Ted McCarty

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Ted McCarty was a pioneer of electric guitar design and production, which began when he was President of the of Gibson Guitar Corporation. During his tenure, Les Paul's electric guitar design, the first solid-body guitar produced by Gibson, came to fruition, the Gibson Les Paul became the company's flagship instrument. Never satisfied, McCarty sought to create a hybrid design which would include the sustain of a solid-body electric, with the mellow warmth of a hollow-body. The ES-335 was created as a "semi-hollow", with both a central block running the length of the guitar and hollow wings.

Later in life, McCarty served as President of the Bigsby Company and also became the mentor of Paul Reed Smith, whose guitar company produces several models named after McCarty.

McCarty died in April 2001, at the age of 91.