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Thursday, April 5, 2012

The Four Fathers of the Sound of Rock.....

Yes, they thoroughly deserve that moniker, for without them, I would not be able to annoy my neighbours with the thunderous guitar sounds coming from bands like Septicflesh. Yes, these four giants, mostly unknown by most, but revered for their creations, for they defined the guitar sound of modern rock.

Clarence Leonidas "Leo" Fender aka Leo Fender (August 10, 1909 – March 21, 1991), the founder of Fender, that piddly little company that makes guitars like the Stratocaster and Telecaster. 






Lester William Polsfuss aka Les Paul (June 9, 1915 – August 13, 2009). I think I have said enough. Rather, let me put it like this : If a guitar player has never played a Fender Strat or Tele and a Gibson Les Paul, he/she has not really played a good one as yet. 




Seth Lover (January 1, 1910– January 31, 1997). Now this one is a little more cryptic, but bear with me. This was the guy who invented the Humbucking pickup, the one which helped players go from the Classic rock sound of the single coils, to the more modern rock and metal guitar sound. I quite literally owe my love of heavy metal to this guy, because I do not like the single coil sound as much and my metal journey did start out from exciting guitar sounds. 



Jim Marshall (July 29, 1923 – April 5, 2012), "The Father of Loud" and the "Inventor of Awesome" is simply the guy who created those titanic amplifier stacks you see behind Yngwie to Ritchi Blackmore to James Hetfield to any good rock or metal guitar player. Marshall amps and cabinets have been the mainstay of the modern rock sound and I can bet any amount of money, that all professional rock musicians have owned at least one and covet one or the other models for it is so essential to their sound. Ah yes, the JCM 800, that is my favourite. And I am not even a guitar player. 


I think this next sentence that I am about to type in is more relevant to these folks right here than anybody else. You have left us in person, but your creations and hence your presence stays with us for all time. 

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