Now I need to take a piece of wood and make it sound like the railroad track, but I also had to make it beautiful and lovable so that a person playing it would think of it in terms of his mistress, a bartender, his wife, a good psychiatrist – whatever.
Meaning of the quote
The quote by American musician Les Paul explains the challenge of creating a musical instrument that can produce a unique and expressive sound. He wanted to design a piece of wood that would not only sound like a railroad track, but also be visually appealing and emotionally engaging for the musician. The goal was to create an instrument that could evoke a wide range of personal associations, from a romantic partner to a trusted advisor, so that the player would connect with it on a deeper level.

About Les Paul
Les Paul was an American musician, inventor, and pioneer of the solid-body electric guitar. He is known for his innovations in recording techniques, such as overdubbing and multitrack recording, and for his popular music recordings with his wife, Mary Ford. Les Paul was inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
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When I got my first guitar my fingers wouldn’t go to the sixth string so I took off the big E and played with just five strings. I was only 6 or 7.
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Now I need to take a piece of wood and make it sound like the railroad track, but I also had to make it beautiful and lovable so that a person playing it would think of it in terms of his mistress, a bartender, his wife, a good psychiatrist – whatever.
American jazz guitarist, country guitarist, songwriter and inventor (1915-2009)