Strat vs. Les Paul: Surely an arguement that could go on for ages. I love the fat sound that you can get only from the Les Paul, yet I still haven't found a guitar with a better playing, more comfortable neck than the one on my 1988 Fender American Plus Stratocaster. I'll never give it up for anything, although people have tried.

1978 Strat-I can do anything-My...Tramp
1984 Les Paul-I can do more-My Bud
1994 Paul Reed Smith C10Top-I can do it all-My Lover
1986 B.C.Rich ST3-My abused spouse!

all i play are hand made charvels and jacksons...d.m.

Strat vs. Les Paul - this really isnt a valid comparison. The 2 are vastly different. I think it is important to remember that even players heavily associated with strats also spent plenty of time on gibsons. For example Jimi hendrix, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Jeff Beck all used Gibsons from time to time. Clapton's new strats are non traditional in the sense that they do not have vintage pickups/electronics. This allows his smoother gibson-esque sound that was mentioned earlier. Also adding humbuckers to a strat does NOT make it sound like a Paul, it does however create a cool new sound ala John Jorgenson - Hellecasters. With all that said - I prefer Strats over all electrics. They are custom contoured, light weight (unless you have a late 70s), very versatile, and easy to develop new sounds and textures with. But please if you can afford it - by the American versions, they are worth it!

The reason why these "great" players used Fenders is because Fenders were mass produced and packaged and sold like cans of fucking fruit. Many of these players mentioned have used all sorts of guitars. I would put the tone of my Gretsch against a fucking Strat or Les Paul any day of the week. I have a Strat, a Tele, and Gretsch 6120....the Gretsch eats my Strat and Tele for breakfast.

The internet...where any moron can call himself an "expert" - VIRTUAL moron that is.
Don't quit your day job....pal!

hmm...i don't see where anyone called themselves an expert.

Obviously not a well reasoned conclusion. If you want to sound like everyone else then, by all means, limit yourself to a Strat or LP. Both are good guitars, but to call others "no name brands" and jump to the conclusion the Virtual Moron (a real musician would know better) is just plain idiotic. Besides, just because you own a LP or Strat doesn't mean you can play like those guys. Here's a tip from writer to writer: Check your premises.

To the loon that wrote this:

You are nuts!

"Basically, I can dismiss all these other guitars because all the great guitar players (with a few notable exceptions) have already done so."


Spoken like a true ignoramus.
Thanks to the internet, every ignorant fool has a podium to preach from.

Get your IGNORANT CLASSIC-ROCK LOVING ASS to a record store...and maybe you'll Virtually become a musician someday.