I have a fender squier, so i'm out of the game But why don't you consider a fender mustang, jaguar or jazzmaster too? I'd like to try one of those...
Good idea, but Jags aren't as versitile as a Strat, ditto for the Jazzmaster and Mustang.
Believe me, when I was growin up, I thought the worst thing you could turn out to be was normal, So I say freaks in the most complementary way. Here's a song by a fellow freak - E.V
When I was first learning how to play, I relied on my best friend, a really great guitarist who had a Les Paul and a beautiful '79 sunburst Strat. I immediately fell in love with the feel of the Strat. The quickness of the neck(I have small hands) and the basic shape felt like a hug from a beautiful woman. The first guitar I bought was naturally a nice american strat. Nothing fancy, but I was a beginner and it was the nicest guitar I could afford. I still have it and love it to death. The main reason I bought it, though was for the "feel" of it. I have since played my friend's Les Paul and even though my skill level isn't that high, there is something about the tone of it that is miraculous. It feels heavy, bulky, and kinda like a peice of furniture, rather than an instrument, if that makes sense. But the sound is amazing. And that is where my question comes in. Can anyone explain to this novice player why the LP sounds so different from the Strat-Played on the same amp, same pedals, same musician? I am really wanting to invest in an LP now, but want to know exactly what is going on here. What are the advantages of the LP over the Strat, and vice-versa? Tell me as you would a child, as my musical vocabulary is infantile, at best.
Thank you.
"Should I tell you my room is walled up? In what way might I leave it? Here is how; Goodwill knows no obstacle. Nothing can stand before a deep desire. All I have to do is imagine a door." -Schultz
When I was first learning how to play, I relied on my best friend, a really great guitarist who had a Les Paul and a beautiful '79 sunburst Strat. I immediately fell in love with the feel of the Strat. The quickness of the neck(I have small hands) and the basic shape felt like a hug from a beautiful woman. The first guitar I bought was naturally a nice american strat. Nothing fancy, but I was a beginner and it was the nicest guitar I could afford. I still have it and love it to death. The main reason I bought it, though was for the "feel" of it. I have since played my friend's Les Paul and even though my skill level isn't that high, there is something about the tone of it that is miraculous. It feels heavy, bulky, and kinda like a peice of furniture, rather than an instrument, if that makes sense. But the sound is amazing. And that is where my question comes in. Can anyone explain to this novice player why the LP sounds so different from the Strat-Played on the same amp, same pedals, same musician? I am really wanting to invest in an LP now, but want to know exactly what is going on here. What are the advantages of the LP over the Strat, and vice-versa? Tell me as you would a child, as my musical vocabulary is infantile, at best.
Thank you.
Many factors.
First thing is the pickups. The humbuckers provide a higher output, and fatter tone. Sounds GREAT for distortion.
The weight of the les paul is part of what gives it that fat sound. The wood helps the guitar sustain.
I agree, Les Pauls DO sound awesome, I just don't enjoy playing them
Believe me, when I was growin up, I thought the worst thing you could turn out to be was normal, So I say freaks in the most complementary way. Here's a song by a fellow freak - E.V
I have since played my friend's Les Paul and even though my skill level isn't that high, there is something about the tone of it that is miraculous. It feels heavy, bulky, and kinda like a peice of furniture, rather than an instrument, if that makes sense. But the sound is amazing. And that is where my question comes in. Can anyone explain to this novice player why the LP sounds so different from the Strat-Played on the same amp, same pedals, same musician? I am really wanting to invest in an LP now, but want to know exactly what is going on here.
I agree with keeponrockin. The Les pauls sound incredible. No doubt about it, but i prefer the comfort of my strat.
There's quite a few fans of the LP's on here, and they are awesome guitars, but you have to remember that not everyone feels the same. You've already said that they feel bulky and like a piece of furniture to you, and that you fell in love with the feel of the strat. That's just how it is for some people. The best sound in the world is one thing, and we can tell you what we prefer, but the guitar still needs to feel right with you. I guess what i'm saying is, when you say you really wanna invest in an LP now, why do you? For the sound? You really need to pick some up, play them and test some out, and if you still hate the feel then save your money, because honestly, it will spend more time sitting in the corner and you will go back to your comfy strat.
Hit the stores and play as many as you can. Try before you buy. Get what's best for you
I agree with keeponrockin. The Les pauls sound incredible. No doubt about it, but i prefer the comfort of my strat.
There's quite a few fans of the LP's on here, and they are awesome guitars, but you have to remember that not everyone feels the same. You've already said that they feel bulky and like a piece of furniture to you, and that you fell in love with the feel of the strat. That's just how it is for some people. The best sound in the world is one thing, and we can tell you what we prefer, but the guitar still needs to feel right with you. I guess what i'm saying is, when you say you really wanna invest in an LP now, why do you? For the sound? You really need to pick some up, play them and test some out, and if you still hate the feel then save your money, because honestly, it will spend more time sitting in the corner and you will go back to your comfy strat.
Hit the stores and play as many as you can. Try before you buy. Get what's best for you
Thanks, both. I guess I was just wondering how or why LP lovers feel so strongly about them. Because from my perspective, it can't be the feel. There must be a technical aspect I am not aware of yet. I will always love my strat and will never part with it because it just feels right, like a part of my heart when I play. But the LPs I have played(maybe a half dozen), just sound so full and meaty. I like the sound, but not the feel. But as you say, music really is more about the feel than the sound. I guess I am lucky that I picked the right one from the start!
Thanks again,
Scott
"Should I tell you my room is walled up? In what way might I leave it? Here is how; Goodwill knows no obstacle. Nothing can stand before a deep desire. All I have to do is imagine a door." -Schultz
Thanks, both. I guess I was just wondering how or why LP lovers feel so strongly about them. Because from my perspective, it can't be the feel. There must be a technical aspect I am not aware of yet. I will always love my strat and will never part with it because it just feels right, like a part of my heart when I play. But the LPs I have played(maybe a half dozen), just sound so full and meaty. I like the sound, but not the feel. But as you say, music really is more about the feel than the sound. I guess I am lucky that I picked the right one from the start!
Thanks again,
Scott
Keeponrocking gave you the answer, but I will fill it in a little more. I love the sound of an LP, and personally I like the way they feel to play. (I just don't want to pay what Gibson wants for one these days. I would rather buy one used.) The single coil pickups on the strat produce that chimey bright sound full of harmonics. Humbucker pickups are really two single coil pickups that act as a single pickup. Also, the magnets in the LP humbuckers th3 498T and 500T are stronger. This has two effects. First, the electrical output produced by the humbucker is much stronger, so the signal going into the amp has a higher voltage. A higher voltage signal going into the amp causes the preamp tubes to distort (produce a non-linear signal) and they send a hotter signal to the output tubes. You get the same effect with a Tubescreamer between your strat and the amp input. Also, humbucker pickups act like low pass filters. That is, they cut highest part of the signal. You will never get a humbucker to chime like a strat single coil. The filter effect is one ingredient in the fat warm sound. Second, the wood is thicker and harder, mahogany. The wood effects the way the string vibrates, and in fact can cause it to vibrate longer, i.e. sustain. The wood also acts as an EQ, and gives LPs a midrange bump. This is another reason people use Tubescreamers with strats, to give them more midrange. Finally, the fixed bridge helps the sound a lot, especially with chunky palm muting. The tremelo bridge on the strat gives you a whole different sound. Having said all this, you can build super-strats that have a very LP sound. HTH.
To pie I will reply
But mr. justam
is who I am
"That's a repulsive combination of horrible information and bad breath."-Pickles
"Remember, death is a natural part of the workplace. So, when you see a dead body at work, don't freak out, just ring your death bell." "ting"-Toki Wartooth
Aha. Okay, that makes a lot of sense. Thanks very much. Guess I should get a tubescreamer and save myself 2K!
"Should I tell you my room is walled up? In what way might I leave it? Here is how; Goodwill knows no obstacle. Nothing can stand before a deep desire. All I have to do is imagine a door." -Schultz
Aha. Okay, that makes a lot of sense. Thanks very much. Guess I should get a tubescreamer and save myself 2K!
A tubescreamer won't make a strat sound like a les paul, more like, a loud strat!
Believe me, when I was growin up, I thought the worst thing you could turn out to be was normal, So I say freaks in the most complementary way. Here's a song by a fellow freak - E.V
A tubescreamer won't make a strat sound like a les paul, more like, a loud strat!
I agree. I only said that players have used Tubescreamers on strats to boost the midrange. An LP naturally has lots of natural midrange, which is part of its sound.
To pie I will reply
But mr. justam
is who I am
"That's a repulsive combination of horrible information and bad breath."-Pickles
"Remember, death is a natural part of the workplace. So, when you see a dead body at work, don't freak out, just ring your death bell." "ting"-Toki Wartooth
A tubescreamer won't make a strat sound like a les paul, more like, a loud strat!
No, no. I just meant I would like to give a little more punch to my mid-range and low-end. Wanted a little more crunch, is all.
Any other recommendations? You all have helped out a lot.
"Should I tell you my room is walled up? In what way might I leave it? Here is how; Goodwill knows no obstacle. Nothing can stand before a deep desire. All I have to do is imagine a door." -Schultz
No, no. I just meant I would like to give a little more punch to my mid-range and low-end. Wanted a little more crunch, is all.
Any other recommendations? You all have helped out a lot.
You could change the pickups to some other single coils that would give you more bottom. I have Texas Specials from fender in mine, and they have a pretty nice little thump on the low strings. David Gilmore uses EMGs. There are too many strat specialty pickups to list, but I am sure you could something to give you the sound you want.
To pie I will reply
But mr. justam
is who I am
"That's a repulsive combination of horrible information and bad breath."-Pickles
"Remember, death is a natural part of the workplace. So, when you see a dead body at work, don't freak out, just ring your death bell." "ting"-Toki Wartooth
No, no. I just meant I would like to give a little more punch to my mid-range and low-end. Wanted a little more crunch, is all.
Any other recommendations? You all have helped out a lot.
Just get a Boss BD-2 Blues Driver and call it a day (or get a Fulltone OCD).
Thanks, both. I guess I was just wondering how or why LP lovers feel so strongly about them. Because from my perspective, it can't be the feel.
Thanks again,
Scott
See for me..it IS the feel of a Les Paul for me. They just feel right to me and a Strat feels a little awkward. I still want one along with a Tele but what's important is whatever guitar feels comfortable to you. I'm just a LP guy.
what sound does a telecaster produce compared to LP or a strat?
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Yep, I have an Epi LP Ultra right now which is sufficient for my skill level. I'd love to get a Gibson VOS R8 someday though. The plain-top doesn't bother me at all, and the price difference between the R8 and R9 is all the more convincing.
are you talking about an Epiphone LP?
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what sound does a telecaster produce compared to LP or a strat?
Describe the taste of Chocolate compared to Peanut Butter compared to Steak?
Ok... this is completely impossible, but I'm bored at work and love a challenge. First off, the tonal variation from one guitar to another, even of the same general type, can be massive. That being said there are some general "design traits". The secret of a less paul is that body tends to constructed from two types of wood, mahogany body with carved "arched" maple cap / top. Vibrations (sound) passes through the two different types of wood in different ways resulting in a sort of tonal blend. The result is a very "thick" sound full of lots of character. There are different elements and components of Les Paul tone for a player (and a listener) to tune in on. With the help of fingers, hands, amp choice, and pedals, a player can gravitate towards spotlight different aspects of the Les Paul tone that he or she finds most appealing. You can zero in on just about anything in Les Paul tone because so much is in there.
About the only thing missing from a full fat Les Paul tone is "lean". This is a function of both that body wood smorgasbord and the most common Paul pick up choice of Humbuckers. Of the three guitars Strats are the leanest. The body of a strat tends to be thiner, and *usually* lighter than a Tele. Definately lighter than a Paul. Less mass means the vibrations travel through the wood more freely, and that the wood has less to contributre to the tone. Of course its quality not quantitiy that counts here, and less can sometimes be more. A Strat tends to sound thinner, and it's personality tends to be governed a lot more directly by pickup choices. (All guitars are heavily impacted by pickup choice, but the less wood you have, the more the pickups count.)
If a Les Paul gives you a wide pallate, or rainbow of colors and sounds to choose from, a Strat gives you a chance to cut to the chase and be more precise about focusing on tones you can build on. Because there is less tone comming from the wood, and more from the pickups, Strats tend to take to processing, and effects with a far greater chameleon ability than most other guitars. Of the three the Strat tends to be the most 'neutral'. You can play a Strat with tons of specific sonic character if you load it up with pickups with character, or you can just focus on the sound of the vibrating strings without additional "beef" or resonance being added by the wood itself if you load it up with neutral pickups.
The Strat also gives you that nifty standard of *at least* 5 tones by selecting between pickups meaning you can dial in combinations of neutral sounding pickups and pickups with character. Where a Les Paul is like a masterpiece, a Strat can be like a blank canvas, for either the player, or the guitar builder choosing the pickups to build on. For this reason it can be tough to describe a "Strat sound"... but for this reason... the wood plays the slightest role in shaping the sound of the Strat, meaning the pickup choice can mean everything.
And now the Tele. Ahh the tele. The Tele is lean, like a strat... but it is lean and mean. A tele usually has a slightly thicker body than a strat, if only because it generally doesn't have a curved body to fit against a player. This means that there will tend to be a little more 'character' to the sound coming from the wood itself. The body is usually made from one type of wood, and the neck is bolt on, so it won't have as much tone coming from the wood as a Paul, but again, more than from the Strat. There are however a few more design specific elements to a Tele that shape it's sound. First off the bridge. There is usually a nice big plate of metal around the bridge pick up of a Tele. This tends to brighten up the sound of the bridge pick up as vibrations pass through it. It's almost like a miniature version of the maple cap on the Les Paul. Secondly the tradition on Teles is to have a very hot, highly wound single coil bridge pickup. The combination of the hot pickup and the metal plate give the tele brdige pick up an extremely bright and usually biting, or stinging sound. Another common term lovingly applied to Tele sound by Tele players is "Tele Spank".
Tele's are leaner than Les Pauls, but they still get specific qualities from their wooden body and that bridge design. As a result you get more of a specific character from a tele sound, that will always be there to some extent shaping the sound of any pickup you put in one. The character from a Tele will not necessarily have as much range as from a Les Paul, but it will never be as neutral to a pickup as a Strat.
With a Les Paul you get an abunance of character to play into. With a strat you get either a greater amount of neutrality *or* the option of customizing your sound the way you like depending on the pickups you choose without the body locking you into one sound over another ...(apart from the fact that it will never sound *quite* like a Les Paul or a Tele). With a Tele you get ... a Tele. It's one pretty specific sound, with a lot of character from the wood and bridge. A Tele can sound like a Les Paul... but only like *one* set of the colors a Les Paul player can find (the 'thinner' sounds a Les Paul can make). A Tele can sound a little like a Strat... but only a Strat that's been loaded up with Pickups to make it sound more like a Tele in the first place (Texas specials and the like).
So to sum up, the Les Paul and Strat are highly versatile. A Les Paul is like a feast with a tremendous variety of tones already in the wood waiting to be shaped your hands ears and imagination. The Strat is more like set of tools, or a canvas you can use it to build the type of tones you're after with pickup choice and the Tele... is a Tele is a Tele. It's a scrappy biting guitar sound with twang and spank.
Now... in anticipation of flamming... let me finish off by noting I'm talking about stero-typical Les Paul, Strat and Tele designs. There are an infinite number of variations on each of these themes. Some Teles have set necks an no bridge plate. Some Les Pauls have P90s, and some Strats come with coil tapped humbuckers etc. etc. etc. But in each of these cases, I think the general principles outlined above about how the body mass does or doesn't affect the tone of pickups will still apply.
And remember... I'm really just bored at work looking to kill time. I don't really think any of this is necessarily "right". It's pretty impossible to describe the taste of Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Steak.
wow, great read man! i had to read it twice. seems you really know a lot about electric guitars. since i am an average guitarist i am thinking of not buying a gibson les paul because it's way to expensive for me. but do you suggest buying a epiphone les paul standard guitar for like $500-600? i am also affraid of low quality guitars won't stay in tune! also i use a marshall valvestate avt-50 amp. i used to have a $100 copy of strat made in china and it sure sounded very crapy and had a very short sustain. i wonder if will get a good sound out of that epiphone. and how does it feel a les paul in a hand? i have a bit shorter fingers, i think the frets on the neck are wider as on the strat?
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wow, great read man! i had to read it twice. seems you really know a lot about electric guitars. since i am an average guitarist i am thinking of not buying a gibson les paul because it's way to expensive for me. but do you suggest buying a epiphone les paul standard guitar for like $500-600? i am also affraid of low quality guitars won't stay in tune! also i use a marshall valvestate avt-50 amp. i used to have a $100 copy of strat made in china and it sure sounded very crapy and had a very short sustain. i wonder if will get a good sound out of that epiphone. and how does it feel a les paul in a hand? i have a bit shorter fingers, i think the frets on the neck are wider as on the strat?
As I mentioned in my ramble, everything I wrote is just about standard / sterotypical Pauls, Strats and Teles. If you are actually looking to buy a guitar, above and beyond a general discussion of what they sound like, there is no substitute for playing the instruments you are thinking of buying... and buying *the exact one* that you like. I don't mean that in the Paul vs. Strat vs. Tele sense... I mean that in the... "*This* one here ... in my hands... this one right here... right now... I'll take it!" sense.
As you can see from what I wrote, wood has a lot to do with the tone *esspecially* with a Paul(like) guitar.
As for the epi's... there are some that are pretty good. But remember, with a guitar where the wood matters, production standards are everything. Higher end Pauls and Paul copies tend to be made by people willing to scrap some wood if they don't think it's up to snuff. Epi's are mass produced. The production techniques are fine, but the quality of wood, and so the tone, can vary. If you find a $500 guitar that rocks your socks more than a $2,000 dollar guitar... then trust your feelings Luke! You are right. Again, in what I wrote, the point of a Paul is that there are so many elements of the tone that a player can vibe with, and tune in on. *Any* guitar that turns you on as a player will *always* be worth more than a guitar that leaves you feeling uninspired *regardless* of the price tag.
So... if you play an epi and you dig it... buy it without any hesitation. If it doesn't float your boat, hold out until something does. Something will.
I've heard really good things about the new budget Paul Reade Smith SE's and some of the Dean guitars which are in the Epi price range. Not saying they are better or worse than epi at all, just saying they are in the same range and have a semi Paulish vibe (guess the PRS SE's are bolt on).
As you will quickly find, (if you haven't already) there are dozens of folks here who know guitars like they know their home town. If you are looking for Pauls on a budget I'm sure a lot of great recommendations will follow.
Again if you find a guitar that makes it happen for you, don't worry about the brand, or the design. An instrument that inspires you to play is worth ten times as much as one that inspires you to stick it in a corner and forget you have it.
Oh PS... yeah some of the budget guitars cut corners on things like pickup and tuners. It's not hard to replace these things. If a guitar with bad tuners and pickups still has an "It" factor for you, imagine how much you'll dig it when you upgrade the parts! ... Also... the epis tend to be about the correct weight.... that is the true Les Paul copies... with set necks. There are other semi Paul copies in your price range. Hamer makes one that's gotten nods on this board before (once from me)... but it's pretty light and doesn't really have a maple cap. It's a good guitar... but not quite as Les Paul like as the epi Paul. Happy hunting.
Wow man you really know your stuff. Everything you said makes so much sense. I'll be shopping for another guitar by the end of this year and I agree with you when you say play them all and which ever one feels right and does it for you, then buy it no matter the name brand. That's great advice, because no single name brand is better than the other. The best guitar is the one that's best for you. (Though I would really like a Fender one day)
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i couldnt survive without having all ofthem. they are all so different, and i need the sounds of all of them
btw, ive got an american std strat, an american deluxe ash tele, and a 58 custom shop les paul reissue
Thank you.
Trading stories with the leaves instead
Many factors.
First thing is the pickups. The humbuckers provide a higher output, and fatter tone. Sounds GREAT for distortion.
The weight of the les paul is part of what gives it that fat sound. The wood helps the guitar sustain.
I agree, Les Pauls DO sound awesome, I just don't enjoy playing them
There's quite a few fans of the LP's on here, and they are awesome guitars, but you have to remember that not everyone feels the same. You've already said that they feel bulky and like a piece of furniture to you, and that you fell in love with the feel of the strat. That's just how it is for some people. The best sound in the world is one thing, and we can tell you what we prefer, but the guitar still needs to feel right with you. I guess what i'm saying is, when you say you really wanna invest in an LP now, why do you? For the sound? You really need to pick some up, play them and test some out, and if you still hate the feel then save your money, because honestly, it will spend more time sitting in the corner and you will go back to your comfy strat.
Hit the stores and play as many as you can. Try before you buy. Get what's best for you
Thanks, both. I guess I was just wondering how or why LP lovers feel so strongly about them. Because from my perspective, it can't be the feel. There must be a technical aspect I am not aware of yet. I will always love my strat and will never part with it because it just feels right, like a part of my heart when I play. But the LPs I have played(maybe a half dozen), just sound so full and meaty. I like the sound, but not the feel. But as you say, music really is more about the feel than the sound. I guess I am lucky that I picked the right one from the start!
Thanks again,
Scott
Trading stories with the leaves instead
Keeponrocking gave you the answer, but I will fill it in a little more. I love the sound of an LP, and personally I like the way they feel to play. (I just don't want to pay what Gibson wants for one these days. I would rather buy one used.) The single coil pickups on the strat produce that chimey bright sound full of harmonics. Humbucker pickups are really two single coil pickups that act as a single pickup. Also, the magnets in the LP humbuckers th3 498T and 500T are stronger. This has two effects. First, the electrical output produced by the humbucker is much stronger, so the signal going into the amp has a higher voltage. A higher voltage signal going into the amp causes the preamp tubes to distort (produce a non-linear signal) and they send a hotter signal to the output tubes. You get the same effect with a Tubescreamer between your strat and the amp input. Also, humbucker pickups act like low pass filters. That is, they cut highest part of the signal. You will never get a humbucker to chime like a strat single coil. The filter effect is one ingredient in the fat warm sound. Second, the wood is thicker and harder, mahogany. The wood effects the way the string vibrates, and in fact can cause it to vibrate longer, i.e. sustain. The wood also acts as an EQ, and gives LPs a midrange bump. This is another reason people use Tubescreamers with strats, to give them more midrange. Finally, the fixed bridge helps the sound a lot, especially with chunky palm muting. The tremelo bridge on the strat gives you a whole different sound. Having said all this, you can build super-strats that have a very LP sound. HTH.
But mr. justam
is who I am
"That's a repulsive combination of horrible information and bad breath."-Pickles
"Remember, death is a natural part of the workplace. So, when you see a dead body at work, don't freak out, just ring your death bell." "ting"-Toki Wartooth
Trading stories with the leaves instead
I agree. I only said that players have used Tubescreamers on strats to boost the midrange. An LP naturally has lots of natural midrange, which is part of its sound.
But mr. justam
is who I am
"That's a repulsive combination of horrible information and bad breath."-Pickles
"Remember, death is a natural part of the workplace. So, when you see a dead body at work, don't freak out, just ring your death bell." "ting"-Toki Wartooth
No, no. I just meant I would like to give a little more punch to my mid-range and low-end. Wanted a little more crunch, is all.
Any other recommendations? You all have helped out a lot.
Trading stories with the leaves instead
You could change the pickups to some other single coils that would give you more bottom. I have Texas Specials from fender in mine, and they have a pretty nice little thump on the low strings. David Gilmore uses EMGs. There are too many strat specialty pickups to list, but I am sure you could something to give you the sound you want.
But mr. justam
is who I am
"That's a repulsive combination of horrible information and bad breath."-Pickles
"Remember, death is a natural part of the workplace. So, when you see a dead body at work, don't freak out, just ring your death bell." "ting"-Toki Wartooth
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See for me..it IS the feel of a Les Paul for me. They just feel right to me and a Strat feels a little awkward. I still want one along with a Tele but what's important is whatever guitar feels comfortable to you. I'm just a LP guy.
I always play what i'm feeling---anything jazzy or soft or super high gain i use the LP. Everything else goes to the strat.
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are you talking about an Epiphone LP?
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2014 Amsterdam 1&2, Manchester 1&2, Milano, Trieste, Vienna, Berlin
2017 EV Firenze, Taormina 1&2
2018 Amsterdam 1&2, Padova, Prague, Krakow, Berlin
2019 EV Firenze
Describe the taste of Chocolate compared to Peanut Butter compared to Steak?
Ok... this is completely impossible, but I'm bored at work and love a challenge. First off, the tonal variation from one guitar to another, even of the same general type, can be massive. That being said there are some general "design traits". The secret of a less paul is that body tends to constructed from two types of wood, mahogany body with carved "arched" maple cap / top. Vibrations (sound) passes through the two different types of wood in different ways resulting in a sort of tonal blend. The result is a very "thick" sound full of lots of character. There are different elements and components of Les Paul tone for a player (and a listener) to tune in on. With the help of fingers, hands, amp choice, and pedals, a player can gravitate towards spotlight different aspects of the Les Paul tone that he or she finds most appealing. You can zero in on just about anything in Les Paul tone because so much is in there.
About the only thing missing from a full fat Les Paul tone is "lean". This is a function of both that body wood smorgasbord and the most common Paul pick up choice of Humbuckers. Of the three guitars Strats are the leanest. The body of a strat tends to be thiner, and *usually* lighter than a Tele. Definately lighter than a Paul. Less mass means the vibrations travel through the wood more freely, and that the wood has less to contributre to the tone. Of course its quality not quantitiy that counts here, and less can sometimes be more. A Strat tends to sound thinner, and it's personality tends to be governed a lot more directly by pickup choices. (All guitars are heavily impacted by pickup choice, but the less wood you have, the more the pickups count.)
If a Les Paul gives you a wide pallate, or rainbow of colors and sounds to choose from, a Strat gives you a chance to cut to the chase and be more precise about focusing on tones you can build on. Because there is less tone comming from the wood, and more from the pickups, Strats tend to take to processing, and effects with a far greater chameleon ability than most other guitars. Of the three the Strat tends to be the most 'neutral'. You can play a Strat with tons of specific sonic character if you load it up with pickups with character, or you can just focus on the sound of the vibrating strings without additional "beef" or resonance being added by the wood itself if you load it up with neutral pickups.
The Strat also gives you that nifty standard of *at least* 5 tones by selecting between pickups meaning you can dial in combinations of neutral sounding pickups and pickups with character. Where a Les Paul is like a masterpiece, a Strat can be like a blank canvas, for either the player, or the guitar builder choosing the pickups to build on. For this reason it can be tough to describe a "Strat sound"... but for this reason... the wood plays the slightest role in shaping the sound of the Strat, meaning the pickup choice can mean everything.
And now the Tele. Ahh the tele. The Tele is lean, like a strat... but it is lean and mean. A tele usually has a slightly thicker body than a strat, if only because it generally doesn't have a curved body to fit against a player. This means that there will tend to be a little more 'character' to the sound coming from the wood itself. The body is usually made from one type of wood, and the neck is bolt on, so it won't have as much tone coming from the wood as a Paul, but again, more than from the Strat. There are however a few more design specific elements to a Tele that shape it's sound. First off the bridge. There is usually a nice big plate of metal around the bridge pick up of a Tele. This tends to brighten up the sound of the bridge pick up as vibrations pass through it. It's almost like a miniature version of the maple cap on the Les Paul. Secondly the tradition on Teles is to have a very hot, highly wound single coil bridge pickup. The combination of the hot pickup and the metal plate give the tele brdige pick up an extremely bright and usually biting, or stinging sound. Another common term lovingly applied to Tele sound by Tele players is "Tele Spank".
Tele's are leaner than Les Pauls, but they still get specific qualities from their wooden body and that bridge design. As a result you get more of a specific character from a tele sound, that will always be there to some extent shaping the sound of any pickup you put in one. The character from a Tele will not necessarily have as much range as from a Les Paul, but it will never be as neutral to a pickup as a Strat.
With a Les Paul you get an abunance of character to play into. With a strat you get either a greater amount of neutrality *or* the option of customizing your sound the way you like depending on the pickups you choose without the body locking you into one sound over another ...(apart from the fact that it will never sound *quite* like a Les Paul or a Tele). With a Tele you get ... a Tele. It's one pretty specific sound, with a lot of character from the wood and bridge. A Tele can sound like a Les Paul... but only like *one* set of the colors a Les Paul player can find (the 'thinner' sounds a Les Paul can make). A Tele can sound a little like a Strat... but only a Strat that's been loaded up with Pickups to make it sound more like a Tele in the first place (Texas specials and the like).
So to sum up, the Les Paul and Strat are highly versatile. A Les Paul is like a feast with a tremendous variety of tones already in the wood waiting to be shaped your hands ears and imagination. The Strat is more like set of tools, or a canvas you can use it to build the type of tones you're after with pickup choice and the Tele... is a Tele is a Tele. It's a scrappy biting guitar sound with twang and spank.
Now... in anticipation of flamming... let me finish off by noting I'm talking about stero-typical Les Paul, Strat and Tele designs. There are an infinite number of variations on each of these themes. Some Teles have set necks an no bridge plate. Some Les Pauls have P90s, and some Strats come with coil tapped humbuckers etc. etc. etc. But in each of these cases, I think the general principles outlined above about how the body mass does or doesn't affect the tone of pickups will still apply.
And remember... I'm really just bored at work looking to kill time. I don't really think any of this is necessarily "right". It's pretty impossible to describe the taste of Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Steak.
2006 Vienna, Zagreb
2007 Munich
2009 Berlin
2010 Dublin, Belfast, Berlin, Venice
2011 Montreal, Toronto 1&2
2012 Manchester 1&2, Amsterdam 1&2, Prague, Berlin 1&2, EV Manchester
2013 Worcester 1&2, Brooklyn 1&2
2014 Amsterdam 1&2, Manchester 1&2, Milano, Trieste, Vienna, Berlin
2017 EV Firenze, Taormina 1&2
2018 Amsterdam 1&2, Padova, Prague, Krakow, Berlin
2019 EV Firenze
As I mentioned in my ramble, everything I wrote is just about standard / sterotypical Pauls, Strats and Teles. If you are actually looking to buy a guitar, above and beyond a general discussion of what they sound like, there is no substitute for playing the instruments you are thinking of buying... and buying *the exact one* that you like. I don't mean that in the Paul vs. Strat vs. Tele sense... I mean that in the... "*This* one here ... in my hands... this one right here... right now... I'll take it!" sense.
As you can see from what I wrote, wood has a lot to do with the tone *esspecially* with a Paul(like) guitar.
As for the epi's... there are some that are pretty good. But remember, with a guitar where the wood matters, production standards are everything. Higher end Pauls and Paul copies tend to be made by people willing to scrap some wood if they don't think it's up to snuff. Epi's are mass produced. The production techniques are fine, but the quality of wood, and so the tone, can vary. If you find a $500 guitar that rocks your socks more than a $2,000 dollar guitar... then trust your feelings Luke! You are right. Again, in what I wrote, the point of a Paul is that there are so many elements of the tone that a player can vibe with, and tune in on. *Any* guitar that turns you on as a player will *always* be worth more than a guitar that leaves you feeling uninspired *regardless* of the price tag.
So... if you play an epi and you dig it... buy it without any hesitation. If it doesn't float your boat, hold out until something does. Something will.
I've heard really good things about the new budget Paul Reade Smith SE's and some of the Dean guitars which are in the Epi price range. Not saying they are better or worse than epi at all, just saying they are in the same range and have a semi Paulish vibe (guess the PRS SE's are bolt on).
As you will quickly find, (if you haven't already) there are dozens of folks here who know guitars like they know their home town. If you are looking for Pauls on a budget I'm sure a lot of great recommendations will follow.
Again if you find a guitar that makes it happen for you, don't worry about the brand, or the design. An instrument that inspires you to play is worth ten times as much as one that inspires you to stick it in a corner and forget you have it.
Oh PS... yeah some of the budget guitars cut corners on things like pickup and tuners. It's not hard to replace these things. If a guitar with bad tuners and pickups still has an "It" factor for you, imagine how much you'll dig it when you upgrade the parts! ... Also... the epis tend to be about the correct weight.... that is the true Les Paul copies... with set necks. There are other semi Paul copies in your price range. Hamer makes one that's gotten nods on this board before (once from me)... but it's pretty light and doesn't really have a maple cap. It's a good guitar... but not quite as Les Paul like as the epi Paul. Happy hunting.