Fender vs Gibson

Originally Posted by: z0s0_jpGibson.........tone. Fender does blues and country....Gibson can do it all :cool:

Holy crap... Nice setup man. Killer amp. I prefer the Explorer in black though.

My reasoning is simple and the main reason I've always used Gibson.
Fender volume and tone knobs are directly below the pickups and I keep smashing my knuckles on em... so I've always bought Gibson.

Although I've always missed the whammy bar :)

Originally Posted by: Kevin TaylorMy reasoning is simple and the main reason I've always used Gibson.
Fender volume and tone knobs are directly below the pickups and I keep smashing my knuckles on em... so I've always bought Gibson.

Although I've always missed the whammy bar :)

I rewired my Strat to a simple Master Volume, Master Tone configuration, removing the control nearest to the bridge. Problem solved.

But I still prefer my Yamahas and Washburns, so I sold it when I needed rent money. Still got the others.

I'd go for Gibson, for one simple reason:

Tone

As if my name doesn't say it all....

Gibsons are awsome, and especially for the stuff I listen to ( Zeppelin, AC/DC) but then again, for what I listen to, so are Fenders. (Radiohead, Chili Peppers, Pink Floyd)

But truly, I think that a Strat can do it all. A les paul? It gets close. You can play Jazz, Blues, Metal, country, Pop, and funk, by only pressing a button on your amp.

I own a Les Paul Classic and I love it but I now have a hard on for a Fender Classic Player 60s Strat. A beautiful sounding guitar to say the least!
It has that great Hendrix/Robin Trower sound due to the classic 69 pick ups.
While fooling around at Guitar Center I also came across a Schecter C-1 Classic for about $750. Don't shy away from something off the beaten path because this is a great guitar that gets little fanfare.
I was blown away by the tone, feel and workmanship on this guitar! It comes with Seymour Duncan humbuckers: JB at bridge, SH-2N Jazz pickup at neck and I would love to add it to a Les Paul, 60s Strat, Schecter trio as my personal collection.
Some day.... some day.

Obviously from my Name you can tell I love my Gibsons but my favourite guitar at the Moment is My Synyster Schecter.

I picked Gibson SG over Fender Strat. I currently own a SG special "faded" and a SG standard. I used to have a Squire Strat, loved the way the body of the guitar felt but being the bottom end of the Fender line the electronics and workmanship left ALOT to be desired. However the American Standard was very sweet.

I will eventually own a Strat of some sort, but for now I'm happy with my choice in the Gibsons.

Reasons I chose the SG over the Strat.

Sound.

The SG sounds really very nice with the stock pick-ups but those can easily be changed on any guitar. The body resonates, from the tip of the neck all the way through the body. The set neck offers a sustain level thats unparalelled by bolt on neck designs. To me it just has a better, sweeter sound than the Strat.

Playability.

The Strat is heavier. The SG is so light and comfortable to strap on. It makes it much more fun when your comfortable and can play as long as you want without any discomfort. The one big disadvantage is the SG tends to be neck heavy. It takes a bit to get used to it and requires a decent strap, preferably leather, that will stay in position better because it kind of clings to your shirt.

The frets are fairly high on the SG and combined with a 12" radius fret board makes bending really easy and precise.

The medium scale length makes it easier for me to reach frets and the wide, meaty neck fits my hand better than the Strat.

Now it's a given that SG's are prone to having the neck break it they are dropped or mishandled. This is because the headstock bends 17 degrees and Gibson crafts the necks out of a solid hunk of wood, rather than a thinner slab of maple like a Strat. But given proper care there shouldn't be any problem, it's not going to just pop off one day out of the blue.

As for the tuning issues, I haven't had any with either of my SG's. I don't know how long a guitar should stay in tune, but as long as the weather/humidity has been consistant I never have to retune from day to day. I have an amp with built in tuner so I check tune each time I plug it in and it's rare that I need to do more than a minor adjustment on one or two strings.

Fit and finish/quality

I'd hesitate to say Fender or Gibson is better than the other. Fender has an advantage that their guitars are more or less "modular" since they are two seperate pieces. The body and the neck. Both finished seperately and indipendant of one another. So if one piece is substandard it's much easier to swap out. Once a neck is set and glued in, it would require alot of work to remove either part on a Gibson. Also Gibsons require alot more hand crafting. Actual people sanding and finishing the bodies and necks, not machines. Thats part of the reason they can be pricey and why you can find some quality issues on some Gibsons that may not be as comon on a Fender.

For what it's worth, playing blues (my personal favorite music to play) on a Gibson is absolutely possible and sounds fantastic. You can't always go by what artists are playing, they get their guitars for free. There is also the ability to coil tap humbuckers to get a single coil tone, if thats your thing. And you can buy Strats with Humbuckers. So thats more of a personal taste. There are a pleathora of pick up variants out there that you can swap out and fit to any guitar.

In my opinion you really need to play them and see which is better for your personal tastes. I also really like the classic good looks of the SG and the Strat. Both are classics. I'm not a huge fan of the Les Paul style bodies, they are beautiful guitars but look too upscale for me.

By the way, most of my favorite guitarists play(ed) Strats, or Strat style guitars. But there's just something about a gibson SG.

Hi,

I currently play the Ibanez Guitar. GIO series. Its a very basic model and I am currently looking to buy a new guitar.

The thing is, I dont know which guitar to buy.

Even though I have learnt a lot of theory and practiced most of my favourite songs and jammed with friends, Im pretty clueless on what guitar would be best suited for me.

By word of mouth, I do know that the Fender Strat and the Gibson Les Paul are the 2 most popular guitars, but I play songs that are influenced by both guitars, and more..

The bands that influence me most are, Metallica, Megadeth, Pink floyd, Guns N Roses, Pearl Jam, Iron Maiden, Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Goo Goo Dolls, AC DC and so on.

So you see, I don't know whether to go in for a Fender Strat, Les Paul, Jackson, a better Ibanez model, ESP Ltd or something else.

Is there any guitar that produce sounds that is more a less compatible with most of these songs?

Will buying a good processor help get the sound of Comfortably Numb- Pink Floyd on a Gibson? Or Playing Master of Puppets on Fenders?

Looking forward to your replies.

Thanks

Veer

I have one of these:



Can't wait to own both so I can find out myself and put a stop to this debate :D

Originally Posted by: veershahHi,

I currently play the Ibanez Guitar. GIO series. Its a very basic model and I am currently looking to buy a new guitar.

The thing is, I dont know which guitar to buy.

Even though I have learnt a lot of theory and practiced most of my favourite songs and jammed with friends, Im pretty clueless on what guitar would be best suited for me.

By word of mouth, I do know that the Fender Strat and the Gibson Les Paul are the 2 most popular guitars, but I play songs that are influenced by both guitars, and more..

The bands that influence me most are, Metallica, Megadeth, Pink floyd, Guns N Roses, Pearl Jam, Iron Maiden, Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Goo Goo Dolls, AC DC and so on.

So you see, I don't know whether to go in for a Fender Strat, Les Paul, Jackson, a better Ibanez model, ESP Ltd or something else.

Is there any guitar that produce sounds that is more a less compatible with most of these songs?

Will buying a good processor help get the sound of Comfortably Numb- Pink Floyd on a Gibson? Or Playing Master of Puppets on Fenders?

Looking forward to your replies.

Thanks

Veer

How about something with humbuckers with a coil tap option? I don't have these, but from my understanding it's the best of both worlds. :)

Originally Posted by: fredhe12I have one of these:



Can't wait to own both so I can find out myself and put a stop to this debate :D

Know what you're gonna find out when that happens? That you can't live without either. My first guitar was a Les Paul but now long gone. I currently have a Strat and love it -but- I'm gonna be gettin' me another Les Paul this year. Fortunately guitars are not like girlfriends or wives in that you can cheat on them all the time and the other one doesn't mind ;)

Fender, Fender!!! :)

:D
-Rogger

I am a guitar noob. Just started a few months ago. But... I have 3 Guitars so far. A fender Strat HSS and Gibson Les Paul studio are my electrics. I realy don't know much, just what I like so far for learning/practicing. I love both for sound. You can't compare each other I would say in sound, would be like saying do you like Piano or Violin. I think both sound awsome.

But for a nice crisp sound. I think the fender sounds so awsome. It's also not as heavy, so when I practice several hours at a time, I don't seem to get so tired holding it.

The Gibson Les Paul Studio I have sounds wonderful also. It isnt as versitile as my Fender in sound, the HSS Strat has a wide range. Like I said, I am a noob, so bear with me. But, the Gibson has such a sweet sound. The Gibson seems easier to pick, if this makes sense, The strings are higher off the body for some reason that makes a difference for me. Makes it easier. The strat has so many pickups I get messy with them (Does that make sense?) I know its just cause I am new. But both are different in design and sound, how can anyone compare them?

I have read alot about which is better, So I forked out lots to get both and have to say I love them both so far. But I will probably play the Fender more, just because its not as heavy to lug arounf for hours on end. I am 51 and my wife and I decided to start playing an insturment so... Me Guitar and her Piano... I have to say I practice about 3 hours a day so far.

Both look great, I got a fireburst color on both. The Gibson though does look awsome. As time goes on I am sure experiance may let me judge better. But for now. It's like a "Coke vs Pepsi" argument.

That is it from, my notes from the noob...

I have one of each as well - 1996 Amer Fender Strat Plus and a 2006 Gibson Les Paul Standard - Both are completely different animals and fit different situations. Both have a characteristic sound. I do however feel the Gibson's are a lot of hype for what you get - You definitely pay more for the name.

This may be the wrong forum for this....

I never got details but have heard about a lot of troubles at Gibson. Rated as a very bad place to work and then the raid at the factory about wood. It appears the CEO is not such a good leader for such an iconic brand.

How has the quality of the guitars been effected by all this?

I have to say, I love them both. I own a Fender (Telecaster and Stratocaster), and a Gibson Les Paul and would not part with either. The Tele has such a bite to it, it just grabs my attention when I want it to. The Les Paul (I was just playing it on a Peavey Tube amp and it's about 2am) It sang me to that peaceful place that will let me have a great sleep. I say, for me... I would never give either up. Both are wonderful and both are well worth playing. I have to admidt, I love my Tele and Les paul but could kind of leave the strat for days without playing (Perhaps I need different pickups). But you all have to admit; it also depends on the amp and pedals. Just don't switch guitars, It's a marriage that has to be done right for the mood and style. ANYONE that trashes one over the other just hasn't found that sweet spot yet and sadly... probably never will...Just my opinion. Dare to seduce both and love the difference. Now if I could just afford a Dr. Z tube amp my dream would be complete.

The main reason why I would NEVER play a les paul is because the pick up selector is placed in the farthest possible and most inconvenient spot on the guitar. :)

Not to mention that the guitars are way too highly priced and give you nothing in return (other than the bragging rights) for $2500 price tag.

That beign said, I don't like Fender either, mainly because it’s a dated design. Why would anyone buy a guitar with less than 24 frets these days?

Of course that's just my opinion, but personally, I say Schecter FTW!

It's funny, when I picked up the electric a little over a year ago, I was pretty much anti-Fender. I kind of hated or scorned them. Not for any good reason, either, but just because.

Of course, I eventually had to have a Strat just to have it, then it just kept growing on me. I complained a lot about the knobs being in the way, bridge is too low, etc, but still couldn't leave it alone. Now my Strat is pretty much my main guitar. Can't say what it is, it's just something undeniable.

As far as the number of frets, I felt a bit the same way when I had my Squier, and it only had 21 frets. My Strat has 22, and my Gibson L6 has 24. I thought every guitar was inferior if it didn't have 24 frets.

Then I observed many famous players using guitars with only 21 frets and I came to realize something. I know people that, with a single brush and a few colours can create some great art. But you could hand me 57 brushes and all the colours of the rainbow, I'd create something that looked like a child's finger painting.

As usual, it ain't the tools, it's what you can do with them. :)