Conference napalm::guitar

    Well, on the strats that I've played, you have to work harder
    to bend notes and play lead work. I recently bought a Les Paul, 
    and don't know how I ever got along without it. The action and 
    playability of the Gibson is far superior to my strat. Of 
    course, it may be just those particular guitars that I 
    played...There's also something to be said for "having to work 
    for it."
    
    For a good clean sound, I greatly prefer a Fender. Gibsons
    sound better with distortion, IMHO.
    
    -Tom 
    

	I like Gibsons. The Scale length is shorter (24 3/4 inches versus
	the Fender 25 1/4 inch scale) & the frets are different (I like
	the wide frets on my SG & neverer cared for the narrower ones
	on a Strat), however in the case of Bass Guitars, The Fender
	Precision (34 inch scale) feel is what I like best.

	In all cases, Both brands & designs are very good, it all depends
	on what you get used to & what you want to sound like.

								Jens

    
    What I find interesting in the Gibson/Fender comparison is that I play
    the two guitars differently.  For me it's like finding out how the
    guitar "likes" to be played and then going with it.   To me, that's
    different from knowing what "my sound" is and trying to get that sound
    from both guitars.
    
    The Strat encourages me to play with a funky right hand style that
    accents the smooth sound of the neck pickup.  With my Hagstrom, I count
    on notes sustaining as long as I want them to and I mostly use the
    bridge pickup.
    
    Perhaps it's just me, but if I had to create a solo to an original
    tune, the solo would be different depending on what guitar I used.
    The solo I came up with on the Hagstrom would not be the same solo I
    would play on the Strat.
    
    As another example, if I were to play the Strat for an hour and tape
    what I played, and then do the same thing for the Hagstrom, the tapes
    would be completely different.
    
    Kevin
    
    
    
    
    

    The difference in scale between the paul and the strat is what
    attributes to the    stiffer feel mentioned in reply 1. 
    
    The scale being shorter on the strat, makes the strings tighter.
   
    So if you try and compare a paul to a strat, you're bound to
    play differently on each one as the feel is night and day.  Plus
    the paul has a chunkier neck then most strats, also attributing
    to a different feel.    Then you have to mention the cut of the
    bodies on each and how that all fits into your body, (we're talking
    ergonomics...)

    When I had both, way back, I tended to play the paul more as it
    seemed less of an effort, but now, between the Ibanez, (which
    is effortless to play) and the Strat, I tend to give each equal
    time.  
    
    There's just them tunes that are right for the strat, (Goes back
    to the funky-head-tude mentioned earlier...)
    
    God created man, women, and the next obvious choice was indeed 
    the Strat.... Hence, the need for electricity...

    In my opiniion, after owning at least eight different Gibsons and four
    different Fenders, is that with Gibson guitars you're allowed to "get
    away with" more sloppiness than with a Fender.
    
    Not really sure why, but I believe it's due to the difference in scale
    lengths as well as the arch in the fretboard. The Fender arch is a 11"
    radius, and the Gibson fretboard is flat. Also, fret height/width seems
    to be a contributor.
    
    FWIW,
    Bill

       It's has *everything* to do with their personality Kevin.
    I'm have both a Strat and a Paul and because they feel different,
    as well as have different tones I treat them differently, (I also
    would have different solos with each guitar as well). I've always
    thought that a Strat has more personality than a Les Paul, but at
    the same time, I'll pick the Paul over the Fender for certain tones.
    Single coil guitars do have different tonal characteristics, and
    with it gives a certain tone you just can't match with a humbucker.
    The same also applies visa versa. It all depends on your mood ya
    know? 
                                                                    
    I never play a Les Paul like a Strat, or a Strat like a Paul. Given
    a choice...   could I have my Strat please? Naw... wait, how about
    the Paul!? Well maybe...  maybe I'll play bass instead?
    
    			OH NO! 
    				MAKE UP YOUR MIND ALREADY!!!!     ;^) 
    
    Fred

    I know what ya mean.....I bought my first strat last month after
    20+ years of Gibsons or Gibson copies. I love it! While I still
    play some of the same chops on the strat as I did on my Gibbos,
    they sound very different, and yes, I tend to do some "different"
    things based on "that sound" I hear. I agree, IMHO, that the newfound
    tonal personality of my new toy has me trying new styles, particularly
    blues licks.
    
    Good topic
        
    
    Steve

    I know exactly what you mean.  I, too, have been playing on a
    gibson-style Hagstrom Swede for nine years or so, and recently picked
    up a Fernandes strat, and have been finding that my playing is
    radically different on the two guitars.  For me, I think it's more than
    just scale length, or pickups - they just put me in different moods, I
    guess - sort of like the difference between riding my Honda V65 (the
    Hagstrom - fine, controllable, lots of finesse...) and, say, a Harley 
    (Primitive, elemental, a bit wild, but always a thrill).  With the hag
    I'm much more conservative - maybe because we know each other so well
    by now and tend to fall into the same comfortable groove.  With the
    strat I tend to play with more reckless abandon, take more chances, and
    in general, find my playing less inhibited - kind of like . . . well,
    never mind ;-)                           

      I notice the difference in my playing as well. I didn't want to
    become a collector of guitars so I keep: one Ovation electric/acoustic,
    one Gibson Les Paul Standard, and a B.C. Rich STIII neck-thru. I
    didn't see any sense in having two LP's or two strat type guitars.
    The B.C. is a strat style but is much better playing and sounding,
    Real strats always sound thin to me. It takes practice on both guitars
    to keep your act together. I never let one of them rest for too
    long.