Fender vs Gibson

Welcome to the fender vs gibson fight!!have your say, which is better?? Are either of them any good? This is looking to be a good match. So which do you think's more superior?
ROUND ONE!!(ding ding)

Sounds like a good topic. can I make one suggestion and kind of narrow this to strat vs. les paul? Since they both seem to be the flagships of the respective companies. I'm interested in knowing what the main differences are myself.

If only a LP can sound like a Strat(sometimes!) and if only a Strat can sound like a LP!
They are THE two essential must have guitars. Each have thier own traits and tones.
I guess what it comes down to is the player that likes the playability of either axe over the other, in that sense, I would have to say the Les Paul narrowly is cooler.
I have seven guitars and the option to sell one came up to fix my car, guess what, taking the bus isn't so bad! he he
Peace

actually i think that SG is the best gibson model,
and i think it's better than any strat, cause it's has better sound than the fenders

as we start our fight it seems Fender and Gibson are neck and neck, especially in the les paul and strat fields.
Your Reply could change it all!!!

well i hardly think my reply is gonna change crap, because there isnt a "better" to choose there both great guitars... unless you send them to hell a few times or the a cheapie-noname, and even them, sometimes are ok..(yeah rite) but it really depends on your taste... there both great in my opinion... toodles, rob

....but alot of times I prefer my Telecaster to my Strat!! he he (Sometimes!)

When it comes to playing guitar, whats important to me is how it sound and how it feels. I love to just sit back for hours and plasy whatever comes to mind without any restrictions, with the Fender stratocaster I can not only achieve the classic sound that I love, but I can also play incessantly without straining myself. Overall, when it comes to finding the right instrument for you, despite popular demand, or what your favorite musicians are playing, do your best to figure out whats best for you, dont be a snob. I have a no name acoustic guitar which Ive had for years, it my primary recording instrument, not because its familiar, but because its just enough.

-Joseph :)

I say we close this topic and call it a tie!

Guys..... this is only light hearted fun, If you prefer both, you prefer both, if you dont, you dont. Say what you want, but I'm quite happy playing my fernandes revolver, I just think it would be interesting to see which was more preferred, If I offended anyone i'm sorry.
anyway, the fight must go on!

well, in the spirit of blowing up a dead whale, I'll venture my opinion:
I think both the classic "Fender" and "Gibson" have their places. Both have destinctive tones (for the destinctive paradigms they put forth). Personally, I'm more comfortable w/ the Fender paradigm, but I'll eventually end up owning Les Paul, ES and SG type guitars eventually.

....Gibson and Fender aren't the only ones making good stuff out there.
Does anyone have any other brand favorites?
I like the Carvin stuff!

of course they're are other brands, but we find two basic schools of thought (so far as solid body electrics are concerned). Of course with the Parkers, and other new start ups, this is changing, but the vast majority of people play an instrument that's based on the generic strat design, or the generic les paul/ SG design.

My favourate gibson would have to be an SG because of its fantastic shape.
Who likes ESP's, I especially like explorer range.
Takamine?

I tried a couple of those Explorer ones and they were pretty kewl.
I have a Takamine acoustic that is a beauty and plays really well.

i would take a gibson over a fender any day, mainly because i like to play jazz and gibson make some of the best jazz guitars around.

Anyone know whether Takamine are a good make? ( acoustics). Just that my mates buying one in 7 years. Thats when he'll have the money.heh

Takamine has a decent acoustic out, G-330-S. It's a solid Spruce top acoustic, not like the lower end ones which aren't. I got mine for under 3 bills and it's way kewl.
Takamine makes better ones but I can't foot the prices they command.

As Robbie said on page 1, my opinion probably won't change anything, but here it is. In my opinion, there is no better all around guitar than the Les Paul. They just come in so many different forms, different types, and custom builds. For those you didn't know, the SG WAS a Les Paul at one point. But, there is no better blues guitar than the Strat. I personally play an Ibanez, and an Ovation Celebrity. I love them and wouldn't give them up for anything (except a Gibson Moderne =) or an original 1957 Gibson Flying V.). Another awesome guitar (if only for solos) is the Flying V. I haven't heard anyone mention that guitar. And what about companies like Paul Reed Smith and Carvin? Or Parker for that matter? A PRS Standard is a beautiful sounding guitar. Well, thats my opinion, do with it as you please.

Gibson and Fender were pioneers who took two different roads on their way to fame and fortune.

The LP was based on traditional acoustic guitar-making techniques. The result is a hard-to-build, labor-intensive (expensive) guitar. The fact that it sounds as great as it does is thanks to the co-operation between Gibson and Les Paul. (Yes, he's a real live person; he still plays in New York).

The Strat was born of Leo Fender's 'clean page' design approach. The result is a guitar that is very easy to build in a production environment. It sounds as great as it does because Leo got advice from a lot of working musicians while he was developing his design. That's why this instrument is relatively light, and the contours make it comfortable to play either sitting or standing.

Both companies got 'locked in' to their early design choices by their success.

You won't see a Les Paul with a Strat-type bridge because then the neck would have to be positioned parallel with the body, and then you'd lose the 'wrap-around' effect that brings the neck to your fertting hand when the forearm of your picking hand is resting on the guitar body.

You won't see a Stratocaster with a high bridge (which would get the strings away from the body where they're easier to get at), because then the neck would have to be angled back, and that's a tricky proposition for a bolt-on.

The Gibson SG was their shot at a low-bridge straight-neck. They screwed it up big-time, because there is not enough 'meat' between the neck joint and the pickup. This area is so weak that the guitar is hard to tune. Any tension change on one string causes the other five to wander off.

All of the Gibson line has another weak spot in the transition from the neck to the headstock. Repair shops stay in business because Gibson's "lose their heads" so often.

I suggest some open-mindedness is in order. The music is the main consideration: everything else comes down to making it happen. If you play complicated jazz chords, you need a relatively short scale length, and the Gibson may be a good choice for you. If you have large hands, or you spend a lot of time at the high end, the Gibson scale length is likely to cramp your style.

If you like a particular sound, shut your eyes and let your ears do their thing. I've owned 'Pauls, an SG a '62 Strat, and a Jaguar. I haven't kept any of them. I still play the Yamaha SBG-1000 I bought back in '77 (for 1/2 the price of a Les Paul Custom). I've put DiMarzio pickups in it, and it sounds so good that when I was short of rent money, I sold my '62 Strat, and kept the SBG. I've also got an old Washburn A-20. It looks plug-ugly, but I don't see much of it when I'm playing it, and it sounds so good, I don't care what it looks like.

'Nuff said