I've been playing guitar for nearly 20 years and never owned a Gibson, or any Les Paul style guitar.. I don't have anything against them but I've just always been drawn to strat/superstrat guitars and I've just realised that I have a possible itch that's never been scratched!
I've been playing a lot of blues and other different styles out of my comfort zone recently so I'm I guess I'm looking for something fun to play that gets 'that tone' that a strat can't do.
As I've never owned or taken an interest in these guitars before, is there anything thats particularly good for the price in terms of tone/playability? Anything to avoid or watch out for when buying used, apart from obvious neck repairs.
Open to suggestions of Les Paul or SG type stuff!
I'll say £600 for a guideline budget but can be flexible I guess.
Thanks!
Comments
In terms of playing dynamics, a 335 (or variant) is probably the most Fender-like Gibson.
I tried loads.
Agreed that 335 is the most pleasant
Discovered via an accidental trade (of an LP standard) that PRS are the answer: LP sounds, (mostly) strat ergonomics, and better-made
I've now got a HH Tele deluxe & it's great.
If you've got your heart set on a Gibson I'd suggest investigating LP Jr's (or SG Jr's). They're glorious, versatile & make the best noise ever.
I don't think there's truly a sound that a Strat just can't do. If you put the same pickups in a Strat and a Les Paul then recorded the same riff, I really doubt anyone could say "that one is definitely the LP because a Strat just couldn't sound like that".
I initially tried LP style guitars but found I preferred the feel of a Strat by such a huge amount that I now have a HH Strat instead. When I was deciding whether to go that way or not, I played both swapping between the two and thought there was a big difference in sound and feared I may have to stick with the LP. But then I recorded a bunch of examples and blind tested myself and the difference was gone; i.e. it was in my head based on expectation.
Long story short: be prepared for the possibility of not liking any Gibson but don't feel you'd then be missing out.
I just don't like humbuckers.
An HSH Strat will get you into humbucking territory while still giving you the versatility and feel of a guitar you are familiar with.
There are some good value non Gibson versions as said PRS is the natural compromise as budgets go the SE Bernie Marsden is a good take on a Les Paul style guitar.
335’s hit the spot but if you are used the svelte curves of a Strat that will feel like tucking a tea chest.under your arm.
i have never been one type of guitar guy so I go through phases of playing everything.
Its as much a mindset I don’t expect my strat style guitars to do what my les Paul style guitars do and I just adjust and look upon the change as part and parcel
i also find something I have noodled away at for ages on one guitar totally comes alive with a change of guitar.
More seriously, get a used Les Paul Studio - that should be within your budget. You will then either realise what you’ve been missing all this time, or not get it at all and be able to sell it for what you paid, never to go there again...
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Try a LP special or junior types out
(formerly customkits)
This one:- https://www.andertons.co.uk/epiphone-les-paul-standard-60s-iced-tea
I've been playing a Squier Strat mainly, and bought a Vintage V100 LP from www.scan.co.uk for a different experience.
It took me a while to get comfortable on the Vintage V100 with right hand picking positioning, and fretting the strings accurately. My fingers were going fractions of a millimetre out. This has now been largely overcome.
You could quite possibly experience the same thing when swapping from a flat top to an arch top guitar.
Harley Benton SC Custom FR
Ltd EC series