Tips For Choosing Between A Stratocaster And A Les Paul
The Fender Stratocaster and the Gibson and Epiphone Les Paul
are arguably the most popular and common electric guitars on the market. They also probably happen to be the most copied guitar styles available, which proves their worth... So it's a common dilemma to the guitar buyer: "should I buy a Stratocaster or a Les Paul?"
So this page will attempt to give some advice about this question of which guitar to buy, by presenting a comparison of some of the features of the two guitars, to explain where they each shine and where they lack. And most importantly, what you should look for in your guitar and how to get what you need at the guitar store.
The best way to begin is to listen to the difference between a stratocaster and a les paul by going to a music store and playing them back to back, but through the same amp. This will allow you to hear the difference between a stratocaster and a les paul, and judge for yourself which of the 2 sounds you like the best, and which sound matches up with the guitar music you like to play.
You might want to learn a little about the design of these guitars in order to understand the reasons for the different sounds of a Les Paul and a Fender Stratocaster:
Tone Difference
A lot has been said about the
differences between the famous les paul and stratocaster. The main difference is in the pickups, with the Les Paul using the Humbucker and the Strat having the single coil pickups. Some could argue that a lot of the difference in tone could be made up for is amp settings and other electronics. It really comes down to you being the judge and trying out a lot of Pauls and Strats and judge for yourself which is best.
Other differences in sound between the Strat and Les Paul could be attributed to major design differences. For example, the Les Paul neck is a set neck, connected to the guitar body. While the Strat is a bolt on neck. Also, the Les Paul has a fixed bridge that doesn't move, and the Stratocaster has the moveable bridge with the whammy bar.
So how will you handle this decision? Some people get one of the guitars, and a short time later get the other. There's nothing wrong with having one of each in your guitar arsenal. They both have a great sound.
