[J Kimble (FLICKOFLASH)]

http://www.solidbodi...HTML/index.html


http://www.youtube.c...s&v=MopCuFd8LP0

[S Berrian (The_Sentry)]

I'll admit something...if I was playing in a large ensemble, or I was just playing lead guitar...I could see myself dusting off one my strats and relearning how to play it. (The last few times I've played I find myself constantly bumping the tone selector switch with my picking hand. I also tend to avoid planting my hand on the bridge for alternate picking and strum up near the neck more.)

But...for what I do, which is play in smaller bands...I need some thickness to my tones. I could never get that out of my Fenders, and I can't per se blame the "quality" as one is a MIJ '68 Reissue with Abigail Ybarra '69's and the other is a "Kinda sorta" MIA HWY 1.

I think what broke me...a while back I went and saw Robert Cray in concert. Awesome guitar player...but as soon as he hit that bridge position I kept thinking to myself "Geez...that would sound a lot better if it was a Gibson or if he at least had a humbucker there."

From a construction design, there were slightly different takes on how to deal with sympathetic vibrations affecting the pickups. From Les's perspective, he essentially built a solid body guitar so the pickups would not move (causing unwanted feedback as is evidenced in full hollowbody guitars once you start applying a lot of volume.) Leo's design was sort of insidious in that the plastic guard that houses all of the electronics serves as a plate in which to do mods while at the same time...the plastic does not resonate with the wood, so the pickups are isolated...resulting in...less unwanted feedback.



I guess when it's all said and done, and this is what I can make out of an electric guitar, no matter who built it: There's 2 opposite forces that have to be addressed simulataneously. On one hand, you want as much resonance and sympathetic vibration coming off of the body and neck as possible...but, you don't want the pickups to be affected as these same vibrations which will cause unwanted feedback. (not the good kind, either.) Both had different ways of addressing this.

I think for my personal perspective, I find it easier to work on the Les Pauls because I don't have to remove the entire front of it. I can simply pop off the plate on the back. And as stated, I'm not really used to where the controls are housed anymore (and I've never been one that's sort of been enamored with a tremolo/whammy bar or a wilkinson bridge either. On both of my Strats they're completely blocked off.)

PS: It's not lost on me that one product continues to challenge the other. I've noted that Strats have gone to 22 frets and humbuckers in their HSS models. I hope Gibson can answer the challenge with interchangeable parts that can be removed quickly.

[J Crassidis (rocketman)]

I find this whole "war" a bit silly. It's probably good entertainment but that's it. I love my Les Paul and I love my Strat. They are both unique and one isn't better than the other in my opinion. Can't we all just get along (he he he)?

[D Sawyer (Dan)]

Interesting. Thanks for the link, Flick.

[J Kimble (FLICKOFLASH)]

The movie is a must have for guitar lovers as it goes thru the history of each guitar & its very unbiased but in the end I will have to say Strats won but I will let you decide. Gibson had quality but Fender won by design & ingenuity. Leo Fender is a Guru to production guitars & amps. When he released a guitar model he had a amp designed to go with it.

[x x (KernelofWisdom)]

It's a great war, because between Fender and Gibson nobody loses, least of all the customer. Strats are great. But anybody with a well functioning mind can see the beauty of a good Les Paul. All the way from one of Page's bursts to The Edge's 75 White Custom to the ones rolling out of the shop now.

[M Schülting (Shifty)]

I don't really like Strats, so for me there is no war.

[M Kitchen (rrrredrvr)]

I like them both, but I find that I use my LP on a lot more tunes than my Strat for what we play.

[K Bolas (lespaul1963)]

I realize that Rickenbacker and Gretsch weren't the major players like Gibson or Fender, but they deserve some mention. I used to have a Gretsch Silver Jet Double Cutaway and I still have a Rickenbacker 360. They're what I used for creating tones not Gibson or Fender. I still have the 360 but sold off the Gretsch many years ago when I decided I wanted to be Angus more than Malcolm. Having that said, whatever criteria was used to determine a winner, I'm always going to lean towards Nashville/Memphis more than Fullerton for the tones that I really like and the instruments that I'm going to spend my money on.

[S Sanchez (trekhead)]

I find that Strats sound so different from Les Pauls that I don't really see them in the same light. There are certain tones that I can only get from my Strats, other tones require a Les Paul, and yet other tones really need a Tele to get it right. So choose acordingly...

[J Ashe (SG fan 420)]

You can keep them both, it's SGs that do it for me. I've always been a little different

[P Petiniot (Blues4U)]

Well, there is no war for me--For me, if there is a war, Fender, Gibson and Marshall are all Allies:)

I like my Gibsons--I like my strats and my Tele--I believe I'll keep them all:)

[D Thompson (rockstar232007)]

I'll take an LP over a Strat any day! I actually sold my Strat, and My Epi S-500 (Strat-style) to fund my LP Classic. Not ONE single regret!

[D Phillips (daveinspain)]

My brother gave me that movie as a present a couple years back... I enjoyed it thoroughly!!!

[C Robbins (Blackwidow 21)]

I also own both strats and les pauls I do prefer my les pauls but they are two totally different guitars.

[J Kimble (FLICKOFLASH)]

[G Gort (Bassbuddy)]

First I would like to express that I think the idea of a war to be more than a bit silly.
Furthermore I posess 2 Strats and a Tele as well as a LP. I seldom use the LP because I like guitars that also sound good without distortion. Gibsons are superior in terms of craftmanship but will never sound as good as a fender because of the humbuckers. Besides I don't buy a guitar for the craftmanship but for the sound. As you can see from my login name I am a bassplayer and as far as bass guitars are concerned Gibson certainly is no match for Fender.

[J Ashe (SG fan 420)]

I happen to think that SGs and Les Pauls sound good, with or without distortion.

[J Eddison (Shred Astaire)]

Different tools for different jobs, right? I used to hate Strats but they are growing on me.

I hated Tele's too but I recently bought one and I LOVE it!

[R Chevalier (Doc C)]

Make peace not war. More great guitars are always better than fewer great guitars.