Though he went on to make an international name for himself as Les Paul, and still continues to do so in twice-weekly performances in New York City, throughout 2009 you can experience the journey that sprung from the mind of the Wizard of Waukesha at Discovery World’s House of Sound exhibit.

"This is an exhibit that will never — and can never — be assembled this way again," says Joel Brennan, president and CEO of Discovery World. "The exhibit includes items from Les’ personal collection that have never been on public display before."

Long before the line of Gibson guitars that bore his name reached the market, Paul was tinkering on his own. He experimented with a variety of approaches and prototypes. The railroad tie-and-guitar-string combo was ruled out as a little too heavy for performance use, but its evolution into the basis for a solid body guitar is clear in those found in the exhibit.

"Everything he created had a name, and we even have Les’ first performing guitar, ‘The Klunker,’" says Brennan. "And the ‘Les Paulverizer,’ which is a device that goes on the guitar."

Paul collaborated with Gibson Guitar to release the guitar that bore his name in 1952. That Gibson 1952 Gold Top, a limited number which are known to still exist, is on display at the exhibit.

Decades of guitar players have gone on to use Les Paul guitars, in their various Gibson incarnations, from Keith Richards and Eric Clapton, to Charlie Daniels, Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen.

The sheer quantity of autographed guitars in the exhibit stands as a testament to how beloved Paul is in the music community, as well as his impact on generations of musicians.

If the teasers of what awaits you at the exhibit aren’t enough, we spoke with some local experts on why you should make the pilgrimage.

You’ll be in the presence of greatness.

"When he was in town a couple of years ago I had the honor of sitting down and conducting an in-depth, three-hour interview with him that was intended to walk through all the important events in his life. We talked about the obvious and he also told me the story of being one of the first people on television, his curiosity as a child, his friendship with Bing Crosby and lots of other amazing stories. I left that three hours knowing I was in the presence of greatness. Forget about being lucid in your ’90s; I would be hard pressed to think of anyone that was as sharp and fascinating as he was." — Steve Palec, host of Rock & Roll Roots and Legends of Rock on WKLH 96.5

You’ll see all that tinkering.

"I would think it’s Les’ invention of the multi-track recording implement that affected the industry most profoundly. It is with his genius use of delay, incendiary electrified Django-isms and deviant guitar layering techniques that he most affected guitarists. Although he gets credited with the design of the Les Paul model he did not, in fact, design it. He was a pioneer in the development of the solid body guitar, but his ideas were not commercially embraced until he a sold a few million records and then Gibson chose to have him endorse their new solid body guitar, which was developed in response to the Fender Broadcaster-Telecaster." — guitarist Greg ‘The Gristleman’ Koch

You’ll meet the man whose influence can be heard on virtually every recording now made.

"In some way Les Paul has influenced every musician directly or indirectly. His recording innovations, such as overdubbing (sound on sound) and using special effects like echo, delay and flanging has affected the way we record today. Some of these techniques are so typical today that we don’t think twice about them. But we should remember that he was the first to create them and use them successfully. Being a pioneer in the development of the solid body electric guitar is a staple in pop and rock music today. Listening back to his early recordings reminds us of his mastery of the guitar. Incorporating his masterful playing with his early recording techniques gave him a style unlike anyone of his time. He was and is an original!" — guitarist Daryl Stuermer

You’ll have a hands-on opportunity to experience music and recording yourself through the exhibit.

"Most people who listen to music do not understand the origins and realities of recorded music — not only what it means, but where it all started. That’s all visible at Discovery World, and you can experience not just Les Paul’s concepts but what he actually did with them," — Martin Jack Rosenblum, Professor of Music History and Literature, UWM’s Peck School of the Arts, recording artist and a collaborator behind Les Paul’s House of Sound

You never know who you’ll see.

"We’ve had more than one famous performer stop in to catch the exhibit on their way through Milwaukee." Joel Brennan, president and CEO of Discovery World, who has caught Elvis Costello perusing the exhibit. m