What Gibson type guitar would you recommend to a 'strat guy'?

Yish77

I have switched to an SG and a Tele in recent years. I find both easier to play than my Strat. The SG is great for classic rock and blues-rock. The Tele is better for Indie rock, though I have put a humbucker at the neck, so it can do blues as well.

Slash'N'burn

I found my LP pretty comfortable after playing just a tele for nearly 20 years, but the neck profile on the LP is very similar to my tele, so that probably helped.

No real issues with the shorter scale, it's a slight trade off for me, for me the LP is more comfortable for chords & licks near the nut, while the tele has a bit more space for your fingers high up the neck.

Best you can do is try out lots of different models/neck profiles before buying.

Kittyfrisk

Sarge said:

I had a epi nighthawk which was the most strat like gibsonesque guitar I've played, however it didn't last long as I'm too much of a tart to live with the garish purple hue

I have a mate that would have loved the purple edition.

Mine is slightly more sober

Matt_McG

I'm a definite "Fender" guy (although I have a G&L ASAT, not a Fender).

I recently acquired a PRS SE Soapbar, and I love it. Super light, very resonant. The neck is unbound, which I prefer, top fret access is excellent. Really doesn't feel like a big change from a Fender style guitar, in terms of playing feel/position.

Jalapeno

Necks are the thing - depends what your Fender has. If you have girly hands like me, any of the 50s style Gibsons are out.

Another recommendation for 335s, or the smally 336/339 ones.

SlopeSoarer

Perhaps one of skilled guitar builders on here could build a Gibcaster.

I tried other name variations and quickly ruled out the Gender Lescaster! 

Jalapeno

SlopeSoarer said:

Perhaps one of skilled guitar builders on here could build a Gibcaster.

I tried over name variations and ruled out the Gender Lescaster one! 

24.5" neck is a common one for teles/strats, I think @fretmeister used to have (a stunning translucent charcoal) one

Revolting1

S/H G&L Ascaris are superb value.

Dont buy a Gibson without playing it first- the actual guitar,not the same model/ year due to QC issues.

 @Rabs may still have a hand made double cut within your budget,its worth an ask.

duotone

Worth trying out a PRS SE 245? 
https://www.prsguitars.com/index.php/electrics/model/se_245_2019

fretmeister

Jalapeno said:

SlopeSoarer said:

Perhaps one of skilled guitar builders on here could build a Gibcaster.

I tried over name variations and ruled out the Gender Lescaster one! 

24.5" neck is a common one for teles/strats, I think @fretmeister used to have (a stunning translucent charcoal) one

I did!

24.75 scale twin humbucker telecaster (later with a P90 at the neck)

Can't find any photos at the mo though.

Greatape

To me it's less the feel, more the sound. A LP is too far away from a Fender; a 335 or SG seems a lot closer. 

As to the feel: there's huge variance between individual Fenders, anyway - slim C to hard V?

EricTheWeary

One in black or one of the darker sunbursts, maybe a Pelham blue if you are young enough to carry it off. Gold plated hardware makes a strong statement. 






Oh, a Gibson for a strat guy, not a straight guy...

thegummy

I wonder if the people who don't get the economic thing with LPs tend to play standing up?

It's not as much of an issue when standing up but sitting down the Les Paul doesn't sit very well, it's not balanced and the curve isn't in the right spot.

hassleham

 Thanks for all the input so far!

Like @KevS and @Jez6345789 said, I'm hoping a totally different guitar will inspire something different from my playing.

PRS is a good shout, and probably more to my taste aesthetically! I've played a custom 24 before and it was incredible, and also owned a mccarty for a while but ended up swapping it for something else. 

I saw a band last year and the guitarist was playing some sort of Gibson hollowbody, however I'm sure it was smaller than a 335 or 339. It sounded absolutely incredible when the guy was soloing, especially clean solos that stood out over the rest of the band, but it could also get the Nile Rodgers strat tone for the rhythm stuff as well. I asked him what model it was but then I forgot what he said! Any ideas? 

PolarityMan

obvs an LP

Kittyfrisk

hassleham said:

 Thanks for all the input so far!

Like @KevS and @Jez6345789 said, I'm hoping a totally different guitar will inspire something different from my playing.

PRS is a good shout, and probably more to my taste aesthetically! I've played a custom 24 before and it was incredible, and also owned a mccarty for a while but ended up swapping it for something else. 

I saw a band last year and the guitarist was playing some sort of Gibson hollowbody, however I'm sure it was smaller than a 335 or 339. It sounded absolutely incredible when the guy was soloing, especially clean solos that stood out over the rest of the band, but it could also get the Nile Rodgers strat tone for the rhythm stuff as well. I asked him what model it was but then I forgot what he said! Any ideas? 

Sounds like maybe a Gibson Midtown?

Sassafras

ICBM said:

TINMAN82 said:

Too much is made of the ergonomic thing and the idea of some models being unsuitable for some people.

I really don’t get the ‘Les Pauls are un-ergonomic’ thing - I admit I’m not a fan of ones with overly steep neck angles (they do vary a lot), but otherwise I find them comfortable to play, and I prefer the body size to that of a Strat, which I’ve always found slightly unnecessarily large. Strats do fit your body well, but if it’s a traditional one then it has a massive ergonomic fault unlike almost any other guitar - the ridiculous position of the volume knob. This is why my ‘Strat’ has a smaller body than a Fender and with the volume knob further down...

I don't get this bit.
For me the volume control on a Strat is perfectly positioned and I can't be doing with all the controls on a Gibson.

ICBM

thegummy said:

I wonder if the people who don't get the economic thing with LPs tend to play standing up?

It's not as much of an issue when standing up but sitting down the Les Paul doesn't sit very well, it's not balanced and the curve isn't in the right spot.

No, I play both standing and sitting and a Les Paul body shape is perfect for both. It’s the steep neck angle that’s the problem on some of them when you’re sitting.

Barnezy

This is why no one should ever only have one guitar type. 

I played a strat exclusively initially and when o got a LP I couldn't adjust the the sound. Now I have had a strat, tele, lp and 345 for a while and rotate playing them, i have zero issue moving from one to the other. 

Solution, get loads of guitars. 

Seziertisch

thegummy said:

I wonder if the people who don't get the economic thing with LPs tend to play standing up?

It's not as much of an issue when standing up but sitting down the Les Paul doesn't sit very well, it's not balanced and the curve isn't in the right spot.

I think it depends on how tall the player is. I’m a bit over 6’ and I find myself a bit hunched over when playing a LP sitting down. By comparison a Jazzmaster, in terms of where it sits on me when playing seated is perfect. But a LP when played standing up is also very comfortable.