@@WhizzRichardThompson Some of my favourite Ritchie stuff is him playing a 335. Wring That Neck for example. His best stuff was with Dio in Rainbow I think. Strat mostly. I play some of his stuff on a Les Paul. Never sounds quite right. Mexi Strat on its way today as a second guitar. Hopefully I can play it, because I played nothing but Gibson for decades now. I usually only have one guitar for some reason. But I am going to double up and a Strat should help me get all the tones. These people that have dozens of guitars? I dunno. I bet they do not play them all and maintain them equally. Keeping fresh strings on just one guitar is a pain in butt I think. I am not good enough to have a tech :D
Mark Knopfler plays both a Strat and a Les Paul, usually for different songs requiring different tones. IE Sultans of Swing, he uses a Strat but he uses a Les Paul for Money For Nothing. Different tools for different jobs.
Yes, that's kinda obvious, but people watching this kind of video are usually people buying their first or second guitar and can't really afford to own every musical instrument available on the market and as such have to choose between one of the two.
I’m actually the reverse! I LOVE the look of strats (especially in bright red or blue), but the sound of a Les Paul is unbeatable (I’m more of a hard rock guy)
@@tromboneboss7578 That's the great thing about them as well, modularity, just pop in a pickguard with an HH setup and you're golden, have one just like that black with a cream pickguard zebra pickups mahogany body and an ebony fretboard, it's a monster.
If your a beginner, the biggest challenge is keeping yourself motivated and interested. So pick the guitar that makes you feel more confident and the one that aesthetically resonates with you. If you ever get past intermediate, trust me, you’ll end up buying both.
I took lessons when i was around 12-14, but never put in the time and did not stick with it, at 55, decided I am ready to learn and went with a 59 LP as my first choice. When I was a kid, I learned initially on a 59 Guild hollow body which was my Dads. Even if I fail to stick with it again, the 59 LP will look amazing on the wall.... :)
hey bud stop on but to me acoustic felt hard and strat felt super nice then I went for an ultra modern donne HUSi strat felt unpolished and difficult, And I know my friend I gave uke to he says uke is difficult with nylon strings, Few months in and trust me I love strat that thing is in tune after not playing it like 2 to 3 months without the whammy use ofcourse, BUT TODAY my go to everyday never in the case guitar is a lespaul not easy to play chunky neck les access to the higher notes very uncomfy with a strap super heavy but I still use it daily So difficulty is more if you dont like the sound of it rest all you ll get by.
This is great advice. If that ridiculous green monstrosity on the Music Shop's wall calls out to you, just buy it. If it's something that you would see in the corner of the room and feel compelled to play it, buy it. You could get all the recommendations ever about tone, scale length, form factor, intonation, etc.., but if you aren't a seasoned player, you haven't gotten a feel for those aspects just yet. You don't know what you want yet.
Another important difference for me. Doing quick tuning changes (like going from standard to drop D) usually takes a bit longer to do on a tremolo bridge (like the strat). Because re-tuning one string affects the other strings more drastically.
My guitar teacher has 3 Teles but I’ve never heard him play one, other than mine when I first got it. On gigs he plays acoustic, Strat, or LP depending the band... he had been in 5 just since I’ve known him. In our band he plays whatever acoustic is nearby, or his GTR banjo. That is a killer Gibson clone from the 70s.
I own a Cort Les Paul, and I can't believe how good it is. It stays in tune, and has a beautiful tone. Having said so, it's quite heavy (heavier than Gibsons), and it's a bit tricky to get to the higher frets. I'd like to own a Strat as well, to complement it.
The major difference in playability is the scale length because it alters the tension of the strings; a shorter scale length requires less movement to perform bends up to high tones and this, combined with the flatter fretboard of the Les Paul makes it a much better choice if you like doing bends all over the place.
Love the Gibson tone for soloing, I miss my '57 Special - Cherry Sunburst. Another tuning issue with the Les Paul comes because the head-stock configuration requires the string to 'bend' at an angle when it travels from the nut in order to be threaded into the tuning post. Fender's head-stock is designed to remedy this.
I am the owner of the most advanced Strat model with the far more modern Rose model whammy bar and the Humbucker pick up leaving me missing nothing I want and solving the problems that existed with a whammy bar that could not bend up AND down while staying in tune. And with the Humbucker in the 1st position I have the extra power for screaming leads plus the mellower bluesy jazzy options as well. The perfect guitar FOR ME! I also use a Yamaha double jumbo sized 12 string acoustic from 1971 and a fender jazz bass! Beauties all 3 of them!! Interestingly because of my love for Led Zeppelin my first electric was a black Les Paul copy. It was a very meh copy and after I got into Hendrix I switched and never looked back!
I bought my 1989 LP Custom Alpine White brand new in 1990 for $750, no tax. It's worth a lot more now for sure, but back then Fenders were all the rage....
I think the biggest reason the Les Paul has tuning issues on the G & B strings is because of the 3 x 3 paddle shape and string spread on their headstock. That's a wide string break after the nut and the strings pinch in the nut causing slippage and your tuning issues. That's why guitars like PRS with a straighter string pull over the nut doesn't have the same problems.
@@joeking433 if you're going to widen them, you do it past the face of the nut on the backside, and angle the slots slightly toward the tuning machines
@@andrewgrossman6066 The string rattles on a Gibson headstock? I would think that since the string is pulling hard against the side of the slot that you wouldn't have that problem. I can see it on a Fender since it's a straight pull, though.
I'm glad you mentioned scale length but you didn't mention the two obvious consequences of the strat having a longer scale: the string tension is noticeably higher (to achieve the same pitch with the same string gauge) and the frets are further apart. All other things being equal, both of these effects make playing the strat a little harder, at least for newbs like me with little fingers.
Personally all my band mates think in weird because I fucking love the SG body style, and my dream guitar by looks would be an SG in metallic gold with a three ply black batwing pick guard
I think for new guitarists (myself included) the most important factor is how if feels when you hold it, whether sitting or standing. I picked the guitar I wanted most, not the one that fit me best (a Jackson Dinky). One of the problems with it is neck dive (the headstock is heavy and it wants to fall), so it is hard to keep level. Plus the body shape makes a big difference too. When I first held a Strat, I liked it much better than the Dinky or the Les Paul Special I own. Now I just need to purchase a Strat!
I'm still a crappy guitar player, but having played both years ago, the biggest disadvantage to a Les Paul (when I am pushing 60) is the weight. Four sets in a bar with that anchor around my neck? The sound good, but Fenders are so much lighter. All that said, since all I play now is a Martin acoustic and let the younger folks handle the electrics, no longer an issue.
I've a 72 gold top LP, which I bought new. At 20 years old I was practicing with my band and my new guitar and I actually collapsed. The guitar strap must have pinched a nerve in my neck. I think I was out for 20-30 seconds.
Angus Young says that he plays an SG because he's so small and the LP is just too big and heavy for his taste. He loved the sound and wanted to start out with one but the weight was the biggest discouragement. The SG was a little smaller and significantly lighter, and otherwise still captures a similar tone.
I rarely play standing so the weight isn’t a big problem. Standing is actually better in terms of being able to get my left wrist in the right position, but harder to see what I’m doing. I should probably practice blindfolded.
I came across a recent interview where he said it was the Tele that gave him the tone he was after...said the Strat sounded like a bunch of steel wires (well, they kind of all have that characteristic)...even though for years the Strat it was. I am now more of a Strat, but the most used electric I have owned is an 86 J Tele...tons of weird mojo and body chamber resonance where the electronics are buried, so I feel it has more character. I would love to own an LP. Maybe $$$. Just got the American Pro Strat and I love it. What about the Epiphones?
I got an Epiphone LP with EMG's (81/85). The EMG's take it a bit outside the realm of your typical LP, so it's hard to to make a genuine comparison for me. However, my Strat also has EMG's, so I have a GREAT comparison that way. Obviously each style pickup and configuration results in unique tonal character that gives me an almost unlimited palate of options.
I just fixed all the problems and bough myself an Ibanez RG and RGT 😀 MIJ Of course! But I really don't see how anyone could possibly live life as a guitarist and not have both single coils and humbuckers. I mean, I just love both!
Very informative video! Both instruments are amazing but I have to say that Gibson is gorgeous and looks even better with the way the inlays have changed colour over time, beautiful instrument!
I own an American deluxe Strat and an Epiphone LP Studio and each brings something special. What I love about my strat is how comfortable it is to play. The body is scalloped and rounded, and fits like a glove which allows for hours of comfortable playing. It also does bright bell like tones and quack giving it a unique voice. The strat bridge is also so easy to adjust action and intonation with each string getting it's own setup independently. I'm less crazy about the volume knob position which makes palm muting less comfortable, but on the other hand it's easier to hook a pinky around the volume and use it like a volume pedal while strumming. What I love about my LP is the sustain and the pickups have so much output you can get a really screaming guitar sound easily. The headstock also tends not to bind the B and E strings as much when tuning compared to the little trees on the strat. I'm less crazy about the LP body shape and the way the squared edge of the body digs into my arm when I play seated. It's lacking the ergonomics of the strat. I don't think you have to pick one or the other, it's like picking a socket or a wrench, both turn bolts, but each has advantages.
I've got a Gibson Super 400 and a Telecaster Thinline. Hollow body guitars rule. My main guitars, however, are Martin acoustics. A good video. Thanks for sharing.
Having been a humbucker player my whole life, I got a s Strat 3 years ago and those 2 an 4 pickup positions are super cool. Got my dream guitar this year,58 reissue Les Paul, very great iconic Jimmy Page type thick tones for days. Both guitars essential. But I picked up a pine Squier Telecaster on a whim. Really, everybody should START with the most honest and versatile of the 3, the Telecaster. A lot of classic tones on favorite records we assumed were Les Pauls, (can you say Stairway to Heaven) were done on the Tele, and if you want to hear the rock king Telecaster of doom, check out Dan's red Tele on that pedal show. Shockingly powerful.
When I went to get my first electric guitar I wanted a Jackson or an Ltd cause I was really into Megadeth and Metallica. But I ended up getting a squire strat with a humbucker in the bridge instead cause the others were too expensive. Turned out to be a great decision cause it's a solid guitar, plays heavy stuff reasonably well with the humbucker and is definitely more versatile than a double humbucker guitar since I can now play all the grunge songs, which is my new obsession.
I got my bullet squire new for$80 and it's sss pick ups. With this $80 guitar I learned it doesn't get more versatile than this. What this means is that I have the ability to duplicate humbucker guitars that cost thousands of dollars because it's directly in the cross hairs of the cheap single coils on this guitar. Without effort the easiest to duplicate is the les paul. Here's how it's done. Adjust your amp to higher volume Adjust the pre- gain higher. Change your picking still to a shorter and harder technique. If I were to record d my $80 squire and then have really good guitarist play the same thing on a les Paul and record that Then we have you listen to it, I bet you won't be able to tell which is which. This because the les paul is in my cross hair . My $80 guitar is versatile enough to do it, and then some.
@@luismangiaterra1031 an $80 strat can sound good, but it still sounds like a strat. I can do a blind test and pick out humbuckers over single coils all day long. They don't sound the same at all.
I am Les Paul player and I really wanted not so dark tone, tremolo and longer scale. That's why I bought PRS and I'm the happiest person on the planet :)
They are great guitars but while they seem to do a decent job of covering the LP sound, so far I haven't heard one capture the Fender sounds at all. Maybe I just haven't heard it used that way yet.
The precise actual cut of the groove for each string in terms of depth and width and angle ( and also the smoothness of the groove) is the most important consideration concerning the nut. The string gauge will determine the aforementioned dimensions of the individual grooves.
Gibson haven't got much of clue concerning the changes that are needed to improve the old design. They bring out new versions where they have added features such as tedious pickup switching options and tweaks to the types of pickups etc whereas they should be lessening the angle of the headstock etc for starters.
As always another great video. I have followed you since 2017 but somehow missed this video up until today. I appreciate all your videos: What's Great, interviews, technical issues like recording/drum sounds, etc. but most of all is when you record a "tribute" video to one of our heroes that have died -- as I am always touched and is helpful to share the loss of the person while celebrating their contribution. Oh the other video I really like are the discussions with Rhett and Dave. Always fascinating. Keep up the great work!
i know this was uploaded 2 years ago but one of the upsides of a les paul is that due to the 2 humbucker configuration, it has the ability that you can switch to the neck HB and can roll iff the tone knob to get a very nice and creamy jazz tone.
I know. This is the one reason right here why I refuse to use strat styles. You can argue about tone and playability all you want, but if one guitar is designed so that every time I play it I inadvertently turn myself down, then it is pretty useless.
Strat v. LP The most iconic battle in history! Also I'm gonna have to go with a Strat on that one. Sounds cool to always play on, my heroes used them, and I love Blues and Jazz! Not that you can't play Rock with them, but Blues is where home is for me!
Having played both guitars, I think the Strat is more playable, with it's molded shape and overall lightness compared to the Les Paul. I personally feel the Strat neck is easier to play on, than an LP. That being said, I like the sounds I can get from the LP. So, the perfect guitar would be a maple Strat neck and body with Les Paul pickups and electronics. I think that would be a super guitar!!!
I found the Les Paul more playable. I've never had the tuning issues on mine (2001 Gibson Les Paul Standard). I play every genre and I've never had a problem.
till the end I was thinking “how can they forget to talk about the length scale ? “ to me it’s a big difference you feel in the playing especially when bending on a LP string tension is lower so it’s easier to bend a whole step and more
Making music is akin to painting a portrait... We are fortunate to have a wide range of sounds in our sonic palette. Strat vs Les Paul, is like saying something like... red vs blue. With that said, Strats rule...!!!
I see Jeff Beck as a Strat guy. Leo designed the Strat to be more ergonomic. New Strats can have RWRP center pickup, so the quack positions are humbucking... always request this feature! The quack positions are not out-of-phase, btw. You can turn the extra Strat tone control into a blend knob... if you can blend the bridge pickup in at any time, this gives you the 'all three' sound as well as the neck-bridge sound... super versatile then, it sounds like a Tele with neck-bridge. LP's are fragile at the headstock... falls over one time, it breaks... LP's are way expensive and fragile. HSS Strat is the best guitar out there for me... love the vibrato tailpiece, a Bigsby on an LP is a poor replacement.
Have you seen the Epiphone Axcess Alex Lifeson Les Paul? It has a Floyd Rose trem, 6 piezo pickups in the saddles, coil split on the humbuckers, Axcess cut on the neck-body joint, belly cut.
You can find strat vs Les Paul comparisons through the same rig all over RUclips. Are you really that upset that they didn't plug in? Also, there's so many different kinds of Stratocaster and Les Paul models out there, they'd be comparing a single Stratocaster vs a single Les Paul. There's be no value unless those were the two specific models you were trying to choose between.
My Strat was my #1 for 5 years. When I could afford a Burst, that's all she wrote. I love the tone of the double humbuckers, the sustain, the 50s rounded neck, and the weight of an LP.
@@bigrig4385 Not too mention that even in mass produced guitars of the same model there will be differences because the woods won't always be identical and countless other factors. That's one of the coolest things about instruments like guitars and drums, no matter how precisely-made two of them may be made, there will always be subtle differences that make them completely unique.
@@j.dragon651 "Tone comes from within" is a popular myth, but definitely not true. Technically, "tone" is simply the raw sound (wave form) produced by strings, instrument, electronics, and amp. STYLE is what comes from within and characterizes tone, along with technique.
"About to take heat but I'm old and don't care. I have both and many more. I got the Strat because there are Strat tones I wanted that can not be got with an LP. The harsh reality was stated by Rhett; Strats and Strat copies are really easy to make so many players start with them and never look back. I get this. When you take an honest look at the work that goes into each, the Strat was designed and built as a cheap, mass-produced starter guitar and the Les Paul was not. The Les Paul was never cheap; it was a premium USA made guitar; multiple wood parts, carved top, inlays, bindings, internally routed electrics, higher quality switches, pots, tuners. But the Strat makes tones I like. Today's price wars are stupid; "high-end" Strats play and sound great but their basic manufacturing is still cheap and they don't sound so much better than the cheaper ones. I know, same argument used for the modded Chibsons. All true. There are many great posts already; one that caught my attention was along the lines of build-your-own Strat; I agree strongly. There is nothing truly "special" about my American made Strat. I'm very tempted to build my own from parts; high end stuff but to make something unique and better than anything the Fender Shops put out. Also, though I really love my Fender and Gibsons dearly, my Music Man Majesty kicks their butts; lighter, just as fast, more tone options..... I also think relic-ing is really stupid. Deliberately beating up a guitar to give it fabricated mojo. Dumb.
The Stratocaster with 'tremolo' listed on the 1957 price list for $274.50 ($2,502.18 adjusted for inflation). The Gibson Les Paul with flame top $375 in 1959. So the Strat was perhaps a little less, but it was never a cheap starter guitar.
Fernandez Retro Rocket Elite. Better than either a Les Paul or a Strat, comes standard with locking tuners, great tremolo, and the Sustainer system. Best value for money axe in existence.
@@jefffeldstein I have no idea if 40% discount on RRP on guitars was common in the 1950's, but I think $165 in 1957 is still a considerable;e sum compared to the average wage back then, not 165 of today's dollars.
When I was guitar shopping I was unsure between single coil and humbuckers. I ended up with dual humbuckers + coil tap so I could play single coil configurations, as well.
@@JerseyMiller It's a Charvel (Pro Mod San Dimas Type 1). Yeah, that's how it works. I'm still a noob, and I've spent most of my time with the humbuckers. It does have a pretty stratty single coil at the neck, and the two different single coil pair configurations have some rich cleans.
@@JerseyMiller I got mine in October to celebrate a big weight loss. My wife actually bought it in the spring. I'm an absolute beginner, so I was looking at $250 and under. The shop guy recommended the used Charvel ($600) because of the split coil feature. When I heard the price, I started looking at others. She went off with the guy and bought it. Lucky me!
Like Rhett, my first guitar came from Walmart. It was a First Act Strat copy. It came with the little amp, strap, picks, cable, everything to get going. The strings were about a 1/2" off the fretboard. Horrible action. My babysitter's father was a guitarist and when he came to get his daughter one night, he saw it sitting there in the living room and picked it up. The look on his face was priceless. He asked "do you actually PLAY this thing?" Well, yeah...as best I can. He asked if he could take it home a set it up properly. Sure. He brought it back the next day and I could not believe how well it played, sounded, stayed in tune, just a whole new guitar. And because of that, it was fun to play. It wasn't a chore that I dreaded. That put the Gear Acquisition Curse on me, and off to the races I went.
I'm a strat guy. I love the les Paul's necks and great sustain. A Les Paul's weighs more than a fully loaded M16 which is 8lbs 3oz. So I'm going to get an SG instead.
Great, informational video. I've played guitar casually for about a decade, and I've got a Les Paul. It always annoyed me that I can't get it perfectly in tune (the G and b strings)... I thought maybe it was because it's an Epiphone and I rarely do maintenance on it - but now I know why!
Sometimes the g string is trouble on any guitar. But I've got my lesPauls, Epiphoneincluded, after decent easy setup work to play and stay in tune just fine.
MAC, PC, iOS devices, Android devices here. MAC is usually installed as HAckintosh on my PC usually though. Cannot afford a real mac which has the same components than my current PC, at double the price my PC costs. What the fuck do Apple charge for?
Obviously there’s certain styles you can really only play properly on a Strat or Strat copy etc, because of the lower drive and the separation it creates, but if I had to choose I’d still take the Les Paul. That aggressive, full, rounded tone from the Humbuckers is something I could not live without. I’ve loved them since I was a kid, even just the basic design and styling is so attractive. It’s refined, mature, capable, and very powerful.
I own both, the strat is in my hands 90% of the time. The strat just fits my hands better, stays in tune better and fools me into thinking that I’m better than I really am.
What a dream team then! You're both fantastic, either together or not. Thanks, Rick for bringing Rhett along, supporting his channel and thus teaming up efforts in this incredible altruistic crusade of yours!!!
great video guys!!!! one thing not covered is about the headstock style, straight on fenders which makes it harder to break when this hits the floor, opposite to the angled les paul headstock which is the weakest point forths guitars.......
2 oversights: On scale length, you guys left out the fact that the shorter scale length on a LP makes it easier to bend notes, since they are less tight than on a strat. Many players such as EVH have their strats tuned to Eb to loosen the strings for easier bending (and darker tone). On the Gibson tuning issue, that has more to do with the angled (non-parallel) break in the G string at the nut. The angle creates a binding point so that when the string is stretched, it has greater friction to overcome when it returns to its normal state, causing it to bind at the nut and remain a bit sharp. There are workarounds to this problem including the "String Butler".
axe2grind911a yep. the answer for stiff bending was never mentioned as the yrs passed by and my hands were struggling. After I moved not one repair guy had an answer. Lighter gauge strings oh no you don’t want that or tune down. Figured it out myself. Thx to Billy Gibbons. Fixed it myself.
What did you figure out as the solution? What did Billy G have to do with it? You know, there are also string brands that use more flexible steel alloy though I can't remember the brand name. I didn't like them because they also require a greater degree of stretch (distance wise) to achieve the same pitch change as normal strings, so they also mess with your technique.
@@robertwellington2616 BB King asked Billy Gibbons why he was using such heavy strings. Ever since then, Billy's been using lighter gauge. He currently plays sevens. I can't go below nines. I'm too heavy-handed and push the thing out of tune. I'm currently running S.I.T. S946 Rock-n-roll Nickel Wound Electric Guitar String s. They are light gauge on the top end and heavier on the bottom. Still getting used to the lighter gauge. I've always played heavy, hard strings, trying to run with the big dogs like SRV. It's really nice being able to do a little more lead work and not killing my tendons or my fingertips.
The scale lenght has absolute no effect on keeping a guitar on tune. It's like saying a violin is worse than a viola because it has a shorter scale. I don't know why they keep saying this. Gibson's have a tunning problem because of the headstock tilt.
I am more of an Epiphone Casino Elitist guy. I have a Strat+, but haven’t played it since I got the Epi. Never had a Les Paul, although I’ve tried them at stores. Goddamn heavy to carry.
I had one of the IBJL Casinos. It was great in many ways and had some incredible tones but I could never deal with the lower horn on the guitar, which totally blocked off upper neck access.
Yeah I know people who aren't, too, but I do like frets 9 through 17 quite a bit. I don't go past that generally, but the lower bout was in the way even for those. I loved the thick neck on the guitar, though, and the satin finish was super comfortable. I live in NY and showed that guitar to the luthier who turned out to have been hired to help measure Lennon's original guitar! He said "yep, looks pretty much like it... they did a good job on the replica."
It’s really a good overview of the 2 guitars. If you have a Les Paul with push/pull split coil wiring on the knobs/pickups you can get a similar Strat/Tele sound without sacrificing the speed of a Les Paul. If you have a Strat/Tele with a humbucker, you can get the fatter sound while being a Strat player. If you can afford it, buy all 3 because no electronics or neck replacements will make one sound, or play like the other. Being a Les Paul player, they are like wearing a boat anchor over your neck and shoulder. Older guitarists choose lighter guitars for obvious reasons. Les Paul on first two sets of the gig, Strat for third, and Tele for the last set!
Gretsch and Rickenbacker make a 1% of that 99% AND after Eddie Van Halen both Fender and Gibsons were on the brink of bankrupcy, Ynwie Malmsteem and Slash saved them. But even today people like Mike Stern, Scofield, George Benson and Pat Metheny use Ibanez or Yamaha guitars.
Great vid as always! However there's no way a maple board is brighter than a rosewood one. It's a myth. I would even go so far as to say there's no audible difference between bodywoods such as alder, mahogany and ash. Could be a super slight diff unplugged, but not when plugged in to an amp. You guys should do a blindtest. Maple vs rosewood board on the same guitar.
Search youtube for "warmoth tone wood guide" for the best comparison of tone versus wood type I have seen. There is definitely a difference in EQ curve and pick attack between the various tone woods on otherwise identical guitar bodies and necks. It's not huge, but it is definitely noticeable in an A/B comparison when playing through a clean amp. If you play with overdrive/dirt, the subtle differences will be masked. That's why I don't bother listening to Chappers demo guitars, he always cranks up the dirt and makes Custom Shop guitars sound the same as a Squire Bullet.
@@JohnShalamskas how can you be certain that the slight tone difference are not in the subtle variations in the pick-ups or the playing? How do you describe the sound differences relating to different wood types?
9:30 they do make a difference in how the guitar feels which makes a difference in how you play the guitar; i think that is the ultimate answer to tonewood 😂
Tony, we’ve all had gear sold wish we could have kept I imagine. I’ve parsed down to simple set up of my 72 Tele, which I don’t play as often, use new G&L ASAT instead, along with Quilter MicroPro Mach II, 6 pedal board, for acoustics- a Recording King dread and a Washburn Woodstock acoustic electric. If I can’t get what is needed from any of those, I’m not playing it. 😁
Tony, Recording King used to be an OEM Gibson Guitars built for Montgomery Wards in the 1930’s, name went dormant now brand picked up and cheaply made in China. A few of the new offshore all solid guitars that were build maybe 8-10 years ago were decent, but mostly cheap beginner models now. I have one of those newer all solid RD-126, addy top, mahogany back and sides, herringbone binding and nice abalone headstock inlay.
Rick had the best argument. "I look way cooler with my Les Paul" haha
Rick should have added that his LP accessory kit included better hair chair products
Ral Ph - hair chair? lol
Not surprisingly, most guitarists choose their guitar by how it looks.
Jimmy Page looks right with a Les Paul. Ritchie Blackmore looks right with a Stratocaster.
@@WhizzRichardThompson Some of my favourite Ritchie stuff is him playing a 335. Wring That Neck for example. His best stuff was with Dio in Rainbow I think. Strat mostly. I play some of his stuff on a Les Paul. Never sounds quite right. Mexi Strat on its way today as a second guitar. Hopefully I can play it, because I played nothing but Gibson for decades now. I usually only have one guitar for some reason. But I am going to double up and a Strat should help me get all the tones. These people that have dozens of guitars? I dunno. I bet they do not play them all and maintain them equally. Keeping fresh strings on just one guitar is a pain in butt I think. I am not good enough to have a tech :D
5:38 "all the time, every day" I used to like Rick Beato. Now I love him
And the ensuing grin.......says it all. :)
"I'm not nearly as old as he is". That was uncalled for 😂😂
Mark Knopfler plays both a Strat and a Les Paul, usually for different songs requiring different tones. IE Sultans of Swing, he uses a Strat but he uses a Les Paul for Money For Nothing. Different tools for different jobs.
Yes, that's kinda obvious, but people watching this kind of video are usually people buying their first or second guitar and can't really afford to own every musical instrument available on the market and as such have to choose between one of the two.
Fully agree
Again: it ist String tension what makes the biggest difference.
I like looking at Les Pauls, I love playing Strats.
Same bro
For me, my Les Pauls (2003 Special and 2001 Standard) do everything I want them to. I love Strats when other people play them.
I’m actually the reverse! I LOVE the look of strats (especially in bright red or blue), but the sound of a Les Paul is unbeatable (I’m more of a hard rock guy)
@@tromboneboss7578 One of the coolest finishes I've ever seen on a Strat is I think called the bowling ball...
@@tromboneboss7578 That's the great thing about them as well, modularity, just pop in a pickguard with an HH setup and you're golden, have one just like that black with a cream pickguard zebra pickups mahogany body and an ebony fretboard, it's a monster.
I own a Strat, Les Paul, SG, and ES-335. Like children, they are all unique and special, and I love them dearly.
each child has is own personality. each is special, and yes, each has its own quirks. They're your children, you love them all.
And if u had a tele ur life would b complete. Well at least mine is. Lol
I would rather spend time with my guitars than my children.
@@DomTremendous lmao!
@@adamburger5761😂 😂 😂 😂 😂
If your a beginner, the biggest challenge is keeping yourself motivated and interested. So pick the guitar that makes you feel more confident and the one that aesthetically resonates with you. If you ever get past intermediate, trust me, you’ll end up buying both.
Good point! It’s crucial that beginners have success.
@@jedisentinel1499 they won't learn on a strat, it's too difficult
Strat for advanced players
Less Pole for posers.
I took lessons when i was around 12-14, but never put in the time and did not stick with it, at 55, decided I am ready to learn and went with a 59 LP as my first choice. When I was a kid, I learned initially on a 59 Guild hollow body which was my Dads. Even if I fail to stick with it again, the 59 LP will look amazing on the wall.... :)
hey bud stop on but to me acoustic felt hard and strat felt super nice then I went for an ultra modern donne HUSi strat felt unpolished and difficult,
And I know my friend I gave uke to he says uke is difficult with nylon strings, Few months in and trust me I love strat that thing is in tune after not playing it like 2 to 3 months without the whammy use ofcourse, BUT TODAY my go to everyday never in the case guitar is a lespaul not easy to play chunky neck les access to the higher notes very uncomfy with a strap super heavy but I still use it daily So difficulty is more if you dont like the sound of it rest all you ll get by.
This is great advice. If that ridiculous green monstrosity on the Music Shop's wall calls out to you, just buy it. If it's something that you would see in the corner of the room and feel compelled to play it, buy it. You could get all the recommendations ever about tone, scale length, form factor, intonation, etc.., but if you aren't a seasoned player, you haven't gotten a feel for those aspects just yet. You don't know what you want yet.
Another important difference for me. Doing quick tuning changes (like going from standard to drop D) usually takes a bit longer to do on a tremolo bridge (like the strat). Because re-tuning one string affects the other strings more drastically.
I enjoy your channel Rick even though I don’t understand 99% of the content.
@Mark Smith Haha me too!
@The Doobie Sisters & Sack Blabbath howdy boss can i join ? ;)
That's cause he's blowing smoke....
3 essential guitars: Les Paul, Strat and Tele.
Don't forget a 335 style, and a hollowbody.
Or a singlecut semihollow guitar.
@@checkpointcovid8021 And an acoustic; 6 essential guitars! And a 12-string; 7 essential guitars!
SG ?!?!
A taylor acoustic is nice too
I play a 1946 Recording King Arch top. It's All I've Ever Needed.
Great video! The only right thing to do is to get at least one of each.
just ONE of each?
Or an HSH with a 5 way superswitch.
Done.
My guitar teacher has 3 Teles but I’ve never heard him play one, other than mine when I first got it. On gigs he plays acoustic, Strat, or LP depending the band... he had been in 5 just since I’ve known him. In our band he plays whatever acoustic is nearby, or his GTR banjo. That is a killer Gibson clone from the 70s.
Or get a regular strat and an HH strat.
For me, Les Paul is like a Harley Davidson. It looks beautiful, it's cool, it sounds amazing, but the owner will suffer a lot.
And they're owned mostly by dentists and accountants
Get both !
Never “suffered” with me H-D. Not that costly if you know what you looking for and can job it yourself.
And strat is like a motocross bike lol
I own a Cort Les Paul, and I can't believe how good it is. It stays in tune, and has a beautiful tone. Having said so, it's quite heavy (heavier than Gibsons), and it's a bit tricky to get to the higher frets. I'd like to own a Strat as well, to complement it.
They're both great like I always tell my wife it's important to have both in the arsenal, she's not convinced.
I have one of each, and I definitely use them for specific musical voicing.
Like whether to use an oboe or a clarinet, as I see it.
And my wife would not blame her one bit.....lol
Saintier set Well she wouldn't wear heels in the garden or welleys to a club, ? I always use that one with women complaining about gear acquisition.
Tell her you need as many guitars as she needs pairs of shoes. That should cool her off. You're welcome...
Hold her hand , walk her to the closet and point at her shoe collection... works every time ! Oh and don't say anything just go get your guitar.
Love how the word “sustain” was not sustained
I guess being an infantryman has prepared me for playing a Les Paul. I’m used to carrying a lot of weight for a long time. 😆
Thank you for your service, you are very brave
You two guys are a perfect video duo for all us guitar gear heads. I enjoy your videos very much! Thank you so much! 😎👍
When I think of Jeff Beck... I think a strat honestly
Me too :D
Rock,Blues,Jam Live I prefer his Tele and Les Paul albums. But great either way
I think les Paul or tele
Joey Lodes I do too. Blow By Blow was his best work IMO. That was done on a Les Paul
I think of Les Paul
To quote the late, great Mr. Zappa; "Shut up 'n play yer guitar"
I just can't get away from how the strat hugs me when I play.
The major difference in playability is the scale length because it alters the tension of the strings; a shorter scale length requires less movement to perform bends up to high tones and this, combined with the flatter fretboard of the Les Paul makes it a much better choice if you like doing bends all over the place.
But if you’re a guy like Slash, who has hands as big as snow shovels… covering the scale length on the feet board isn’t really a concern, lol.
Love the Gibson tone for soloing, I miss my '57 Special - Cherry Sunburst. Another tuning issue with the Les Paul comes because the head-stock configuration requires the string to 'bend' at an angle when it travels from the nut in order to be threaded into the tuning post. Fender's head-stock is designed to remedy this.
Probably the first video of your’s that I actually understand most of what you’re talking about!
RSPDiver Yeah, I was waiting for some advanced music theory thrown in to remind me how stupid I am when it comes to music.
I am the owner of the most advanced Strat model with the far more modern Rose model whammy bar and the Humbucker pick up leaving me missing nothing I want and solving the problems that existed with a whammy bar that could not bend up AND down while staying in tune. And with the Humbucker in the 1st position I have the extra power for screaming leads plus the mellower bluesy jazzy options as well. The perfect guitar FOR ME! I also use a Yamaha double jumbo sized 12 string acoustic from 1971 and a fender jazz bass! Beauties all 3 of them!! Interestingly because of my love for Led Zeppelin my first electric was a black Les Paul copy. It was a very meh copy and after I got into Hendrix I switched and never looked back!
So basically you own a Jem...
The issue with a custom les Paul is that nobody can afford them
You can usually find a used one for a price lower than a new standard
Yes, lawyers and doctors.
I bought my 1989 LP Custom Alpine White brand new in 1990 for $750, no tax. It's worth a lot more now for sure, but back then Fenders were all the rage....
You can afford a car, you can afford a nice guitar instead
Buy once cry once
Danke!
I think the biggest reason the Les Paul has tuning issues on the G & B strings is because of the 3 x 3 paddle shape and string spread on their headstock. That's a wide string break after the nut and the strings pinch in the nut causing slippage and your tuning issues. That's why guitars like PRS with a straighter string pull over the nut doesn't have the same problems.
Do wider nut slots help? I would think that a slot the same exact width of the string would make it more likely to catch.
@@joeking433 yes and no, too wide and the string rattles in the slot and you get weird chimey sounds
@@joeking433 if you're going to widen them, you do it past the face of the nut on the backside, and angle the slots slightly toward the tuning machines
@@andrewgrossman6066 The string rattles on a Gibson headstock? I would think that since the string is pulling hard against the side of the slot that you wouldn't have that problem. I can see it on a Fender since it's a straight pull, though.
@@joeking433 if the nut slot is too big, yes it can create a rattle on any guitar
I'm glad you mentioned scale length but you didn't mention the two obvious consequences of the strat having a longer scale: the string tension is noticeably higher (to achieve the same pitch with the same string gauge) and the frets are further apart. All other things being equal, both of these effects make playing the strat a little harder, at least for newbs like me with little fingers.
Lol true but the only guitars Ive ever owned had a strat scale length. Gibsons feel like baby guitars to me even with my polish sausage fingers.
@@HollowDesertYour comments Reminds me of a golfer that says the course is too easy. I ask Have you ever parred it? He responds, No. Case closed.
Some of the editing in this one took me back to when my dvds would skip
Never mind playability or even player ability, nothing beats the aesthetics of a black Les Paul 😁
No.....a sunburst Les Paul does.
Personally all my band mates think in weird because I fucking love the SG body style, and my dream guitar by looks would be an SG in metallic gold with a three ply black batwing pick guard
I think for new guitarists (myself included) the most important factor is how if feels when you hold it, whether sitting or standing. I picked the guitar I wanted most, not the one that fit me best (a Jackson Dinky). One of the problems with it is neck dive (the headstock is heavy and it wants to fall), so it is hard to keep level. Plus the body shape makes a big difference too. When I first held a Strat, I liked it much better than the Dinky or the Les Paul Special I own. Now I just need to purchase a Strat!
The 5 fingers of tone.
•Gibson ES-335
•Gibson Les Paul
•Fender Stratocaster
•Fender Telecaster
•Rickenbacker 12 String
@@cocajazz better add to the list the Explorer, Kelly's and V gibson guitar
Drop the Rickenbacker, add a Gretsch
Coca_Jazz lol you think a „Metal Guitar‘s“ Tone is more relevant in music than a Tele?
Danelectro
Where are the Gianinis?
I'm still a crappy guitar player, but having played both years ago, the biggest disadvantage to a Les Paul (when I am pushing 60) is the weight. Four sets in a bar with that anchor around my neck? The sound good, but Fenders are so much lighter.
All that said, since all I play now is a Martin acoustic and let the younger folks handle the electrics, no longer an issue.
heheh i was going to say - if you want to defend yourself against attack - pick a les paul
I've a 72 gold top LP, which I bought new. At 20 years old I was practicing with my band and my new guitar and I actually collapsed. The guitar strap must have pinched a nerve in my neck. I think I was out for 20-30 seconds.
Angus Young says that he plays an SG because he's so small and the LP is just too big and heavy for his taste. He loved the sound and wanted to start out with one but the weight was the biggest discouragement. The SG was a little smaller and significantly lighter, and otherwise still captures a similar tone.
I rarely play standing so the weight isn’t a big problem. Standing is actually better in terms of being able to get my left wrist in the right position, but harder to see what I’m doing. I should probably practice blindfolded.
I think you did a good job! But isn't Jeff Beck mostly know as a Strat guy?! At least today?
Yep.
Like most artists, he's used both, but Beck's arsenal is almost entirely Strat's
Blow by Blow remains an iconic guitar album for the ages! I first heard it in the early 80's and that changed everything for me.
I came across a recent interview where he said it was the Tele that gave him the tone he was after...said the Strat sounded like a bunch of steel wires (well, they kind of all have that characteristic)...even though for years the Strat it was. I am now more of a Strat, but the most used electric I have owned is an 86 J Tele...tons of weird mojo and body chamber resonance where the electronics are buried, so I feel it has more character. I would love to own an LP. Maybe $$$. Just got the American Pro Strat and I love it. What about the Epiphones?
I got an Epiphone LP with EMG's (81/85). The EMG's take it a bit outside the realm of your typical LP, so it's hard to to make a genuine comparison for me. However, my Strat also has EMG's, so I have a GREAT comparison that way. Obviously each style pickup and configuration results in unique tonal character that gives me an almost unlimited palate of options.
I just fixed all the problems and bough myself an Ibanez RG and RGT 😀 MIJ Of course!
But I really don't see how anyone could possibly live life as a guitarist and not have both single coils and humbuckers. I mean, I just love both!
Very informative video! Both instruments are amazing but I have to say that Gibson is gorgeous and looks even better with the way the inlays have changed colour over time, beautiful instrument!
I own an American deluxe Strat and an Epiphone LP Studio and each brings something special. What I love about my strat is how comfortable it is to play. The body is scalloped and rounded, and fits like a glove which allows for hours of comfortable playing. It also does bright bell like tones and quack giving it a unique voice. The strat bridge is also so easy to adjust action and intonation with each string getting it's own setup independently. I'm less crazy about the volume knob position which makes palm muting less comfortable, but on the other hand it's easier to hook a pinky around the volume and use it like a volume pedal while strumming. What I love about my LP is the sustain and the pickups have so much output you can get a really screaming guitar sound easily. The headstock also tends not to bind the B and E strings as much when tuning compared to the little trees on the strat. I'm less crazy about the LP body shape and the way the squared edge of the body digs into my arm when I play seated. It's lacking the ergonomics of the strat. I don't think you have to pick one or the other, it's like picking a socket or a wrench, both turn bolts, but each has advantages.
I've got a Gibson Super 400 and a Telecaster Thinline. Hollow body guitars rule.
My main guitars, however, are Martin acoustics.
A good video. Thanks for sharing.
Strat VS Les Paul. Winner=Telecaster
Yup telecaster the unsung hero of electric Guitar
Danish Pete has one of the best Telecasters ever.
You spelled SG wrong
LOL.....nice. Love that anderton's blindfold test where he plays one chord on a SG and immediately goes into ac/dc because it just sounds that way.
Having been a humbucker player my whole life, I got a s
Strat 3 years ago and those 2 an 4 pickup positions are super cool. Got my dream guitar this year,58 reissue Les Paul, very great iconic Jimmy Page type thick tones for days. Both guitars essential. But I picked up a pine Squier Telecaster on a whim. Really, everybody should START with the most honest and versatile of the 3, the Telecaster. A lot of classic tones on favorite records we assumed were Les Pauls, (can you say Stairway to Heaven) were done on the Tele, and if you want to hear the rock king Telecaster of doom, check out Dan's red Tele on that pedal show. Shockingly powerful.
I'm not a musician but hearing about what you the musician hears makes me a better music listener. Thanks
Same.
That's so true. I'm a novice player at best but watching these vids make me appreciate the artform so much more.
When I went to get my first electric guitar I wanted a Jackson or an Ltd cause I was really into Megadeth and Metallica. But I ended up getting a squire strat with a humbucker in the bridge instead cause the others were too expensive.
Turned out to be a great decision cause it's a solid guitar, plays heavy stuff reasonably well with the humbucker and is definitely more versatile than a double humbucker guitar since I can now play all the grunge songs, which is my new obsession.
I did the same in '87
Two humbuckers with coil cuts. Problem solved!
Same i bought a HSS strat knockoff and its decent.
I got my bullet squire new for$80 and it's sss pick ups.
With this $80 guitar I learned it doesn't get more versatile than this.
What this means is that I have the ability to duplicate humbucker guitars that cost thousands of dollars because it's directly in the cross hairs of the cheap single coils on this guitar.
Without effort the easiest to duplicate is the les paul.
Here's how it's done.
Adjust your amp to higher volume
Adjust the pre- gain higher.
Change your picking still to a shorter and harder technique.
If I were to record d my $80 squire and then have really good guitarist play the same thing on a les Paul and record that
Then we have you listen to it, I bet you won't be able to tell which is which.
This because the les paul is in my cross hair .
My $80 guitar is versatile enough to do it, and then some.
@@luismangiaterra1031 an $80 strat can sound good, but it still sounds like a strat. I can do a blind test and pick out humbuckers over single coils all day long. They don't sound the same at all.
Great video. It’s a classic!!
I am Les Paul player and I really wanted not so dark tone, tremolo and longer scale.
That's why I bought PRS and I'm the happiest person on the planet :)
Paul Reed Smith set out to build a great compromise between the two - mission accomplished! 🤓
They are great guitars but while they seem to do a decent job of covering the LP sound, so far I haven't heard one capture the Fender sounds at all. Maybe I just haven't heard it used that way yet.
WhoWouldWantThisName - not many have single coils, that's why
@@blue-tb2fd Come to think of it, I can't remember seeing one with single coils, not even P90s. Well maybe PRS just loves his humbuckers.
I think I've seen a few semi-hollow ones with P90s but yeah most of them have humbuckers
IMO, the Les Paul Custom is the best sounding guitar from Hard Rock to Metal
The tuning stability of a Les Paul’s tail piece is negated by the headstock angle break angle from but to tuning machine, notoriously on the G string.
Wound G is better sounding for chords, but you have to push it much further to bend it when playing bluesy lines.
I have a 1950’s Les Paul Jr with wound strings. I love them. They feel awesome.
The cut of the nut can also be a factor.
The precise actual cut of the groove for each string in terms of depth and width and angle ( and also the smoothness of the groove) is the most important consideration concerning the nut. The string gauge will determine the aforementioned dimensions of the individual grooves.
Gibson haven't got much of clue concerning the changes that are needed to improve the old design. They bring out new versions where they have added features such as tedious pickup switching options and tweaks to the types of pickups etc whereas they should be lessening the angle of the headstock etc for starters.
As always another great video. I have followed you since 2017 but somehow missed this video up until today. I appreciate all your videos: What's Great, interviews, technical issues like recording/drum sounds, etc. but most of all is when you record a "tribute" video to one of our heroes that have died -- as I am always touched and is helpful to share the loss of the person while celebrating their contribution. Oh the other video I really like are the discussions with Rhett and Dave. Always fascinating. Keep up the great work!
i know this was uploaded 2 years ago but one of the upsides of a les paul is that due to the 2 humbucker configuration, it has the ability that you can switch to the neck HB and can roll iff the tone knob to get a very nice and creamy jazz tone.
Like the strat, don't like the volume knob right up against the bridge.
I know. This is the one reason right here why I refuse to use strat styles. You can argue about tone and playability all you want, but if one guitar is designed so that every time I play it I inadvertently turn myself down, then it is pretty useless.
But it’s great for volume swells.
@@xmillion1704 For sure. I like this feature. It doesn'r bother me.
@@alexk4020, it sounds like you should git gud.
@@fragtagninja1633 Don't you mean, "git gud, scrub" ?
I have a mahogany Stratocaster with a humbucker love that guitar
"Even though I'm not nearly as old as he is". Ha. Savage. lol.
quicktastic I know! I was like, Rick owns this channel, he could cut that out.
Amanda Huginkiss LOL, he got even by showing all those outtakes where Rhett kept screwing up the same line.
"When you think of that you think of J- *cuts to Jimmy Page absolutley shredding*
I died
This was incredibly insightful and thorough. Thanks guys
Strat v. LP The most iconic battle in history!
Also I'm gonna have to go with a Strat on that one. Sounds cool to always play on, my heroes used them, and I love Blues and Jazz! Not that you can't play Rock with them, but Blues is where home is for me!
Having played both guitars, I think the Strat is more playable, with it's molded shape and overall lightness compared to the Les Paul. I personally feel the Strat neck is easier to play on, than an LP. That being said, I like the sounds I can get from the LP. So, the perfect guitar would be a maple Strat neck and body with Les Paul pickups and electronics. I think that would be a super guitar!!!
I found the Les Paul more playable. I've never had the tuning issues on mine (2001 Gibson Les Paul Standard). I play every genre and I've never had a problem.
till the end I was thinking “how can they forget to talk about the length scale ? “ to me it’s a big difference you feel in the playing especially when bending on a LP string tension is lower so it’s easier to bend a whole step and more
Michel Titiana-Clavė what? They did at 13:10
Making music is akin to painting a portrait... We are fortunate to have a wide range of sounds in our sonic palette. Strat vs Les Paul, is like saying something like... red vs blue.
With that said, Strats rule...!!!
Simply the best comparison I ever saw. And I ve seen a lot. Thank you very much!
This is a fantastic video - very informative in breaking down the differences. Thanks!
I see Jeff Beck as a Strat guy. Leo designed the Strat to be more ergonomic. New Strats can have RWRP center pickup, so the quack positions are humbucking... always request this feature! The quack positions are not out-of-phase, btw. You can turn the extra Strat tone control into a blend knob... if you can blend the bridge pickup in at any time, this gives you the 'all three' sound as well as the neck-bridge sound... super versatile then, it sounds like a Tele with neck-bridge. LP's are fragile at the headstock... falls over one time, it breaks... LP's are way expensive and fragile. HSS Strat is the best guitar out there for me... love the vibrato tailpiece, a Bigsby on an LP is a poor replacement.
Have you seen the Epiphone Axcess Alex Lifeson Les Paul? It has a Floyd Rose trem, 6 piezo pickups in the saddles, coil split on the humbuckers, Axcess cut on the neck-body joint, belly cut.
I don't understand why you'd talk about the tone difference rather than just playing notes back to back and audibly giving the difference
You can find strat vs Les Paul comparisons through the same rig all over RUclips. Are you really that upset that they didn't plug in? Also, there's so many different kinds of Stratocaster and Les Paul models out there, they'd be comparing a single Stratocaster vs a single Les Paul. There's be no value unless those were the two specific models you were trying to choose between.
Depends on who is playing it also. Tone comes from within.
My Strat was my #1 for 5 years. When I could afford a Burst, that's all she wrote. I love the tone of the double humbuckers, the sustain, the 50s rounded neck, and the weight of an LP.
@@bigrig4385 Not too mention that even in mass produced guitars of the same model there will be differences because the woods won't always be identical and countless other factors. That's one of the coolest things about instruments like guitars and drums, no matter how precisely-made two of them may be made, there will always be subtle differences that make them completely unique.
@@j.dragon651 "Tone comes from within" is a popular myth, but definitely not true. Technically, "tone" is simply the raw sound (wave form) produced by strings, instrument, electronics, and amp. STYLE is what comes from within and characterizes tone, along with technique.
Rick and Rhett talking guitars, excellent!
Kent Mains 🤘🏻🤘🏻
Stratocaster, 100% ( because neoclassical )
WOW! YOU DID IT RICK, 3 MILL PLUS. CONGRATS BROTHER.
I love Les Paul... planning to buy it from a lot of time. Can you suggest amps as well?
"About to take heat but I'm old and don't care. I have both and many more. I got the Strat because there are Strat tones I wanted that can not be got with an LP. The harsh reality was stated by Rhett; Strats and Strat copies are really easy to make so many players start with them and never look back. I get this. When you take an honest look at the work that goes into each, the Strat was designed and built as a cheap, mass-produced starter guitar and the Les Paul was not. The Les Paul was never cheap; it was a premium USA made guitar; multiple wood parts, carved top, inlays, bindings, internally routed electrics, higher quality switches, pots, tuners. But the Strat makes tones I like. Today's price wars are stupid; "high-end" Strats play and sound great but their basic manufacturing is still cheap and they don't sound so much better than the cheaper ones. I know, same argument used for the modded Chibsons. All true.
There are many great posts already; one that caught my attention was along the lines of build-your-own Strat; I agree strongly. There is nothing truly "special" about my American made Strat. I'm very tempted to build my own from parts; high end stuff but to make something unique and better than anything the Fender Shops put out.
Also, though I really love my Fender and Gibsons dearly, my Music Man Majesty kicks their butts; lighter, just as fast, more tone options.....
I also think relic-ing is really stupid. Deliberately beating up a guitar to give it fabricated mojo. Dumb.
Brevity, bro.
The Stratocaster with 'tremolo' listed on the 1957 price list for $274.50 ($2,502.18 adjusted for inflation). The Gibson Les Paul with flame top $375 in 1959. So the Strat was perhaps a little less, but it was never a cheap starter guitar.
@@Cleveland_Chris I enjoyed every word he wrote...
Fernandez Retro Rocket Elite. Better than either a Les Paul or a Strat, comes standard with locking tuners, great tremolo, and the Sustainer system. Best value for money axe in existence.
@@jefffeldstein I have no idea if 40% discount on RRP on guitars was common in the 1950's, but I think $165 in 1957 is still a considerable;e sum compared to the average wage back then, not 165 of today's dollars.
When I was guitar shopping I was unsure between single coil and humbuckers. I ended up with dual humbuckers + coil tap so I could play single coil configurations, as well.
@@JerseyMiller It's a Charvel (Pro Mod San Dimas Type 1). Yeah, that's how it works. I'm still a noob, and I've spent most of my time with the humbuckers. It does have a pretty stratty single coil at the neck, and the two different single coil pair configurations have some rich cleans.
@@JerseyMiller I got mine in October to celebrate a big weight loss. My wife actually bought it in the spring. I'm an absolute beginner, so I was looking at $250 and under. The shop guy recommended the used Charvel ($600) because of the split coil feature. When I heard the price, I started looking at others. She went off with the guy and bought it. Lucky me!
Could you do a sequel where you play them a little instead of just talking about them?
You're on RUclips. There's plenty of videos for that. Use your brain next time?
@@blue-tb2fd lmao you roasted him
Excellent job guys, very informative. Now I know what I want to buy. I'm getting both. Canada.
Like Rhett, my first guitar came from Walmart. It was a First Act Strat copy. It came with the little amp, strap, picks, cable, everything to get going. The strings were about a 1/2" off the fretboard. Horrible action. My babysitter's father was a guitarist and when he came to get his daughter one night, he saw it sitting there in the living room and picked it up. The look on his face was priceless. He asked "do you actually PLAY this thing?" Well, yeah...as best I can. He asked if he could take it home a set it up properly. Sure. He brought it back the next day and I could not believe how well it played, sounded, stayed in tune, just a whole new guitar. And because of that, it was fun to play. It wasn't a chore that I dreaded. That put the Gear Acquisition Curse on me, and off to the races I went.
Great vídeo I Havre a HSS Strat and i can be as versatile as I want
This is like comparing asparagus to cotton candy. Personally I love both!
But not at the same time!
I hate asparagus
I'm a strat guy. I love the les Paul's necks and great sustain. A Les Paul's weighs more than a fully loaded M16 which is 8lbs 3oz.
So I'm going to get an SG instead.
Corey Kilemal With that said a 240 bravo is heavier,but what would you rather have?A Les Paul all the way.
Great discussion, i am lucky enough to have one of each but i have a real soft spot for the Strat!!! just love the feel and play ability of it
Great, informational video. I've played guitar casually for about a decade, and I've got a Les Paul. It always annoyed me that I can't get it perfectly in tune (the G and b strings)... I thought maybe it was because it's an Epiphone and I rarely do maintenance on it - but now I know why!
Sometimes the g string is trouble on any guitar. But I've got my lesPauls, Epiphoneincluded, after decent easy setup work to play and stay in tune just fine.
1 of each please, end of debate.
les boothe exactly but don’t forget to throw a Tele in there too
Tele and a hollow or semi hollow body electric and you're all set.
That's why I have a Mac AND a PC. ...end of debate there too.
MAC, PC, iOS devices, Android devices here. MAC is usually installed as HAckintosh on my PC usually though. Cannot afford a real mac which has the same components than my current PC, at double the price my PC costs. What the fuck do Apple charge for?
Obviously there’s certain styles you can really only play properly on a Strat or Strat copy etc, because of the lower drive and the separation it creates, but if I had to choose I’d still take the Les Paul. That aggressive, full, rounded tone from the Humbuckers is something I could not live without. I’ve loved them since I was a kid, even just the basic design and styling is so attractive. It’s refined, mature, capable, and very powerful.
I own both, the strat is in my hands 90% of the time. The strat just fits my hands better, stays in tune better and fools me into thinking that I’m better than I really am.
Super informative as always with you guys. Love it.
Rick's "all the time, everyday" quote actually got me
Very strange looking les Paul...didn’t realise that it comes in one piece! That headstock for some reason is firmly attached to the neck!🤣😂😂
********** ARE YOU GUY'S SOME KIND OF "TEAM" NOW??..........MAYBE WE SHOULD START CALLING YOU "THE RICK-N-RHETT SHOW" ?? **************
What a dream team then! You're both fantastic, either together or not. Thanks, Rick for bringing Rhett along, supporting his channel and thus teaming up efforts in this incredible altruistic crusade of yours!!!
It's impressive how often Rick and Rhett get together. If I'm not mistaken, Rhett lives near Chicago and Rick is in Atlanta.
Maybe they could start a guitar manufacturing company - Rick-n-Rhett-er, sound familiar? ;)
Im an SG type myself :)
Rick - you mentioned sitting down with your LP. I’ve found a LP to be one of the less lap friendly body styles.
Loving your videos, cheers!
great video guys!!!! one thing not covered is about the headstock style, straight on fenders which makes it harder to break when this hits the floor, opposite to the angled les paul headstock which is the weakest point forths guitars.......
2 oversights: On scale length, you guys left out the fact that the shorter scale length on a LP makes it easier to bend notes, since they are less tight than on a strat. Many players such as EVH have their strats tuned to Eb to loosen the strings for easier bending (and darker tone). On the Gibson tuning issue, that has more to do with the angled (non-parallel) break in the G string at the nut. The angle creates a binding point so that when the string is stretched, it has greater friction to overcome when it returns to its normal state, causing it to bind at the nut and remain a bit sharp. There are workarounds to this problem including the "String Butler".
axe2grind911a yep. the answer for stiff bending was never mentioned as the yrs passed by and my hands were struggling. After I moved not one repair guy had an answer. Lighter gauge strings oh no you don’t want that or tune down. Figured it out myself. Thx to Billy Gibbons. Fixed it myself.
What did you figure out as the solution? What did Billy G have to do with it? You know, there are also string brands that use more flexible steel alloy though I can't remember the brand name. I didn't like them because they also require a greater degree of stretch (distance wise) to achieve the same pitch change as normal strings, so they also mess with your technique.
@@robertwellington2616 BB King asked Billy Gibbons why he was using such heavy strings. Ever since then, Billy's been using lighter gauge. He currently plays sevens. I can't go below nines. I'm too heavy-handed and push the thing out of tune. I'm currently running S.I.T. S946 Rock-n-roll Nickel Wound Electric Guitar String
s. They are light gauge on the top end and heavier on the bottom. Still getting used to the lighter gauge. I've always played heavy, hard strings, trying to run with the big dogs like SRV. It's really nice being able to do a little more lead work and not killing my tendons or my fingertips.
The scale lenght has absolute no effect on keeping a guitar on tune. It's like saying a violin is worse than a viola because it has a shorter scale. I don't know why they keep saying this. Gibson's have a tunning problem because of the headstock tilt.
@@zaxmaxlax Headstock tilt PLUS string angle break from nut to tuner. Combined these create binding.
I am more of an Epiphone Casino Elitist guy. I have a Strat+, but haven’t played it since I got the Epi. Never had a Les Paul, although I’ve tried them at stores. Goddamn heavy to carry.
If an Epiphone was good enough for John Lee Hooker ...
And John, Paul and George
I had one of the IBJL Casinos. It was great in many ways and had some incredible tones but I could never deal with the lower horn on the guitar, which totally blocked off upper neck access.
I rarely play up that high, so don’t find it a problem. I am generally not that big into solos.
Yeah I know people who aren't, too, but I do like frets 9 through 17 quite a bit. I don't go past that generally, but the lower bout was in the way even for those.
I loved the thick neck on the guitar, though, and the satin finish was super comfortable. I live in NY and showed that guitar to the luthier who turned out to have been hired to help measure Lennon's original guitar! He said "yep, looks pretty much like it... they did a good job on the replica."
It’s really a good overview of the 2 guitars. If you have a Les Paul with push/pull split coil wiring on the knobs/pickups you can get a similar Strat/Tele sound without sacrificing the speed of a Les Paul. If you have a Strat/Tele with a humbucker, you can get the fatter sound while being a Strat player. If you can afford it, buy all 3 because no electronics or neck replacements will make one sound, or play like the other. Being a Les Paul player, they are like wearing a boat anchor over your neck and shoulder. Older guitarists choose lighter guitars for obvious reasons. Les Paul on first two sets of the gig, Strat for third, and Tele for the last set!
@5:39 - I could seriously just watch you guys ALL DAY. Hilarious.
A player once told me, 99% of all music was recorded on six guitars: Les Paul, Strat, Tele, 335, Rickenbacker & Gretsch. I couldn't argue with him.
99% of all music with an electric guitar, probably. But definitely not 99% of ALL music
Gretsch and Rickenbacker make a 1% of that 99% AND after Eddie Van Halen both Fender and Gibsons were on the brink of bankrupcy, Ynwie Malmsteem and Slash saved them. But even today people like Mike Stern, Scofield, George Benson and Pat Metheny use Ibanez or Yamaha guitars.
Honestly cant think of Jeff Beck without thinking of that beautiful Tele he gave to Jimmy Page
Great vid as always! However there's no way a maple board is brighter than a rosewood one. It's a myth. I would even go so far as to say there's no audible difference between bodywoods such as alder, mahogany and ash. Could be a super slight diff unplugged, but not when plugged in to an amp. You guys should do a blindtest. Maple vs rosewood board on the same guitar.
Yeah the tonewood myth is ridiculous with electric guitars
Search youtube for "warmoth tone wood guide" for the best comparison of tone versus wood type I have seen. There is definitely a difference in EQ curve and pick attack between the various tone woods on otherwise identical guitar bodies and necks. It's not huge, but it is definitely noticeable in an A/B comparison when playing through a clean amp. If you play with overdrive/dirt, the subtle differences will be masked. That's why I don't bother listening to Chappers demo guitars, he always cranks up the dirt and makes Custom Shop guitars sound the same as a Squire Bullet.
@@JohnShalamskas how can you be certain that the slight tone difference are not in the subtle variations in the pick-ups or the playing? How do you describe the sound differences relating to different wood types?
@@theccarbiter agreed, your obviously a man of science.
@@freddykabulaschnitza2475 If you ever bothered to watch the Warmoth video, you would not have posted this irrelevant question.
I'm planing to build my guitar. So this has been really helpful to figure out the pros and cons to both types of guitars.
Please, do another, or three vids of examples of their differences on songs with the different pickups which y'all mentioned, thanks.
Gibson SG & Fender Telecaster>>>
Since the SG is double cut, should have been Strat/SG and LP/Tele.
Oh gosh, yes! Please do make a video on these.
LOL! Teles destroy SG's. I'm a Strat guy all the way but Teles are arguably the most versatile and useful guitars ever made.
Thanks guys, learned s few more things about these guitars.
Tele for the utility, but an SG for the stage presence.
I’m a Stratoholic
Ive been playing 7.25 radius for too long. I cant quit now.
This is great! I'm about to get my 2nd guitar after my 1st Less Paul. I can now make a more informed decision . Thank you guys!
I really appreciate how you left in that little interchange between you two about flubbing lines repeatedly. Teaching in every moment.
9:30 they do make a difference in how the guitar feels which makes a difference in how you play the guitar; i think that is the ultimate answer to tonewood 😂
My 72 Tele custom with both humbucker and slant single coil laugh at both of the strat and LP 😜
Tony, we’ve all had gear sold wish we could have kept I imagine. I’ve parsed down to simple set up of my 72 Tele, which I don’t play as often, use new G&L ASAT instead, along with Quilter MicroPro Mach II, 6 pedal board, for acoustics- a Recording King dread and a Washburn Woodstock acoustic electric. If I can’t get what is needed from any of those, I’m not playing it. 😁
Tony, Recording King used to be an OEM Gibson Guitars built for Montgomery Wards in the 1930’s, name went dormant now brand picked up and cheaply made in China. A few of the new offshore all solid guitars that were build maybe 8-10 years ago were decent, but mostly cheap beginner models now. I have one of those newer all solid RD-126, addy top, mahogany back and sides, herringbone binding and nice abalone headstock inlay.
Les Paul, cool to have one
Strat must have one
But that’s me
Ditto.
i've been wishing for a discussion like this for quite some time.
Cool info as usual, Great stuff fellas.
Do another but with a Tele vs an SG