What should I get? Fender Strat or Gibson Les Paul?

[D]

Ive came into some money and Im thinking of buying a new guitar.

Ive been playing the same guitar for 12 years and I need a new one.


So what should I get?

Fender Strat or Gibson Les Paul?

[Voodoochild]

Whatever fits to your needs and taste.. I think it's up to you.

[JimBobTTD]

Which one do you have now? What kind of sound are you wanting to have? What is your budget? You can get a new Strat for $400, but a Les Paul Standard will set you back almost five times that.

[Jim Bob]

get the LP

[JimBobTTD]

get the LP

Actually, yeah. There is nothing better than a good Les Paul. Try a million of them before you settle on one, as some will not feel right for you.

[SamBob]

get the LP

My dad has a Les Paul, but it's not Gibson... but still pretty hot...

Get the LP...

[D]

I hate Epiphones  I think they suck

SO if i go the LP route, Im definitely gonna get a Gibson Les Standard.


Im gonna go down Guitar center and try out a shit load of them.

[Falcon]

SO if i go the LP route, Im definitely gonna get a Gibson Les Standard.

Give the Custom a shot D...

[Genesis]

Gibson Les Paul.

[don_vercetti]

What about the Gibson SG.  I tried an Epiphone SG G-310 the other day.  It was ?129, it had a beautiful tone and was very nice to play.  If you don't like epi's get the gibson sg, but the SG is a good guitar.  Les Paul's, when properly set up are also wonderful to play though. 

What do you play at the moment?  Strats and Les Pauls are quite different to play.  I'm a Strat player myself, and I notice a difference when playing any Les Paul, and generally find it more difficult.  The SG wasn't as much of a change, and I really liked playing it. 

[rockNroses]

After checking out your music (pretty good IMO), I think you should give the TELECASTER a shot, sooner or later you might end up playing one anyway.

Some good Teles currently on the market:

Squier Indonesia Standard Telecaster (better than Fender Mexico)
Fender Japan '62 Custom Tele
Fender American Deluxe Tele

As for a Gibson Les Paul, also check out the "Classic" model. It's a good alternative to the Standard LP.

The Strat is a different planet. Most Strat players modify their guitars to moon and back instead of just getting a Tele or LP right away. You know Buddy Holly, The Shadows, SRV, Jeff Healey, early Hendrix - THAT is how a Strat sounds without tons of effects or modifications. If you don't want that original Strat sound, why get a Strat? Plus you'd have to get used to your guitar NEVER staying in tune, unless you install a Floyd Rose tremolo wich would alter the sound dramatically and is basically nothing but a pain in the ass.

Really your music to me screams TELECASTER all the way. Maybe one with a splitable humbucker at the bridge, the Di Marzio Fast Track would be an excellent choice. The Nashville model would suit you too I think.

Just me, play what you want, but hey - you asked! 

Good luck with your new guitar whatever model it will be!

[JimBobTTD]

rockNroses - although I agree that a Tele would be a good idea, I have to disagree with your statement that an Indonesian Squier is better than a Mexican Fender. This type of sweeping generalisation is not only wrong (there's another sweeping generalisation for you!) but impossible to prove, unless you have played every single Squier and Mexican Fender. The truth is that any guitar which has been well set-up will play nicely, but another truth is that you cannot polish a turd. The quality control in Indonesia is far less superior to Mexico. I have an Indonesian made Squier Telecaster Custom (with twin P90s) and yes, it is good, but only because I changed the electronics, put in a new jack and jack plate, shielded the buzzing monster (although this is personal preference, not really a manufacturing fault), filed down the fret ends and tweaked the action. The bridge was also installed incorrectly, but (in this case) it is still possible to intonate it without needing to relocate the bridge. I have had quite a few Teles pass their way across my workbench and I have found that the typical clich? that, in quality terms, it goes US - Japan - Mexico - Squier, to be true. Squiers are not bad, but they have inferior parts, wood and workmanship compared to Mexican Fenders.

don_vercetti - interesting. I have also been a Strat player my whole life. When I took the plunge and bought a Les Paul, it felt like I was coming home! I have an Edwards (ESP) Les Paul copy, and it is great. But it is not a Gibson, and the idea of paying twice as much for the right name on the headstock is actually starting to make sense.

D - good luck with whatever you do get. I think that an LP will match your new Marshall very well, but again, it depends on what kind of sound you are looking for. A Telecaster is a tremendously versatile guitar and quite affordable. Check out the Mexican made Fender Classic 50s or 60s Tele, and if they still make the Classic Player (with a flatter radius), then check that one out too. The Japanese made Teles are also fantastic - a little better - but cost a little bit more.

[Robman?]

Dont get the standard, go for the classic, its a better guitar for the money in my opinion.

[GunnerOne 84]

Get the Les Paul. I have a Gibson Studio and love it. I used to have a strat and the LP is just way more my speed.

[Ride Her]

But first, what kind of guitar you use to play? LP model?...Strato???.....X???

[Smoking Guns]

Guns N Roses played a dino style rock with a heavy guitar tone.  Get the Les Paul, the ultimate dino axe.  A strat, though versatile and nice, has no fucking balls to truly rock unless you have a bunch of pedals and shit.  Les Paul Standard is my favorite, customs are nice too.  Good luck with your purchase.  After you become lame and play like a pussy, then you can buy a strat like Eric Clapton.  Remember, bad ass Clapton played a Les Paul and Gibson SG.  Pussy Clapton plays a strat on songs like "lay down sally".  Rock on D!

[rockNroses]

So D, wich one did you get?

[Atillla]

Get a Made in Japan Tokai Les Paul AND Strat. Trust me, you won't get disappointed. The qualiy is actually better than Fender and Gibson for half the price. Tokai (made in Japan types, not the others) follow the exact same specifications as the best years of those types of guitars.

Fender and Gibson claim they do to, but it is false.

[lynn1961]

So D, wich one did you get?

Since this has been brought up from the vault, D.....what did you end up doing?!? 

[Smoking Guns]

Guns N Roses played a dino style rock with a heavy guitar tone.  Get the Les Paul, the ultimate dino axe.  A strat, though versatile and nice, has no fucking balls to truly rock unless you have a bunch of pedals and shit.  Les Paul Standard is my favorite, customs are nice too.  Good luck with your purchase.  After you become lame and play like a pussy, then you can buy a strat like Eric Clapton.  Remember, bad ass Clapton played a Les Paul and Gibson SG.  Pussy Clapton plays a strat on songs like "lay down sally".  Rock on D!

I just read my own glorious quote.  I couldn't have said it better myself. 

So D, what in the hell did you get?