Top 10 Common Differences Between Gibson Les Paul and Fender Stratocaster
Fender Stratocaster and Gibson Les Paul are two of the most popular guitar models ever created. Both have been used by many legendary guitarists, and the two models are often considered rivals.Here, I am focusing on the most common differences between the two guitars that can be easily noticed.
Prominent Stratocaster players include Jimi Hendrix, Ritchie Blackmore, Eric Clapton, David Gilmour, Dick Dale, and Mark Knopfler.
Prominent Les Paul players include Jimmy Page, Slash, Randy Rhoads, and Pete Townshend.
The biggest pro of a Fender guitar is the feature also present in the Fender Telecaster. While the Les Paul has three tuning keys on the left and three on the right, which can be seen in most guitars, the straight-lined tuning keys help the guitar stay more tuned than divided keys.
Easily noticeable. Look at how Jimmy Page is holding his guitar and then compare it to Jimi Hendrix, for example.
Or at least what you can see is that the Les Paul has a fixed bridge. The Stratocaster features a bridge that allows you to easily install your vibrato bar.
Just under the bridge, the Les Paul has four control knobs, which can be easily seen. And the Stratocaster has three knobs, though I have also seen two. Maybe those could be fake, but it has fewer than the Les Paul.
The Stratocaster has three pickups, two straight and one slightly curved, while the Les Paul has double straight humbucker pickups.
You could say that the Les Paul has a wider neck, but actually, the Stratocaster's neck is somewhat parallel. That's why the average width of the Stratocaster's neck is wider than that of the Les Paul.
Someone mentioned that it's the body, not the frets. How can a guitar's body be close to another if a guitar has only one body? Plus, guitar scale refers to the length from the bridge to the headstock (nut). That means the strings also have to be longer, so the frets must be more spaced. It's not the body but the frets that matter.
By the way, frets may not impact the tone directly, but they will impact it indirectly. A larger gap means less pressure on the strings. A smaller gap will create more pressure on the strings. That's why it'll create a warmer/deeper sound, as you can see in the Les Paul.
Not necessarily, but the Les Paul is mostly popular in hard rock, while the Stratocaster is mostly used for metal.
The Stratocaster is not only for metal and rock. People like David Gilmour (Pink Floyd), Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits), and Eric Clapton use it in blues, country, and jazz.
This, combined with the fact that a Les Paul has a deeper headstock angle, makes the Les Paul more prone to breaking its neck.