Fender or Gibson?

[Mark L]

Or something else?

[Anderton]

Well you know what my answer would be But really, doesn't it depend on what you seek from a guitar? They are pretty different.

 

I joke with people that one great thing when I joined Gibson is they didn't make me get rid of my Strats...but then again, I never had a Strat, I never had good chemistry with that guitar. OTOH I like Telecasters and have a pink paisley 1966 Tele...however it doesn't get much use because the Tele emulation I did for the Gibson FBX and the model in the Variax give the sound I want in a guitar that feels better to me.

 

In addition to several Gibson guitars my other axes are the first PRS Signature Series guitar, a Dan Armstrong plexiglas guitar Dan himself worked on (with a prototype pickup for country music), a blond Rickenbacker 360 12-string, and a James Tyler Variax. They all have their uses and special sounds, and the PRS is particularly interesting because it kind of bridges the Gibson/Fender gap. But 90% of the time what gets the call is the 2014 Les Paul Standard in the "I Say Yes" and "I Want My Heaven Now" videos. It just "feels" right in my hands.

[AlamoJoe]

Both....Plus it's a trick question really. There are so many different models over so many eras from both manufacturers that comparisons and arguments have the potential of tumbling into the infinite.

 

just a couple...

A Les Paul is not a Strat, A Strat is not a Les Paul.

A 335 is not a SG...Nor are either a Tele..Nor a Tele either.

 

 

[bookumdano4]

Brunette or blonde or something else. Yes to all three.

[Mats Nermark]

First you get one of each and then variations of these.

 

Cheers,

 

Mats N

[Mikeo]

Different tools for different jobs.

 

I have never sold a Gibson product or Fender product I have purchased in the last 40 years.

 

As a mater of fact I have not sold that many guitars I have purchased ever. I have instruments by Gibson, Fender Rickenbacker, Gretsch, Martin and PRS. I did sell a few amps along the way. Those 70-100 Mesa amps don't get any lighter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[philboking]

The defendant went to trial for beating her husband to death with his guitar. The judge asked "First offender?" She stood up and said "No, first a Gibson. But when that broke, then I used a Fender to finish him off."

 

My first Gibson was an SG. I loved the tone, but my hands are about 4.5 inches wide and the scale was too short for comfort. I always felt like my fingers were tripping over each other. I traded that for a Strat, which wasn't a smart financial decision but a great musical one. Everything became much easier. About 10 years later I bought an ES355, which also has a long scale. It is the finest guitar I've ever played, though it's a very heavy beast. (It's the BB King Lucille model, which is not really hollowbody. He had them remove the chambers to avoid feedback, so it's essentially a very large solid body.) And it's a bit too expensive to take out gigging, so it's not really my go-to performing axe. That is still the Strat.

[onelife]

Or something else?

 

Yamaha

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bookumdano4]

 

Yamaha

 

 

 

 

a-ha.......s-e-e-e-e-e-e-e what I was sayin' a few months ago?...... the "E" falls off the pickguard.

 

[nice keetee]

E. All of the above

[Mandolin Picker]

There's always a Martin if looking for a really good acoustic (even for lefties!)

 

[Bucksstudent]

Epiphone.

[gismo recording]

I like a band to have two guitarists. One who plays a Strat and one who plays a Les Paul.

 

[gismo recording]

Definitely Martin for acoustic.

[gismo recording]

Or a Tele and an SG.

[daddymack]

had to think this over...and then came to the conclusion....'or' does not fit the equation.

Four Gibsons, three Fenders, two Epiphones, a Guild, a Martin and a bunch of others....but no more Rickenbackers...and no Gretsch [although I have a custom made guitar that is, well, very Gretsch-y] ...for now

[daddymack]

or just one really good guitarist who brings a Les, and a Strat, and a Tele, and an ES...

[philboking]

Definitely a better deal, especially if you get it set up right....

[onelife]

You could just get one of these...

 

 

[Zooey]

I connect with Fenders more with Gibsons and chances are that I always will. I like the way they feel and I like the way they sound. I do have a 335 that gets used for specific kinds of gigs, but it's never the guitar I would grab first. I would never presume to tell anyone that they should be the same way but I would be lying if I said I didn't have a strong preference.

 

Most of my "Fenders" are actually G&Ls. I've got three of them.

[Phil O'Keefe]

Put me down in the "all of the above" category please. I have guitars from several different companies, including both Gibson and Fender. I've loved products from both (as well as other companies) since I first started playing.

[philboking]

A Godin? I have one and love it! Mine only has 2 humbuckers though.

[Luke17]

Ginger or Mary Ann?

[Anderton]

I'm not sure it comes down to "brand." For example I've never had good chemistry with Strats, but I like Teles. Then again, yes, I'm into the Les Paul Standard but the Gibson FBX has more of a Tele feel and I tend to use that instead of the Tele. So the bottom line there is I'm playing a Gibson because it feels like a Tele, but has more tonal options.

[AlamoJoe]

I'm not sure it comes down to "brand." For example I've never had good chemistry with Strats' date=' but I like Teles. Then again, yes, I'm into the Les Paul Standard but the Gibson FBX has more of a Tele feel and I tend to use that instead of the Tele. So the bottom line there is I'm playing a Gibson because it feels like a Tele, but has more tonal options.[/quote']

I seem to have arguments with every guitar I've ever picked up. Sorry, yet at the same time a bit delighted that you too find conflict in these areas. There is a German phrase for that, which escapes me at the moment...And I'm too lazy to Google it.