Fender vs Gibson

What particular guitars are you talking about. Both companies make a lot of different guitars with lots of different tonal qualities. When it comes to electrics, most people think solid body and therefore Les Paul when they think Gibson and Telecaster or Strat when they think Fender. If you are talking about these guitars, generally, depending on any one of a thousand different configurations, Les Pauls have a warmer "fatter" tone and Teles and Strats have a brighter tone that can border on brittle in the wrong applications IMHO. Les Pauls have thicker and faster necks (again generally)--which some find easier to play and others more challenging. I have a Les Paul and an old Telecaster. As much as I love the Gibson through my Vox AC15H1TV, my telecaster would come with me to the desert Island. Sometimes I feel like it was designed specifically for me, the tone matches my playing style and it is soooo easy for me to play. Others may pick up the same guitar and find it tinny. In short, I am just giving you the basics in the most broad strokes, YOU need to play both guitars through YOUR amps to determine which one you like to play and hear. You may pick up a Les Paul and never look back. It is a question of taste and neither guitar is empirically better than the other.

 

Is this just for the sake of discussion, or are you considering buying one or the other? I have one of each--a Strat and an ES-335--and love them both for how different they are. These days, a lot of sounds can be tweaked and produced to replicate what once was the sum of your equipment. The biggest difference to me is how they physically play. Gibsons are "faster", typically using narrower necks and smaller, softer string action.

 

"depends"

are you referring to Les Pauls versus Stratocasters? you must compare apples to apples, as Fender and Gibson make many different models, and each guitar has its own distinct voice and feel.

it depends on set up, it depends on strings, amp choice is critical.

as a base line, a well set up les paul will have a deeper and more nasal , blues tone. a strat always seems to have more mids and treble, even if you tweak the settings all the way down.

the fundamental difference is the single coil strat versus the les paul humbuckers.

i have several of each, and all of them are modified. i even modified my Epiphone 57 les paul reissue to only play slide guitar on. i use open G tuning for slide, and have been having a blast with it. my Gibson Les pauls have a few mods, like Rs Guitar Works Pots, Caps and new wiring, otherwise they are original.

my Stratocasters also get the goodies from RS Guitar Works, and in one i added special wound Stevie Ray Vaughn "Texas Special" Fender Custom Shop pickups. they are super hot, and it screams when its played.



buy one of each and play both!

Les Pauls and Strats "can" live in harmony .......
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Jimmy Page vs. Clapton - apples and oranges. I have a nice Japanese Strat and a Les Paul.
When I feel like aping Hendrix or Stevie Ray, it's the strat. When I want to play Kasmir, it's
the Paul. Totally different neck and fret feel, different action, different pickups. So get
one of each and you'll have it made And of course add a high end Ibanez or BC Rich
when you feel like over-the-top shredding

Jedi

 

well said, and there is a big feel difference between the 60's neck les pauls and the 50's neck! thats why i have 3 of them, and an Epiphone!

 

Im personally a fender guy and I own 2 teles. A standard and a thinline. BTW Im loving that clear pickguard. Im assuming you built that one up yourself?

 

Here are your own three threads from the last 90 days....

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=228916

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=222871

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=223978

You have the first latest food thread posted so you only need a couple more.....

 

I had a couple Les Pauls (74 Fretless Wonder Custom and 68 Standard) now I have an American Fat Strat.

 

A friend back in high school had a Les Paul Custom or something like that, you know the one with gold plated hardware and everything but I always liked how the Strat fit me. I would be very happy to own either one as I am without a guitar at the moment and playing my 'air guitar' is just not as rewarding!

 

thanks, WD Music has the clear guards for many guitars. that one strat came from fender with that body, new in the box! the wood is some sort of birdseye? i thought the bodies were all ash, but who knows. its a Mexican made 1970 reissue, and it plays great.

i need to ask as Fender expert about the body. i still have the original box for both my fenders. the other one is a "Foto Flame" from 1991. its a 1961 reissue, made in japan. it also plays well. none of them are " valuable" but i dont care, i play em hard!
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I prefer the sound of a strat.

 

i prefer gibson. i have both.

 

Got to have both although the telecaster would be my favorite.

 

Today, I think I'd rather have a G & L.

 

I'm a total noob..and when I say my guitar abilities are novice..I mean it. I bought a 1963 Gibson ES330 & 1975 Fender strat back in high school (early 1980s). I am trying to start playing again (*cough*) and find the Gibson much easier and enjoyable. Personally the Strat looks cooler..but Gibson for me

 

Nuff said.

Odd though, don't you have anything more to talk about besides the same old topics you keep regurgitating? Lookin' for a little variety here. I'm actually surprised someone like you doesn't have loads to talk about.

WOWZERS! That that was kinda rude......

I'm very interested in the subject. I started playing the guitar in my teens and have owned both of the guitars you mentioned. Music is very important to me and is a huge part of my life. That is why I answered you. What else?

 

The Stratocaster for me is the fastest neck of the two by a long shot, it's also easier for me to do fast broken chords on. But the Les Paul comes ahead in the long sustain and powerful distortion chords. I don't like the Les Paul with the neck position humbucker, but in the Stratocaster is just perfect for me. I grew up with the Strats and just bought my first Gibson last year. But when it comes to a light comfortable guitar, do it all, versatile and the fastest neck to my knowledge then Ibañez the one.

 

i grew up with the Ibanez Wizard neck guitars. loved them. wish i had treated them better than i did. i have to ask you to play a Gibson Les Paul with the slim 60's neck. its very fast and friendly to the fingers. a well set les paul will really sustain and scream. strats and LP's are like Porsche and Ferrari:

very diffeernt kinds of fun.

i said the hell with it and have several of each!