Fender or Gibson or other?

[Bandit]

Fender myself Custom shop strat, love the tone the feel like the look its just a thing of beauty.

 

[stefank]

Sorry, it's Yanagisawa, Muramatsu, Martin and Artley for me!

(Tha family that first made Martin saxes were apparently relatives of the guitar makers though)

I did once have a very nice 1962 Jazzmaster, but I was not enough of a guitarist to justify keeping it.

 

[flyor64]

Had an ´82 Les Paul for some years...never could make the transition so I sold it to young guy who could really play it. Stick with my acoustics for now; mostly my nylon string no-namer.

BUT it will always be the Les Paul for me

 

[Nick777]

Both, plus Ibanez...

 

[Steel4Ever]

Started with Charvel, now play Gretsch.

Would love to own a Gibson Flying V.

 

[Magnus]

Fender Jazz Bass Deluxe w flamed maple top, Fender Jazz Bass '89 (Japanese), Fender Musicmaster bass '72. (And an Ibanez fretless and an Emmanuel Wilfer double bass.)

 

[ezwicky]

jimmie vaughan strat, home made parts-caster tele with fralin pickups, and i'm building a partscaster strat with fralins as we speak.

LPs and ES-335s are cool too, but i guess i'm really a stratocaster guy overall.

 

[Anonymous]

Gibson ES's are one of my favorites, but the ultimate for me is a Les Paul. They sound like a well tuned sledgehammer.

 

[zapata]

Gibson for me. I like the sound and look of a telecaster, but can't seem to get used to the different necks/fretboards, after two decades of gibson/epiphone. The two guitars I'll never get rid of are my Es-330 and Les Paul Jr. (I like P-90s!)

 

[usedtobefast]

it is my job so i have 9 guitars right now.
Strat,LP Std, Ric 360 12 string, Dano 12 string,Yamaha acoustic 12 string,
1963 Guild Thunderbid s200, '94 Guild dreadnaught, Rodriguez classical, and
a Peavey bass. all work a day guitars, mostly.
i also have 2 vintage Ludwig drumsets, and a Tama Superstar kit as well.

 

[badboyberty]

Fender Tele, 1990, Japanese made, "Gibson" style bridge (not through-body). Beautiful feel on the neck and nice action, noisy as b-geesus pick-ups. Pretty much due for new frets thanks to wear but I still couldn't imagine another 6 string electric for me, except maybe a '60/70s US Jazzmaster or Jaguar....

Have an Ibanez bass and a Cort steely acoustic, but I'm not emotionaly attached to either of them in the same way, despite playing both of them more than the Tele. Guess is the same with bikes, ride my CX and road machines the most, and my trail duallie the next, but am most attached to my Scalpel which probably ranks 5th on the usage ranks.

 

[zapata]

Anyone have any experience with Squiers? I've been thinking about finally getting a Tele, but don't want to spend much on it. I see online Squier have an entire range of very affordable telecasters (including one with p90s on it!), but I'm apprehensive of buying a guitar, however cheap, that I haven't played. So, if anyone knows, how do the squiers compare to a proper Telecaster?

 

[S2Sturges]

Anyone have any experience with Squiers? I've been thinking about finally getting a Tele, but don't want to spend much on it. I see online Squier have an entire range of very affordable telecasters (including one with p90s on it!), but I'm apprehensive of buying a guitar, however cheap, that I haven't played. So, if anyone knows, how do the squiers compare to a proper Telecaster?

They're good, the old ones if possible.. personally I've been playing a Tokai Tele since 1985, $250 w/ case back then.. done work on it since but still great guitar. Other main guitar is a 1971 Rickenbacker 360 Delux, and yes, I can get all sorts of sounds out of it. Prefer it over my Gibson 335, actually gave that one to my brother to go along with his Gibson L6S, I gave him that too, he can play Gibsons I can't... And no I don't have anymore to give away..

 

[zapata]

I mean, if I buy a cheap guitar off the internet, I want to take it out of the box and play it straight away. What I don't want is having to adjust the neck, action, etc, and certainly not replacing pickups, tuners, etc. Anyone have any experience with these guitar? I'm not that picky, if it's set up right and sounds mostly like a telecaster..

@sturges you gave away a 335!? you're a bigger man than me. let me know if your brother tires of it.

 

[CycloErgoSum]

Anyone have any experience with Squiers? I've been thinking about finally getting a Tele, but don't want to spend much on it. I see online Squier have an entire range of very affordable telecasters (including one with p90s on it!), but I'm apprehensive of buying a guitar, however cheap, that I haven't played. So, if anyone knows, how do the squiers compare to a proper Telecaster?

I hear good things about the Classic Vibe series Squiers. They play and look pretty good. The P-90s in them are Duncan-designed. As you know, two guitars of the same model can play and sound completely differently, but if you're going to get something cheap online, the Classic Vibes are probably the way to go.

I'm with you on the P-90s - they're brilliant. I also have a junior, the best little guitar.

Fender or Gibson: both are great, iconic guitars. Comes down to individual preference. I find the Fenders great for lead as the neck is very roomy, but harder to play some chords or rhythm patterns. The Gibson, Gretsch, RIC neck feels natural to me, especially when standing up. I've never played a Jaguar/Mustang, so I would like to compare. For the same reason I like short-scale basses.

 

[zapata]

Gibson ES's are one of my favorites, but the ultimate for me is a Les Paul. They sound like a well tuned sledgehammer.

I hear good things about the Classic Vibe series Squiers. They play and look pretty good. The P-90s in them are Duncan-designed. As you know, two guitars of the same model can play and sound completely differently, but if you're going to get something cheap online, the Classic Vibes are probably the way to go.

I'm with you on the P-90s - they're brilliant. I also have a junior, the best little guitar.

Fender or Gibson: both are great, iconic guitars. Comes down to individual preference. I find the Fenders great for lead as the neck is very roomy, but harder to play some chords or rhythm patterns. The Gibson, Gretsch, RIC neck feels natural to me, especially when standing up. I've never played a Jaguar/Mustang, so I would like to compare. For the same reason I like short-scale basses.

Well said! I absolutely love my jr. I know a guy with a cherry special, and sometimes I'm jealous of him, but in the end one cutaway, one pickup is plenty for me. (plus the pickguard on the special is a bit weird.)

 

[usedtobefast]

Anyone have any experience with Squiers? I've been thinking about finally getting a Tele, but don't want to spend much on it. I see online Squier have an entire range of very affordable telecasters (including one with p90s on it!), but I'm apprehensive of buying a guitar, however cheap, that I haven't played. So, if anyone knows, how do the squiers compare to a proper Telecaster?

the Squier guitars can be pretty nice given the low cost. China is are turning
out some nice instruments these days. having said that when it come to almost
any guitar, spend the money and buy an American made one. why? because
they are so nicely refined and also hold there value,where a Squier will not.
how long do you plan to keep the guitar? and forget p90's in a Tele.
(p90's in a Les Paul yes.) stay with Leo's design. if you can't afford the extra for
USA go with Mexico. they are just as nice,mostly. i have been to both factories
and Mexicans are building guitars in both places. and, unlike China they have a
history of playing guitar. it makes a difference. PM me if you want more info.

 

[S2Sturges]

I mean, if I buy a cheap guitar off the internet, I want to take it out of the box and play it straight away. What I don't want is having to adjust the neck, action, etc, and certainly not replacing pickups, tuners, etc. Anyone have any experience with these guitar? I'm not that picky, if it's set up right and sounds mostly like a telecaster..

@sturges you gave away a 335!? you're a bigger man than me. let me know if your brother tires of it.

@Zapata.. It was a long story, but essentially I did a deal with a music store back in '73 whereby I off loaded a old Farfisa organ, a Sunn Coliseum bass rig and some cash for the 335.. it had a trapeze tailpiece on it and the string tension was terrible, plus the tone was very doinky, so seeing as my brother had been bugging me about it I said "here, play it until you've had enough" .. He went off and had a stud tailpiece and big fat fret wires put in, and it changed everything about it, so I told him to keep it and he could make it up later.. never did...

 

[usedtobefast]

@Zapata.. It was a long story, but essentially I did a deal with a music store back in '73 whereby I off loaded a old Farfisa organ, a Sunn Coliseum bass rig and some cash for the 335.. it had a trapeze tailpiece on it and the string tension was terrible, plus the tone was very doinky, so seeing as my brother had been bugging me about it I said "here, play it until you've had enough" .. He went off and had a stud tailpiece and big fat fret wires put in, and it changed everything about it, so I told him to keep it and he could make it up later.. never did...

If you had that guitar now in stock condition...well it would be a nice heirloom.
too bad,the changes he did, made it way more playable though.they are instruments first and foremost. you get attached to them, but they are tools that allow you to do what you do. although they are cool just to look at.

 

[stefank]

Anyone have any experience with Squiers? I've been thinking about finally getting a Tele, but don't want to spend much on it. I see online Squier have an entire range of very affordable telecasters (including one with p90s on it!), but I'm apprehensive of buying a guitar, however cheap, that I haven't played. So, if anyone knows, how do the squiers compare to a proper Telecaster?

My colleague kept his Chinese Squier and sold his "real" Tele......

 

[ChrisE]

It's pretty cool to read Wikipedia and see what people are playing. It's interesting that so many popular players do not play Les Paul or Strat. Basically that is all the geneal public knows because of Hendrix, Page, Clapton, etc.

 

[S2Sturges]

If you had that guitar now in stock condition...well it would be a nice heirloom.
too bad,the changes he did, made it way more playable though.they are instruments first and foremost. you get attached to them, but they are tools that allow you to do what you do. although they are cool just to look at.

Sorry, it's not pristine anymore, aside from the modifications,years of bars have taken their toll on the old girl..the tobacco finish has gone a bit greenish, the white trim is tan, and the back gouged by countless 70's and 80's belt buckles... my Rickenbacker, however, has been looked after since day one... the only ding in it was courtesy of the same brother.. but indeed, they are just that, beautiful tools of the trade.....

 

[jsem94]

Ibanez should be rated just as highly as gibson or fender

 

[zapata]

Ibanez should be rated just as highly as gibson or fender

The Superstrats of the eighties were probably the most significant development in the electric guitar since the fifties, Ibanez should get some credit for that. I'd never pay money for a superstrat, though. Otherwise, Ibanez and a lot of other companies have taken fender and/or gibson guitars as a basis, and made very good, affordable guitars based on these archetypal designs. If not for les pauls and stratocasters, there would be no ibanez.

 

[zapata]

the Squier guitars can be pretty nice given the low cost. China is are turning
out some nice instruments these days. having said that when it come to almost
any guitar, spend the money and buy an American made one. why? because
they are so nicely refined and also hold there value,where a Squier will not.
how long do you plan to keep the guitar? and forget p90's in a Tele.
(p90's in a Les Paul yes.) stay with Leo's design. if you can't afford the extra for
USA go with Mexico. they are just as nice,mostly. i have been to both factories
and Mexicans are building guitars in both places. and, unlike China they have a
history of playing guitar. it makes a difference. PM me if you want more info.

I know, both my current guitars are made in the USA. I've owned and sold a lot of guitars, but those are the two guitars that i'll never sell. When my kid is fifty years old, if I don't leave him anything else, he'll have a hundred year old es-330..

About the tele, I just intend to buy a cheap one to mess around with, with standard single coils. butterscotch, preferably..