Posts: 341
Threads: 26
Joined: Mar 2003
Reputation:
0
I'm buying a new Electric very soon, but I'm not so sure what I should buy. I've been playing a "Series A" for the past 12 years, which is somewhat similar to a Fender Stratocaster.
I've been looking at the following 4 guitars, which I all like, and am wondering if anyone who knows about them can post some pros or cons about any of them to help me make a decision. Thanks!
- Fender Stratocaster
- Fender Telecaster
- Gibson Les Paul
- Gibson SG
Posts: 1,585
Threads: 60
Joined: Aug 2002
Reputation:
0
in my opinion, (and i havent been lucky enough to play all of em)
i'd choose in this order:
Gibson Les Paul
Gibson SG
Fender Stratocaster
Fender Telecaster
(i wisk i had the money to buy any of em)
Posts: 2,568
Threads: 80
Joined: Oct 2003
Reputation:
0
Matt, you've narrowed your list to four top-quality axes. Which one is right for you? Only you can make that determination. Anyone who tries to steer you in one direction or another regarding instruments of this caliber without knowing your personal styles and preferences would only be subjecting you to his own styles or preferences.
My suggestion is to visit a dealer who'll let you play the hell out of all of 'em, mixing and matching with different types of amps & effects processors and see which one best suits your needs or strikes your fancy (any dealer who wants to sell units will have no problem letting you do this - they should even be cool with you bringing all of your OWN equipment in so you can plug each of these guitars in and test them out). My guess is that after doing this, the 'sound' or 'feel' of one of these axes will jump out at you, and you will make a decision.
If after this you still can't decide, you might want to consider what style of music you most like to play, or which 'sounds' of established guitarists you want to gravitate towards. Here's a mini "off the cuff" non-technical comparison:
Fender Stratocaster: Probably be the industry-wide selection for 'most versitile' guitar, and probably also the most popular for that reason. Most have narrower fretboards than the others listed (better for smaller hands). Can produce perhaps the 'cleanest' sound of the four - think of the guitar sound in Pigeon Camera as an example, or the sound used by Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits) in most of his stuff (like in Sultans of Swing), or the sound of David Gilmour's main riff in Another Brick in the Wall Part II. However, you can load your sound with reverb and muddy it up with some distortion and it can sound great, as exemplified in most of Jimi Hendrix's stuff (think of Red House), or Gilmour's solos in Comfortably Numb , or most every Clapton tune, etc.
Fender Telecaster: I absolutely love the 'classic Telecaster sound', which is perfectly demonstrated in Gilmour's intro (and 'main' riff) of Run Like Hell, and in K. Richards' intro (and main riff) of Beast of Burden. The Tele has an element of 'twanginess' that makes it a favorite of country and western acts and slide-wielding bluesman. Throw some delay in and this axe can take on a nostalgic hollow-body type of sound, and adding some distortion gives it an unmistakeble rough, grainy, scratchy sound. The Boss uses a Telecaster (exclusively, I think)...
Gibson Les Paul: The sound produced by this and other Gibson electrics is distinguished by the "warm & rich" sound of double-coil ("Humbucker") pickups. They unquestionably have more "bottom end" than either the Strat or the Tele, which is why they tend to be preferred for "heavier" styles like 'hard rock' and 'metal'. They can be made to sound smooth and mellow for jazzy or bluesy sounds, or can be made to sound flat-out rough and fuzzy. Jimmy Page used '58 and '59 models for most Zeppelin recordings, and I'd point to the intro to Heartbreaker as a prototypical "dressed-up" Les Paul sound. Other powerful sounds fueled by Les Pauls include Joe Perry's sound with Aerosmith, Neil Young's ultra-distorted rumbling alongside Crazy Horse, Pete Townshend's bottom-heavy sound in his later years with The Who, and the list goes on and on...
Gibson SG: This guitar shares many sound characteristics with the Les Paul, but the most noticeable difference is a little less "bottom end" (partially due to its lighter weight than the Les Paul), and increased "bite". The most I can say is that this guitar gives AC/DC its tenacious sound, as Angus Young uses nothing but the Gibson SG (think of the intro to Hells Bells). This guitar was originally introduced as a double-cutaway Les Paul model, but Les didn't feel the model deserved to bear his name because a) when he did fast runs up the neck, the bottom horn always got in his way, b) he thought the neck was flimsy and not as stable from a tuning standpoint, c) he liked the Mahogany body – maple cap construction of the Les Paul better from a tone standpoint. But overall, the SG is what its acronym stands for - "solid guitar", and is/was used by greats such as Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath), Pete Townshend (when he wasn't using a LP), Jimmy Page (ditto), and Alex Lifeson (think of the intro to Red Barchetta), to name a few...
Hope this little overview helps!
Posts: 341
Threads: 26
Joined: Mar 2003
Reputation:
0
Horrible Esthete, Thanks for the in-depth review! I didn't think anyone would post such a long informative response.
I will try them all out at the music store. I'm leaning a little towards the SG, but we'll see.
...Do you know what guitars are played on Road Apples? I know Baker has a Strat and I think Langlois has a Les Paul, but I'm not sure... and Road Apples was a long time ago now.
Thanks again.
Posts: 1,933
Threads: 100
Joined: Oct 2002
Reputation:
0
I'm a little curious about the price ranges of these guitars. Anyone wanna take a shot at the approx prices for all four?
Posts: 2,568
Threads: 80
Joined: Oct 2003
Reputation:
0
Matt: I am not 100% sure, but I think you are right about Road Apples - Bobby = Strat, Paul = LP
Beanmedic: I'll post some price ranges on the standard, American-made models of these guitars....but here is where it gets sticky. Each of these guitars have "cheap" models available that are mass-produced with lower-quality materials, and are thus far cheaper than the "real thing". Generally, these "cheapies" are foreign made, so a good rule of thumb is to ensure that the guitar is American-made. I don't think you have to worry about guitars bearing the “Gibson” name - I think all Gibsons are American-made - Gibson markets all its foreign, mass-produced models under the “Epiphone” line, I beleive. But Fenders are a different story - they have factories in Mexico and in the Far East that crank out cheaper products, but still bear the name “Fender Stratocaster”, so beware!
Gibson SG Standard: List Price: $1,600 - $1,800 ....can find for $1,000-$1,150
Gibson Les Paul Standard: List Price: $3,098.00 ....can find for $2,000
Fender American Stratocaster: List Price $1,200 - $1,400 ....can find for $900-$1,000
Fender American Telecaster: List Price$1,200 - $1,400 ....can find for $900-$1,000
Remember - these are general price ranges for great guitars handmade in America! You can find much cheaper Fender Strats and Teles, but you get what you pay for!! You can also buy Gibson Les Pauls for less than what is outlined above, but not the 'Standard' model....I think the Gibson Les Paul 'Studio' retails for less....but then....it's not as good as a LP Standard, either....
Posts: 3,220
Threads: 297
Joined: Mar 2004
Reputation:
0
I'd buy the one that says "I'm a rock-god-groupie-magnet" as it sits majesticly on the stand, eagerly anticipating the moment of it's own sensual strumming...
...or I go with the cheapest axe on the rack.
Posts: 2,211
Threads: 39
Joined: Apr 2004
Reputation:
0
Yeah, a good guitar makes a difference.
I believe the woods are different on the foreign-made Fenders, and that has an effect on the sound.
Posts: 129
Threads: 10
Joined: Jul 2004
Reputation:
0
Bobby has been also been using a Paul Reed Smith as of late...I personally would love one of those.
Posts: 111
Threads: 4
Joined: Nov 2003
Reputation:
0
I mostly agree with HE. As a bassist, I've found that many foriegn made fender jazz basses (from japan, not mexico) are cheaper and virtually indistinguishable from the American made models. And Lakland Basses have their Skyline series (Korean made) that are totally worth their price.
Another thing....make sure you have a Guitar tech set up your guitar. A good setup can sometimes compensate for a less expensive guitar.
sonofdad
![[Image: 0114700_xl.jpg]](http://www.fender.com/new_repository/fender_guitars/images/0114700_xl.jpg)
