Epi Paul vs. Mexi Strat

Between the Epiphone Les Paul and the Mexican Fender Stratocaster, both valued in the ball park of $500, which would you recommend?

I'm an all around player, so skip out on the "take the fender if you enjoy blues" stuff haha. Im looking for your opinions on what you believe to be better in quality. I hear that Epiphone to Gibson is the Squier to an american Fender. Is this true, and in your opinion would the Mexican strat overall be better than an Epiphone Lespaul?

I hate to sound like a broken record but they are completely different guitars. This you already know.. it really comes down to which one sounds the best when it is not plugged in, in my opinion, when it is an issue of quality. If I said that the Mex-Strat was better and you went and bought one, then you found out the quality really sucked.. who's fault is that? :) Not mine.. because I didn't get to play the guitar before you bought it.

Having said that.. each style of guitar does tend toward a certain style of playing.. I know.. you don't want to hear it.. but it's true. :) I have an Epiphone SG for hard rock, a passive pickup strat for blues and an active pickup strat for jazz/progressive-rock.. and I am saving up for an Ibanez Prestige RG1570 for progressive-metal. I've played some seriously flawed American Fenders, and some equally flawed Gibsons.. and then I've played some of the most beautiful unknown brand guitars that put those ones to shame...

There was a similar thread about Mexican made strats not long ago..

Hey I've just been doing a similar evaluation and although there are certainly some differences for you to deal with( mostly personal preference really) the one that really sets them apart for me is the fact that the strat seems to hold it's tuning much better. It seems to be that because the strings are running straight through the nut they return to position far more accurately. I use a graphtech string tree and nut sauce to lube the strings and a Peterson strobostomp tuner and the strat holds it's tuning really well even though I put a graphtech nut on the "Les Paul", especially after a bit of bending. I'm selling the Les Paul copy now.

For me, it would be the Strat, hands down. I don't care for the Les Paul neck, and I've never played an Epi that I liked. On the other hand, I've got a Squier HM model that I've worn down the frets on and still play regularly despite having a couple of much more expensive guitars. In fact, I'm considering having the frets replaced on it, even though it's a fairly cheap guitar, so that I can continue to play it. You, on the other hand, might love the Epi and hate the Strat.

Choosing a guitar is very subjective. I'd say, based solely on my experience and that of people that I know, that they're probably similar in quality, bearing in mind of course that good guitars and lemons are both found in every brand and price range. It's hard to give advice on which guitar to choose in a forum like this. Folks can share their experiences with each one, but ultimately, it comes down to putting them both in your hands and seeing which one feels better and works better for you.

And always remember to play it for a while WITHOUT plugging it in to an amp or any effects first. You'll know a good guitar by the way it sounds and feels when it is unplugged, more than knowing when it is plugged in. It still comes down to how the guitar resonates and holds it own sustain etc before it is plugged in. The wood (or special acrylics etc) and the other materials they used to construct the guitar plays just as much a role in an electric guitar as it does in an acoustic.

Originally Posted by: ShootaMcgavinBetween the Epiphone Les Paul and the Mexican Fender Stratocaster, both valued in the ball park of $500, which would you recommend?

I'm an all around player, so skip out on the "take the fender if you enjoy blues" stuff haha. Im looking for your opinions on what you believe to be better in quality. I hear that Epiphone to Gibson is the Squier to an american Fender. Is this true, and in your opinion would the Mexican strat overall be better than an Epiphone Lespaul?

Here's my "review" of the MiM Strat I bought on Ebay:

http://www.guitartricks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24973&page=2&pp=10

As others have pointed out, LPs and Strats are VERY different, and what may be good to one person can be crap to another. Personally, if I were to get a Les Paul, I would want "Gibson" on it. Epi's do make good guitars though; I just remember when Epis first came around, they were considered cheap. I bought my son an Epi SG Deluxe- great beginner's guitar, definitely not a toy. Good luck in your search. Guitars are a very personal thing- it can change your whole playing style; sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. So, choose carefully. JMHO.

To answer your question, it's only my OPINION that a Mexican Fender STRAT is better in quality compared to an Epi Les Paul. Squiers...I dunno, never liked them for some reason. Maybe I just haven't played the right one.

IMO the Epiphone Les Paul standard is one of the best guitars out there for your money. I have the Plain-top in heritage cherry sunburst. It looks amazing and sounds great too. I love it so much. I have played a few of the Mexican strats, and I didn't particularly like them at all. The neck was thicker than the les paul, and it just wasn't the tone that I was looking for. But the Epiphone Les Paul is a lot more my style. I play Classic Rock to early metal. I don't know your playing style or music preference, but in terms of overall sound and quality go for the Epiphone Les Paul. The way I look at it is, the Les Paul can do blues sounds easily with maybe a pedal, or a bluesy type amp, but I doubt you will be able to get AC/DC or Guns N' Roses tones out of a Mexican strat without spending just as much as you paid for it to get an amp or a bunch of pedals.

i have both an epi lp and a fender strat. i love them both so dont think that way (lol).

the differnces in tone are huge between the two, but the real difference to me is in comfort. les pauls have a thin neck versus the thicker neck of most fenders so if you have fat hands the fenders going to fell a little better until you hit the upper frets and the set neck on most (good) les pauls takes over.
most les pauls have a flatter neck cut until about the 12th fret and a big radius (i think its over 12 inches) while most fenders have a classic 'C' shaped neck and small radius (i think its around 7 1/2 inch). (do your own home work on the radius for the exact guitars you might buy to be sure). a big radius makes playing lead easier while small makes chords easier.

the other big diference is in the body cuts. i can sit in horrible playing position(almost laying down on my bed) with my fender and watch tv while i play and feel comfortable. but if i try that with a les paul the top edge of the body cuts into my ribs and i can never seem to get the neck at just the right angle. standing up it makes no real difference between the two.

I'm kinda surprised to hear the LPs have a thinner neck. Been awhile since I've played one, but I always felt the neck was too wide. My American Strat def. has a wider neck than the Mexico one (but the MiM sounds GREAT!).

Just my own observation. Someday I want a Gibson Les Paul with really hot pickups- anyone here listen to Gary Moore? Monster player, and he plays an LP.

That's weird. The neck is one of the things I don't like about the LP. Every LP -- Epi or Gibson -- I've picked up always felt like I was holding a baseball bat compared to most Fender necks. Guess it goes to show how different players can have completely different feel for the same instruments.

Of course, neither of the necks can compare with the Music Man. :p

the difference in neck im talking about isnt from e to e its from the the fret board to the back of the neck thats what i mean when i say thin. fenders necks are thicker but are shaped differently so they feel more egromatic ( i think thats the word).

[B]I own a Epiphone Les Pau Standard Plus Top with heritage cherry sunburst and it is wonderful! If I wer you I'd get the Epiphone Les Paul. :)

I mean it get the Epiphone Les paul you won't regret it

Originally Posted by: BrokenJerathe difference in neck im talking about isnt from e to e its from the the fret board to the back of the neck thats what i mean when i say thin. fenders necks are thicker but are shaped differently so they feel more egromatic ( i think thats the word).

Oh, I thought you meant the width of the fretboard. I dunno, I don't have a basketball player's hands, but I'm comfortable playing my Strats. One thing I didn't like about LPs, is, I felt the fretboard too flat. But now that I have a mess of guitars with varying types of necks, I think I can easily adapt. But whenever I get an LP, it will be a high-end with hot pups. Would love to have one with a flame maple top!

smili that flatness is the radius of the fretboard. fenders have a small radius so there is a larger curve from e to e lps have the bigger radius so its alot flatter. the only necks i have really every had problems with are compound radius necks with super jumbo frets.