Strat vs. Les Paul clean tones.

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Which do you prefer ?

The reason i am asking, is because a strat player (but also a Les Paul owner)told me that the Mid/Neck pos. tone (for get about all the other selections) of a strat is much more iconic, unique (sweeter sounding) and memorable compared to any toggle setting on a Les Paul. (also being played clean)

Is that true ?
Is the Mid/Neck setting on a strat really that well known ?
Or is he purely talking about his personal pref ?
He made it sound like the rest of the world would agree w him.

I am NOT a strat fan, so i do not know.
I the strat really "better" at clean tones in that one setting than a Les Paul can ever be ?

ALL INSIGHT VERY WELCOME !

Cheers







PS : Youtube clips of both guitars playing clean is also very welcome.

 

[Uk Ant]

Re: Strat vs. Les Paul clean tones.

One of the great things about a strat is range of tones.
I use both, you just can't beat the LP for big fat sounds, but two humbuckers pretty much leaves you with two tones. I don't think I've ever found a great tone with the switch in the middle.
The strat, on the other hand, gives you those lovely quacky tones in position two and four as well as the individual pickups. As with many other people I rarely use the middle pup on it's own.
Niether guitar sounds better... they just sound different.

 

[80's_Metal]

Re: Strat vs. Les Paul clean tones.

I am not qualified to discuss any kind of clean tones.
I am a dirty, dirty boy.

 

[dani]

Re: Strat vs. Les Paul clean tones.

yes i would say. you can almost always hear and identify the notched tone of the mid and neck pickup on a strat. definitely more unique and iconic. sweeter or not depends on the ear of the beholder. better or not depends on the application.

 

[Simon_F]

Re: Strat vs. Les Paul clean tones.

Neither guitar sounds better... they just sound different.

Amen.

 

[tc]

Re: Strat vs. Les Paul clean tones.

Stereotypical jazz clean? I gotta say I prefer the fatter neck pos of a Les Paul. Of course it doesn't sound like an archtop.

Stereotypical country clean? Strat. It doesn't sound as twangy yet ballsy like a Tele but it kinda works for that.

I guess I'll go with both are great.

 

[GoDrex]

Re: Strat vs. Les Paul clean tones.

Strat sounds better to me for clean tones.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Strat vs. Les Paul clean tones.

I'm not actually a huge fan of the Strat notch tone, but the Strat neck tone is possibly my favorite clean tone, period. However, I'm big on the Les Paul split neck tone.

 

[astrozombie]

Re: Strat vs. Les Paul clean tones.

I'd go with Les Paul clean tones. Better in the studio.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Strat vs. Les Paul clean tones.

IMO, this is one of those myths that dates back to before the invention of separate Input Gain and Master Volume controls on amplifiers. Generally speaking, humbucker-equipped guitars generated output valve stage overdrive sooner than single coil-equipped ones. Hence, "Gibson dirty, Fender clean".

The first rule of guitar sounds is that there are no hard and fast rules.

 

[theboatcandream]

Re: Strat vs. Les Paul clean tones.

Which do you prefer?

To generalize, good cleans are easier from a strat than they are from a les paul or mahogany guitar. But les pauls can get better clean tones, it just takes more skill.

The reason i am asking, is because a strat player (but also a Les Paul owner)told me that the Mid/Neck pos. tone (for get about all the other selections) of a strat is much more iconic, unique (sweeter sounding) and memorable compared to any toggle setting on a Les Paul. (also being played clean)

It depends. A good strat tone can give you a great "jimmy" sound. But a bad strat sound is scooped, bright, and empty sounding.

A lot of les pauls sound too modern, so they give you a kind of flat clean tone which is great under crunch but boring clean. But there are also a lot of les pauls that have that kind of magic PAF kind of tone which is all its own thing. I can't get neil young with a strat, but I can get it with a paul.

Is the Mid/Neck setting on a strat really that well known?

Strat and tele sounds are so well known, that some people think certain recordings were done with les pauls when really they were done with fender instruments.

 

[Gingrel]

Re: Strat vs. Les Paul clean tones.

I can generally identify when a 2 or 4 position strat is being used, but i'm a strat player. The bridge/mid position is my favourite clean sound from my strat, but that's personal preference.

 

[Gingrel]

Re: Strat vs. Les Paul clean tones.

Strat and tele sounds are so well known, that some people think certain recordings were done with les pauls when really they were done with fender instruments.

Yes, but some people couldn't tell the difference between an original Esquire and a drop-tuned Ibanez JEM

 

[Aceman]

Re: Strat vs. Les Paul clean tones.

I am a dirty, dirty boy.

That kinda turned me on....


Honestly, the ultimate clean tone in the universe is The Wind Cries Mary - so I'd say strat wins...except that was Hendrix, so he proabably could have played it on a Uke and rocked it.

I find the best clean LP tones are in the both on position. I can blend just the right amount of depth from the neck, and tightness and highs from the bridge.

My Epi with a PG/CC is best at this, but my vintage/custom P-90 is pretty good too. And I do like the PAF/SuperD mix also...which surprisingly gives the best acoustic sim tones!

 

[Jessie Sammler]

Re: Strat vs. Les Paul clean tones.

I like both. On an LP, I like to play clean with the switch in the middle position. On a good Strat, the neck pickup by itself is just terrific.

 

[fretburner]

Re: Strat vs. Les Paul clean tones.

I love the clean tones on my LP with APH1 neck.
But like the other folks have stated already, not one is better... just different. I like the clean tones from my strat as well.

 

[philthis]

Re: Strat vs. Les Paul clean tones.

I love the clean spanky chime of a strat. "one thing leads to another" "I'm in the mood" "big log" "fool for your stockings" "flesh for fantasy" or the pop of knoplers "sultons of swing". That being said I still think a clean Les Paul neck tone with a little flange sounds very good. Some of those cool Eagles tones sound so full and nice or some of the hip cool jazz tone you can get out of a Les Paul is so cool. Ether guitar is a tool that can produce great tone if you know what you like or what your after.
:beerchug:

 

[blueman335]

Re: Strat vs. Les Paul clean tones.

A good strat tone can give you a great "jimmy" sound. But a bad strat sound is scooped, bright, and empty sounding.

Some of my favorite guitarists used Strats: Hendrix, Blackmore, Trower, Healey, Gallagher, Montoya, Clapton (sometimes, there are exceptions), etc. Wonderful tones. But what I hear far too often are the 'bad Strat' clean tones: thin, shrill, empty, tinny, an aluminum 'clunk' kind of sound. Most Strat players don't know how to get decent tones from their guitars. Treble on top of treble. That's what's turned me off. Not the pros, the average knucklehead.

Obviously it's possible for a Strat to sound good clean, as some guys do it exceptionally well, but it takes some effort & know how. Doesn't happen by accident. When I can listen to a song and can tell the guitarist is playing a Strat, that's usually a bad thing. Yes, it's a more unique tone than an LP (which can be hard to tell apart from an SG or 335), but 'unique' not in a good way. Strats stand out as having both some of the best, and (more often) some of the worst tones ever produced by electric guitars. In the average hands they are all too often a source of irritation. I've got CD's where the guitarist has basically ruined otherwise good songs with his clean Strat tones during solos. Nails on a chalkboard. I can't think of instances of this happening with LP's.

Any votes for Strats having a superior clean sound, must come with the qualification that it's only capable by a limited percentage of Strat players. In sheer numbers, more average LP players sound better clean than average Strat players. This can be referred to as 'the dufus factor.' If you can't get your Strat to sound good, get some help or get another guitar. Just stop hurting my ears.

 

[Diocletian]

Re: Strat vs. Les Paul clean tones.

IMO the only thing a strat trumps a Les Paul type guitar on is the "Brothers In Arms" notch tone, or the tone on this which is pretty much the most beautiful guitar tone I've ever heard:

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Strat vs. Les Paul clean tones.

the strat has that springy attack that can't be had from an LP. When you put that notch sound through the right fender amp, i feel like that is one of the most easily recognizable tones of any guitar/amp combo PERIOD.
It doesn't always sound better. It does have that brightness that an LP lacks and so I think it's a good sound for playing clean in a band context.

The LP's smoother cleans may not be astounding, and can feel kind of tame sometimes, but when you want to find how to fit into a mix sometimes the goal isn't to be the boldest. An LP's neck pickup IS a good rhythm sound.

A better rhythm sound to me comes from a GOOD tele neck pickup. It's got the plucky attack of a 25.5 scale string thru, and the deep and still chimey single coil goodness.

IMO if you're playing clean lead, go strat.
clean rhythm? for me it's an LP or tele