Guitar Magazine

Invention Has A Sound

In our first dive into the long and fascinating relationship between electricity and the guitar, we caught up with Benjamin Franklin to explore the impact that George Beauchamp had on the history of our instrument. This time out, I’d like to introduce you to another fellow whose name you might not be familiar with: Samuel Clemens.

Clemens was a mid-19th century Missouri native who changed careers more often than Arnold Schwarzenegger (look, how many people can put Young Hercules and Governor of California on the same resumé?). Clemens started as a Mississippi riverboat pilot, then served as a Second Lieutenant in a Confederate militia for two weeks before deserting to go west with his brother Orion.

In Virginia City, Nevada, Clemens tried and failed to make it as a silver miner and eventually. At long last, he’d found a career that would stick: writing. Clemens ended up writing at least 17 books, some of which you’d probably heard of: , , and . Sound familiar yet?

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