2 of the greatest guitars! But which is best? Gibson Les Paul or Fender Stratocaster?

These ones seem to be the more iconic guitars than all the other ones out there. These two seem to be the most famous. i.e. Slash and his Les Paul, and Eric Clapton with his Stratocaster. Which do you choose?

If it were me, I would choose the Les Paul. It seems to be the more iconic and more famous guitar, and Slash is my all time favorite guitarist. And I like the look of the Les Paul, and the various sounds produced by all the model variations of this guitar. But your opinion matters too. Which do you choose?

Depends entirely on the situation. Les Pauls are clunky and awkward for me to play, but have a really warm tone to them. Strats on the other hand tend to have a lighter and more detailed sound. I think I'd prefer to play anything clean on a Strat, while a Les Paul would be my choice for a standard rock guitar.

That said, though, it's not right to whittle guitars down to those two. I'd probably pick something from ESP or Schecter for playing metal stuff, for example, while I'd maybe go with a PRS for something more versatile. There isn't really a "best" tone, it's all about getting the sound you want and playability - and to that end an amp can have a huge impact as well, which is often overlooked by some guitarists.

Both are great really, but I think price wise is where the difference come in. Before I say anything I want to state that this is just my opinion, so take it with a grain of rice. I've found (and had) many a great Les Paul whose prices ranged from 500$ to 1500$ and was completely happy with all of them. Now, with strats...it's a different story.

I've found a few I like but they're all studio models that are way out of my price range. I'm talking 2500$ to 4000$ easy. Strats are great, given, but it's hard to find a good one without breaking the bank. Les Pauls are easier to find. In terms of sound it's really just a matter of preference. I can say that, while both sound great with pedals, I've always found the strat to be more versatile, but that's where that price range comes in again. I'm going to go with Les Paul for this one.

In my experience, Les Pauls are a lot less smooth to handle but sound better for just about everything.

It has a lot to do with the rest of your equipment though - if you've got the right setup you might be able to make those single coils on a Strat actually sing instead of just yell at you, especially in the bridge position.

Personally I prefer Schecters and Ibanez's to either of these brands, and if I had to pick a Gibson, it would hands down be the SG because of it's wondrous playability.

Originally Posted by Shmeh

In my experience, Les Pauls are a lot less smooth to handle but sound better for just about everything.

It has a lot to do with the rest of your equipment though - if you've got the right setup you might be able to make those single coils on a Strat actually sing instead of just yell at you, especially in the bridge position.

Personally I prefer Schecters and Ibanez's to either of these brands, and if I had to pick a Gibson, it would hands down be the SG because of it's wondrous playability.

I think a great setup for both a Les Paul and a Stratocaster is with a Marshall JVM series amp. Preferably the JVM410C or JVM410H.
I don't think an SG is as versatile as the Les Paul, but it's still an awesome guitar for rock, like AC/DC. I like to play many styles of rock and metal, and some nice clean tones. So Les Paul.

SGs are surprisingly versatile really, the good ones are anyways. A good SG can sound just as good clean as it can with a heap load of distortion and various effects on it.

Originally Posted by sage_of_fire

SGs are surprisingly versatile really, the good ones are anyways. A good SG can sound just as good clean as it can with a heap load of distortion and various effects on it.

Well maybe they are...

It depends on the pickups. My SG is outfitted EMG 81/85's. EMG's leave a lot of room for beauty in heavy riffing and clean ballads.

...

I do not like Fender at all...

Im going with Les Paul. I didnt find them unwieldy at all. I loved the sound and one can get a really good crunch sound out of them. Humbuckers <3

Telecaster

But from the alternatives available, my vote goes to Les Paul. I really don't like Stratocasters.

Originally Posted by nokotin

Telecaster

But from the alternatives available, my vote goes to Les Paul. I really don't like Stratocasters.

You sir, rule. But, as much of a Tele fan I am, they're just not as flexible as either the Les Paul or Strat.

Originally Posted by nokotin

Telecaster

But from the alternatives available, my vote goes to Les Paul. I really don't like Stratocasters.

Telecasters are the only Fenders i will touch. Those. Kick. Ass. My friend had one. Ohhh man was it sweet!

Originally Posted by Florina Belmont

Telecasters are the only Fenders i will touch. Those. Kick. Ass. My friend had one. Ohhh man was it sweet!

I got a fresh off the line 09' solid white and a '59 with all the original gear (besides tuners). The 59' is called PawPaw and plays like nothing else.

Telecaster. But I also prefer the Strat over the Les Paul, even tho I never thought I would till I played them both.

I'll take a Taylor Acoustic over either of them anyday tho.

A Strat including a humbucker is the way to go

I don't really like the way Stratocasters feel, my dad has one.
For me, Gibson is the way to go.

Since I'm just a lowly bass player I can't put any opinions on how they handle. But after hearing two friends play these guitars, I prefered the sound of the Les Paul. So my vote went to Gibson.

The Stratocaster is the most comfortable guitar I've ever played (well rounded, too), and the LP has awesome sustain, but it's kinda odd for me to play, so I'm going with the Strat.

Originally Posted by ShockT

Slash and his Les Paul, and Eric Clapton with his Stratocaster.

Clapton is a just as good an example of a Les Paul player as Slash, if not more so.

How do you not automatically go to Hank Marvin for the Strat link, though?