can you make the switch......

koneguitarist · April 2014

I think the way guitars are built influence the way you play them, and also some guitars feel better with different gauge strings which emphasis the difference.

I can never understand why a mate who has quite a few guitars strings them all up the same with 10's.

My acoustic has 13's my custom KSR has 12's and my tele has 9's at moment but often 10's.

This is part of the thing with the old Variax, it did not feel like a Gibson or Fender, so it stopped you playing the Gibson tones in a Fender style and vice versa.

underdog · April 2014

koneguitarist;216789" said:
I think the way guitars are built influence the way you play them, and also some guitars feel better with different gauge strings which emphasis the difference.I can never understand why a mate who has quite a few guitars strings them all up the same with 10's. My acoustic has 13's my custom KSR has 12's and my tele has 9's at moment but often 10's.This is part of the thing with the old Variax, it did not feel like a Gibson or Fender, so it stopped you playing the Gibson tones in a Fender style and vice versa.

Agree on the strings for certain guitars, a les Paul with 10s on always feels like the strings are too loose, so my LP has 11s, yet my SG (same scale as LP) feels better with 10s, my acoustic gets 12s and my duo sonic 13s.

ICBM · April 2014

koneguitarist said:

I think the way guitars are built influence the way you play them, and also some guitars feel better with different gauge strings which emphasis the difference.
I can never understand why a mate who has quite a few guitars strings them all up the same with 10's.
My acoustic has 13's my custom KSR has 12's and my tele has 9's at moment but often 10's.
This is part of the thing with the old Variax, it did not feel like a Gibson or Fender, so it stopped you playing the Gibson tones in a Fender style and vice versa.

I string everything with 11s - electrics *and* acoustics! (Even my 12-string, although that is tuned down a tone.) I just prefer the feel of them like that and it makes things like accurate pre-bent notes completely instinctive since the movement is always the same.

I don't think it stops you playing them differently at all - if anything, it makes it easier to me. They still do feel like themselves anyway - scale length, tailpiece type etc all change the way you approach the guitar even with the same string gauge.

I do agree that some types of guitars do suit more specific string sets though - I don't think I'd put 11s on anything with a Floyd, and Teles seem to suit Light-Top/Heavy-Bottom more than they do a normal set of 11s. And I use a wound 3rd on my Rickenbacker rather than a plain 3rd as on the PRS and Aria.

Phil_aka_Pip · April 2014

An edit of what richardhomer said

Definitely not. The ergonomics of Strats just do not work for me. The switch is in the wrong place, the pots are hard to get to. The scale length just feels 'wrong'. I kind of feel 'shut out' by it.

I regularly play an SG, a 335, an SA2200, an LP, and an SG2000. Much as I love them all I always fumble for the pickup switch on the first 3. On the latter 2, it's just right.

I'd love to get on with Strats but having owned one for nearly 30 years, I recognise I never will. I use it at home but won't gig with it.

No disrespect intended to Richard, but his viewpoint is almost opposite mine.

stickyfiddle · April 2014

I actually have no problem going between strat and anything else. LPs don't work for me as well as SGs and ESes because of the switch position, but in terms of neck and frets being in different places I've never had a problem. I do have a specific strap for every guitar though - keeps the bridge in roughly the same place on each.

ESBlonde · April 2014

I have heavilly gigged a strat and Aria LP alike exclusively together for more than 20 years. Each with their own stribg gauge and dedicated strap. The strat came second and took some getting used to with its flat front. I regularly swapped between to suit the songs in the set without a second thought and now do so having added a 335 and tele to the live setup.

koneguitarist · April 2014

ICBM said:

koneguitarist said:

I think the way guitars are built influence the way you play them, and also some guitars feel better with different gauge strings which emphasis the difference.
I can never understand why a mate who has quite a few guitars strings them all up the same with 10's.
My acoustic has 13's my custom KSR has 12's and my tele has 9's at moment but often 10's.
This is part of the thing with the old Variax, it did not feel like a Gibson or Fender, so it stopped you playing the Gibson tones in a Fender style and vice versa.

I string everything with 11s - electrics *and* acoustics! (Even my 12-string, although that is tuned down a tone.) I just prefer the feel of them like that and it makes things like accurate pre-bent notes completely instinctive since the movement is always the same.

I don't think it stops you playing them differently at all - if anything, it makes it easier to me. They still do feel like themselves anyway - scale length, tailpiece type etc all change the way you approach the guitar even with the same string gauge.

I do agree that some types of guitars do suit more specific string sets though - I don't think I'd put 11s on anything with a Floyd, and Teles seem to suit Light-Top/Heavy-Bottom more than they do a normal set of 11s. And I use a wound 3rd on my Rickenbacker rather than a plain 3rd as on the PRS and Aria.

But if it's different scale length then it ain't the same for bending.

My whole point, is use different guitars and the way they are strung naturally, so you play them differently. That way, the change is even more worthwhile in my opinion.

ICBM · April 2014

koneguitarist said:
But if it's different scale length then it ain't the same for bending.

It is, or very close - even though the static tension is different, the amount of bend for a given pitch change is about the same. Much closer than using a different gauge on different scale lengths, anyway - that needs a whole different bend/pitch correlation that takes more getting used to. I don't like the feel or sound of light strings and anything heavier than 11s starts to hurt, so why use them?

koneguitarist said:
My whole point, is use different guitars and the way they are strung naturally, so you play them differently. That way, the change is even more worthwhile in my opinion.

My point is that I can get all the sounds I want by setting the amp and pedals differently and the way I play anyway. Maybe this is why I don't really see the point in using different guitars either mostly! Even though I plead guilty to owning several… I don't use them for different sounds as such, more for different situations and what fits the vibe of the band. I don't take more than one to gigs normally, I don't feel any need to.

sweepy · April 2014

Probably the best way to describe it is when using a Variax, OK you have Ricky Gretsch etc etc , but you still play it like a Strat or LP depending on the model of Variax, you don't get into the "essence" of the guitars sound iyswim

richardhomer · April 2014

Phil_aka_Pip;217001" said:
No disrespect intended to Richard, but his viewpoint is almost opposite mine.

So the answer to the OP's question is 'no' from you as well!

I'm sure much of this boils down to what guitars you've spent the most time with in your playing career.

I've owned a Strat for 33 of my 42 years as a guitarist. I got my first electric 39 years ago - it was a copy of a 70s Telecaster Custom. So I'm pretty much a 'dyed in the wool' Fender player. The 'geometry' of a Fender (for want of a better word) just works for me - specifically the lack of back-angle of the neck relative to the body and the position of the bridge and nut relative to my hands. A Les Paul feels too far to the right for me - ie, both arms have to be repositioned to play one. This always feels very unnatural to me.

Perhaps if I'd spent my formative years playing a Les Paul instead, I would have grown to like the things about the design which annoy me. You clearly love them.

Vive la difference!

stickyfiddle · April 2014

richardhomer said:

Phil_aka_Pip;217001" said:
No disrespect intended to Richard, but his viewpoint is almost opposite mine.
So the answer to the OP's question is 'no' from you as well!

I'm sure much of this boils down to what guitars you've spent the most time with in your playing career.

I've owned a Strat for 33 of my 42 years as a guitarist. I got my first electric 39 years ago - it was a copy of a 70s Telecaster Custom. So I'm pretty much a 'dyed in the wool' Fender player. The 'geometry' of a Fender (for want of a better word) just works for me - specifically the lack of back-angle of the neck relative to the body and the position of the bridge and nut relative to my hands. A Les Paul feels too far to the right for me - ie, both arms have to be repositioned to play one. This always feels very unnatural to me.

Perhaps if I'd spent my formative years playing a Les Paul, I would have grown to like the things about the design which annoy me. You clearly love them.

Vive la difference!

It's interesting, because people always say the opposite about SGs in particular, but I've nevre had trouble. I always have my guitars positioned so the top fret is roughly where my belt buckle is, so my hands don't have to adjust oposition that much- it's just the relative position of the guitar body that moves. I find it interesting that most people don't do the same.

richardhomer · April 2014

stickyfiddle;217398" said:
I always have my guitars positioned so the top fret is roughly where my belt buckle is, so my hands don't have to adjust oposition that much- it's just the relative position of the guitar body that moves. I find it interesting that most people don't do the same.

I often play seated, so where the bridge/nut fall under the hands is determined by the design of the guitar. Incidentally (apart from the control layout and 'rock' image) I really like SGs - probably the most 'Fender player-friendly' solid Gibson.

I used to gig an LP and found it better on a strap than when seated. I generally used it for the whole of the second set, so I only had to adjust to the difference in feel once but I still disliked the back angle, lack of upper fret access and control layout....

stickyfiddle · April 2014

Ah, if you have it on your knee then that's definitely true. Had genuinely forgotten people play seated! LPs are a pain to sit with

richardhomer · April 2014

stickyfiddle;217405" said:
Ah, if you have it on your knee then that's definitely true. Had genuinely forgotten people play seated! LPs are a pain to sit with

Please bear in mind I'm old....

ToneControl · April 2014

Guitar_Slinger said:

Sambostar;216503" said:
Yeah, I can now. But couldn't for about the previous twenty years.
This. My problem was that they weighed and sounded so different when plugged into the same amp.

I got over the problem by having a strap for each guitar so each felt right when putting them on, then getting a humbucker in the strat's bridge so they sounded (almost) the same when plugged into my amp. And lots of practice

I too had trouble for a long time

Part of the trouble is that few amps work for both SSS and HH guitars, and even the ones that do tend to need different settings. My DC30 is the least problematic with this, just a tweak to the cut control will do it, and sometimes don't even need that, just ride the tone controls more on the LP. I did have a pair of EMG 89s in an Epi LP, which was interesting, since you could set both to a bright Single coil tone, that was quite interesting

In terms of the ergonomics, I think the strat is a better design, I can play an LP, but I always feel less constrained on a strat. My chambered LP is less cumbersome.

The scale length also contributes, I think Dave Gilmour uses strings that are half a gauge heavier for his LPs, presumably to make it easier to switch between them and strats, whilst still being able to do accurate huge bends

I like to use the LP as a way to disrupt my normal style, to do something different. For the same reason, I have 30 and 27 inch scale length guitars, a strat in DADGAD, and an very-heavy singlecut with P90s, along with lap steels, a 335 and a Jazz box, a bass, a U-Bass, and acoustics: including baritone & tenor.

I suspect the frustration many feel is when they want the same style and basic sound to transfer from one guitar to another, whereas I choose to own different types of guitar with the opposite intention in mind

richardhomer · April 2014

ToneControl;217414" said:
I suspect the frustration many feel is when they want the same style and basic sound to transfer from one guitar to another, whereas I choose to own different types of guitar with the opposite intention in mind

No.

I use a different guitar because I want a different sound. Their different feels make me play differently also.

I use a higher string gauge on my 335 and PRS than I do on my Strat, but the 335 somehow lends itself to bigger bends - probably because of the flatter fingerboard radius. The different attack/sustain envelopes of the 335 and PRS lend themselves to different styles, even though they are both 2 HB guitars...

The OP's question was specifically about swapping between a Strat and a Les Paul. Like him, I find it difficult, to the point in my case where I've given up. As I stated in my earlier post, my McCarty handles LP duties now.

I really like using different instruments but for me, the difference between a Strat and an LP is too great.

Longtallronnie · April 2014

I gave my 72 Deluxe Tele away as I couldn't swap between it and my SG. Then I had trouble switching from a 335 to the SG so I swapped the SG for a Les Paul. I get on fine going between the LP and 335. Strangely, I recently got the Tele back and can switch to it without any problems. I think weight had a lot to do with it, the SG felt so light next to all the other guitars.

chillidoggy · April 2014

LTR used to be indecisive, but now he's not so sure.

Phil_aka_Pip · April 2014

richardhomer said:

Thinking about this, I can think of very few famous players who regularly use both. Mark Knopfler springs to mind....

Page has occasionally been seen with a Strat, Beck used to play a Les Paul then became a Strat player (as did Clapton).

I can only think of Knopfler who spends roughly equal time with both... Unless anyone can think of any others?

Andy Latimer plays LPs and Strats, my own opinion is that for the kind of sounds he often chooses, the LP is the more suited to it. I think he spends more time with LPs though.

Sambostar · April 2014

I have my JCM2000 on the lesser lead channel, lead 1 I think, cranked at 4 or 4 and a half and the mids cranked. It's almost perfect for getting a JImi sound or RHCP sound through SSL1's or using Texas Specials and doing SRV on a strat, the same as it is if if I use a Charvel with a JB or Tonezone and getting Demartini tones or....well the Tonezone is a bit dry, but dare I say Gilberty stuff or using the BCRich or Charvel Hardtail for Rhoadsy stuff. I hate fiddling with the amp and like to leave it well alone, apart from the volume. You cannot make a Strat with SSL's sound like a cranked Les Paul and you absolutely cannot make a Les Paul bounce and shimmer on the tubes like a Strat with SSL's does. I agree, different sound, change the guitar.

I don't have a problem making the switch and getting bends in tune, even on weakly sprung floating floyds from a hardtail or TOM bridge, but sometimes I will start playing a whole tone higher in B, instead of A on 24 fret guitars, as that always throws me. I think I can only count to 21 or 22.

Tele is the only guitar I have never tried, ever! Apart from my Charvel rock tele. But I would like to get some country down on it though and like Donohue. Are they similar to a strat to play then or what?

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