Since the beginning of rock and roll, Fender and Gibson have been like Coke and Pepsi, McDonald’s and Burger King, Apple and PC… you get the picture. So, which company makes a better guitar? Both companies make a solid piece of wood that can last a lifetime. I have been playing guitar for over ten years, and for over ten years I have alternated between my Fender Stratocaster and my Gibson Les Paul. In this article I will go over the main differences between two of rock’s most legendary guitars.
Pickups: Pickups are a very important component in what makes one electric guitar sound different from another. Pickups are what convert the vibration of sound waves into electronic signals. The Fender Stratocaster is known for using single coil pickups. Single coil pickups are infamous for being very noisy, sensitive pickups that will create feedback very easily. Now, most people would look at this as a negative aspect, but depending on the type of sound you’re looking to achieve, it can be a positive attribute. Jimmy Hendrix was able to produce his signature sound by using these noisy pickups to emanate horrific feedback from his Strat. The Gibson Les Paul, on the other hand, has always been know for it’s use of double humbuckers; which produce a much cleaner sound, free of noise and humming.
Pickup selectors and tone/volume knobs: Stratocasters have a five-channel pickup selector, two tone knobs, and one volume knob. The pickup selector can be used to select five different combinations of the three single coil pickups, and the two tone knobs can be used to fine tune any of the combinations. The Les Paul has a three-channel pick up selector (toggle switch), two tone knobs, and one volume knob. Obviously the Les Paul has less options as far as tone is concerned, but the extra volume knob makes a great kill-switch if you turn one channel to 0 and then use the toggle switch to go back and forth.
The Scale Length: Although this is a small difference, literally, is one of the most important. The scale length is length of the strings between the nut and the saddle. The Fender Stratocaster has a 25.5 inch scale length, and the Gibson Les Paul has a 24 ¾ inch scale length. What does that mean? Well, it has a lot to do with the difference in the sound between the two guitars. It also has a lot to do with the playing “action” between one another. A shorter scale length produces a looser string tension, which makes it easier to bend the strings. The scale length can also effect the tuning stability.
The tone: I could go on for pages and pages about the differences in tone between the two guitars. Each guitar has such a unique tone, and also has such a dynamic range of tones that it can produce. All of the greatest guitar players in history, with few exceptions, have played one of these two guitars. Stratocasters have a thinner, more open sound; and Les Pauls have a thicker, fuller sound. I would not suggest playing a Stratocaster in a metal band, but you could probably get away with using a Les Paul. Nonetheless, with enough tweaking, you can make a Strat sound thick like a Les Paul, or make a Les Paul sound crisp and punchy like a Strat. So much of an electric guitar’s sound depends on the amplifier, as well. I suppose if you know that you always prefer one sound over the other, the choice is obvious; but if you like to mix up your sound a lot, you should probably spend more time considering the aforementioned differences. If all else fails, you can do what I did and buy both.
There are a lot of other differences I could go about, such as tuning pegs, bridges, solid body verse bolt neck , etc… but you really need to get out there and try both guitars for yourself.
