GUITARISTS>STRAT or LES PAUL? Based on the listed below users which guitar would you prefer?

Question

FENDER STRATOCASTER USERS
Jeff Beck,Richie Blackmore,Eric Clapton,Kurt Cobain,Billy Corgan,Robert Cray,The Edge,David Gilmour,Rory Gallagher,Buddy Guy,Jimi Hendrix,Buddy Holly,Eric Johnson,Mark Knopfler,Yngwie Malmsteen,John Mayer,Bonnie Raitt,Richie Sambora,Marty Stuart,Robin Trower,Stevie Ray Vaughn,Jimmie Vaughan, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter,Tommy Bolin,Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Terry Kath,Ed King,Uli Jon Roth, ,Mike Rutherford, Adrian Smith,Richard Thompson,Joe Walsh, and Frank Zappa.
GIBSON LES PAUL USERS
Duane Allman, Buckethead,Al DiMeola,The Edge,Peter Frampton,Ace Frehley,Robert Fripp, Steve Gaines,Billy Gibbons, Peter Green,Steve Hackett,Kirk Hammett,George Harrison,Warren Haynes,James Hetfield,Adam Jones,Steve Jones,Mick Jones,Phil Keaggy,Mark Knopfler,Paul Kossoff,Alex Lifeson,Bob Marley,Gary Moore,Jimmy
Page,Joe Perry,Randy Rhoads,Brian Robertson,Mick Ronson,Gary Rossington,Tom Scholz,Neal Schon,Slash,Adrian Smith,Mick Taylor,Pete Townshend,Neil Young, and Frank Zappa

Answer 1

Well to be honest with you your list is only half right. Starting from the birth of these two very solid guitars (I own three American Fender Stratocasters, a 54 Vintage Relic Stratocasters, a J-500 Gibson Acoustic, a NOS Fender Esquire-first Telecaster-, and a Jimmy Page Custom Shop Les Paul) the sound quality and feel have been valuable to so many different styles and players and often times choosing the best between the two is rather pointless. In general, the Strat is known for its bright, smooth single-coil sound with the traditional bodies being made of the light Alder wood. This tone has been able to be shaped from the grungiest sounds of Nirvana to the amazing shred guitar of Malmsteen and Roth. On the other hand the Gibson Les Paul is known for its (generally) heavier wood and humbucking pickups which have produced a thick, crunchy sound. Of course neck, fretboard, and body types all vary the sound the distinguishing feature about these guitars is that they are all vastly different from model to model. The Japanese Fender Stratocasters from the late 80s which are now sought after can have the "heavy" sound that some claim only the Les Paul can get. You can really play any style on either guitar and with the right set up of amp and effects can overcome both guitars downsides. As for the players you listed....
Jeff Beck - Teles, Strats, and Les Pauls (Blow By Blow era)
Eric Clapton - Strats, Teles, Les Pauls, and SGs
The Edge - Strats, Explorers, Teles, SGs, and Les Pauls
Marty Stuart - Strats, Ibanez (various)
Jimi Hendrix - Guild, Strats, SGs, Flying Vs
Frank Zappa - Gibson Hollowbodies and Strats
Joe Walsh - Strats, Les Pauls
Al DiMeola - Strats, Les Pauls
Kirk Hammett - LTD/ESP Custom Shop Model and Strats
Mark Knopfler - Strats!!!!!!
Joe Perry - Strats
etc....

Answer 2

Personally I'd take the strat.

By the way, the list you provided has a few small errors I picked out right away:
1.Adrian Smith, and the rest of the guys from Maiden for that matter, usually use strats though you have him listed under Les Paul. He does use the Paul occassionaly, though the strat is by far more common.
2. Randy Rhoads again used a Les Paul occasionally but his signature model is a Jackson Flying V, not strat or paul.
3. Mark Knopfler did most of his best work on a '61 Strat, though he did use a Les Paul often.

Basically, it depends on the sound you want out of the guitar. That's why so many people use both.

P.S. I'm in love with my Ibanez RG series, but if I ever change, I'd get the Les Paul because it's so legendary (just to say I own one).

Answer 3

NEITHER! NONE!

How about a hybrid such as a Paul Reed Smith.

Not a single pro guitarist that doesn't own and use a variety of guitars. Even Steve Howe, Mr. ES-175, played other semi-hollow models. Page used a tele in the studio, not always the Les Paul.

Answer 4

Fender Strat all the way. I like to really bend the notes far for blues, and my Gibsons never stayed in tune. My Strats have never let me down and have stayed in tune through some pretty harsh playings. It may be contributed to solid vs. hollow body. I also suffer from minor nerve damage in my hands from work, so the Strat is much more comfortable to play.

Answer 5

I'll say his work on the electric guitar and his gibson. The multitracking was innovative and a fundamental first step, but I think it was also inevitable. Electric guitars would not be the same today without his contributions.

Answer 6

If I was basing my answer on who uses each then I would have to say Strat. I personally like the Les Paul though

Answer 7

I'll keep this short since vondeutsche06 wailed. (nice job too)

I own several editions of all three guitars and I love em all. My projects are so diverse that a varied choice of guitars is essential for my livelihood. But, if somebody locked me in the basement with one guitar, it would be the strat. ♫♪♫

BTW...some of the younger kids need to read your blog..

Answer 8

The Strat, mainly because i already own a jimmie vaughan strat

Answer 9

using a guitar because someone else does is stupid. you also didn't provide any "stats". you just provided a list of people who use them.
you should decide which sound you would like. i prefer the sound of the les paul, myself
be a leader, not a follower. doing something because other's do it is a very immature reason.

Answer 10

The strat. John Mayer's using this and I love this man!