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Stratocaster or Les Paul

Strat. I play slightly like Mark Knopfler in RH technique, and for me that flies much more freely on a Strat. I can dig in more, and get more out, with a Fender style bridge, has more pop for the way I play. I like the single coil sound ... especially through some of my vintage amps (I'm talkin' vintage, like late 30's - early 50's). I even built my own Strat, which is my main axe nowadays. Nothing against Gibson really, I own a couple, but when it comes down to it ... gotta be the Strat!
 
Les Paulina










This just underscores that, for me, I don't care what they play- it's how they play it!! Such a TREMENDOUS GUITARIST!! Thanks for the post... (and the chills.:thumbsup:)

As a footnote, I read Roy Buchanan appeared at a studio with a then late 50's Les Paul "Black Beauty" Custom to show his prowess was not relegated to only his early 50's Tele... I've heard the recording somewhere and, it is true- "Sounds Like Roy"!:)
 
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Why come telecaster is used in country so much? I like the look of a tele.
Because it's easy to make them sound twangy? The lack of a middle pickup imparts a different sound to teles than strats have. They're also relatively simple. Two pickups, a switch, and a volume and tone knob, which is attractive to many people. I think partly also the look seems more "rustic" than a strat. That said, teles are widely used outside of country, too. When I saw the doom metal band Bongripper, one of their guitarists was using a tele.

Strat by far, les pauls are extremely uncomfortable to hold and play.
I actually find the necks on Les Pauls usually to be more comfortable than on strats. But I prefer SGs to Les Pauls.


One thing I actually really like is when there are two guitarists and one is using a Les Paul or SG (or some other double-humbucker guitar) while the other is using a strat or a tele. The combination of tones sounds cool.
 
Because it's easy to make them sound twangy? The lack of a middle pickup imparts a different sound to teles than strats have. They're also relatively simple. Two pickups, a switch, and a volume and tone knob, which is attractive to many people. I think partly also the look seems more "rustic" than a strat. That said, teles are widely used outside of country, too. When I saw the doom metal band Bongripper, one of their guitarists was using a tele.

Not to mention that Jimmy Page played a Tele through a Supro for the early Zeppelin albums. They handle rock and roll just fine.

Of the OP's choices, I'd say Les Paul - at least, if you're going to be the only guitar in the band. Guitarists I've played with, the humbuckers just seem to fill the space better.

If the band has two guitarists, one (probably rhythm) with a Les Paul and the other with a Strat or Tele. Single coils to cut through.

But my own preferred style of guitar (of which I have a grand total of one example, but GAS for more...) is a "custom tele"-style instrument, which is to say a Tele with a neck humbucker, liek Andy Summers played in the Police. You can get all the warmth and fullness you want from the neck and all the bite for solos you want from the bridge. What I've got is a Godin Session Custom, but Fender has a version of the setup and the G&L Bluesboy does the same thing.
 
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Each instrument is best suited to its own niche(s), so ultimately they're both of value...depending on the application. While it's hard to imagine David Gilmour or Robin Trower sounding quite like Gilmour or Trower on a Les Paul, it's also tough to imagine Slash or Zakk Wylde sounding like Slash or Wylde on a Stratocaster. For that matter, would Carlos Santana sound like the Carlos Santana using a Rickenbacker 360-12...or Roger McGuinn sound like the Roger McGuinn using a Paul Reed Smith?

MM
OTOH, Pete Townshend has gone from a Ric to an SG to a Les Paul to a (Schecter) Tele to a Strat.
 
Not to mention that Jimmy Page played a Tele through a Supro for the early Zeppelin albums. They handle rock and roll just fine.

Of the OP's choices, I'd say Les Paul - at least, if you're going to be the only guitar in the band. Guitarists I've played with, the humbuckers just seem to fill the space better.

If the band has two guitarists, one (probably rhythm) with a Les Paul and the other with a Strat or Tele. Single coils to cut through.

But my own preferred style of guitar (of which I have a grand total of one example, but GAS for more...) is a "custom tele"-style instrument, which is to say a Tele with a neck humbucker, liek Andy Summers played in the Police. You can get all the warmth and fullness you want from the neck and all the bite for solos you want from the bridge. What I've got is a Godin Session Custom, but Fender has a version of the setup and the G&L Bluesboy does the same thing.
Most guitarists I know seem to do the opposite, actually. Bridge for rhythm, bridge or neck for lead. Most.

But yeah, like I said before, I like when in a two guitar band, the guitarists are using very different instruments from each other.
 
Because it's easy to make them sound twangy? The lack of a middle pickup imparts a different sound to teles than strats have. They're also relatively simple. Two pickups, a switch, and a volume and tone knob, which is attractive to many people. I think partly also the look seems more "rustic" than a strat. That said, teles are widely used outside of country, too. When I saw the doom metal band Bongripper, one of their guitarists was using a tele.


I actually find the necks on Les Pauls usually to be more comfortable than on strats. But I prefer SGs to Les Pauls.


One thing I actually really like is when there are two guitarists and one is using a Les Paul or SG (or some other double-humbucker guitar) while the other is using a strat or a tele. The combination of tones sounds cool.

I have no problem with the necks, it's the bodies I can't stand. I actually like SGs better than both strats and Les Pauls lol....
 
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