Why is the Les Paul switch labelled 'Rhythm & Treble'?

[mikenixon316]

Surely it should be either 'Bass & Treble' or 'Rhythm & Lead'.

Was the whole idea when they first made it that the neck pickup was strictly for rhythm and the bridge for leads?

Discuss...

[guitarfish]

Originally Posted by mikenixon316

Was the whole idea when they first made it that the neck pickup was strictly for rhythm and the bridge for leads?

Yes. We're talking the 1950s after all.
But us musicians never do things the conventional way do we?

[RvChevron]

I don';t know.

Front and back, bass and treble, rhythm and lead, neck and bridge, sing and scream, thick and fat, woody and gnarly........angelic and demonic..

It's all good.

[RockStarNick]

Why was the Whammy bar called a Tremolo bar when it actually performed vibrato on the strings?



Well, I work in advertising... and from my experience, my guess was that it was some stupid ass ad-executive that thought of it...

[Bussman]

I take the switch ring off precisely so I don't have to think about this deep and controversial dilemma.

[bazooka47]

I think to know for sure how Gibson decided on those words you would probably have to ask Les Paul (probably not on forum) or Ted McCarty (no longer with us), but I would surmise that in the early 50's when the LP was first produced there was no such thing as "Lead" guitar, and "Bass" would have been a poor choice, as that word specifically describes a different instrument.

[Allthumbs56]

Originally Posted by RockStarNick

Why was the Whammy bar called a Tremolo bar when it actually performed vibrato on the strings?



Well, I work in advertising... and from my experience, my guess was that it was some stupid ass ad-executive that thought of it...

Same guy at Fender that called tremolo "vibrato" on their amps ...

[BettyFjord]

Originally Posted by bazooka47

I think to know for sure how Gibson decided on those words you would probably have to ask Les Paul (probably not on forum) or Ted McCarty (no longer with us), but I would surmise that in the early 50's when the LP was first produced there was no such thing as "Lead" guitar, and "Bass" would have been a poor choice, as that word specifically describes a different instrument.

This sounds so sensible that I expect it's what actually happened.

Exec 1: So, we've got two pickups and two sounds. What do we call them?
Exec 2: Well, you've got a treble-ish one and a bass-ish one. Why not call them that? Treble and Bass.
Exec 1: Yeah, that's just what I need. Some guy complaining to the dealer that his bass guitar doesn't work when it's in the 'Bass' position. No thanks.
Exec 2: OK, ok. How about the parts they play in the orchestra? Rhythm and... err... something. Solo? Do guitarists have solos?
Exec 1: How the hell would I know? What if we put it on there and everyone's upset because they never get a solo and can't use half of their guitar? Uh-uh.
Exec 2: Fine. Let's split the difference: rhythm and treble. Everyone's a winner.
Exec 1: Sweet. Time for lunch.

[Rosewood]

Originally Posted by mikenixon316

Surely it should be either 'Bass & Treble' or 'Rhythm & Lead'.

Was the whole idea when they first made it that the neck pickup was strictly for rhythm and the bridge for leads?

Discuss...

That's basically it, and probably for the same reason strats don't have a tone control on the bridge pickup, (older strats) it was the "lead" pickup.

[7String Thing]

why not just label them up and down? or no label at all?

[RichieRich]

muddy and shrill

[Rosewood]

Originally Posted by RichieRich

muddy and shrill

That's pretty close.

[soldano16]

My fav is the light on my plexi marked "indicator".

Now that's profound.

[Rock Johnson]

I always thought it was because ''red" and ''green" would've looked silly.

Seriously, I always remove that stupid ring because it looks retarded.

[Alvis]

Originally Posted by RichieRich

muddy and shrill

Nah,Muddy was already taken