Tone Challenge! Tele vs Les Paul Special
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- Опубликовано: 20 апр 2020
- Tone Challenge! My beloved Partscaster Tele vs the amazing Gibson Les Paul Special. Which one do you like better? Vote in the comments section!
Telecaster: Custom Shop Twisted Tele Pickups
Gibson Les Paul Special: stock Gibson P90s
P90s vs Single Coils
Amplitube 4 Settings:
Amplitube Jimi Hendrix Collection: bit.ly/2zgSts0
Amplitube Max: bit.ly/2RVjvvz
Clean:
American Vintage D Amp (based on the Fender Dual Showman)
Cab: 2x15 Closed DJ130
Volume: 10
Bass, Middle, Treble, Presence: 6
Gain: 7
Little bit of reverb
No Pedals
Crunch:
American Vintage D Amp (based on the Fender Dual Showman)
Cab: 2x15 Closed DJ130
Volume: 10
Bass, Middle, Treble, Presence: 6
Gain: 7
Overdrive Pedal: Diode Overdrive (Amplitube 4). Tone at 6, Volume at 9, Distortion at 0
Little bit of reverb
High Gain:
Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier
Cab: 2x5 Closed DJ130
Volume: 9
Bass: 5
Mid: 5
Treble: 6
Presence: 6
Gain: 9
Little bit of delay
No Pedals 
Развлечения
I'd go with the LP Special. I've spent years gigging with both types of guitar and I now prefer the double P90 les paul (even though I now avoid the Gibson company like the plague and use copies) .
I appreciate the idea of using the same amp settings for this demo, but really it would be better to adjust the EQ and gain slightly for each guitar to get their best sound and then compare. This demo made the Tele a bit thin and the Special a bit gritty.
Tough choice, but I'd go with the Les Paul, especially with distortion
I listen with my eyes and I own a tele, so I vote for the tele. Thanks for helping me further validate my purchase. Joking aside, I wouldn’t be unhappy with either guitar when it comes to the tone. The tele cleans seemed cleaner than the LP, but as others have commented rolling off the volume would make a difference. I prefer the “sharper “crunch of the tele, but the “beefier” crunch of the LP was also very nice. No surprise why both guitars are so popular. For your next video maybe something that helps me further validate my purchase of a Marshall 15w combo. Thanks 😊
how can either one win. Two great iconic sounds.
both great
Guitar Movies: (Replying to your reply)
Yes, I got my Les Paul Special. I went with the cherry red.
It's a fantastic guitar. There are a couple of minor QC issues, the types for which Gibson is infamous, but after tweaking the pickup height a bit, it's sounding really good.
Awesome!
They have their own unique feel and tonal characteristics. From the significant neck differences to Gibson P90s and Fender or other Tele pickups it's like comparing apples to oranges IMO. It comes down to personal preference, or in my case an appreciation for both of them, so I own both. Nice video.
This was great thanks. What gauge and brand strings did you end up with on the special? As a mainly Fender guy as well who just bought a Les Paul 50s gold
Top w p90s I’m feeling like I need to bump up to 11s the 10s I usually go with just feel too loose but loving this les Paul!
This is why I own both. I have the 2019 Les Paul Special in TV Yellow and a Fender Telecaster Am Pro. They are IMO the most well rounded guitars I’ve ever owned. My go to guitar is my Les Paul Special however.
Mike Richeson your Sweetwater ruined my life video was spot on what happened to me. My wife thought it was hilariously accurate.
Count me in!! =)
I have both of those guitars myself. Just paid off the tele today. Only travel I have is choosing which one to play love them both
Telecaster, especially for clean+crunch. The surprise, though, was that those tones were from Amplitube. It records very well-I may have to try it again.
good job! appreciate the head to head.
I assume the P90's will clean up fully if gain is dropped and/or guitar volume is lower? That would help me decide which for me because I love that really clean sound but love the crunch of the P90 when wanted.
They clean up beautifully.
You know which one sounds best, you just don't want to admit it to yourself.
I came by this knowledge sorely.
I think that with Eq setting specifically for each guitar you wouldn’t be able to pick a winner. Both are awesome. I do think the P90s I wouldn’t be able get rid of though.
Maaad that you have under 3k subs mate, gonna enjoy seeing your channel grow! I like the Tele clean, I LOVE the LP with gain, P90's are just untouchable with grit.
I love Teles but I recently bought the Epiphone 2020 (inspired by Gibson) TV yellow special and have not put it down for two months. I happend to have a set of Wolfetone p90s that I installed in it and it just made this guitar unbelievably good. Thinking about adding a bigsby b7. This thing is a modding monster.
They’re such fun guitars! I was thinking about putting some Lollar pickups in mine with the raw nickel covers.
Wolfetone pickups are AMAZING!! Have them in all my guitars. Particularly the Marshallhead in the bridge....just wow.
Which Wolfetone pickups did you get? I’m debating a set for myself
@@baltipszlr3398 I Have a mean in the neck and a meanest in the bridge. These suit me well the neck is big bouncy and bright and the bridge is Rock. I also added a blower switch for each pickup with push pull pots. This bypasses the volume and tone circuit and basically sends the pickup direct to the output jack.
My two favorite guitars. My lp special is my main one but I still play my tele too.
both are awesome in their own way hands down. but I will go with the LP in any day. it's so beefy!!
The parstcaster Tele is a nicely assembled tone. The LP is out of the box standard issue. Both are solid tools for workhorse slabs. Some segments I found myself preferring the Tele, other segments, the LP, and still other segments I really had a harder time telling the difference to even prefer one to the other. It's a tie, I think you should keep both. I have a couple of basic Teles & a LP Special P90. I'd probably sell off one of the Teles, so I still have one of each. But either as a have one and not the other, that's a decision I hope to never have to make.
There is a slight difference but that's why have both and play these types almost exclusively, aside from the occasional craving for my strat and SG standard,oh and my PRS custom 22 !
aunt jenifer Both is definitely the right choice!
LP Soecial wins on the crunch. Both sound great and both are so different!
I think the LP was clipping quite a bit. I love both guitars but I think you need to level adjust for the LP
Yeah p90’s are just too hot of a pickup to keep at the same level as a tele
I have an old first-year MiM Nashville Tele that converted to dual pups, Seymour; Broadcaster in bridge & SSL-1 Strat pup in neck. It's an amazing sounding axe.
(I LOVE TELES.)
'Clean' goes to the Tele while the LPS (a model I am buying in the next two weeks) wins the 'Crunch' category.
Having said this, I love how the LPS neck pup sounds clean.
Btw, my screen name is a tribute to the Man, not the guitar.
I'd say the Tele sounded best overall, but a little fiddling with P90's on the LP and it would be closer.
I have a Tele and got a Gibson LP special just today. Both wonderful, versatile guitars. They really compliment one another well.
The smell of the LP on my hands, though. Gibson need a new guitar cologne.
Personally I like the cut of the Telecaster bridge. It cuts through any mix or any band and is very clear and articulate no matter the venue/band. You can use amps and effects ( mid boost) to bridge the gap somewhat from a Telecaster to a P 90 sound but you can't use an amp or effects to get the clarity and cut of Telecaster pickups from a p 90. You can roll treble and clarity off but you can't add it like you can on a Tele bridge pickup. The Telecaster bridge is the perfect starting point for my sound personally I can always build off it. I pair mine with a Dynasonic in the neck again for maximum clarity articulation from both pickups and cut and roll back my tone when I need to. Running them in series can be even better. But the other way around... when you CAN'T cut through the mix, or your too muddy to through the big sound system...when you sounded great at a lower volume... or the sheer break up of the p 90 starts to reduce your clarity too much playing live at very high volumes you can't turn a knob to fix that. Things may sound great to us guitarists or at a low to medium volume. We also listen as guitarists and were used to listening for specific things. So what sounds good and clear to us dosnt mean an audience will hear it the same if they don't have a guitarists ear. But through loud amps with a whole band through a PA system is a whole different ball game sound wise to what you hear in your bedroom or even at rehearsal. In my experience the guitarist with the clearest most articulate sound that cuts when needed and is not only easy to hear for an audience over the band,... BUT also the audience can distinguish every note and easily follow along and get in to your music.. That's the guitarist at the end of the show people will relate to the most and remember regardless of talent. If an audience has to work at all to hear you clearly no matter how good you are regular people won't focus extra hard to hear your playing and get into it your music. Instead you need to grab an audience and clarity is the way to get regular peoples attention. The P 90 Kicks butt by itself but as the volume increases along with the band it gets harder and harder to hear the notes clearly and get into your playing. I love p 90s a ton but live in my experience I would hear the guy with the Telecaster at a show much better. That Telecaster Bridge pickup is the ultimate weapon in my book to ensure no matter the venue an audience can hear me nice and clear over the band and through a big sound system and I grab there attention. I can always roll my sound back and boost mids etc... But the times I need that extra clarity and treble of that Telecaster pickup that may sound harsh at low volumes on it's own... But with a full band and sound system it sounds incredible and cuts through all the noise straight to an audience members ears. Watch the other bands guitarists gear on stage and listen to each guitarists tone from band to band. You will be surprised at how it sounds from the point of view of the audience compared to what you think you sound like. The more low end and the more distortion you have the harder it is to hear every note and get into the music. I found watching alot of other bands at shows the guitarist with the most treble cut/ clarity for solos (within reason obviously) had the biggest impact. Also the cleaner the amp the heavier the sound to an audience for the same reasons. Low end is not your friend at high volumes and distortion will distort more and more the louder you get. Obviously for heavy metal or very hard rock a Telecaster isn't your best choice because your building a wall of mids so to speak. You want chunk and a great blend of the low end not every string/note articulated. But Marty Friedman I've heard used single coils to record his Megadeth solos. So for solos you want that articulation but have to compromise for heavy rhythm playing. P Rails are amazing for metal for that reason. For Heavy music a p 90 ala Sabbath is my favorite tone. But if I'm playing at a reasonable gain level and not heavy metal the Telecaster and Dynasonics are the most versatile to my ears by far. I feel like it gives me an edge over other guitarists
The first time I really noticed what you’re describing was years ago while in Austin. A lot of the bands down there use Telecasters, and every time I could clearly hear that sound compared to other guitars either getting lost or just being a general wall of sound.
I don’t disagree with your point, except for two things. As a Les Paul jr - one pickup player - you can nail that tele neck tone on a Jr by picking at the 22nd fret. All without switching pickups. As well, a jr cuts through any mix. The only thing is the tele is a clearer - articulated guitar. I’ll give you that.
That's the point, Baroque Guitarist!
I like them both, and think they are useful for what each of them do. They do not sound the same. Great. Then I need them both. 👍
Tele has an airier, more open sound. Gibosn is very cut and dry, especially on clean settings.
I don't think the guitars can compete with each each other. They are great in their own right and neither is better than the other.(those are really nice tele pickups though.
I was thinking so too.
I came from a humbucker background, but I’m learning to really love and appreciate single coils more and more these days.
This video shows just how expressive a single coil pickup can be!
A Les Paul Special growls and a Telecaster twangs. That's why I also have a 2019 Gibson Les Paul Special and 4 telecasters ( Maybach T54 and T61 Red Rooster, Nash T-57 HN, Haar Traditional T-52. I like all of them !
Did you hear the growl on this Tele with the Mesa ? It was more growl than the Les Paul special.
I do have a soft spot for teles but the special just does it for me especially how it reacts to gain. P90s just cut through so much better.
it's so hard to deny the dynamics of P90s,. They are my preferred pickup, because they respond to picking attack so well. You can hear it in your clean demo. Hit them hard, pushing the front end into a little breakup.
@@guitarmovies as do I. Don't get me wrong.....the tele is perfect. It was my first good guitar, and I still play it often. However, the other 2 guys I jam with both often grab their tele......so I grab either my streamliner Gretsch or my old Jr. Just to fill a different sonic space.
Nothing will EVER beat the sound of the Gibson P90!!!!
(Except for maybe free pudding, cuz free pudding trumps everything)
Personally I liked the Tele best for clean, but the Les Paul when distortion is added.
I have the same feeling, so Tele for Blues/Jazz/Rock/Pop/Indie/Garage, and LPS for ... humm Punk ?
The bridge PUP’s on both are just SO good, but that Tele neck pickup... damn. Tele for the W.
I have the same Gibson LP Special, and to be fair, both sounds great.
Also, both have completely different tones, so it's very subjective.
I have a Classic Vibe Squier Tele 50's, which I really like and sounds great I think.
Depends on what I looking I like the tones of one or the other (although the LP is my favorite guitar so I play it more, hehe)
Bottom line, both are winners for me :)
Paul for me. The only reason I would ever play a strat or tele is for the clean on the neck, but the p90 does it just fine, with a little more heft.
I might be being an idiot but what’s the 4th position on the tele? I couldn’t see that it’s got a middle pickup like a Nashville or anything?
It's the middle position (bridge & neck) in series instead of in parallel. It's a humbucker-ish sound.
My pick is the LP Special, but I have just gained a better appreciation of the Telecaster.
The winner is my Gretsch Duo Jet with TV Jones T-Armonds. Better Distortion than the Special and more open round cleans than the Tele, and I love a good tele.
I was going to ask you to test the sustainability between both guitars; until I noticed your smile near the final frames while the Special just kept going after you stopped!
My vote leans toward the Special (I’m trying to be biased about it, but I have to admit that anything close I would have said the same).........
The Special wins the sustain challenge by a lot. I love that guitar.
@@guitarmovies I thought so!
😀👍
Special!
They are just different period, even if you changed the electronics and pups around with one another from/to both guitars they would still be different period. There are just too many variables to get into here, especially if you include everything that is guitar and that which pertains to the playing of guitar plugged or unplugged or using any sound source and a dry or wet signal, just different period. Both guitars have their place in the musical arts but we sure have a GR8T time experimenting and forever coming up with more or new playing techniques and articulations, musical knowledges that bring us musicians endless possibilities of Tone ! ! ! 👍👍👍 😁 Peace & Play 🎸 On . . . 😎 🎸🤘 DDHarris 4-21-2020.
Both are great..
For me the tele is the best overall..
Telecaster! But in all fairness those P90s are 🔥
The Les Paul is something of a one trick pony - it has a heavier crunch than Tele but does not clean up so well. The Tele is more flexible, with a great clean sound and a respectable crunch. It would be nice to have both, but if only one, the Tele covers more bases.
Not necessarily; IF you know how to use the volume and tone controls the Gibby can produce some sweet, chimey tones.
Both have their strong points, and uses. The Tele is brighter, and is perfect for some solo work. The Special is darker and warmer. It's often described as "fatter", a very pleasing tone for rock playing. The pickups are obviously going to give different tones, but part of it is the wood. Mahogany is an amazing tonewood. I can enjoy just sitting and playing any mahogany electric unplugged, and it sounds great to me. I have a few different Fenders, mostly basswood, and a couple of Gibsons, mahogany of course, and other guitars made of different woods (including mahogany), plus acoustics. I love the resonance of that wood. It's great that you played them with the same amp settings for each pickup and gain. It's a true side by side comparison. I suppose if settings are tweaked for ideal Tele tone, it would win a contest, and the same for the Special. Both are obviously great guitars.
Up to Neck Crunch Tele was killing LP but after that pretty damn even.. Loved the dirty sound of both BUT if I had to choose one to play consistently it'd have to be the Tele. Those Twisted Tele pickups are AMAZING.
Both are excellent. The Tele is crisp and clean while the LP is nasty with attitude. Just depends the music you're playing. If I could only have one, it would have P90s.
Michael Brown Agreed!
It's subjective, but I definitely prefer the extra beef of the Les Paul.
In this vid, Tele sounds better. In other vids, the LP Special sounds better than it does here
I just bought the special. I watched another of your videos and countless others to make decision. The tele is classic and in a masters hands it’s a dream machine. The special comes with built in soul, you can hear it’s sad story the tele just came here to break stuff. Great vid!
Mike Richeson oh dude that video was pretty much the clincher for me. I had to exchange Lp Standard 50’s p90, because the one I received was is in bad shape up around the neck. So I watched your video I think last night at like 2am after watching a bunch of others and that was that. Maybe when I’m in my 50’s I’ll get a LP 50’s Standard from the custom shop or something, but for right now that special is howling to mess thanks again, awesome videos!
The lp has more mid range which is why it drives so much harder. But the teller was more articulate to me. Imo these r rly the two most versatile guitar designs but the lp doesn’t have to be the special out just has to have p90s
Les Paul Special!
The P-90 pickup is not talked about enough, it's a fantastic pickup that cleans up well and has attitude. On the
other hand? The Tele fat bridge pickup? nothing sounds like it, it has it's own meanness and charm. It would be best if you had both guitars, one is not better than the other.
My vote is the Gibson. Might need to hear the Master Of Puppets solo to make my final decision though.
Two great guitars. I've always liked the Telecaster bridge pickup, because it has a lot of bite. I'd say the Les Paul Special is better balanced overall, although it's like comparing apples with oranges. If you are into single coil pickups, you might want both.
Different instruments for different applications. You cant really say one sounds better than the other cos the big question is What music style?
Great video. Tele wins. The p90s sound good with crunch, but clean not so much. Note definition the telecaster wins by far as the p90s can be a bit muddy. I love both Telecaster and Les paul but I prefer les Paul's with humbuckers. Both great guitars. Great video
Try turning the volume down just a few notches with a P90. You'll change your mind
The Special got a little muddy for me. I liked the Tele for most of the comparisons; until we got to the high gain sounds. P90's burned a little nicer I thought
If you turn the volume down on a P90, it WILL clean the tone better than with any other type of pickup
Les Paul Special w/P90s
Someone commented recently that the special is like a tele but with balls. You can see that.
Gibson hands down
I don't think I can make an honest assessment, because you didn't use the volume controls of the guitars. In the cleans, rolling the volume off on a P-90 considerably sweetens it up, and smooths it out. But, it's never quite as articulate as a Tele neck PUP. Same goes for tone controls.
I'm declaring a tie, based on the evidence presented. Or, as Spock said, "Insufficient data, Captain."
Telecaster fan, but special all the way
Tele for me because of clear tone and in distortion also was not much behind gibson. Gibson clear tone was way behind tele for me.
I think a Friedman Vintage T with P90s is in your future.
Those look amazing. Lots of $$$ though
@@guitarmovies True, but they are destination instruments. I’m going to trade in several of my guitars for it. I’ve realized only recently that I am a Tele guy.
Supperconductor I’ll reach out and see if they’ll let me demo one.
Les Paul sounded better imo. But hey to each their own.
So, in bridge and middle the Les Paul sounds like a Tele on steroids with some of the highs rolled off. Buttttt, the Les Paul just doesn’t do the neck single coil thing, so gonna gonna go with the Tele on this one.
I just really think that you have to adjust the volume for such different types of guitars. That being said I think they both Sound great. The LP does break up a lot easier which tells me that the volume control would be invaluable on clean tones. However, on the crunches and the OD, the P90s sound awesome compared to the Tele IMHO.
Take a telecaster + à keyztone exchanger and its all you need
Telecaster wins, despite the hype associated with the Les Paul special.
Hype?
P90 Les Paul Specials are worth every penny.
Sorry but the Telecaster gets my vote.
Articulation of the Tele far superior. If the house is burning, go for the tele.
Tele for me
]
Neither to me. They both have a vibe. They have their own thing, neither beating the other. The tele had an undeniable sharp aggressive tone. You can tell those twisted tele pickups.
p90's all the way .
Well isn't that SPECIAL.... LP 90's for days.. you could have cleaned it up by rolling the volume and tone a little, but the Tele can't grow balls..
Les Paul Special. The clearly hotter than the Tele's pickups. I know that you used the same amp settings for the comparison but the bass stayed tight with the Tele but fotted out with the Special.
I’ve been messing with pickup height on the LPS, and now it sounds even better. Still a lot boomier than the Tele but more dynamic.
@@guitarmovies I have one, a TV Yellow. How do you adjust them?
Robert Houston If you look at the pickups you’ll see two screws. Screw them in to lower the height, back the off to raise it. I put the neck pickup at about half the height of the bridge pickup.
@@guitarmovies Thanks
Tele clearly better !(My own opinion)
Les Paul all day. The tele starts to sound like a muddled mess when you start upping the gain and distortion
MY VOTE IS FOR GIBSON
Tele and a strat would be a better comparison. The Special has balls the Tele could never match.
Gibson. Te da un sonido con más cuerpo.
estoy de acuerdo (That's from Google Translate so if it's wrong blame google!)
P90s win for me but I like the dirtier sound. Got both so…
They're way too different
Horses for courses.
Gibson
I wish you rolled off the volume for the "clean" tones. A P90 has so much to explore tonewise just with the volume pot and I don't really think I'd call a P90 pickup with the volume at 10 to really be a clean signal. It's just too hot and bitey - which is a great tone - but a clean tone with P90 rolled off a little is a special thing. And besides, who plays anything with the volume pot at 10?
Also, the EQ/amp needs to be adjusted differently for each guitar. I never use my amp or pedals on the same settings for different guitars with different pickups. A good comparison would be best tone vs best tone rather than a compromise setup on the amp and pedals for both guitars.
God... Don't you just hate random RUclipsrs with all their suggestions how they'd do it better? Feel free to ignore this and all RUclips comments. I really like your videos and sad you're not really making new content.
I retired
@@guitarmovies I figured as much. You make good videos, I'd be curious to see your non-guitar material. I liked how your videos attempted to tell a story and was humorous.
Best of luck to you.
Tele wins
strong preference for the Tele - I just can't stand what makes a p90 sound like a p90 :D
The telly sounds much better, lightyears. I thought That the P-90 are better, in am dissappointed
Some of the feedback I got was that the comparison wasn't fair because I just used the same settings for both guitars, and that's a reasonable complaint. When I dial in the tone for each, I still very much prefer my Tele for clean tone. But if I want some more gain or fuzz, those P90s are amazing.
Tele
Tele x 1000
I feel like youre comparing apples to oranges
Dave Barone Which guitars am I allowed to compare?
Your 'clean tones' (according to the captions you put up) are often ACTUALLY *overdriven* sounds in many of these clips. What is it about rock guitarists that for them clean means overdriven? I come from a jazz background, where clean MEANS clean. You do NOT hear Jonathan Kriesberg, Pat Martino, Pascuale Grasso, Pat Metheny, Mike Moreno or Joe Pass describing overdriven sounds as clean tones.
Jazz. lol
@@guitarmovies Here's the thing: What most jazz guitarists want is an amp with MASSES of *headroom,* where there is NO WAY that - even 'by accident' - you get some kind of distortion.
A Roland Jazz Chorus JC 120 would be an example of such an amplifier. It's the polar opposite of most Marshall amps, for example - or perhaps Mesa Boogies - which are designed SPECIFICALLY to produce distortion even at relatively low volumes.
So far as most jazz guitarists are concerned, distored/overdriven sounds are to be avoided at all costs.
But so fixated on distortion and overdriven sounds are most rock guitarists, that if the distorition is relatively minimal, you guys seem to be entirely UNAWARE that this is what you're listening to.
@@guitarmovies For good measure, here's an example of someone playing bebop jazz (medium tempo) on an Edwards Les Paul Special, using a lovely clean tone:
ruclips.net/user/results?search_query=Edwards+Les+Paul+Special+P90+Jazz+Tone+kharchenko_guitar
@@timelwell7002 I'm not entirely sure what your goal is here, but I don't care about jazz. I don't play jazz. I don't listen to jazz. I don't make videos about how to play jazz or chase jazz tones. I didn't even know people still listened to jazz. So you ranting about other guitarists not understanding the deep magic of jazz tone is... weird. Can you imagine if I watched a jazz video and then got pissed because they didn't sound like Jimi Hendrix? Go listen to jazz and enjoy that glorious headroom if that's your thing.
@@guitarmovies Perhaps you're missing my point. I wanted to hear clean tones but they were still overdriven - therefore they were not in fact clean. THAT was my point.
Who dials in a LP the same as a Tele, null and void I’m afraid.
Mike Richeson indeed, but for me the LP sounds muddy and turned me off, I have the exact guitar and dial it in and it sounds awesome as you know, so the compromise is too much I think.
Unlabled Telecaster with a strange headstock? But it is a Fender? Sure? Or you maybe kidding us? 🤔 Gibson sounds much better. No Comparison.
Casters way tooo bright .
Both don't sound great sorry to say that.
Gibson for EVER.