Maine's Capital Area

LES PAUL’S PERSONAL GUITAR COLLECTION TO MAKE FIRST VISIT TO MAINE DURING GARDINER’S APRIL 21st “MUSIC WALK”

The late music pioneer, Les Paul, is known for influencing one of the world’s most famous and beloved instruments – an electric guitar named after Paul, produced by “Gibson”, a leading American guitar maker.  On Saturday, April 21^st, one of Paul’s best friends, Jim Wysocki, will be visiting Gardiner’s Johnson Hall as part of the Gardiner “Music Walk” as part of an experience showcasing Les Paul’s personal collection of guitars in an experience called “From Start to Finish”. 

The collection includes a 1968 Custom Gibson Les Paul with the “Paulverizer”, a black box remote control that allowed Les to access recorded tapes of himself and wife Mary Ford, layering parts of a song to his live performance.  The “Paulverizer” was an early version of today’s “looping machines”. Jim will also display “Les’s Rail”, which is a discarded Railroad track section that Les used with a microphone from his mother’s phone and a guitar string stretched the length of the track; the string’s vibration created a unique sound that would become the first iteration of an electric guitar pickup.

“From Start to Finish” will begin at 1pm at Johnson Hall, 280 Water Street in Gardiner, with a screening of the documentary film “Chasing Sound”, about the life of Les Paul.  Following the film, the famed musician’s priceless collection will be on display – music fans can mingle and chat with Wysocki throughout the day.  Wysocki encourages visitors to try playing the vintage and storied guitars as part of the experience.  At 7pm, Wysocki will give a formal slide presentation and talk of about 45 minutes, sharing stories about the early origins of the electric guitar, the challenges and opportunities Les encountered in the music industry, and some of Les and Mary’s adventures.  Admission to the experience will be on a first come, first served basis – there is no ticketing or fee, donations will be accepted for Johnson Hall’s renovation of its historic 3^rd floor opera house. 

Gardiner’s Music Walk, in its 3^rd year, brings over 20 musicians to local businesses in a celebration of local performance and Downtown Gardiner’s revitalization.  The event is a collaboration of Niche, Inc, an independent record store, and Gardiner Main Street.  The walk is part of a National event, Record Store Day, which features special vinyl releases and other celebrations across the country.  In addition to music and shopping, the music walk, which goes from 4-7pm, features a free beer tasting at Craft Beer Cellar, a drop-in public drum circle, face-painting, and other activities.  For more information, visit gardinermainstreet.org/events/music-walk/or call Niche, Inc. (207) 588-7725.