strat vs. les paul

Can't say I like it. The whole thing looks kind of clumsy and overdone.

Iwouldn't say one guitar is better. Most of us have Strats and LP's. If you can only have one guitar I say get a Strat because it is is more versatile. A Strat can do everything except compete with a Gibson Les Paul. It can't match a Lester in the sustain department as well as compete against that massive deep warm growl Les Paul's have.

I have a Gibson goldtop, a Lonestar Strat, a JEM, an 80's Jap Strat, and an Epi LP Custom. At the moment I am crazy about my Les Paul. If I go on a Jimi/ SRV craze I will go Strat mad again.

Snowy White has fabulous Gold top which is on Roger's DVD. Sounds wondeful too.

I need some help. I think im going to buy a strat. Original american of course. But what one? http://www.fender.com/gear/gear.php?partno=0101002 .. is this a good one? Or what one should i buy, i want to have the ability to play all sorts of music. And if i can i want to have it with cool colours, not a normal one. Ex yellow with a black pickguard. But then the neck have to have another colour dont it? Please help me

PS: Pompeii, what guitar is dave playing?

The Am Deluxe Strat you linked to is top of the line. They are 'pricey' (probably about $1200US) but very very nice. You can order any Strat any color/feature you want thru the custom shop. But obviously, you pay more. The way to go if you have the money.
The "American Standard" is a great choice. They go for about $800US.
The "Standard" (made in Mexico) is a great deal for the money. Probably in to $200 - $300 range.
There is a dazzling choice of Strats available now, most of them I don't know anything about. Just study the catalogs & Fender website and most important, actually play a few at your local music store and pick the one you like best.
Also, check some used ones. You could get a great deal there.

Good luck!


The black Strat Dave is playing at Pompeii is a '67-'71 era American Standard. Recognizable by the "big" headstock.

The guitar Dave is playing in the studio tracking "Brain Damage" is a black custom-built 24-fret "Lewis"----made by a Canadian luthier.

Yeah, what he said...

What do you guys think of signature guitars? I think some of them sound awesome, but i heard john mayer say "the SRV strat is my number one guitar!". I wouldn't want to be famous and play someone elses signature guitar, it just seems wrong or something.

I'm not pushed about signature guitars, although they can often be customised for a particular style of music. Meh, I suppose it depends on the person. From an econmoical viewpoint, they always seem to be more expensive.

To me, it's just a fun thing to play at guitar center, ya know? i would never actually buy one.

Definitely Strat.

Les Paul just feels and sounds too... bulky.

It all depends on what type of sound you want - Gary Moore utilises to the extreme the LP's amazing sustain, others prefer the tone and versitility of the Strat.

Obviously, I'm in it for the tone. There's also, something in the physical feel of the guitar. Perhaps it's just my personal guitar, but a lot of the strats I've played just feel a lot ... sleeker, I guess in your hand. I don't explain it well. Maybe someone out there understands.

I'm gonna get a strat, so that way i have both which i think is the best way to go. After that i'm gonna get a gibson acoustic, my ibanez dreadnought isn't gettin' me far.

Well I settled this perdicament and I finally got the American standard strat!!! You can see a picture of it on the PYP thread.

A wise choice indeed...I personally think LP's are way overrated. Everybody touts their sustain, but all the sustain in the world doesn't mean anything if the tone that's actually being sustained is...mediocre, dull, and bassy. I'm a Fender Highway 1 guy, maybe someday I'll grow a mullet and buy an LP or an SG.

And I'm sure Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton and countless others would agree with you...

I personally prefer Les Pauls, but strats are definitely more versitile overall. they can do all the clean stuff and you can get loads of different sounds out of them but if we're talking pure rock distortion tones then Les Pauls rule. For me strats sometimes tend to suffer from being a little too thin and weedy when it comes to rock. They are a much greater base point for effects though.

So personal opinions aside, they're about equal in grooviness, buy both and use them both on a day to day basis else you will anger the gods.