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Classic Guitars: Les Pau, SG, Tele or Strat?

ROConnell

By ROConnell,
in Guitars

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BigRedX Grand Master

BigRedX

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[quote name='Wil' timestamp='1343121682' post='1745434']
If it looks like an SG, plays like an SG, sounds like an SG, then...
[/quote]

But it's not. At the time when this guitar came out the term "SG" didn't exist. The instrument pictured was sold by Gibson as the new Les Paul. The previous single cut body shape had been discontinued in favour of this design. It's just as much a Les Paul as any of the other variations I described in one of my previous posts.

IMO opinion guitars are more than just their body shapes. How do you classify something with an asymmetric double cut maple capped body, six in-line head, with a set neck, twin humbuckers and a tune-o-matic bridge?

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Wil Rising Star

Wil

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Depends what it looks like ;) For all intents and purposes, the body shape is the primary factor for identifying an instrument for me at least. When I hear Les Paul, I think of the classic and well known instrument that happens to look quite unlike an SG. Things like pickups can be suffixed onto the end of that, if you're fussy :)

That SG shaped Les Paul might well be a Les Paul, but for 99% of guitarists who havent read the truss rod cover it's an SG. And what does the name matter anyway, really? It's more about how it looks, feels, plays and sounds than how it's branded.

As an aside, my favourite Les Pauls and SGs say Gordon Smith on the headstock.

Edited by Wil
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Wil Rising Star

Wil

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[quote name='charic' timestamp='1343127959' post='1745619']
If it was only down to body shapes then Sadowsky have been making fenders for a few years ;)
[/quote]

We all think of Sadowsky as a manufacturor of high end Jazz and Precision basses though, right?

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BigRedX Grand Master

BigRedX

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[quote name='Wil' timestamp='1343127511' post='1745604']
It's more about how it looks, feels, plays and sounds than how it's branded.
[/quote]

But what about the guitar that I described later on my last post? It belongs to a guitarist friend of mine. On stage it looks like a Strat, but on record you'd swear it was a Les Paul.

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Wil Rising Star

Wil

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I have a chambered body guitar with a single PAF at the bridge, a tune-o-matic, locking tuners and a backwards headstock, but it's Strat shaped. Sounds a bit like a semi acoustic Gibson. To me it's a Strat [size=1]with some minor changes.[/size]

Do we have to be this anal about guitars all the time? They're bits of wood. You say potato, I say Strat, lets all go play along to Maggot Brain.

Edited by Wil
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Dave Vader Proficient

Dave Vader

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I said strat, cos it's been my number one for the last 25 years of gigging on guitars.
However, i got given an SG a year ago, and it keeps proving it's a lot more versatile than I thought, and it keeps getting used more than my old strat does. Despite hating them for their ugly ugly looks for those aforementioned 25 years.. I have warmed a bit (but mine is not red, which helps)

I also fixed up my tele last night, I like it, but it does lack versatility for most gigging situations that I find myself in, which is a shame.

Staying with strat then... :)

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BigRedX Grand Master

BigRedX

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[quote name='Wil' timestamp='1343130139' post='1745666']
I have a chambered body guitar with a single PAF at the bridge, a tune-o-matic, locking tuners and a backwards headstock, but it's Strat shaped. Sounds a bit like a semi acoustic Gibson. To me it's a Strat [size=1]with some minor changes.[/size]

Do we have to be this anal about guitars all the time? They're bits of wood. You say potato, I say Strat, lets all go play along to Maggot Brain.
[/quote]

But to me a strat is as much about the 2nd and 4th pickup selector switch positions as it is about the body shape and the bolt-on neck.

And why play along to someone else's song. Wouldn't it be better to write something new? :-D

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waynepunkdude Veteran

waynepunkdude

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[quote name='Johnston' timestamp='1343131047' post='1745690']
So what happens if you have a vintage strat that doesn't have those "2nd and 4th pickup selector switch positions" . Does that mean it's no longer a strat to you ;)
[/quote]

You can't be a non conformist if you don't drink coffee.

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Dave Vader Proficient

Dave Vader

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[quote name='Johnston' timestamp='1343131047' post='1745690']
So what happens if you have a vintage strat that doesn't have those "2nd and 4th pickup selector switch positions" . Does that mean it's no longer a strat to you ;)
[/quote]

Jam it with cocktail sticks, that's what I used to do. (then I replaced the stupid f***ing switch with a 5 way) :)

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BigRedX Grand Master

BigRedX

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[quote name='Johnston' timestamp='1343131047' post='1745690']
So what happens if you have a vintage strat that doesn't have those "2nd and 4th pickup selector switch positions" . Does that mean it's no longer a strat to you ;)
[/quote]

Those out-of phase sounds were always there for those of us prepared to fiddle with the switch to get to them. TBH it's been such a long time since 5-position switches have been available I'd almost forgotten that there was a time when getting those sounds wasn't quite as straight-forward.

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ezbass Grand Master

ezbass

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Of those it has to be the Tele. Not as much as an all rounder as the Strat, but it has 'something' about it for me. Favourite guitar all round for me would be a Gretsch 6120, in orange. Mmm GAS.

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BigRedX Grand Master

BigRedX

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[quote name='Johnston' timestamp='1343161072' post='1746463']
I just won a set of templates of EBAY was going to knock you up some so you could build your own :P
[/quote]

*GRIN* I bet you were just waiting for me to come with my anti-telecaster rant. I was going to be good, but there were just too many pro-tele posts for me to contain myself any longer :-)

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Schnozzalee Experienced

Schnozzalee

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[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1343161714' post='1746487']
*GRIN* I bet you were just waiting for me to come with my anti-telecaster rant. I was going to be good, but there were just too many pro-tele posts for me to contain myself any longer :-)
[/quote]

Haha your like me, I think it's a pretty damn ugly guitar personally and hurts the rib cage (especially double bound!!) but mine sold very well - literally a week!! I associate it with punk & indie music which I can't stand. That said a rosewood tele's neck pickup sounds far better than that on a rosewood strat. I'm the other way round preferring the '62 tele over the strat and the '57 strat over a '52 tele :rolleyes:

Les Paul's have to be the best looking in this line up, I just don't like the balance and tone IMO unless the strat is old and GENUINELY relic'd :P

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Schnozzalee Experienced

Schnozzalee

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[quote name='Johnston' timestamp='1343162214' post='1746501']

Never been strat fan but I'm liking those squier ones with the 3 lipsticks. Think it is just a hang up from seeing too many guitards use them has put me against them.
[/quote]

I thought this about Precisions and Strats when I started, they are the beginner's guitar but since I owned some good ones they're my uncontested faves...and after years of funky Ibanez Destroyers and Kubickis lol

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