Fender vs. Gibson

[XNASA]

Poll question: Fender vs. Gibson

Electric Guitars, that is.

[Ellen Forradalom]

1. You and your geee-tars

cancha think of anything else?

[XNASA]

3. Amps?

:shrug:

[bobthedrummer]

2. Fender.

:7

[ET Awful]

4. PRS all the way so . . OTHER :) . . . or

if you could actually get one, a Doug Irwin would be nice. . . or maybe a Paul Languedoc :)

[XNASA]

6. Soooooorrrrrrrrry, Mr. Moneybags.

:hi:

[ET Awful]

8. Who me? I don't even own an electric right now

all I have is my trusty Larrivee Parlor model acoustic :)

[Character Assassin]

22. Ugh. Had one, it wasn't put together so well.

Besides the fact that one might channel Carlos Sanatana when playing, and commensurately begin to suck, big time.

[ET Awful]

24. By implying that Carlos Santana sucks, you immediately

lowered the worth of your evaluation of the guitar :)

[Character Assassin]

50. Oh, sorry, did I only imply? Ok: Carlos Santana sucks. Big Donkey Balls

I mean, god DAMN it, does he fucking suck.

I no longer have any need for Tylenol PM, thanks to him.

[mitchum]

48. PRSs feel like toys (but to each their own :))

[ET Awful]

59. Nah, Parker Flys feel like toys :)

Feel like you're playin' a chunk of balsa wood :)

[mitchum]

68. You are absolutely right about the Fly...

also a public service announcement: if you haven't already encountered one, stay away from the Fernandes Sustainer. It promises so much, but delivers so little :)

[Gothic Sponge]

5. I play fenders, but i prefer gibsons.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[ronzo]

66. That'd be my choice, too.

Had to go with the Gibsons. :shrug:

[Radical Activist]

7. Martin guitars

I like acoustic

[ET Awful]

9. I prefer acoustic, and I'll take a Larrivee please :)

Or a Harvey Leach custom built :) . . . I almost had one, but I had to cancel the order when I lost my job and moved :( http://www.leachguitars.com/

[XNASA]

10. The poll specifically states "electric".

I'm disqualifying your archaic answer. :hi:

[ET Awful]

14. Where does it state that?

In fact, Gibson and Fender both make acoustics as well (granted Gibson does it right and Fender does it way wrong) :)

But your poll just says "guitar" :)

edit: Oh, there it is, never mind :)

[Radical Activist]

29. and my message said

i prefer acoustic. deal with it.

[Magrittes Pipe]

11. Gretsch.

[XNASA]

16. Never played one.

Used to have a 60's Gretsch tube amp with 2-10's back in high school.

Of course, I dismantled it and mounted the speakers in a 67 Impala. After I had done that, I installed them in my car.

[Gothic Sponge]

18. I have 2 Gretsch acoustics.

:thumbsup:

[Squeech]

12. I play a 1969 SG Custom

I have long felt that Fender guitars are fundamentally different instruments from Gibsons. (And I lump most other brands-- Gretsch, Guild, Rickenbacker, etc-- in with Gibsons.)

The determining factor seems to be string tension, which is a product of scale length and neck rigidity. The Fender instrument lends itself to a more flexible style, with a lot of warping of both pitch and timbre.

None of which I can do very well. The best I can get is a pastiche of Jorma Kaukonen's finger vibrato, on good days. I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Gibson guy. (I play a Ric too.)

[XNASA]

19. I play a Tele, for the same reasons that you have stated.

But it has a humbucker in the bridge position, to warm up the leads a bit.

Got a '62 Epi SG reissue as well. But, I prefer the Tele. It's more expressive.

[Phillycat]

13. Guild.

[Fenris]

15. Ahem.

[XNASA]

21. But the guitar that carries his name is........

A Schecter PT. Very Tele-like.

Just the other day I had a little fun and connected every amp in the house up together. Amazing how much it sounded like Live at Leeds.

[southpaw]

25. Gibson makes a Pete Townshend model SG...

Pretty much identical to the one in the pic... single coils and all.

[no name no slogan]

40. DAMN!!! Every amp?

I suppose you woke up, hearing the phone ringing in the middle of the night, but picked it up and all you got was a dial tone? :D

[Blue-Jay]

17. Gibson

Only because I prefer humbuckers to single coils, and I like a chunkier neck.

[XNASA]

36. That's because you yourself have a chunky neck.

:hi:

[Blue-Jay]

41. Yeah, and you have chicken legs.

:P

[GOPisEvil]

46. I had a Fender with two humbuckers.

I had a 1983 Bullet H-2. Dual humbuckers with coil taps to make either or both single coils. Got great tone out of that thing. I should have never sold it. :spank:

[Blue-Jay]

55. Yeah. There are Fenders made that way.

I tried one out last year that had two single coils and a humbucker in the bridge position. Sounded great, but I didn't like the neck. Fender does make a model with a V-shaped neck that feels pretty damn good. A friend of mine just bought a Tele with that style neck on it. Pricy, but it kicks ass.

[no name no slogan]

70. I played a Washburn Falcon electric like that in the 80s

It was a neck-thru body with twin dual-coil pickups, both with coil taps for the single-coil jangle of a Fender. Best of both worlds, really-- plus the great sustain of a neck-thru body. I got it because I saw Andy Summers of the Police playing one once.

The only problem was that it weighed a ton or two. It was my first
"real" electric, and I was only 13 when I got it. I was a small kid, and it was difficult to play after a couple hours. But still, it was a cool guitar.

[southpaw]

20. I'm a Bassist, myself

and play a Spector NS-2 from the late 80's, but I have always felt that Gibson instruments were more solidly built: Fender style guitars, (with their bolt-on necks, massive plastic pick-guards screwed to the body, straight headstocks with string trees...) just seem pieced together by comparison to the Gibson style instruments.

[XNASA]

27. Sorry.

This thread is for musicians only.

:evilgrin:

[johnnie]

30. He said bassist

Not drummer...
:evilgrin:

Although............

[southpaw]

31. Hah!

Those egomaniacs who hang around with musicians are called VOCALISTS!

[jmowreader]

49. A-hem!

(the rest of DU stands back in open-mouthed disbelief as Jim takes his DW5000 pedal, substitutes a billiard ball for the beater, and uses it to thump Johnnie's head...)

[johnnie]

54. Ouch

How do you know what car is the drummer's?
It's the one with the pizza delivery sign on top.

[jmowreader]

62. You know the difference between guitarists and government bonds?

Government bonds eventually mature and make money.

[johnnie]

67. That one's funny...

I never heard that one before. Thanks

[johnnie]

23. Have to go with Fender on this one

Never had a Gibson I really liked as much as my Telecasters. Although I will say that my Epiphone Sheraton II has taken the place of my Tele these last few months.
I will never give up the Telecaster though...I swear I have tried.

"One of them 'Pointy' Guitars"...LOL, that really did make me LOL.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

26. Ibanez

[stevielizard]

28. I play a '67 Epiphone Riviera (later swallowed by Gibson)

through a Victoria Amp (boutique copy of a 50's Fender Bassman)- so, BOTH!
Back in Chicago I have a '75 Fender Strat and a '68 Gibson SG in storage, so...NEITHER!

[Beware the Beast Man]

32. I love the sound of Gibsons

But it seems that Fenders are more versatile as far as getting different sounds out of the guitar. This is my dilemma as I look forward to getting a guitar. I plan on doing a lot of heavy, effects driven, experimental guitar work. Would I be better off getting a Fender (or, with my budget a Squier)?

[johnnie]

33. If you are going to get a Squire

Go play all of them you can find. They are hit and miss. I've played some real nice Squires that played great, then the next one I would pick up played like shit. I think that on a budget a Squire is a great deal if you look for one and not buy it sight unseen.

[Squeech]

35. Agreed

The guitar for you will nestle comfortably in your arms-- practically curl up in your lap like a kitten!

I play used, beat-up instruments exclusively! New instruments are cold and unfeeling...

[Beware the Beast Man]

37. Thanks for the heads up..

Both of you. I noticed the same thing. I've played some Squier Strats that were spot-on perfect, and others where the action was completely sloppy. I'm thinking maybe just holding out one or 2 more paychecks and springing for a Fender.

[XNASA]

34. Squier's are barely playable in my opinion.

But Schecter......there's a guitar. My son has one. Schecters are the best value and straddle the line between being Fender/Gibson.

[Blue-Jay]

44. I have two Schecters. Love 'em!

C-1 Classic, see-thru blue, vine of life inlay on the fretboard, Duncan 59 in the neck, and a JB in the bridge. Neck-thru construction goodness!

C-1 XX model. Number 56 of a hundred made for the Schecter 20th anniversary. Similar to the C-1 Classic, except no maple cap on the body, and a Duncan Distortion PuP at the bridge.

XNASA is correct. These guitars are a great blend of the things I like about Fender & Gibson. A five-way switch makes for a great range of sounds. Positions 2 & 4 coil split the pickups, for a more Fender-ey tone.

Here's a pic of a C-1 Classic from Schecter's site. Mine's not quite so dark.

[no name no slogan]

38. Go with the Fender

Get a Strat with the five-way pickup selector switch. You can really get some decent tone out of those single-coils, believe it or not.

I used to play a Mexi Strat in a "shoegazer" band in the early 90s. I ran this guitar through a couple of effects processors, an Alesis reverb (for some heavy-duty delay) and then ran a stereo signal into two amps. It was very cool for that My Bloody Valentine/Slowdive "floating" guitar sound. The Strat's flexibility was a big part of this, too IMHO.

And if you do go for a Fender, get a REAL Fender, NOT a Squier. The price difference isn't that great between a Mexi Fender and a Squier, but the "feel" is worlds apart.

Squiers remind me too much of my first "bargain" guitar-- a Hondo, if there's anybody who remembers those. It was a Strat knockoff and had a neck like a baseball bat. The action was almost 1/4" off the neck, and the pickups were so crappy you could actually talk into them.

These days I'm learning flamenco guitar, so I mostly play nylon-string flamenco acoustic guitars (which are like classical guitars, but have a smaller and shallower body and solid spruce soundboards so they "project" more). However I'm still a Strat man at heart and still like to plug in once in a while, for old-times sake.

:)

[no name no slogan]

39. Former Fender Strat player, but now I play GODIN

www.godinguitars.com

My current guitar is a nylon-string Godin Multiac SA, which is possibly the most versatile guitar ever made.

It's a solid-body nylon-stringed guitar with a built-in guitar synth pickup. I've played everything from flamenco to classical to Black Sabbath to wacky King Crimson-y guitar synth stuff on it-- and it ALL sounds amazing.

Godins are made in Canada and the US, and are remarkably well-made for their price. I got mine for $700 new a couple of years ago, and have not regretted it once.

My current setup is pretty bizarre, but goes something like this. The Godin audio signal is split into three parts:

* an "electric" audio signal goes to a Behringer V-Amp Pro multi-effects/amp modelling rack unit (with an Alesis MidiVerb in the effects loop),

* the "synth" signal goes into an old Roland GR-50 guitar synth, which then goes through a cheap Behringer rack effects unit (for reverb/chorus, etc.),

* the "dry" signal out of the GR-50 goes into a Yamaha AG Stomp acoustic guitar pre-amp, which I use for a "clean" acoustic guitar sound.

All these signals go to an 8-channel rack mixer, which sends a stereo signal to the PA. No amps required, as the V-Amp does a decent job with amp modelling.

I finally bought a Behringer floor pedal unit to manage this setup (via MIDI), but I haven't had a chance to program it yet. Needless to say, I don't do a whole lot of patch-changing mid-song, because it's a pain in the @$$ to get it all set up right! :dunce:

But, as the late great Jimi Hendrix said about effects boxes, "before you learn to play through 'em, you gotta learn to tapdance on 'em".

[ET Awful]

71. That whole company makes great guitars at a great price

LaSiDo makes some excellent stuff.

The Seagull line can't be beat for an entry level acoustic.

[JimmyJazz]

42. this one

[PittPoliSci]

43. Fender!

Dick Dale...drool...telecasters...drool...

[pdx_prog]

45. Depends on the sound you are looking for....

They are both fun to play....when you need a certain sound, you pick up the axe that is going to deliver..

[0rganism]

52. Exactly! This isn't an either-or thing

The tone and feel are qualitatively different, and should be applied on different occasions.

[mitchum]

47. Gibson for guitars Fender for amps

[NNadir]

51. I've been playing the same Les Paul for a zillion years.

I like some of the Fenders I've played over the years, but I've never owned one.

Interestingly I had a friend who once smashed (Peter Townsend style) a Fender Jazzmaster to express his disatisfaction with our band's sound at one gig we were playing. His parents were wealthy and went out and bought him another guitar.

Later he was killed in automobile accident, but I don't know if Fender Karma had anything to do with it. I suspect not.

[Rabrrrrrr]

53. All depends on the tone one wants

None have a "better" sound, except for the tone you're trying to get on any one song.

Thank God for the guitarists who switch as needed.

[ProfessorGAC]

73. That Would Be Me

I mostly use a JS-1000 Ibanez as my main axe, but for a clean jangly sound, i will only use a Tele. Then, if i want a little chunkier clean tone, i'll use a Strat. I've got two and the pickups on each are VERY different.

Lastly, i've got a Jazzmaster. Nice clean tone when both pickups are on. Useless for grit or grind (too noisy), and the neck feels like a 2X4, but it has a unique tone that's good for some applications.

Like i said, i'm mostly a Fender guy, don't care for Gibson's (string tension is too low and the neck is too flat), and i'm committed to my pointy Ibanez.
The Professor

[chaska]

56. Now why in the Hell would DUers play a corporate product? Continued below.

For the same or less money you can buy a superior guitar from a small company or an individual luthier.

Don't buy corporate. JUST SAY NO!

[mairceridwen]

58. no you can't

if you want a fender sound, you need a fender

that's just how it is.

there are smaller companies, but anything with a comprable sound (or a better soudn) it is going to cost you $$$$.


I have a peavey fury bass. it sounds pretty bad, but I learned on it...not awful for a starter bass. I'd love a fender jazz. no money...and my talent level doesn't justify spending what little money I do have.

[Fiendish Thingy]

57. Being a Beatle fan, I have the following guitars...

a Rickenbacker 350 (similar to Lennon's)
Rickenbacker 360/12v64 - like George's in A Hard Days Night
a Gretsch Tennessean - Like George played on the Beatles for Sale and Help LP's and on the 1965 tours
A Hofner 500/1 bass- like Macca's famous one, only right handed
a Rickenbacker 4001v63- like Macca's in Magical Mystery tour, without the psychedelic paint job

I also have Fender telecaster

[Zomby Woof]

60. I have one of each

I pleade neutrality. Both great, for different reasons.

Like asking a parent to admit a favorite child.

[Blue-Jay]

63. Yet, deep in their hearts,

Every parent does have a favorite child. They just don't admit it.

[Ron Green]

61. How to get an electric guitar player to turn down..........

....put some sheet music in front of him.

:scared:

[tarkus]

64. Gibson all the way

I play a Les Paul and I like the thicker tone of the humbuckers and the chunkier neck. The sustain and more tone control is also nice.

[IronLionZion]

65. YAMAHA all the way!

*ducks*


I'd pick Fender

[no name no slogan]

69. I have a Yamaha 12-string Strat copy

...and it's a GREAT guitar! I believe it's a Pacifica, and I got it for only $400 new. Just plug it into a Fender Twin, kick up the reverb and you're in twang city!

Great for doing those Church covers (IIRC Marty Wilson-Piper plays a Fender Strat 12-String, but I could be wrong) :dunce:

[ProfessorGAC]

72. Pointy!

However, i'm a committed Fender guy. Even my pointy one is essentially an modernized extension of the Strat. I've got a Tele, 2 Strats, and a Jazzmaster. (But, there all the "other guitars" since my pointy one is my main!)

I don't have, nor have i ever wanted, any Gibson guitar. Unless someone gives me one, i won't ever have one, either.
The Professor

[auburngrad82]

74. Silly poll, if you ask me

Everyone knows Freddy Fender can play and sing circles around Charlie Gibson.