Did you know the first Tele's didn't have truss rods (an Epiphone invention by the way) which I believe halted production for a while until that was addressed?
Alright, since you asked: Some very good things have been done with Fenders, as I've said many times here, and some of my favorite guitarists played Strats. But some guys forget their humble beginnings, and that they were designed to be cheap to build. Leo was proud of that; he put a lot of effort into cutting corners and still having a playable instrument. There's no reason for anyone to get offended by that. A Strat in the hands of Hendrix was amazing. Unfortunately, 90% of the guitarists I hear that play SSS Strats sound tinny and shrill; they have no idea how to get the magical tones that Hendrix, Blackmore, Trower, and Healey did. It's much easier to get a good tone with a Gibson; doesn't mean they're necessarily better players, but at least I don't get a headache from schreechy sounds like I do with Fenders.
My beef has two parts: 1) Fenders were designed to be cheap and look it, although in the hands of a great guitarist, that's not a consideration; I hear a musician, not the instrument; and 2) Strats are way over-represented and most Strat owners seem to have one because 'everyone else does' but have no idea how to make theirs sound good. I hear the instrument, not the musician. These guys have no business with a Strat if they don't know that there is a limit to how much treble the human ear can endure. Maybe they should have gotten an LP or SG instead. If you're a good player with a Strat, I'd love to hear you play. If you're schreechy and tinny, sorry I'm leaving so I can rearrange my sock drawer. I've got CD's where solos were ruined by a guy with a horribly tinny Strat; I've never heard a guy ruin a solo simply by virtue of playing a Gibson (although maybe he ruined the solo by being a crappy player). I can't tell you how many times at local gigs and blues festivals that someone with a Strat had an annoyingly schreechy sound and made the set unpleasant. My head still hurts thinking about it. In the right hands, a Fender is a joy to listen to; unfortunately, most guys don't have the right hands. Should we have some kind of a permit system, where they've got to pass some tests before they're let loose in public with a Fender, to show they understand that midrange and bass are an integral part of a good tone? I'm only thinking of the public good here.
Where's my esteemed colleague Mr. Parker; he's quite vocal on the subject.
