Just Strum Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 Solid body - I prefer Fender. I like the sound and feel over an LP. Semi HB - I then think Gibson/Epiphone have the better tone and beat out Fender regardless of body style Fender would try to throw at it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 I've never thought of a Strat as "Thin" sounding (UNLESS, the amp isn't up, to an adequate volume), but more "biting!" Especially the bridge pickup. I had one of my Strats (Highway One version) wired, so the bottom tone control would work on the bridge pickup, as well. THAT single "Mod" did wonders, in being able to back off the treble on that pickup, and fatten it up..or take the "shrillness" out of it. But, even with standard wiring, I used to just roll up the bass on the amp (and/or) roll back the treble/mid...and it would fatten up the tone quite a bit. Never be "Humbucker" Fat, in the Gibson sense, but it wasn't designed for that. Page used a Telecaster, for much of Led Zep's first and even quite a bit on LZ II. That's pretty "Fat" sounding, to me. I (personally) think the Amp or amp settings/EQ has more to do with getting "that" tone (whatever your version of "that tone" is). But, I have always loved both "Gibby" and "Fender" tone qualities...just for different purposes/applications, mostly. CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordy01 Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 The avatar says most of it. I too can not afford to own more than 3 guitars. My Strat has been my mainstay, but I'm sure likin' the LP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alanhindle Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 I've set my heart on the Rev. Manta Ray 290 (sunburst). My local store has one on order for me (although that might be news to my missus B) ). I feel a song coming on.... ....there may be trouble ahead...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JefferySmith Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 Well' date=' as we have all grown (rightfully) bored of the endless Gibson [i']vs[/i] Epiphone debates. In my experience, it used to be the case that you were either first and foremost a Gibson player, or a Fender player. Me...I'm a Fender guy. If the house caught fire, I'd grab my Stratocaster first. But Epiphone make very good Gibson-type guitars affordable. So I have a nice "second" guitar which I feel holds up quality-wise. I'd never buy an SG Standard (heck, I could get a '62 reissue Jazzmaster with that money), but I like my G-400. So...are you Gibson/Epiphone through and through? Or Fender (but open to different experiences)? [Rickenbacker players, just accept that you're a select minority...] I like short scale, so the only Fenders I own are a Stratocaster Jr (short scale) and a Jaguar (short scale). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pohatu771 Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 The guitar I'd like to build is going to be either Gibson (24 3/4") or Mustang (24") scale... I haven't decided. When you get into the neck dimensions, I get a bit overwhelmed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alanhindle Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 Stan, you have some cracking guitars you lucky so and so. Looking at your double humbuckered strat, am I right in saying that one reason many strat owners love their strats is because they are such a great platform for modding- aren't the bodies routed to take any pickups and you just have to replace the scratchplate? Am I right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pohatu771 Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 Stan' date=' you have some cracking guitars you lucky so and so. Looking at your double humbuckered strat, am I right in saying that one reason many strat owners love their strats is because they are such a great platform for modding- aren't the bodies routed to take any pickups and you just have to replace the scratchplate? Am I right?[/quote']Depends on the routing - some are routed specifically for the pickups installed, others have a "swimming pool" route, that'll accommodate any combination. If they have the "swimming pool," it's just a matter of getting a pickguard. Both of mine are routed for three single-coils, I believe... I just opened the Fender a month ago, it seems like I'd remember. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostindesert Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 I like the single coil Fender sound.:D Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WireWhipper Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 I like different guitars for different sounds, but if I could only keep one guitar, it would be my Strat. Not that I don't like Gibsons or Epiphones or Squiers (I own models from all three manufacturers) but my Strat is the most versatile, durable and best playing guitar. I like the bite of the single coil pickups, too. I should also mention that my favorite guitarists are Hendrix, Clapton, Trower and SRV! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender 4 Life Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 I have 2 Gibsons, an old Les Paul and a V-Factor. 2 Epis. a G400 Custom Flametop, and an ebony Sheraton II. 2 Fenders, a Mexican Telecaster w/a hot bridge p'up and a Bigsby, and a Malibu acou/elec. My acoustic only guitar is a Washburn D10SB in ebony, with a few upgrades. My "1 that got away" was a 1968 Univox Coiley(ES335 copy) that had a vibrato and sounded great. I like them all, and will generally play ANY brand of guitar that has good tone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antwhi2001 Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 When I referred to the Fender tone as "thin" I meant for songs where you want a clean chord/rythm sound. I can get quite a nice chunky sound out of a Tele but not a Strat. I always find when you see a "live" performer using a Strat for material they recorded with Gibsons, the sound lacks punch. I'm thinking recent Pete Townshend, Clapton on the Cream reunion....I'd describe it as a thinner, cleaner sound but it doesn't fill out the mix in such a satisfying way. There was a time in my life when I could only afford to keep one guitar, and I chose my Strat. I'd been playing blues at the time. I then tried to get a recording project together playing more varied material. Whatever I did to it, it always sounded like a Strat. I ended up trading down to a Washburn Lyon H-S-H guitar with an active circuit - far more versatile. I didn't know about P90s at the time. For me, they are the asnswer for folks who can't decide between humbuckers and single coils. They do lovely clean jazz / blues tones, they do heavy rock, and all points in between. For "live" work I now use my doublecut about 70% of the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
28v6r Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 Thanks for tipping me off about that Kev... Once Christmas is behind me' date=' I'm going to treat myself to a new semi... I [i']like [/i]the Sheraton II, but truth is...I've set my heart on the Rev. Manta Ray 290 (sunburst). My local store has one on order for me (although that might be news to my missus :D ). Yer a bad lad Lest, twice times over in fact, 1/ For acting as a dating agency to other "Weedgies" ( How does a guy in Leicester know of this terminology, sheltered life n' all??) 2/ Using up all yer brownie points and Xmas Bonus (For putting up with the mother in law) points before you've even earned them, how could you, shame on you.... However I'll race you as I too am in the market for an Ebony Sheraton or Dot, I can't make up my mind yet, I know its one or other thats all.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 I've never taken two guitars on a gig. I guess if you are a tribute band you need the right axe for the right song. When I play my Strat, I use only the 2,4, and 5 positions. I don't care for the bridge only or the middle pickup by itself. Both are too shrill and biting. I do love the reverse phase positions on a Strat, though. I prefer the Epi LP these days because the neck is more like my Alvarez acoustic, and the humbuckers are fatter than the Strat. I ocassionally switch out and take the Strat out to play just to get some use out of all my guitars. Most of what I play isn't really that guitar specific anyway and through muting, pick harmonics, and technique you can get the good sounds out of most any decent guitar. I agree with Keith Richards when he said, "Give me any decent guitar and amp and in 15 minutes I'll sound like myself". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antwhi2001 Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 I do play in a covers band, and 2 axes comes in handy to cover the range of songs. We don't try to sound exactly like the originals, but similar. More important to me though is having a spare if a string or anything else breaks. I have a robust approach to power chords and probably a break a string about every 4th gig on average. Nice to be able to pick up another guitar and carry on. I wouldn't subject the audience to waiting for me to put another string on, I can do it in about a minute but it's not exactly entertaining. I've also had gigs where a jack socket has worked completely loose, a pickup mounting screw has come undone, a strap break, a loose connection starts buzzing...I always have a spare guitar tuned and ready to pick straight up. Also spare fuses, spare valves, spare strings, leads, batteries. At one stage or another they've all been needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenrirlupus Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 i'd have to choose gibson for guitars and for bass, lace. amplifiers (if i could afford an amplifier more expensive than my epiphone w/ tubes) i'd either go for fender or epiphone (gibson's boutique amp has a solid state rectifier, and i want SAG.) fender does have some pretty neat stuff, i'd love to have a jazzmaster guitar or a fender jazz bass, but i'm not sure if i'll ever be a strat guy. i prefer to have something big in front of me, something with substance (and with a bigger low end) but that being said, i'm not sure if i really like the sg either. and i think the les paul is pretty overrated. i like hollow gibson guitars. (that's not saying the les paul isn't great, i'm just saying that there's so much fuss about it, and it's still just a guitar in the end...) the telecaster is pretty good too... but i don't really like how it looks... and you can put single coils into humbucker sized holes, so i figure if i really wanted to capture that tone onstage i could get a les paul with single coils... fender owns gretsch and gibson owns kramer... i suppose if it were gretsch vs. kramer i'd be a gretsch guy... but really the whole brand loyalty thing... i don't know... if fender makes something really awesome that i want, i'm not going to let my gibson-liking to keep me from buying it. but then again, what new stuff has fender really come out with in my lifetime? they still sell the same guitars they have for decades... tele, esquire, jazzmaster, strat, etc... oh, and fender owns groovetubes now. i like groovetubes. i just want to be able to afford everything i want! (if only it were all priced like my hammond organ... free...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stan 58 Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 Yes Mr. Hindle, most newer Strats have the big route. Stan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lpdeluxe Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 Alll my electric instruments are either Gibson or Fender: two Gibsons (I'm waiting on FedEx to bring #3 in as I type) and three Fenders. Gibson: craftsmanship, traditional good looks, classic designs, great humbucker sound. I have a '70 Les Paul Deluxe and an '00 ES-335, and the one that's coming is an SG. I love the scale length and the feel of neck, along with the overall feel of the guitars (I used to own a Sheraton II, and liked it for the same reasons). Fender: thoroughly thought out ergonomics, clever and attractive design, great bass sound. All three of my Fenders are Precision basses: Classic '51 RI, Classic '50s RI, fretless split-coil. The electric bass is where Fender's aesthetics and design philosophy come together. The '51 is like a window into Leo's utilitarian brain; the '50s is like one into Freddie Tavares' fine eye for integrated design. But I don't get along with Fender guitars, any more than I can tolerate Gibson basses. Wrong scale length, uncomfortable necks, and single-coil sounds that are always missing something. The two companies complement each other almost as if they planned it that way: my Gibsons get played through Fender amps, another product that Fender -- but not Gibson -- mastered (no, my bass amp isn't a Gibson! -- it's a Hartke). I'd like to point out that I arrived at these opinions from nearly 40 years of playing, buying, selling and horse trading guitars, basses and amps. I didn't get my first Gibson until '97, and my first Fender bass arrived in '06, but, as I bought and discarded many other instruments of a variety of brands, this is where I landed. G & F won out by default: everything else in the electric guitar and electric bass categories is either inadequate, uncomfortable, or doesn't sound the way I want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 There are worse addictions in life' date=' CB. Like most librarians, I'm a bibliomaniac. [img']http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/04/Carl_Spitzweg_021.jpg/320px-Carl_Spitzweg_021.jpg[/img] If I go into Borders / Barnes & Noble / Waterstones / used book store / antiquarian dealer, I know I'm going to leave with a) lots of books & no money I know the feeling...book stores (old or new) are another favorite destination, for me, too. Though, I'm not a literary scholar (I have progressed beyond "Pop up" books), I really enjoy reading, and Photography/Art related volumes. And, some...even have "live musical entertaiment" on occasions. The coffee smells good, too. CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canine Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 Guitars are artistic tools I guess and how good they are or feel is a thing each one of us must decide by ourselves. I happen to think Gibson/Epi rules, the only Fender I'd buy again is a Tele! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aj Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 So...are you Gibson/Epiphone through and through? Or Fender (but open to different experiences)? [Rickenbacker players' date= just accept that you're a select minority...] I thought I would add a nice strat to compliment my LP and G400. But I quickly became annoyed when playing b/c my pinky tends to roll the volume knob. Tried out a tele last week. Pinky on the selector switch. So as much as I like the sound, both are ergonomic no-go's for me. AJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Strum Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 I thought I would add a nice strat to compliment my LP and G400. But I quickly became annoyed when playing b/c my pinky tends to roll the volume knob. Tried out a tele last week. Pinky on the selector switch. So as much as I like the sound' date=' both are ergonomic no-go's for me. AJ[/quote'] You could always have the pinky surgically removed, it seems to be the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tulsaslim Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 "I've never taken two guitars on a gig." I gotta admit I always took 2 but only used the 2nd one if/when my primary ax broke down. I read a great interview with Scotty Moore in this months Guitar Player where the interviewer seemed quite shocked when Scotty said he never brought more than one guitar to a gig. When pressed Scotty said "Well, I needed my other hand to carry the amp". Those were different times, for sure. And Scotty's advise for today's guitar players: "Get it in writing". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicester35 Posted December 22, 2008 Author Share Posted December 22, 2008 You could always have the pinky surgically removed' date=' it seems to be the problem.[/quote'] That's an almost Nelson-ian response... Have you and he been going for a few beers together or something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tulsaslim Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 I thought I would add a nice strat to compliment my LP and G400. But I quickly became annoyed when playing b/c my pinky tends to roll the volume knob. Tried out a tele last week. Pinky on the selector switch. So as much as I like the sound' date=' both are ergonomic no-go's for me. AJ[/quote'] Same problem here. We have the old (now deceased) Fender sage Bob Smith to thank for that. He thought it would be a great idea to put the volume knob there so players could get it it easily & thousands of players love him for it. I had my brother remove it on both of my strats and re-wire both volumes to the remaining knob. That took care of the knob problem but didn't stop me from hitting the middle pickup with my pick every time I play them. I'll consider buying another strat when they reissue the HH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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