The Musical Instrument Thread

Jon said:
Springsteen also plays a tele.

Strats I see a lot of in Blues (SRV, Clapton, Robert Cray).

Les Paul is damn near exclusive to hard rock or Metal. Either that or you see a lot of Ibanez.
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Springsteen plays an Esquire with a neck pickup added, you jackhole. Common mistake. :D :p

I agree with your overall assessment of Strats and LPs, with plenty of exceptions, of course. Maybe Aaron or Hectic could speculate why. I've heard that Les Pauls offer a thicker tone that tunes down well, while Strats are brighter with the three single-coils and more expressive due to the trem bar.
 
The mass of the mahogany body and neck make the LP's tone and sustain different than the Strat. It really comes down to how you play it, and what you want to get out of it.

This little article does a decent job of unanswering the question.
Strat vs Les Paul
 
Do you ever want to call BS when people talk about the effect of tonewood (other than adding mass) on tone on an electric guitar? Of all the things in the signal chain of most players' rigs, how much effect does a maple cap truly have? The mind has an amazing capacity to hear what we want it to hear. Ever listen to the radio in your car for an hour, and then notice by accident that you had the treble rolled all the way off and didn't notice?
 
I think it makes quite a difference in tone. But amps today tend to trump it, especially when people go so heavy with the effects. I'm guilty of getting wrapped up in the sonic playground. Modeling amps like Line 6 do such a good job of making your rig sound like any other rig, your point is right on though.

Run through something straight forward like a Fender Twin Reverb, and swap out guitars, and you'll hear the difference. If you listen to Clapton or Pages range of tones, you'll hear it too. The tough thing is not getting carried away with the toys.
I'm weak.
 
HecticArt said:
I think it makes quite a difference in tone. But amps today tend to trump it, especially when people go so heavy with the effects. I'm guilty of getting wrapped up in the sonic playground. Modeling amps like Line 6 do such a good job of making your rig sound like any other rig, your point is right on though.

Run through something straight forward like a Fender Twin Reverb, and swap out guitars, and you'll hear the difference. If you listen to Clapton or Pages range of tones, you'll hear it too. The tough thing is not getting carried away with the toys.
I'm weak.
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You have way more experience with this than I and I'm pretty much talking out of my butt, but you'd have to swap two identical guitars that were manufactured from parts all made from the same batches to really compare anything. Last month's mahogany may be African, next month's may be from India, neither of them may be true mahogany. The same model pickups can vary from pup to pup, the same strings can vary from set to set...I guess I try to not get caught up in the "chasing tone" hoopla on the internet forums, because 90 percent of these guys focus way too much on gear and not enough on playing. I'm still pleased that my guitars make guitar-like noises. You blow the horn, you want to hear a honk.
 
You are 100% spot on. I'd be shocked if 1% of professional musicians could hear the difference, and maybe 5% of the guys that build em. Things like maple necks vs ebony aren't hard to hear, single coil vs humbuckers, but it still goes back to not over processing.
 
Try a maple necked Strat (or Teli) and a rosewood (since it's hard to find ebony) of the same model at a guitar shop. They are brighter. It's probably the easiest comparison to hear. Finding the same models with different body woods is probably not as easy to do in your local shop.
 
HecticArt said:
Try a maple necked Strat (or Teli) and a rosewood (since it's hard to find ebony) of the same model at a guitar shop. They are brighter. It's probably the easiest comparison to hear. Finding the same models with different body woods is probably not as easy to do in your local shop.
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I believe you. But only because you're taller than me.
 
Casual Fan said:
Wow. What brought this on? Tell us how you like the robotic tuning system.
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A few months ago, after a few years of not really playing, I get the amp down from the attic, and plugged in.
Sounded horrible and 'static-y'.

My original guitar is/was a Yamaha electric guitar, black, that was meant to resemble a Fender Stratocaster... so I always figured if the finances allowed, I'd get something much different, and I always had my sights set on a Les Paul.

While I was at it, I also placed an order for a new Marshall amp, your basic 2 channel combo amp, 30 watt.

I'm stoked.
 
If the robotic tuning system works as good as advertised, and allows me to easily get into Led Zeppelin Rain Song tuning, I will weep tears of joy.
 
Aaron said:
A few months ago, after a few years of not really playing, I get the amp down from the attic, and plugged in.
Sounded horrible and 'static-y'.

My original guitar is/was a Yamaha electric guitar, black, that was meant to resemble a Fender Stratocaster... so I always figured if the finances allowed, I'd get something much different, and I always had my sights set on a Les Paul.

While I was at it, I also placed an order for a new Marshall amp, your basic 2 channel combo amp, 30 watt.

I'm stoked.
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Hell, I have a 15 watt Line 6 and I'm still careful about how loud it gets. Don't want to get my ass evicted.

Enjoy. We all have to get that DRC supergroup together one day.
 
Casual Fan said:
Springsteen plays an Esquire with a neck pickup added, you jackhole. Common mistake. :D :p

I agree with your overall assessment of Strats and LPs, with plenty of exceptions, of course. Maybe Aaron or Hectic could speculate why. I've heard that Les Pauls offer a thicker tone that tunes down well, while Strats are brighter with the three single-coils and more expressive due to the trem bar.
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Yes, I read up on Springsteen, but it looks like a tele. :D

I know Slash has about 30 Les Pauls in his collection. The ones I've played with are about as bulky as my acoustic, when I wanted an electric I wanted something light and easy to play, that Squier fits the bill nicely.
 
Aaron said:
While I was at it, I also placed an order for a new Marshall amp, your basic 2 channel combo amp, 30 watt.
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An LP into a Marshall. It's like peanut butter and jelly, or...you know...other stuff that goes together. Sonny and Cher. And so on.

Aaron said:
If the robotic tuning system works as good as advertised, and allows me to easily get into Led Zeppelin Rain Song tuning, I will weep tears of joy.
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My coworker (female, age 25) has never heard any Led Zeppelin that she can recall. I sent her a Spotify link to Houses of the Holy because I think it's their most approachable album, thanks in part to the Rain Song. I didn't know it was in open G, but I never checked.

Jon said:
Yes, I read up on Springsteen, but it looks like a tele. :D
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They sold them both at the same time, and some Esquires actually had the neck pickup cavity routed under the pickguard. But needless to say people wanted both, and that Tele neck pickup is pretty sweet. A perfect counter to that fuzzy twangy bridge contraption.

Jon said:
I know Slash has about 30 Les Pauls in his collection. The ones I've played with are about as bulky as my acoustic, when I wanted an electric I wanted something light and easy to play, that Squier fits the bill nicely.
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They're big and heavy. Gibson sells chambered versions that are lighter. I like them and wouldn't mind owning one at some point.
 
Hey Jon--you can play Here I Go Again--it's just G, C, D and Am. I don't have my guitar out but it probably sounds better as power chords or barre chords on the third and fifth frets.
 
That's on the list, but I've got a few others I'm trying to get first. I'm still trying to learn the whole of Cat Scratch Fever, and that little blurb on Heartbreaker you posted the other day got me into learning the chords along with the riff. All it is is A & D. Also looking at 'The Ocean' and Houses of the Holy to learn later.

I'm also starting to learn how Appregios and scales tie in with chord structures. I also am learning some Jazz Guitar techniques. Long list of stuff.
 
Casual Fan said:
My coworker (female, age 25) has never heard any Led Zeppelin that she can recall. I sent her a Spotify link to Houses of the Holy because I think it's their most approachable album, thanks in part to the Rain Song. I didn't know it was in open G, but I never checked.
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Not quite Open G, but close.. DGCGCD
 
Part 1 of my ukulele plan is underway. I sold some stuff on eBay for good prices. Now to ship the items and wait for round 2 of my auctions to close the middle of next week.
 
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