[Bren]

I tune every guitar every time I play it. That’s not the issue. It’s probably more of an intonation thing. But the Les Paul, for whatever reason, is harder for me to get dialed in than my Strat or Tele.

Could it be your string gauge? The Gibson is a shorter scale, so very light strings might be harder to keep in tune. I'd try heavier strings and/or locking tuners and/or a new nut.

The last time I bought a Gibson, I had designed my perfect Les Paul and I was about to buy a stripped body and neck and the parts to build one with locking tuners and a load of switching options and when I started searching for the parts I discovered Gibson already made the exact guitar I was going to build and it was on sale at Guitar Center for what it would cost me to build it - Gibson Les Paul Tradition Pro IV:

On push/push pot is a 10db boost like a Clapton Strat, one splits the coils, one lets me choose outside or inside coils, and I can't even remember what the 4th one does. It is the best sound all-around guitar I have ever played and I have owned a wide, wide variety.

 

[Gonzoso]

I like all the guitars but I'm leaning towards fender at the moment. I got a deal on an HSS Strat but didn't like the neck that came with it(floyd rose locking nut) so I sold that and put on a Fender roasted maple wide oval 12" radius neck. It plays great and I love the look of the roasted maple with the tobacco burst.

The Gibsons scare me with how many Gibson neck breaks I've seen at the headstock. I like PRS guitars, I'm trying to be reasonable after getting a Martin, tele, and strat this year I want to get down to 1 guitar a year so next year I'll get a PRS, then maybe convert this tele to a more classic SSS with upgraded pickups. After that I might get an SG but I dunno.

All guitars are beautiful! I really dig the fenders modular design, durability, and simplicity to work on. I feel like the Fender is like the Glock or 1911 of guitars. I'm not a luthier but I've tweaked and almost completely redone a Squier Tele and this Fender Strat and it wasn't scary at all. Now my Martin has developed a buzz on the high E at the 11th fret and intonation issues from 11-14 and I'm scared to touch it, just trying to resolve it with humidity adjustments and hoping for the best but I might have to take it somewhere.

 

[Lockback]

Could it be your string gauge? The Gibson is a shorter scale, so very light strings might be harder to keep in tune. I'd try heavier strings and/or locking tuners and/or a new nut.

The last time I bought a Gibson, I had designed my perfect Les Paul and I was about to buy a stripped body and neck and the parts to build one with locking tuners and a load of switching options and when I started searching for the parts I discovered Gibson already made the exact guitar I was going to build and it was on sale at Guitar Center for what it would cost me to build it - Gibson Les Paul Tradition Pro IV:

View attachment 908870

On push/push pot is a 10db boost like a Clapton Strat, one splits the coils, one lets me choose outside or inside coils, and I can't even remember what the 4th one does. It is the best sound all-around guitar I have ever played and I have owned a wide, wide variety.

I’m running standard Ernie Ball tens on it, which is the gauge it came with. I think I need to adjust the intonation, frankly.
Man, when it’s dialed in, it sounds incredible. But it’s like my wife: I’m never quite sure from night to night what mood it’s gonna be in. LOL

 

[TxGator33]

I've always been a Jazzmaster guy

 

[TxGator33]

Blonded vs brunettes vs redheads.
These days you can buy a modeling or effect that makes your Sears Silvertone sound like a les paul/plexi combo.
My favorite sounding guitar is the SG, my favorite playing guitar is a cheap Schecter Omen, my best clean guitar is the Mex std Strat and the butterscotch FSR Tele sounds wicked semi-dirty.
My studio Les Paul.....that would be the last one to let go.
Most people don't realize most of what they hear from Zepplin and Page is telecaster. One of Gilmours most famous solos was a 56 LP Gold Top, all of these guys are at a level that any axe they play will sound ethereal.

I thought Page only used a Tele on Led Zeppelin I and the Stairway solo? And most everything else was a LP?

 

[BIGJC]

No pics but my favorite is my PRS Mccarty.

I never gave them a second look until I saw a used one and sat down with it. It's just kinda melted into me and I knew I was buying it before I even played it.

Paul Reed Smith even autographed it for the previous owner, who I think managed one of. the Guitar Centers in CT.

I've got to get out and play a PRS. I hear so much about how good they play.

 

[Green Dragoon]

Maybe not "all Gibsons" but just about all Gibson solidbodies. All 1 guitar with different body shapes.

OK, the firebirds have mini-humbuckers instead of full size.

The MK III was different, but it didn't last long.

No more so than any electric brand. You also know as an attorney that you're heavily prejudicing the comment my narrowing it to solid bodies. It still doesn't carry water though. The SG is much thinner than others. Add to that, P90 pickups, mini-humbuckers, bolt-on necks, neck-throughs, set-necks, etc.

Now, when you get to archtops you have different depths, different construction techniques of the tops, ply, carved etc. Plus, different scale lengths (Byrdland) etc. I can make the argument they are more diverse in nature than Fenders.

 

[Green Dragoon]

I tune every guitar every time I play it. That’s not the issue. It’s probably more of an intonation thing. But the Les Paul, for whatever reason, is harder for me to get dialed in than my Strat or Tele.

see my post above. The shorter the scale length, the more out of tune a guitar will play up and down the neck. That's why Gibson's are more out of tune than Fenders.

 

[peng]

The shorter the scale length, the more out of tune a guitar will play up and down the neck.

I've never heard that before, do you really notice the difference in a correctly intonated instrument?

Obviously the fret positions would need to be adjusted for the shorter scale length, but I assume Gibson had done that like 100 years ago.

Maybe their normal manufacturing tolerances are too high for the increased sensitivity of a short scale length instrument, but I would think in a nominal condition the intonation could be equal for both. I could see the number of frets affecting the tempering accuracy also.

I'm sensitive to tuning and intonation but my pitch is far from perfect, that's an amazing skill.

Does that mean you can literally hear a song and identify a specific note? I can see how that would drive you nuts with tape speeds affecting pitches and people not using the A440 standard.

 

[Green Dragoon]

I've never heard that before, do you really notice the difference in a correctly intonated instrument?

Obviously the fret positions would need to be adjusted for the shorter scale length, but I assume Gibson had done that like 100 years ago.

Maybe their normal manufacturing tolerances are too high for the increased sensitivity of a short scale length instrument, but I would think in a nominal condition the intonation could be equal for both. I could see the number of frets affecting the tempering accuracy also.

I'm sensitive to tuning and intonation but my pitch is far from perfect, that's an amazing skill.

Does that mean you can literally hear a song and identify a specific note? I can see how that would drive you nuts with tape speeds affecting pitches and people not using the A440 standard.

It's all about a tempered scale. The shorter a scale length is, the tighter and more "compromised" the space you'll have to distribute the notes. The number of frets doesn't have an affect.

Perfect pitch: Yes, if I hear a pitch, I can tell you what it is. Also, if you ask me to generate (sing) a pitch, I can do that too. The problem with perfect pitch is though, that if you ask me to middle-F, I'm not going to sing 349 beats per second, I'm going to sing about 349.230 depending on altitude, humidity etc.

Perfect pitch is NOT a benefit for professional musicians; relative pitch is.

 

[guitargain]

I have a 1984 Ovation Collectors Series accoustic with a pickup, and a Classic Vibe Telecaster Blonde like others have posted and it's a great guitar. I had a Les Paul but for me it was too heavy, loved the sound but just didn't like how heavy it was. the Classic Vibe is way more guitar than what it cost.

 

[rudutchyet]

The best guitar is the one you can play and own

 

[Supersquatch]

I have a Les Paul Standard.
Our house was struck by lightning when I was playing about 15 years ago.
It stopped my heart and cooked the guitar,amp and pedals.
I replaced the wiring,switches and pickups.
I put in EMG 81 actives with the afterburner switch.
It's now a flamethrower.
The new amp is a Peavey 5150 half stack.
The new pedals are Boss.
This thing can be heard for miles.
Way louder than any of my guns according to my tinnitus.

 

[Stuntman Mike]

Nice Guitars!
I have to agree with Gonzoso "All guitars are beautiful."

I have an Epi G400 which is an Epiphone SG. I love it. Solid Mahogany body.

Used to have an American made Precision bass. I only play acoustic guitar now. A mahogany Baby Taylor and 100 series full size. Once I played a Taylor I bought one. Then another.

So I'll vote for Gibson although I'd like to try a tele sometime.

 

[Gonzoso]

I have a Les Paul Standard.
Our house was struck by lightning when I was playing about 15 years ago.
It stopped my heart and cooked the guitar,amp and pedals.
I replaced the wiring,switches and pickups.
I put in EMG 81 actives with the afterburner switch.
It's now a flamethrower.
The new amp is a Peavey 5150 half stack.
The new pedals are Boss.
This thing can be heard for miles.
Way louder than any of my guns according to my tinnitus.

Dang all my mom warned me about was staying out of the shower when it was lightning out, now I can't play guitar?

I'll have to use this next time it's thundering. I love this little guy, I pick for hours working on scale and chord changes watching TV with Lady Gonzoso, doesn't even bother her at all.

 

[cyberghostx13]

The correct answer is "yes." If you can pick one brand of guitars, guitars probably aren't your thing. The most basic choice for an electric player is Gibson vs. Fender and I can't really choose. I think a basic guitar collection for the music I like to play is a Gibson solid body (not really much difference between models, so pick the shape you like best), a Fender Telecaster and a Fender Stratocaster. If I played more rockabilly, I'd probably replace Gibson solid body with a Gretsch hollowbody. If you play metal, then maybe drop the Stratocaster and add something with a locking nut and Floyd Rose or similar tremolo.

Here are pictures of some of my guitars, but I have cut them way, way down since I bought a house. Currently I have these:
View attachment 908535
Except I got rid of the Steinberger, which must be the 10th one I've owned and I got another Telecaster and a Telecoustic and a cheap Epiphone acoustic.

For your entertainment, here are some guitars I used to own, when I spent every weekend buying, selling and trading guitars. Sadly, I have lost the pictures of many of the best ones.

Gibsons
Les Paul Pro Deluxe
View attachment 908536
SG Custom, I think
View attachment 908537
Some miscellaneous SG model
View attachment 908538

Chet Atkins Tennessean
View attachment 908539
335-S
View attachment 908540

Some Fenders:

Bass VI and Jazzmaster
View attachment 908541 View attachment 908542

Unknown, maybe 62 reissue Strat and Strat Plus
View attachment 908543 View attachment 908545

Wow, what a great collection of guitars. Thanks for all the knowledge you have brought to this thread, this is a great example of why I started the thread. In the end it's not really about which company wins the poll, it's about information and pictures is a great bonus, thanks.

 

[cyberghostx13]

I prefer the contours of the Strat body, the neck of a Les Paul Custom, a hot PAF in the bridge position and sweet single coils in the middle and neck. I build guitars as a hobby and years ago built a hybrid incorporating the features I like from the Strat and Les Paul. At first glance, it looks like a typical super-Strat, but the neck has a Les Paul profile and block inlays like a Les Paul Custom. The neck incorporates a scarf joint to give more angle over the nut. Bridge p/u is a Seymour Duncan Custom PAF, neck/middle are Fender "Eric Johnson" with black covers. Body is made of Curly Maple/Walnut with a center of Bubinga. Neck is laminated Bocote, Bird's Eye Maple and Purple Heart with Ebony fretboard. View attachment 908707 It was very heavy. Eventually, I drilled holes and added a Ibanez JEM "Monkey grip" in an effort to make it lighter. View attachment 908708

View attachment 908722

Wow, thanks for the info and the pics. Anyone that actually makes guitars is a guitar master in my book.

 

[cyberghostx13]

I also build my own (not that it stops me buying others...sigh):

Larry

Wow, another guitar master by building guitars, and damn they look great. Thanks for the info and pics.

 

[cyberghostx13]

I like all the guitars but I'm leaning towards fender at the moment. I got a deal on an HSS Strat but didn't like the neck that came with it(floyd rose locking nut) so I sold that and put on a Fender roasted maple wide oval 12" radius neck. It plays great and I love the look of the roasted maple with the tobacco burst.

The Gibsons scare me with how many Gibson neck breaks I've seen at the headstock. I like PRS guitars, I'm trying to be reasonable after getting a Martin, tele, and strat this year I want to get down to 1 guitar a year so next year I'll get a PRS, then maybe convert this tele to a more classic SSS with upgraded pickups. After that I might get an SG but I dunno.

All guitars are beautiful! I really dig the fenders modular design, durability, and simplicity to work on. I feel like the Fender is like the Glock or 1911 of guitars. I'm not a luthier but I've tweaked and almost completely redone a Squier Tele and this Fender Strat and it wasn't scary at all. Now my Martin has developed a buzz on the high E at the 11th fret and intonation issues from 11-14 and I'm scared to touch it, just trying to resolve it with humidity adjustments and hoping for the best but I might have to take it somewhere.
View attachment 908864

I like the Glock to Fender comparison.

 

[automatic slim]

I've had so many guitars over the years, I forgotten a lot of them. Had some Les Pauls that were generally too heavy to be lugging around on a stage all night. I liked them, but I liked the P-90 guitars more.

Wound up with a Hollowbody PRS McCarty that I was married to for years. I loved that guitar, but I gave it to a friend of mine, and I'll tell you why... When I play, I always wrap my thumb around and hit the bass strings. After a while, that PRS started messing with my thumb, making it hurt a little bit playing the bass notes.

I now have one guitar. Carolina blue Stratocaster from 2003, apparently it's kinda Mexican. A friend of mine gave it to me a few years back, and it's my baby. The scale doesn't bother my thumb at all, and I have short fingers. A big reason also, is I love using the whammy bar. Listening to Don Helms on Hank Sr.'s records, as well as other slide players, and doing that with the whammy bar. I've broken many whammy bars, and finally settled on the Callaham brass block and bar. Indestructible so far!

Another reason I love the Stratocaster, is there seems to be unlimited sounds you can get with even with the standard wiring and pickups. Not gonna give away all my tricks here, but it's the most versatile guitar I have found.

Two final reasons for a Fender.... they're easier to use as a weapon, and actually look cooler after you take a few chunks out of them. In a flood, they can be used as a boat paddle. Most people wouldn't do either with a Gibson or PRS. (That poor PRS I had got a new chunk every time it left the house!)