MWGuitarman Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 I had an Epi Les Paul Standard Plus fora couple of years which I loved. I just got the itch to try something new so I sold it and purchased a new 2008 Fender American Standard Strat. I replaced the neck and bridge pickups after a little while with a seymour duncan jb jr. and lil 59. I guess I wanted more crunch. Still not satisfied completely with the sound. I'm thinking of going back to a les paul but can't afford a Gibson except for the Studio model which I haven't heard great things about. For your money, which is the better guitar an Epi Elitist Les Paul, or American Standard Strat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dean2287 Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 These are two TOTALLY different guitars. I think primarily the physical layout of the pickups on the two will always leave you with more twang on the Strat. I actually find playing a Tele closer to a Les Paul. I've always just had both (actually, all 3) just because I could never limit myself to one sound, but frankly I find myself playing the Strat 85% of the time live, though I need the tremelo often. Might just be the scale, too... I've played around with modelling effects that can change a single coil into a double coil, but they can match the wamth of good humbuckers. The Elitist obviously gives you the better humbuckers over a standard Epi, while the American Strat has that unbeatable blues tone. I guess if you just want one, you need to analyze your style and expectations. As a best all-arounder, espicially for blues, I'd say go for the Strat, while if you want that warmth and powerfull, mega sustain, go for the Elitist. I had both an Epi and a Gibson Studio...the Epi beat it hands down. In fact, a nice Epi Les Paul Plus Top is every bit as good as a Studio in my books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Sentry Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 I had an Epi Les Paul Standard Plus fora couple of years which I loved. I just got the itch to try something new so I sold it and purchased a new 2008 Fender American Standard Strat. I replaced the neck and bridge pickups after a little while with a seymour duncan jb jr. and lil 59. I guess I wanted more crunch. Still not satisfied completely with the sound. I'm thinking of going back to a les paul but can't afford a Gibson except for the Studio model which I haven't heard great things about. For your money' date=' which is the better guitar an Epi Elitist Les Paul, or American Standard Strat?[/quote'] I have a HWY 1 and I went the same route when I first got it. I slapped a JB Jr. in the bridge and had a Hot Rail in the neck for a while...and then a Texas Tone.... Eventually I dumped all of them and put the stock Alcino III pups back in there. As for which is better? Man...I don't know. One's made in the USA, and the other's arguably the best guitar made outside of the US. But are the Elitists even available anymore? I don't know. If I was in your shoes, I'd keep the strat, and look into the used market for another Epi LP standard or something equivalent. You could probably get one for the price of a new Studio model. That way? You don't have to try to force one guitar to be all things to you. (So if it's clean, or something that bites a little more with some treble...strat. Need thick tone and some deep crunch? Les Paul. Best of both worlds...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostindesert Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 Keep the Strat and buy a used Epi. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricochet Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 For your money' date=' which is the better guitar an Epi Elitist Les Paul, or American Standard Strat?[/quote'] Their both equally great guitars. Personal preference has me leaning towards LPs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AS90 Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 Nothing wrong with Gibson LP Studios. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avirex Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 LP or Strat ? that's a 50 years discussion ! Keep the american standard, now that you have it. The strat is classic you can't miss. Then surch for an second hand humbucker guitar. Have you ever plaid a good tele ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheX Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 Have you ever plaid a good tele ? Here's one I just completed with a nitro finish and a P-90 (mean 90 from GFS). There are so many GOOD guitars to be had' date=' never settle for just one. [img']http://www.randymcelroy.com/images/guitars/tele_orange1.jpg[/img] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender 4 Life Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 TheX is absolutely right......don't limit yourself if you dont have to. My Tele (Mexican, $400) was really sweet as it came, but I swapped the bridge p'up for a Kent Armstrong Hot noiseless twin rail(basically a mini humbucker). It fattened the sound up just a bit, but still has the "twang" that Tele players love. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
layboomo Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 Yup all good advice here...apples and oranges really.....why try and make a strat something it's not by putting hot rails in it? You destroy whats cool about a strat IMHO. Get a paul or a tele as discussed and keep the strat a strat! Gibson's are way overpriced and although I've owned six nice les pauls in my life ...none of them were bought new! Buy a good solid elitist or gibby LP used and you'll be much better off in the long run than buying new IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 I have both and play both. My 79 Strat has the later Eric Clapton sound and my Epi LP's and the Gibby lp Studio have the heavy rock tones. A Strat can sound heavy through the right amp or it can sound thin with weak EQ through the wrong one. My Strat has the stock single coils and I haven't felt the need to change them. If you are looking for an exact sound match to a particular artist, you have to match his/her rig. Otherwise, you can get interesting, funky solos and chord chops with most any guitar. If you are developing your own style, then you can play any guitar and amp you want to and sound good, provided it is what you are looking for. As Keith Richards was once quoted, "Give me most any decent guitar and amp and within 15 minutes I'll sound like me." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjtalon Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 "except for the Studio model which I haven't heard great things about" WHAT ??????? Check out the Gibson Les Paul forum or search for others. The Studio is a fantastic guitar (I have one and an Epi LP) and if you don't want to go over $1300 (new) consider the Gibson Les Paul Vintage Mahogany Electric Guitar. Get to a shop and try them out! YOU BE THE JUDGE. Granted, you get a lot of opinions on these sites but I would think there are far more GOOD reviews of said guitars than bad! Even a plain old Epi LP plain top is a great guitar and very affordable. There's the purests out there that say if you don't have an Elistist, you don't have s#%*. As the kids say..................whatever:d/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 I'm thinking of going back to a les paul but can't afford a Gibson except for the Studio model which I haven't heard great things about. The Gibson LP Studio is a great guitar. The only thing missing is the binding, which is time consuming and costly to add to the guitar. It has the action of a great Les Paul, the nitro finish, and the good mahogany body, as well as the time tested, hot, 490R/ 498T pickups. And now, you can get it in several nice finishes, including a tobacco and heritage cherry sunburst. My wine red studio has had no modifications and hasn't needed to. The action is as low as my Epi LPs without any fret dressing/leveling. I had to do a fret dressing on the Epis to get them as low as the Gibby was right out of the box. No reflection against the Epis, the Gibson just gets a little more American technical assistance before it leaves the factory (at a higher price). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lpdeluxe Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 I've owned a Fender Strat (with Fender VIntage single-coils) and a Gibson Les Paul Deluxe, and I have strong opinions, based on my experience. 1. The Strat sounded great for recording, but I gigged with it exactly once. It never felt right, and I now think it was the single coil pickups and the long scale that put me off. I'm agnostic when it comes to set-neck vs bolt-on, and my last four basses (two of 'em still here) have been Fenders. They work, set-necks work, end of story. Back to the Strat: the single coil pickups sounded horrendous through anything but an amp with fat distortion. When I plugged it into my (now gone) Music Man HD-130 Reverb, AKA the King of Clean, it sounded like surgery with wire. 2. The Les Paul Deluxe with mini-humbuckers is, to me, the ideal LP: chimey sounds like a Fender, crunch like a Gibson. I have never liked the sound of full-size humbuckers on solid bodies (but I have Seymour Duncans on my Epi Sheraton II that sound great) and the minis fill the niche between the quacky LP Standard sound and the whine of the Fenders. [rant]As an aside, it's a shame that so many people rout out Deluxe bodies to install the bigger pickups: I guess they are too insecure to be able to sound like themselves, and want to sound like everybody else. [/rant] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stan 58 Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 +1 for the Gibby studio. Stan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 Les Paul or SG, Tele, Strat, and 335 (or Dot)...and you've got it covered! Rickenbacker 12-string, too...but, that's just me! LOL! CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tintin Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 I have an Epi LP, a Mexican Standard Stratocaster, and now a brand new Epi LP Ultra-II. I have considered adding a humbucker to the Strat, but have opted, so far, to keep it pure. Some times, the Strat has just the sound I want. Most often, though, I prefer the LPs. My advice: similar to prior posters- get a used Gibson LP or an Epi LP, and keep the Strat. They're all great instruments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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