soul, and is an emotional experience that each one of us can only appreciate because we are bringing our individual feelings and histories into play as we listen. I can listen to Johnny Cash play and sing "Folsom Prison Blues" or Dick Dale play "Misirlou", with a friend, and while we both may like the songs, we have different reasons for our enjoyment. And there's no way, again in my opinion, that any writer can accurately describe the sound of the guitars in each song. The author tries, but saying something like (these are my words) "the guitar takes you up to the mountain top with the chords, then comes crashing into a crescendo of pounding beats that pushes you into a wall of sound" just doesn't come anywhere close to giving me an idea of what the experience of listening was. I have read other books of music, and the authors of these titles similarly failed. A solid and worthwhile effort by the author, but if you want to fully understand Jimi Hendrix's monumental and unforgettable playing of the National Anthem at Woodstock in 1969, get the CD (or the download) or watch the movie "Woodstock".
January 20, 2019
This is a delightful little read about the two giants of electric guitar design and production whose instruments changed the world.
Neither “invented” the solid body electric guitar, indeed, as is well known, Les Paul basically had no input in designing the beautiful mahogany monster axe which bears his name.
Rather, Leo and Les occupy this story as the kind of obsessive tinkerers of a previous age; they are the grandchildren of Edison and Bell, the forefathers of Jobs and Gates. I’m not suggesting the Stratocaster and Les Paul affected the world as the incandescent bulb and the iPhone have, but I also AM suggesting that.
One need only read Port’s absolutely gorgeous description of Jimi Hendrix’s rendition of The Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock, played on his upside down, white Strat, to appreciate how electric guitars and their history, particularly these two titans, have made and reflected the changes in American culture since they were plugged in.
I gave this three stars rather than more because, unlike reviews suggest, I didn’t find this “compulsively readable” or “stunning.” It was VERY GOOD. I’m glad I know what I learned in it. And I’m happy Ian Port wrote it. But I did find myself wanting to hear more from each guitar’s most famous players. There are some lines from Paige and Clapton, Hendrix and Richards. But ultimately, the culture, technology, and people that made these instruments happen take center stage.
Neither “invented” the solid body electric guitar, indeed, as is well known, Les Paul basically had no input in designing the beautiful mahogany monster axe which bears his name.
Rather, Leo and Les occupy this story as the kind of obsessive tinkerers of a previous age; they are the grandchildren of Edison and Bell, the forefathers of Jobs and Gates. I’m not suggesting the Stratocaster and Les Paul affected the world as the incandescent bulb and the iPhone have, but I also AM suggesting that.
One need only read Port’s absolutely gorgeous description of Jimi Hendrix’s rendition of The Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock, played on his upside down, white Strat, to appreciate how electric guitars and their history, particularly these two titans, have made and reflected the changes in American culture since they were plugged in.
I gave this three stars rather than more because, unlike reviews suggest, I didn’t find this “compulsively readable” or “stunning.” It was VERY GOOD. I’m glad I know what I learned in it. And I’m happy Ian Port wrote it. But I did find myself wanting to hear more from each guitar’s most famous players. There are some lines from Paige and Clapton, Hendrix and Richards. But ultimately, the culture, technology, and people that made these instruments happen take center stage.
February 25, 2019
Great story and insights into the development of the electric guitar. Also, the stories of entrepreneurs Leo Fender and Les Paul tell a rich tale about the rapidly changing America of the post-World War II era. The author is not the most graceful storyteller but does an excellent job of weaving the paths of these two interesting lives together and avoids the hero-worship narrative that misinforms the world about how innovation happens. (It is a team sport!)
July 10, 2021
Review title: Guitar heroes
Many books have told the story of how the Beatles destroyed rock and roll or how Los Angeles created it, but this is the first book I have read that tells the story of the instruments behind the music. A fascinating story it is, and well told by Port.
The title is not just short and descriptive, but literal: the electric guitar as we know it today (think Springsteen on the cover of Born to Run) was born out of the desire to provide volume for the acoustic guitar, which in popular music before World War II was overpowered by the other instruments and relegated to the side of the stage. When musicians and instrument makers tried to amplify the "Spanish" guitar, its hollow body produced howling feedback, but when the horizontal steel guitar popular in country music was successfully electrified with a solid body, radio shop owner Leo Ford and popular musician Les Paul began to tinker.
Fender was based in Fullerton, California, and as an early hand builder of amplification equipment was often involved as a setup and sound man for country swing bands like Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys then popular in the area. While the steel guitar was a popular instrument in the genre, stand up guitarists wanted loud to keep up. When Paul moved west, built his own garage studio, and began to play with and record the same musicians, Fender and Paul met, discussed, and worked separately to solve the problem and meet the demand. It took time, but loud was born alive and kicking.
Port grounds the history on interviews with and oral histories from many of the key participants, company histories and documents, and other books by and about some of best known people involved, and builds the story in chapters alternating between Fender and Paul as they experimented and built the future of popular music. As a talented and popular musician, Paul had the ear and the money to understand the problem, but despite lacking musical ability Fender had the amateur inventor's understanding of the tubes and wires that constituted the radio and sound technology of the day. And he had access to the venues and ears of the working musicians in a musical hotbed to guide his experiments. The result was the Fender Telecaster solid body electric guitar introduced in 1951. The Gibson Les Paul signature model followed in 1952, and the rivalry was on.
But what makes the story compelling is that it isn't just about the guitars, it is about the confluence of the people, the place, and the relationships that ignited the innovation and synergy that can truly be said to have given birth not just to these electric guitars but to everything that followed from them: the rockabilly and Southern sexuality of Elvis; the rock'n'roll of Buddy Holly; the cultural appropriation and invasion of the Beatles; the innovations in amplification and recording (Fender invented the electric bass and guitar-specific amps, while Paul pioneered multi track recording); the electrified city blues played by black musicians which was then sped up and played back by white rock bands like the Rolling Stones; concluding in Port's account with the rise of guitar heroes Clapton and Hendrix and Hendrix's stunning "Star Spangled Banner" at Woodstock that transformed the anthem and turned one guitar into an aural orchestra. Port weaves all of these into the family history of Loud, so that the story of these two men and their invention becomes the story of the next 70 years (and counting) of popular music and culture.
It is a history that means more than just popular music because of how much the technology, economics, politics, and culture of the period have been driven by such seemingly tangential things and the intersections between them. It is easy for those of us, now almost all of us in a population where the baby boomers who have only known this new world are now the oldest generation, to forget what the world was like before--before hip hop, disco, heavy metal, the Beatles, Elvis--before the electric guitar. Loud didn't always exist. Now it does. Here's how guitar heroes and the world we share came to be. It's a story worth telling and reading.
Many books have told the story of how the Beatles destroyed rock and roll or how Los Angeles created it, but this is the first book I have read that tells the story of the instruments behind the music. A fascinating story it is, and well told by Port.
The title is not just short and descriptive, but literal: the electric guitar as we know it today (think Springsteen on the cover of Born to Run) was born out of the desire to provide volume for the acoustic guitar, which in popular music before World War II was overpowered by the other instruments and relegated to the side of the stage. When musicians and instrument makers tried to amplify the "Spanish" guitar, its hollow body produced howling feedback, but when the horizontal steel guitar popular in country music was successfully electrified with a solid body, radio shop owner Leo Ford and popular musician Les Paul began to tinker.
Fender was based in Fullerton, California, and as an early hand builder of amplification equipment was often involved as a setup and sound man for country swing bands like Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys then popular in the area. While the steel guitar was a popular instrument in the genre, stand up guitarists wanted loud to keep up. When Paul moved west, built his own garage studio, and began to play with and record the same musicians, Fender and Paul met, discussed, and worked separately to solve the problem and meet the demand. It took time, but loud was born alive and kicking.
Port grounds the history on interviews with and oral histories from many of the key participants, company histories and documents, and other books by and about some of best known people involved, and builds the story in chapters alternating between Fender and Paul as they experimented and built the future of popular music. As a talented and popular musician, Paul had the ear and the money to understand the problem, but despite lacking musical ability Fender had the amateur inventor's understanding of the tubes and wires that constituted the radio and sound technology of the day. And he had access to the venues and ears of the working musicians in a musical hotbed to guide his experiments. The result was the Fender Telecaster solid body electric guitar introduced in 1951. The Gibson Les Paul signature model followed in 1952, and the rivalry was on.
But what makes the story compelling is that it isn't just about the guitars, it is about the confluence of the people, the place, and the relationships that ignited the innovation and synergy that can truly be said to have given birth not just to these electric guitars but to everything that followed from them: the rockabilly and Southern sexuality of Elvis; the rock'n'roll of Buddy Holly; the cultural appropriation and invasion of the Beatles; the innovations in amplification and recording (Fender invented the electric bass and guitar-specific amps, while Paul pioneered multi track recording); the electrified city blues played by black musicians which was then sped up and played back by white rock bands like the Rolling Stones; concluding in Port's account with the rise of guitar heroes Clapton and Hendrix and Hendrix's stunning "Star Spangled Banner" at Woodstock that transformed the anthem and turned one guitar into an aural orchestra. Port weaves all of these into the family history of Loud, so that the story of these two men and their invention becomes the story of the next 70 years (and counting) of popular music and culture.
It is a history that means more than just popular music because of how much the technology, economics, politics, and culture of the period have been driven by such seemingly tangential things and the intersections between them. It is easy for those of us, now almost all of us in a population where the baby boomers who have only known this new world are now the oldest generation, to forget what the world was like before--before hip hop, disco, heavy metal, the Beatles, Elvis--before the electric guitar. Loud didn't always exist. Now it does. Here's how guitar heroes and the world we share came to be. It's a story worth telling and reading.
October 13, 2019
Ian S. Port has written a lively account of how two very different electronics tinkerers went from being wary friends and comparing notes to becoming bitter rivals and the names behind the revolution in the electric guitar which changed the face of modern music for the second half of the twentieth century up until today.
Leo Fender was a half-blind radio repairman and introvert whose fascination with Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys and other country swing bands and their brand of pedal steel guitar convinced him that it would be good to make a regular guitar electrified and that guitarists would benefit from a mass-produced, reasonably priced instrument. His obsession with sound also extended to amplifiers and his company, starting out in his radio shop, moving to a couple of leaky metal Quonset huts and eventually to a vast industrial park complex began making the electric guitars and amplifiers that bear his name to this day. After country music began to be taken over by a powerful guitarist named Dick Dale and Surf music, the need for more volume became apparent to players and he extended the power of his instruments and amps and added effects to create the models that became standards for Rock 'N' Roll and other forms. His interests also extended to revolutionizing string bass playing by making a guitar-sized bass guitar called the Fender Precision Bass which was far more portable and much easier to play thus changing its role in music. The Fender Rhodes electric piano pioneered the revolution in electric keyboards as well.
Les Paul was a gifted guitarist of jazz and country, whose own interest in sound and electronics led him to experiment with changing the tone and fidelity on his amplified guitars. His quest to reduce feedback in hollow-bodied guitars led him to make a feedback-free solid body he called "The Log." Although his invention was originally laughed at by guitar manufacturers, a few years later as others like Leo Fender and tremelo-arm inventor Don Rigsby (who made an expensive custom solid body guitar for Merle Travis) entered the field, Gibson guitars changed their minds and got Les Paul to lend his name and signature to their own company's version. Les Paul's interest in sound also extended to recording and he also pioneered recording techniques first using acetate machines then newly invented tape machines (originally invented by Germany during the war). After having hits with and becoming friends with Bing Crosby, Crosby gave him one of the machines as a gift and his inventive spirit led him to the invention of sound-on-sound or multi-track recording. His use of the technique led to a string of hits as a duet with Mary Ford a vocalist and fellow guitarist. Their work pre-figured modern studio recording. As tastes changed, his signature solid-body guitar became the standard for electric blues, Rock 'N' Roll, and even Heavy Metal. As its rarity and prices increased it spawned copies and a resurgence in its manufacture.
The two names Fender and Les Paul remain today the twin pillars of the guitar industry and popular music in general. Port tells their stories in all their complexity and contradictions, with several interesting side journeys into the careers of Dick Dale, Carol Kaye, The Beach Boys, James Jamerson, Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix. A must-read for all guitar and popular music enthusiasts. BH.
Leo Fender was a half-blind radio repairman and introvert whose fascination with Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys and other country swing bands and their brand of pedal steel guitar convinced him that it would be good to make a regular guitar electrified and that guitarists would benefit from a mass-produced, reasonably priced instrument. His obsession with sound also extended to amplifiers and his company, starting out in his radio shop, moving to a couple of leaky metal Quonset huts and eventually to a vast industrial park complex began making the electric guitars and amplifiers that bear his name to this day. After country music began to be taken over by a powerful guitarist named Dick Dale and Surf music, the need for more volume became apparent to players and he extended the power of his instruments and amps and added effects to create the models that became standards for Rock 'N' Roll and other forms. His interests also extended to revolutionizing string bass playing by making a guitar-sized bass guitar called the Fender Precision Bass which was far more portable and much easier to play thus changing its role in music. The Fender Rhodes electric piano pioneered the revolution in electric keyboards as well.
Les Paul was a gifted guitarist of jazz and country, whose own interest in sound and electronics led him to experiment with changing the tone and fidelity on his amplified guitars. His quest to reduce feedback in hollow-bodied guitars led him to make a feedback-free solid body he called "The Log." Although his invention was originally laughed at by guitar manufacturers, a few years later as others like Leo Fender and tremelo-arm inventor Don Rigsby (who made an expensive custom solid body guitar for Merle Travis) entered the field, Gibson guitars changed their minds and got Les Paul to lend his name and signature to their own company's version. Les Paul's interest in sound also extended to recording and he also pioneered recording techniques first using acetate machines then newly invented tape machines (originally invented by Germany during the war). After having hits with and becoming friends with Bing Crosby, Crosby gave him one of the machines as a gift and his inventive spirit led him to the invention of sound-on-sound or multi-track recording. His use of the technique led to a string of hits as a duet with Mary Ford a vocalist and fellow guitarist. Their work pre-figured modern studio recording. As tastes changed, his signature solid-body guitar became the standard for electric blues, Rock 'N' Roll, and even Heavy Metal. As its rarity and prices increased it spawned copies and a resurgence in its manufacture.
The two names Fender and Les Paul remain today the twin pillars of the guitar industry and popular music in general. Port tells their stories in all their complexity and contradictions, with several interesting side journeys into the careers of Dick Dale, Carol Kaye, The Beach Boys, James Jamerson, Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix. A must-read for all guitar and popular music enthusiasts. BH.
April 15, 2022
I ask a good book to help me see things differently than I did. And I ask a book about music to help me hear things differently. This book does both.
Ian Port has written a clever dual biography of Leo Fender and Les Paul, the two men whose names are attached to the most famous electric guitars in the world. I knew both, but I didn’t know how they related to each other. And I’d never thought about how the invention of a new instrument had so dramatically reshaped the world of music in which I grew up.
Fender was a quiet tinkerer, a guy who couldn’t play the guitar himself but who was obsessed with getting the best possible sound for the musicians whose art he loved.
Les Paul was a virtuoso, a chart-topping and gregarious showman who modified guitars in search of the sound he was after but, ultimately, got George-Foreman lucky when the Gibson guitar company arrived at an endorsement deal for a guitar that he’d had only a modest hand in designing.
Port makes this work because he shows how each man’s life affected the technical advances he was part of, and then he shows how each echoed, inspired, and egged on the other. They weren’t usually direct adversaries, but they were close enough in the way they worked that their stories inflect each other.
I have to sit back admiringly to think about how this book came together. I gather that Port is a long-form journalist. He must also be a music lover. At times he flashes some I-really-know-my-stuff references, but mostly he takes us along a back-and-forth narrative. Either half of this book would be OK, perhaps even a bit disappointing. But, balanced against each other, the whole takes on a lot more consequence.
I have a couple of minor quibbles. Because this is essentially two separate biographies, it gets tricky to follow some of the secondary figures in each life. There are times Port sums up the experiences of, say, one of Fender’s long-time associates. He seems to be working toward an emotional moment, but I found myself trying to remember who was who.
Also, despite sustained skill – especially when it comes to describing the music of the different players and their guitars – he has an irritating way of picking certain moments as instances for drawn-out narrative. We’d get something like “On September 20, 1958 [a date I’ve picked randomly] Leo Fender was working in his shop when…” It’s nothing that ruins this fine book, but it got distracting every so often.
Bottom line, though, this is a book that delivers on a clever and intriguing premise. Port not only brings both men to life, he invites us to hear the music as it must have sounded when it first came out…on instruments that did things like nothing else before them could.
Ian Port has written a clever dual biography of Leo Fender and Les Paul, the two men whose names are attached to the most famous electric guitars in the world. I knew both, but I didn’t know how they related to each other. And I’d never thought about how the invention of a new instrument had so dramatically reshaped the world of music in which I grew up.
Fender was a quiet tinkerer, a guy who couldn’t play the guitar himself but who was obsessed with getting the best possible sound for the musicians whose art he loved.
Les Paul was a virtuoso, a chart-topping and gregarious showman who modified guitars in search of the sound he was after but, ultimately, got George-Foreman lucky when the Gibson guitar company arrived at an endorsement deal for a guitar that he’d had only a modest hand in designing.
Port makes this work because he shows how each man’s life affected the technical advances he was part of, and then he shows how each echoed, inspired, and egged on the other. They weren’t usually direct adversaries, but they were close enough in the way they worked that their stories inflect each other.
I have to sit back admiringly to think about how this book came together. I gather that Port is a long-form journalist. He must also be a music lover. At times he flashes some I-really-know-my-stuff references, but mostly he takes us along a back-and-forth narrative. Either half of this book would be OK, perhaps even a bit disappointing. But, balanced against each other, the whole takes on a lot more consequence.
I have a couple of minor quibbles. Because this is essentially two separate biographies, it gets tricky to follow some of the secondary figures in each life. There are times Port sums up the experiences of, say, one of Fender’s long-time associates. He seems to be working toward an emotional moment, but I found myself trying to remember who was who.
Also, despite sustained skill – especially when it comes to describing the music of the different players and their guitars – he has an irritating way of picking certain moments as instances for drawn-out narrative. We’d get something like “On September 20, 1958 [a date I’ve picked randomly] Leo Fender was working in his shop when…” It’s nothing that ruins this fine book, but it got distracting every so often.
Bottom line, though, this is a book that delivers on a clever and intriguing premise. Port not only brings both men to life, he invites us to hear the music as it must have sounded when it first came out…on instruments that did things like nothing else before them could.
February 17, 2019
A book about the electric guitar and how it became a force in music. You get a look into Les Paul his life, his work with Gibson guitar and how his suggestions on their guitar made for a better smooth sound, especially for jazz. He was also able to have hit records in the early 50s with his second wife Mary Ford which also helped sales of that guitar. The author then takes you to Southern California Orange County where Leo Fender a radio repairman in the forties is going around to honky tonks and dance halls tinkering with steel guitars from different players. He is looking for sounds that are different. He then meets Bill Bigsby who also was working with steel guitars and lap ones. He also was looking for a different sound and later he would be the one who came up with the whammy or vibrato. He would add some of his ideas to the Gibson and later suggest that Fender stole some of his ideas, never proven. Any way Him, Gibson with Les Paul and Fender. Fender really took off for a number of reasons, it weighed less than a Gibson by several pounds, easy to replace neck if damaged. Then with the birth of rock and roll and then surf music from Dick Dale, and then Bubby Holly the Fender guitar produced high sales. Another big advantage Fender had was Leo Fender was always tinkering and wanting to come up with something new. Hence taking the bass from stand up to holding it like the guitar. Now you could get a better sound. He also works on amps using different speakers for different sounds as well. By the time he sold his company in the mid-60s he was looking to retire. When his wife passed away and he fulfilled his contract he would start another company. The other parts of this book for people that don’t know the author talks about different songs from different times. Rocket 88 if no one has listened to it is a fast rock song that came out in 51 and is still a fast rock song. The blues songs, and Dick Dale and The Chantays, Chantay’s with “Pipeline”, he then speaks of some other songs but one that really to this day for me is still “Star Spangle Banner” by Hendrix, when I first heard it and still to this day that song and his music give me the chills. I, of course, bought the 45 when it came to my small town and I am glad I still have it after all of these years, being a record collector this book was made for me just like the guitars were made for music. A very good book. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com
January 15, 2020
The title of the book is only part of what the book is about . Using the evolution of the electric guitar as a cornerstone, this book is a tour de force of the entire story of the evolution of Rock Music as we know it today. Begining from the stories of stars of Swing Jazz, Country and Blues, the book covers the entire spectrum of all the stars of Rock music and how their choice of either of these two guitars shaped the evolution of music. Written in a tight and flashy style, the book is a absolute delight and very well written. Imagine reading hundreds of pages of a hit album's review of each major music star, this book comes close to that, but does it so much better in the format of a long book. The writing is engaging and as loud as the instrument itself, with its hundreds of stories of Rock Stars and their music written in a manner that will appeal to all audiences and yet not losing any of the technicalities. Providing deep insights on the effect of the various models on various players playing style, its probably the best book i have read on Rock Music. The chapters on Eric Clapton and Jimmy Hendrix particularly stood out for its moving portrayal of both the payers and their style. The chapter covering Jimmy's opening of WoodStock and his guitar playing there (which ran into a few pages) was a masterpiece and deserves an award for its vivid imagery and ability to put the reader in the middle of the audience.
Whether you are an old man who still looks fondly on the days of classic rock, or a young guy who always wondered why his earlier generation went gaga over a Clapton or a Jimmy Page, whether you can play a guitar or aspired to play one (millions like me), or cannot even play or tune one, do read this book. Heck, Joe Fender never could tune a guitar, much less play one. Read it and rediscover the glory of an electric guitar and good old classic rock.
Whether you are an old man who still looks fondly on the days of classic rock, or a young guy who always wondered why his earlier generation went gaga over a Clapton or a Jimmy Page, whether you can play a guitar or aspired to play one (millions like me), or cannot even play or tune one, do read this book. Heck, Joe Fender never could tune a guitar, much less play one. Read it and rediscover the glory of an electric guitar and good old classic rock.
December 18, 2019
Pretty simple, if you like rock and roll, you like electric guitars. I have a feeling that if you like electric guitars you'll like The Birth of Loud, which is the story of the creation and development of said instrument by Leo Fender, and his eponymous company, Les Paul and his collaboration with Gibson Guitars, and a few lesser known but important players.
The Birth of Loud is a story of technology, and music, and its truly symbiotic relationship. The technicians wanted to build great instruments, in Fender's case out of the sheer thrill of invention, and musicians wanted great instruments to play. Instruments that could be turned up louder, and louder still, with or without distortion; amps that would broadcast the sound, and devices that would manipulate the sound. It reached a point with the great Jimi Hendrix where what was on the floor was as important as what was in his hands.
The story of the electric bass is a highlight.
The book is an easy and fascinating read, filled with the kinds of anecdotes you want to use to impress your music loving friends.
I don't know as I'd get as excited about the evolution of the piano, but the electric guitar is my generation's instrument, it propelled our culture, and it's ubiquitous not only in rock and roll, r&b, and etc., but in world music.
The Birth of Loud is a story of technology, and music, and its truly symbiotic relationship. The technicians wanted to build great instruments, in Fender's case out of the sheer thrill of invention, and musicians wanted great instruments to play. Instruments that could be turned up louder, and louder still, with or without distortion; amps that would broadcast the sound, and devices that would manipulate the sound. It reached a point with the great Jimi Hendrix where what was on the floor was as important as what was in his hands.
The story of the electric bass is a highlight.
The book is an easy and fascinating read, filled with the kinds of anecdotes you want to use to impress your music loving friends.
I don't know as I'd get as excited about the evolution of the piano, but the electric guitar is my generation's instrument, it propelled our culture, and it's ubiquitous not only in rock and roll, r&b, and etc., but in world music.
February 4, 2021
Starting this book I was interested to know the history of Fender and Les Paul—both the guitar and the man. I’ve always been curious of how they came to dominate, especially knowing Fender started with one guy in a shed. It does not disappoint recounting this history, going step by step through the 40s, 50s and 60s.
Where this book really comes alive however is when it’s placing the invention of the electric guitar in it’s cultural context: it truly changed everything. Making the instrument loud enough to hear, with a tone that slapped, was the birth of modern music as we know it. Everything that happened in the 50s with rock and roll and the 60s with the hippies (and on and on until today) came from Leo Fender in his shed, Paul Bigsby in his work shop, and Gibson enlisting Les Paul to retaliate against Fender’s growing market share. While it sounds obvious, reading in-depth about the impact was beyond fascinating.
My criticisms are few: I wish he’d have spent more time on the blues artists and what they were doing with the electric guitar, rather than The Beatles and Clapton. I also felt a little lost at certain points, like some prior, specific knowledge of both the companies and the era were needed.
Overall though, it was an insightful look into an invention that we take for granted, but had a huge, still-felt cultural splash.
Where this book really comes alive however is when it’s placing the invention of the electric guitar in it’s cultural context: it truly changed everything. Making the instrument loud enough to hear, with a tone that slapped, was the birth of modern music as we know it. Everything that happened in the 50s with rock and roll and the 60s with the hippies (and on and on until today) came from Leo Fender in his shed, Paul Bigsby in his work shop, and Gibson enlisting Les Paul to retaliate against Fender’s growing market share. While it sounds obvious, reading in-depth about the impact was beyond fascinating.
My criticisms are few: I wish he’d have spent more time on the blues artists and what they were doing with the electric guitar, rather than The Beatles and Clapton. I also felt a little lost at certain points, like some prior, specific knowledge of both the companies and the era were needed.
Overall though, it was an insightful look into an invention that we take for granted, but had a huge, still-felt cultural splash.
July 14, 2022
Engineer Clarence Leonidas Fender versus musician Lester Polsfuss invent the electric guitar. Or maybe they are just one of the people improving it? It's confusing. But then again, me as a listener of music, the technicalities don't matter that much. If you're Eric Clapton or Jimi Hendrix, you can play on whatever and make it sound awesome!
I think the most surprising aspect here might be that they got very rich on selling guitars. Thinking what percentage of people can actually play an instrument, it's amazing that the market was and is so huge. And I think I remember Fender dominating the guitar instrument market with 25% percent at some point. I thought there are only two companies making guitars, but turns out John Lennon played a Rickenbacker, Steve Vai and Joe Satriani play Ibanez guitars, James Hetfield plays an ESP Explorer, John Petrucci plays an Ernie Ball Music Man, Devin Townsend plays a Framus Stormbender, Brian May designs his own guitars starting from Red Special, etc. So if not anything else, this book opened my eyes and turns out there is a huge market and a lot of choices for instruments. So let's see if I can recognize what Nightwish is going to play tomorrow in Tallinn.
I think the most surprising aspect here might be that they got very rich on selling guitars. Thinking what percentage of people can actually play an instrument, it's amazing that the market was and is so huge. And I think I remember Fender dominating the guitar instrument market with 25% percent at some point. I thought there are only two companies making guitars, but turns out John Lennon played a Rickenbacker, Steve Vai and Joe Satriani play Ibanez guitars, James Hetfield plays an ESP Explorer, John Petrucci plays an Ernie Ball Music Man, Devin Townsend plays a Framus Stormbender, Brian May designs his own guitars starting from Red Special, etc. So if not anything else, this book opened my eyes and turns out there is a huge market and a lot of choices for instruments. So let's see if I can recognize what Nightwish is going to play tomorrow in Tallinn.
November 6, 2019
If you play guitar, or enjoy the music of England and North America from the 1950’s or love music trivia, or love to cheer on entrepreneurs or ... well, you get the idea.
This is a wonderful book. Les Paul and Leo Fender were entrepreneurs and loved to tinker. From their curiosity came the iconic Fender family of guitars and amplifiers and the equally iconic Gibson Les Paul guitar. Yes, Fender and Les Paul had others who shared their curiosity and joy of tinkering with bits and pieces of electronics, but these two men were the lightning rods that gathered the energy of many.
As well as their story this book gives the reader a history of the music that came from these guitars, and a great insight into the players who played the guitars. I would have enjoyed even more pictures of the people who were part of the story of these guitars but that is a small criticism.
The writing is energetic and engaging, the chapters bit-sized, and the format excellent. This book is a must read for both those interested in a general history of the music of the times and those who are serious students of guitars and are looking for more fascinating insights and stories.
This is a wonderful book. Les Paul and Leo Fender were entrepreneurs and loved to tinker. From their curiosity came the iconic Fender family of guitars and amplifiers and the equally iconic Gibson Les Paul guitar. Yes, Fender and Les Paul had others who shared their curiosity and joy of tinkering with bits and pieces of electronics, but these two men were the lightning rods that gathered the energy of many.
As well as their story this book gives the reader a history of the music that came from these guitars, and a great insight into the players who played the guitars. I would have enjoyed even more pictures of the people who were part of the story of these guitars but that is a small criticism.
The writing is energetic and engaging, the chapters bit-sized, and the format excellent. This book is a must read for both those interested in a general history of the music of the times and those who are serious students of guitars and are looking for more fascinating insights and stories.
March 30, 2020
The author brings Leo Fender and Les Paul to life, along with their guitars. I like how the relationship between guitar builders and players developed to quickly bring innovation to the guitar industry (in Leo’s case, since he didn’t play). The amount of personal adversity both these men went through is astounding, which makes their stories even more incredible. This book would be great for music history buffs, those interested in SoCal history and of course, guitars. The only question I’m left with is where’s Rickenbacker in all this? He was barely mentioned. Still a great romp through the history of the guitars that made blues, country and rock music possible
December 3, 2021
“[An] excellent dual portrait… Port, a veteran music journalist, touches on the work of every major guitar player of rocks golden age.” Leo Fender marketed the first solid body electric guitar all the musicians went crazy over them. Les Paul a great guitarist reached out to Gibson to make their iconic Les Paul solid body guitar. “A lively and vivid account of the careers of Fender and his competition, Les Paul The story of these instruments is the story of America in the postwar era: loud, cocky, brash, aggressively new.”
July 10, 2024
Meghan and Tony combined rating:
We both agreed it was 4 stars. The first half of this book is unreal and should be a movie - you follow Les Paul (famous face of Gibson) and Leo Fender (founder of Fender guitars). The story of how electric guitars were engineered, marketed and continuously improved was riveting. The middle focuses more on artists that adopted either Gibson or Fender brand guitars. Still interesting, but if you’re not a big music head a little less so.
Definitely gives another level of appreciation to music!
We both agreed it was 4 stars. The first half of this book is unreal and should be a movie - you follow Les Paul (famous face of Gibson) and Leo Fender (founder of Fender guitars). The story of how electric guitars were engineered, marketed and continuously improved was riveting. The middle focuses more on artists that adopted either Gibson or Fender brand guitars. Still interesting, but if you’re not a big music head a little less so.
Definitely gives another level of appreciation to music!
January 13, 2020
A fascinating stroll through 3 decades of music history. I found myself wishing I could hear the songs being written about. A cd containing the music discussed in the book would have been a great addition, but since that wasn’t included I am now rereading the book and trying to hunt down all the artists and performances mentioned. This book goes to 11!
January 28, 2021
I'd have liked more geeky info about the designs themselves and what inspired them at the time, but this is still a good history lesson into the birth of the electric guitar and bass, focused mainly on the people involved.
October 23, 2024
Well written book that explores the development of the electric guitar and the two pioneers of this industry, Leo Fender and Les Paul (Lester Polsfuss). Even if you already know some of the history surrounding Fender and Gibson this is book well worth reading. I would also recommend this to others that are not necessarily into guitar, it does not delve into detailed technical terms and is digestible for most audiences.
March 14, 2019
Well written and researched. Well done!
April 24, 2019
A really interesting look at the friendship and competition between the two biggest names behind the invention and growth of the electric guitar.
December 17, 2023
When I picked this book up, I had merely wanted to flip through it to get a sense of the history of the instrument. When I started actually reading it, I expected to be satisfied halfway through and put it down.
I was satisfied, but also intrigued enough to actually finish the book.
I was satisfied, but also intrigued enough to actually finish the book.
February 21, 2020
A very enjoyable book about the neck and neck race for guitar supremacy between the men behind the Fender and Les Paul guitars. From the very beginning, the book sets up a bit of a rivalry between the instruments told by the musicians who played them. The book opens with the differences between the widely popular Fender-wielding Beach Boys and the blues rockin' Les Paul slinging Rolling Stones.
As far as a "rivalry" persay, I didn't really get that really. Instead, it was just two very different men trying to make the best instruments they could. Two men with a certain sound in their heads they were trying to bring to life. Rock 'n' Roll is full of great rivalries that actually weren't (Neil Young and Lynyrd Skynyrd springs immediately to mind) and the book takes a page (no pun intended) from those type of stories. There's a lot of interesting history here, and though the names you would expect are here (Dylan, Page, Hendrix, etc) there is a least a mention of other often overlooked and yet important musicians (Sister Rosetta Thorpe and her SG guitar).
The book definitely stuck with me and even as I saw a band perform last night I noticed they were all using Fender guitars. I noticed the six tuning pegs on the head of the guitar, I noticed the "skunk stripe" down the neck. As someone who spent a few years in a garage band in his teens this book brought back a lot of happy memories.
As far as a "rivalry" persay, I didn't really get that really. Instead, it was just two very different men trying to make the best instruments they could. Two men with a certain sound in their heads they were trying to bring to life. Rock 'n' Roll is full of great rivalries that actually weren't (Neil Young and Lynyrd Skynyrd springs immediately to mind) and the book takes a page (no pun intended) from those type of stories. There's a lot of interesting history here, and though the names you would expect are here (Dylan, Page, Hendrix, etc) there is a least a mention of other often overlooked and yet important musicians (Sister Rosetta Thorpe and her SG guitar).
The book definitely stuck with me and even as I saw a band perform last night I noticed they were all using Fender guitars. I noticed the six tuning pegs on the head of the guitar, I noticed the "skunk stripe" down the neck. As someone who spent a few years in a garage band in his teens this book brought back a lot of happy memories.
August 4, 2020
A must read for guitar or bass players of any level. I thought I was well versed in the history of guitars. I bought my first Les Paul new in 1974 and a second and third shortly after at local pawn shops which I then traded for a ‘65 Fender Strat and a mid-sixties Gibson 345 Stereo. A ’70 Precision soon followed. But I was pleasantly surprised by the shear number of interesting facts detailed in the book. It should be mandatory reading for anyone that owns a Les Paul or Stratocaster!
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