Desicions...Fender, or Gibson??

Alright... I'm thinkin aboot gettin a new geetar. Should I get a Gibson Les Paul Melody Maker, Or a Fender Standard Strat (Satin)??? Now before you reply, Check theese geetars outand than tell me your sitiation :cool:

That depends entirely on what you'll be using it for. I would pick the standard strat over the MM, but I would pick something else entirely if allowed a third option. A used real LP with two pickups wouldn't be too far from a new MM. Any electric made by Cort (even a couple artist models) is in your budget and they make some very fine instruments. Or check out Tradition guitars, they have one hell of a reputation for giving mucho geetar for your hard earned $$.

most people say that les pauls are usually used for the blues (considering the man himsielf was the blues master :P ). Strats are more for classic rock/rock that kinda stuff. (fat or hss strat you can do more with). You might wanna look into getting an SG. It can play most things.

but yeah, it's all about personal preference. You should go into a music store and try them out before you buy. You might find that you totally hate the guitar you were planning on getting.

Those are some interesting generalizations you're making there. See, to me nothing is more classic rock than a LP, and nothing does blues like a Strat.

You touched on the one single most important thing though, it's personal preference. Go try them out and see what you like. That's not something we can tell or decide for you.

I'm a Tele man through and through. Good thing about Teles is that they're excellent for country style chickin' pickin, rockabilly, the blues and funk so they're pretty versatile. The neck and light strings allow for some serious double stopping and string bends. Probably not so good for metal/hard rock. As for Strats and LPs I dont reckon they're as versatile but are better for hard rock and heavy blues.

Of course, you must try before you buy, but it is a bit confusing when deciding between the many models of both Fender and Gibson

But... in my opinion a guitar should be versatile. Now, if I was rich and famous and coud afford a different guitar for every kind of "sound" i could want, that would be be a different story. Since neither I or probably you are rich, a versatile guitar is what you need.

I have found that Epiphone makes two beautiful sounding guitars, the LP custom and elite LP standard, the former being $600 and the latter $950. Both these guitars sound *exactly* like a gibson and will provide with any kinf od "sound" you want. After all, granting the usually fickle nature of most guitar players and the type of music they listen to (or stop or start listening to), you would want a guitar that could play metal, blues, country, rock, etc.- and this guitar can do that.

As for Fender, great guitars but too one-sided. You can usually only get blues and rock out of them, and no extremes. Anyway, hope that helped, and remember EPIPHONE IS THE SAME AS GIBSON.

I have my doubts Epis are as good as gibson.

Epiphone's are different. They are made different. Different materials. Otherwise they would cost the same. Oh yeah, the melody maker has only got the one pickup. It's not too versatile. That might help your decision.

Cool, Thanks for the advice. If Epiphones are as good as gibsons, then I will probably get a Les Paul Studio Guitar. Though it seems to me that Epiphones are to Gibson as Squire is to Fender and I don't like Squires that much so I don't know... I wish I was rich...I would get Both. Acually I would get Even Better :)

hmm... this is where I usually chip in with something like:

"Do your shopping with your eyes closed, and your mind and ears open! The name on the headstock means [u]nothing[/u]!"

Consider it said. :)

Made my decision. Fender Standard Strat Satin: Rosewood Fretboard, Candy Apple Red Finish :D And I'll Make it play whatever the hell I want the style to be!
No Problem There...

since i have to put my two cents in, Epiphone guitars are kind of what Lordathestrings said- the name of the guitar means nothing. however, there are only a few models of Epis- the custom, standard, and elite series- that are truly of the same quality as a gibson.

the end all be all, though, is as everyone else has said: let your ears decide, not your eyes (or your wallet for that matter)

btw have fun w/ the new axe, hope i could help some

Im just saying it as a generalization. Ive played both and that's just what I know.

oh and what is the "Satin" strat?

Samick also makes some very fine instruments, infact many feel that Samick's high end les pauls (AV6 & Av7) are better than EPI LP's. Check em out. $400. gets you one really nice guitar in Samick. todd

I think Cort is gonna break into the market in a huge way. They make awesome guitars at awesome prices. I own a Gibson Usa Les Paul and a Cort s2550, the cort cost about one seveenth of the price, but to be honest I play it more than my lp and usually use it for live gigs while my Lp sits on a stand at the back of the stage. I love my Les Paul, and I do think that it beats any Epi I have tried, I dont however feel that the price difference between Gibson and Epi is justified