Strat vs Les Paul Hendrix, Page, Clapton, Slash...legendary guitarists who generally choose (or chose) to use either the Fender Strat or the Gibson Les Paul. Two iconic guitars, so what's the difference and what'll suit you best?
What is better, a Fender Strat or a Gibson Les Paul? Much has been written, discussed and argued about on this matter, and for certain guitarists, being seen playing the ‘wrong’ one of the two is a very bad thing. There is, however, no right answer. Both guitars, the headline acts from their respective manufacturers, have played an equal part is ensuring their name goes down in history as an iconic and legendary instrument.
But what are the differences between the Strat and the Les Paul? Well these are easier to describe as the two guitars couldn’t be less alike.
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Let’s start with how they’re built. Traditionally, the Les Paul is crafted from a solid Mahogany body with a carved maple cap. A mahogany neck is set (glued) into the body and is fitted with a Rosewood fretboard. This method of construction, however, is very labour intensive and gave rise to Leo Fender’s own designs for the Telecaster and laterly, Stratocaster. These were designed to be built more quickly with parts that could easily be replaced if damaged.
As a result, the Strat is a much more simply constructed guitar. With an ash or alder body, bolt on maple neck and ‘pre-wired’ electronics, they were easier to build and could therefore be produced in greater numbers.
So, what sounds better, a Strat or a Les Paul? Unfortunately, this is another unanswerable one. The sound of a guitar is completely subjective and can be interpreted a different way by every single person that hears it.
Fender Stratocaster Vs. Gibson Les Paul
The Strat and Les Paul have very different characters when it comes to tone. Most of this is due to their construction. The big, heavy mahogany body and neck of the Les Paul, coupled with a pair of humbucking pickups combine to create its instantly recognisable sound.
Famous for its sustain, the Les Paul delivers a powerful, gutsy tone full of rich bass, punchy mids with the maple cap delivering snappy trebles. Ideal for anything from warm mellow jazz and blues, right through to the full-on heavy stuff, the Les Paul is more versatile than many give it credit for.
The Strat is a completely different beast. With three single coil pickups and switching to allow for various combinations of these, it is capable of a wide range of different tones. Less powerful than the Les Paul, the Strat delivers a range of snappy, ‘choppy’ tones making it ideal for cleaner playing styles. Don’t be fooled, however, a Strat, even with its single coils, is still capable of producing a big, crunchy sound - just ask a certain Mr Hendrix!
Stratocaster Or Les Paul? Which One Is Better
So who uses Strats and Les Pauls? A huge amount of guitar music over the last 60 years has been recorded using one of these two giants of the guitar world.
Strats have proved immensely popular with the likes of Hank Marvin, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Nile Rodgers, Richie Sambora, John Mayer, Simon Neil (Biffy Clyro) and countless others.
The Les Paul has been the guitar of choice for Slash, Zakk Wylde, Eric Clapton (again!), Jimmy Page, Joe Perry, Pete Townsend, Gary Moore, Paul Kossoff, Joe Bonamassa and, of course, Les Paul himself.
Les Paul:
As you can see, it doesn’t come down to which guitar is ‘better’ as they both are legends in their own right. Ultimately, the best guitar is the one that’s right for you for reasons determined by the individual player. Try them both - you may be surprised!
We have a huge range of Strats (including the current crop of Fender Standard Stratocasters and Fender American Standard Straocasters) and Les Pauls (including the latest Gibson Les Pauls) here at . If you need any further info, please call us on 01279 432 900, or come and pay us a visit to try these iconic guitars for yourself.Whopper or Big Mac? iPhone or Galaxy? Chevy or Ford? Let’s be honest; whatever our personal feelings or preferences may be regarding these competing brands or products, they’re basically all designed to fulfil the same purpose. Whichever burger I choose to eat will make me less hungry, whichever car I choose to drive will get me from A to B, and whichever phone I buy will enable me to call or text my friends. They’re simple tools for a simple job.
The same essentially applies to guitars, although this area of choice tends to bring out even more divisiveness between users than McDonalds or Burger King customers. And the ultimate polar choice for electric players, more-or-less since the advent of the solid-body axe around 70 years ago, has been between the Fender Stratocaster and the Gibson Les Paul – unquestionably the two most iconic and enduring designs in electric guitar history.
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However, whilst both are 6-string instruments, designed to be plugged in and rocked hard, that’s where the similarities end in the minds of many guitarists. That’s certainly the case with two of my closest friends, one of which has gigged and recorded through his entire professional life on no less than three different Stratocasters (two Japanese, one American), whilst the other has used the same Les Paul Standard as his primary guitar on stages throughout the world for the past 15 years. Neither would trade instruments under any circumstances, and both frequently lecture me on why their choice is the right one!
But in reality, making any kind of judgement about which is the better instrument is both impossible and pointless for countless reasons. So let’s highlight these reasons through simple comparison of these two champions of the electric guitar world...
We mean that there’s really no limitations in terms of what you can do either a Stratocaster or Les Paul. And if you don’t believe us, check the names of notable users. Both Clapton and Knopfler have frequently used both models, and the cocktail of blues, rock and metal players associated with both instruments is equally varied.
Welche Ist Besser? Fender Stratocaster Vs. Gibson Les Paul
Yes, the two greatest solid-bodied electric guitars ever made are clearly worlds apart on just about every conceivable physical level. But the fact that guitarists have managed to use them in just about every conceivable musical situation is truly a testament to the genius of both designs. And either – or both – might be perfect for you...
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This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners.If you’re thinking about learning guitar and want to buy either a Les Paul or a Strat, you might wonder which is easier to play.
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Some guitarists feel a Strat is easier to play due to lower weight, better upper fret access, and a more comfortable neck. Other guitarists feel a Les Paul is easier to play due to a shorter scale length.
As there is no straightforward answer to this question, let’s take a closer look at the differences between a Strat and a Les Paul to see which you may prefer.
The scale length, weight, and type of neck all play a big role in the playability of a Strat vs a Les Paul. A shorter scale length improves the playability of a Les Paul, while the neck on a Strat improves its playability.
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The scale length of a Les Paul is 24.75 inches and a Stratocaster’s scale length is 25.5 inches. A shorter scale length makes the Les Paul easier to play than a Strat.
This doesn’t automatically make a Les Paul easier to play overall, but scale length is a plus for a Les Paul over a Strat.
The longer scale length on a Strat increases string tension. The shorter scale length on a Les Paul decreases string tension. String tension plays a big part in playability, so I’ll cover it next.
What Is The Difference Between A Gibson Les Paul And A Fender Stratocaster?
Scale length also changes the space between frets. A guitar with a longer scale length will have wider gaps between frets. If you have small hands, this is worth considering and will be covered later.
A big part of a guitar’s playability is due to string tension. The higher the string tension, the harder you need to work to press down and move
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