Gibson SG vs Fender Strat

[Ian111]

If you play music that tends to be cleanish, Strat. Music you tend to be dirty-ish, SG.

[BoneDigger]

Of those two, definately a Gretsch.

Seriously though, I own an American Pro strat and constantly fight the notion of selling it. I also own an SG (Epi with P90s) and it's fun, but not exactly my thing. Honestly, of the two, probably the strat, but a P90 SG is hard to beat.

I am fast learning that I really like semi hollow and hollow guitars better than solids. I may eventually sell the Strat and get something different.

[Bob Womack]

To be honest, if I had to choose between an SG and a Strat I'd choose a Les Paul and a Tele, or perhaps an ES-335 and a Tele.

Bob

[Stratcat77]

See my forum user name….

[guitararmy]

I am definitely a Strat player, although I would probably cheat and put in hot pickups in the neck and bridge positions to give the Strat some humbucker oomph...

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by guitararmy

I am definitely a Strat player, although I would probably cheat and put in hot pickups in the neck and bridge positions to give the Strat some humbucker oomph...

That's what I did to one of my Strats. I put in Seymour Duncan Hot Rails in the Bridge and Neck so that I could play Iron Maiden.

[Tom60]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

To be honest, if I had to choose between an SG and a Strat I'd choose a Les Paul and a Tele, or perhaps an ES-335 and a Tele.

Bob

LP and a Tele and a 335 - I dont play anything else

Two great Strats and an SG are here with me just to have them .. to know what they feel like, and what the fuss is all about - but they dont work for me

[The Old Gaffer]

No hesitation: SG! I never bonded with Strats anyway.

[carmona_nostra]

I've had my 1978 Strat since high school, I would not trade it for the world. Although I am looking for a good Jazzmaster to keep it company. Anyone holding a good american made one?

[M Sarad]

I'm playing my guitars in the following order:
Jazzmaster
Telecaster
SG
Stratocaster

[Glennwillow]

I'd like to think that I could decide whether I like the SG or the Strat better until I play them. Once I do that, it's not so easy to make a commitment! They are both great guitars!

- Glenn

[Bob Womack]

Originally Posted by Tom60

LP and a Tele and a 335 - I dont play anything else

I play sessions so I've got an LP, a Tele, a Strat, and an ES-335. The one that goes to the most sessions is the ES-335, probably followed by the Tele, folowed by the LP, followed by the Strat, but they each have a spot in the session ecosystem. The whole "vs." thing is funny to me. I've got a home scale thawt I prefer but I need them all.

Bob

[Brent Hahn]

Bob's right, they're all different. And pickups are different, too. Major rabbit hole. Then there's the issue of what works with which amp. And in my case, what leg you sit the guitar on, e.g. a 335 on my "wrong leg" is uncomfortably big, but a 339 is fine. No wonder electric guitar players wind up with so much stuff; glad I mostly play bass.

[Tom60]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

The one that goes to the most sessions is the ES-335
Bob

I´ve only played a few sessions.. but if I get a call ever again - the 335 would be it.
Just covers it all - what a magnificient instrument.

[FrankHudson]

Originally Posted by Brent Hahn

Bob's right, they're all different. And pickups are different, too. Major rabbit hole. Then there's the issue of what works with which amp. And in my case, what leg you sit the guitar on, e.g. a 335 on my "wrong leg" is uncomfortably big, but a 339 is fine. No wonder electric guitar players wind up with so much stuff; glad I mostly play bass.

And then your post gets read by a guy who has seven electric basses accumulated over time, in order of accumulation:

A old 70's no-name, short scale Asian made bass with a neat distinctive sound. So worn and fragile I won't play it live, but record with it fairly often.

A turn of the century medium short scale DeArmond Guild-alike with a sort of Dynasonic pickup strung with flats. Lovely mellow sound.

A short scale Squier P/J bass. Super easy to play, for when the old fingers aren't up to the longer scale.

A long-scale Squier P/J with flats for when I want to sound like a "standard electric bass." It used to have round-wounds, and I go back and forth which set it should have, which could mean another bass someday.

A Squier Bass VI reissue. Short scale 6 string bass with the extra strings above G not below E. Can cross over into baritone territory though I play it tuned E to E. The bridge? the pickups? actually give it a bit of an uncanny upright bass sound sometimes when I record it DI.

A Squier fretless Jazz bass. Because every bass player who plays too many notes with too much vibrato thinks they're Jaco, and who am I go to against so strong a trend.

Epiphone Jack Casady bass. Big full scale hollow-body with a Les Paul Signature bass alike pickup. I use flats on it. Yes I imprinted on Jefferson Airplane at a young age. I think the opening to "The Other Side of This Life" on Bless It's Pointed Little Head with its , "Come on band, it's time to cohere into a groove, like THIS ONE." is as indispensable as Scott LaFaro at the Village Vanguard. Casady thought long and hard about how an electric bass should work, and this isn't some slap a color scheme and truss rod cover endorsement deal. Oh, as you might expect, it sounds great with acoustic guitar.

OK, back to our discussion of how electric guitars are different, already in progress.