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[family man]

I've been contemplating learning how to play the guitar. Is there a sound difference between a Fender "stratocaster" vs a Gibson "Les Paul" sytle guitars? I've always like the "Les Paul" sytle and I like rock, blues and rockabilly music.

[arpydave]

The question of whether I am a guitar "player" is debatable.  I say yes, but I'm sure my family would disagree!     

I have a Les Paul clone, but have never tried a Strat so I can't really tell ya.

But since I have a few tidbits of advice not totally relevant to the question in your post, I'll PM ya. 

[the nosh]

the les paul will give you a more robust full sound. the strat more tinty imo.

get yourself a cheap but playable guitar to learn. les pauls are quite expensive!

check out a gibson melody maker...they use to make them back in the sixties and are remaking them now. bout 350-400 bucks. you cant go wrong.

[The Chicken]

The Fender Strat has a narrower neck than Gibson Guitars.  The Les Paul has a narrower neck than the other line of Gibson guitars. and some lines you can choose from a flat fret board, to one that has a slight curve.

You won't find a Gibson or a Fender Strat for less than 1k.. and there are Fender Strats that are made in Mexico, ive heard a lot of bad things about.. you can tell where they are from by the price...

I would suggest looking at their brands that are yes... made in China,  Fender's line is called the squire, you can even get one with a tremolo.. They are Ok, I'm not a fender person. 

Gibson's Epiphone line is made in China,  I have to admit they are rather good.  They use the same specs as the American made ones.. Same pickups. 

You can get a Les Paul II starter pack from Musician's friend for $199 I think.. It comes with a practice amp, strap etc.. 

Guitar City did have Les Paul Juniors for $69.00 on Black Friday... 

Then there are the Epiphone Dot's..  They are a semi hollow body f-hole archtop with a sound and Volume control, a Dot Studio starts at about $299.00 great guitars..

Then there is the Ephiphone ES-335 which is identical to the Gibson G-335 they play and sound great.. two volume and two sound controls with a 3 way switch. 

The problem a person in Monroe has is finding a large enough store that carries the different brands so you can go a "feel" the difference..  Sam Ashe, The Guitar Center both carry these types of guitars.

If you are looking for an amp, let me suggest the Fender DEC 30. It's a modeling amp (meaning it is programmed to sound like other classic amps) it also has a drum machine, rhythm guitar and a piano built right in.  It has hundreds of presets or you can create your own.  You can also plug it into your computer, go online and download more presets.. you can also run backtracks,  Its a lot of fun.. be sure to buy the foot switch that controls the presets.. or you will be going to your amp a lot..

Go to Musicians friend online, check out the prices.  If you see a guitar that you may like, google that guitar and reviews..  read the reviews..

If you have to order online, check with one of the guitar or music stores to see if they will "set" it for you.. a lot of people don't understand how important the "set" is... but when you go to play and you have distortion, strings dead on the fret board.. that is because its not set right..  Sam Ashe charges about 30 bucks to set your guitar and the set can go off when you restring your guitar.. especially if you change the type of strings..

Now for me, I want a Gretsch Corvette, with that button you mash!

[The Chicken]

Here is Jimmy Thackery,  the Guitar God playing one of his strats.. 

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

and here is Rosie Flores playing her Gretsch you can hear it against a strat.. they are both running through tube amps

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

Here is King Pompano playing his fender Jaguar..  These guys have their own music store and build their own tube amps. Which has a lot to do with the sound, Tube amps rock!

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

I just realized I don't think I have any video of Gibson guitars... Oh Well!  maybe I will make one.. lol

[livewire]

Wow Chicken!!

You're quite the guitar aficionado!


I can play Guitar Hero...  on "easy"...   

[TheShepherd]

I can play Guitar Hero...  on "easy"...   

I can't even do that.

My boys each have it for their DS also- there's no way my fingers can find those little buttons!

[The Chicken]

I looked up the Melody Makers.. They start at around $549.00  my only thing is Epiphone has the same guitar for about two hundred dollars less.. I believe they are both made in the same factory in China, I don't think Gibson makes the Melody Maker in the USA,

The Dot studio is a better choice in my opinion.. $299 + you would want a hard case so about a hundred bucks more.. that is a semi hollow, some people don't like the arch tops too bulky, but that is what I learned to play on..  I love the warmth of an arch top..

For me its the type of pick up they use, on the Melody Maker its single coil pick ups, which is great for grunge... but if you want a better pick up, The Dot's have Humbuckers.. meaning you don't get that distorting hum... if you go to the Dot classics (the same as the G-335) they have alnico magnets in the humbuckers that creates that vintage sound.. They start at $399.00

I have a Epiphone Dot Classic ES-335, the fancy one.. with the gold tuners.  I got lucky tho.. I had Sam Ash set a Red Dot ES-335 aside for me because they sell them out as fast as they get them in.  While I was waiting for them to bring it out for me, they just had taken the ES Classic in on a trade.. Yes it was used, but in perfect shape...

They sold it to me for $299.00 with the hard case, the same guitar new with a hard case would have cost well over $500.00, plus they string it and set if for me for free for two years...  I just happen to be there at the right time..

So if I were going to buy a strat I would get the HSS with locking tremolo (you do want to play rockabilly) about $700.00, probably Mexican made because of the price, but I like  the type of pick ups on that guitar...  but if I were going to spend that much I would buy a Corvette Gestsh because of the Neck and it has a better deep sound because of the pick ups.. and that button you MASH...

Or I would spend less on a Epiphone Les Paul II with Humbuckers for $170.00, or you can go up the line.. with better pick ups... read what they have...  but in my opinion, you will do better with a top line epiphone verses a lower line strat... and the Epiphone copies of Gibsons are to the same specs...

One of the guys that comes to the tuesday jam.. he brings a fender squire with a tremolo, and plays right next to Jimmy Griswald and his Vintage Telecaster..  He plays and sounds great... there are about a 3k difference between the two guitars...

After looking at the prices of some of these Epiphone Les Pauls, I may buy one for me for a christmas present.  I had a Peavy solid body that I sold because I made money on it, so I have no solid body at this time, and really can't afford that Gretsch I want so badly...

As I had posted about Modeling amps... they are now making modeling guitars too.. I know nothing of them, have never seen one before... but the concept is the same.. they have a computer chip in them to make them sound like other classic guitars..

Sorry I get guitar crazy...

[the nosh]

you can get a melody maker at guitar center under 500 bucks. you can find them lower of course when they go on sale. seen them as low as 350.

they are american made in nashville tn. no jap crap here!

[family man]

Thanks for all the feedback.

Chicken-I was looking at this Epiphone, I think this is what I'm looking for. What do you think?

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Epiphone-Ltd-Ed-Les-Paul-Standard-Mahogany-Electric-Guitar-870003-i1471979.gc

[The Chicken]

Thanks for all the feedback.

Chicken-I was looking at this Epiphone, I think this is what I'm looking for. What do you think?

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Epiphone-Ltd-Ed-Les-Paul-Standard-Mahogany-Electric-Guitar-870003-i1471979.gc

yes that is a very nice guitar.. It has great humbuckers on it, This guitar has better pick ups on it than some of the lower line Gibsons.  See there are probably at least 10 different Les Paul releases.  The differences are in the "bells and Whistles" that same guitar with the same pickups, grover tuners, gold machine heads, Tune-matic bridge, but what really sets it apart, it has the true Les Paul slim and tapered neck with that slight curve on the fretboard.  Trapaziod Frets..

 Now I personally do not like that neck, I am used to a standard Gibson Neck..  I have a 1950 Gibson.. the necks are totally different..

 So the price on that guitar is great, Gibson in Nashville do go over each and every guitar they get in from China, to make sure it is to specs.  That is why you see a lot of blemished Epiphones..(some are blemished Gibson's they change the neck out on) There is nothing wrong with the guitar because Gibson fixes it, or there is a blemish on the finish.. some are so small you can't tell.. and big guitar stores sell them as factory seconds.. They are stamped in the neck so a dealer can't pass one off as a non blemished...

I am not a big fan of buying from China, but if you purchased a Less Paul with the same gear as that Epiphone has, your looking at a 1500 to 2000 dollar difference..  there is no difference in the sound... 

I do have a video of the biggest man I have ever seen play a Less Paul, I had forgot about it, me and my friends could not believe with hands that big he could play like he does... that les paul looks like a toy...  wait to see his solo!

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

and here is a video I took in Brighton, Marcella Detroit is playing her G 335 and I can't remember the guy who is playing lead but he is great and has a band in Ann Arbor.. HockeytownRick on youtube has all their videos... but you can see the two guitars playing together... maybe one day you and I can play ours together!!!!

Sorry its jiggly but I was Jiggly...

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

[family man]

I went to the Guitar Center in Canton after work today and bought a Gibson Les Paul Studio Faded in mahogony. I compared it to the Epiphone Tribute Les Paul Standard and went with the Gibson. The sales associate Adam was great to deal with and was very helpful. I also picked up a CCR music book. Looks like I'll be jammin in the basement tonight!!

Here's the link to it at Gibson's site http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Les-Paul/Gibson-USA/Les-Paul-Studio-Faded.aspx

[arpydave]

Watch those finger tips!

[the nosh]

I went to the Guitar Center in Canton after work today and bought a Gibson Les Paul Studio Faded in mahogony. I compared it to the Epiphone Tribute Les Paul Standard and went with the Gibson. The sales associate Adam was great to deal with and was very helpful. I also picked up a CCR music book. Looks like I'll be jammin in the basement tonight!!

Here's the link to it at Gibson's site http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Les-Paul/Gibson-USA/Les-Paul-Studio-Faded.aspx

good choice.

[The Chicken]

Congrats..  a new guitar is always cool...  What kind of Amp did you get?