Neapolitan

I pretty much agree with all you mentioned. I never met a guitar I didn't like. I think no guitar is 100% soundwise if you are looking for to sound like another artist, if they play a Strat but one has a LP then it's hard to achieve the sound one wants. Someone told me they prefer the Stratocaster over the Les Paul because they can make his Strat sound like a LP but he can't make his LP sound like a Strat. I know some of my friends who are guitar players who feel the need to buy the same gear as their favorite artist. Although I think it a little be easier if you want your own sound to find one you can be happy with close to 100% satisfaction. I don't know that is how I look at it.

Each might be perfect in its own right, but comparing them to another guitar one can see they have their limits. The Telecaster is a slab of wood, and doesn't have the contour body of a Stratocaster, so after playing a Strat a Telecaster seem uncomfortable and you can't get the 2/4 position like on a Strat. I don't like the Nashiville Telecaster with three p-ups if I wanted a guitar with three p-ups I would play a Strat :/ The most comfortable Fender model is the Jazzmaster, way more comfortable then a Strat, but that doesn't has the Fender American Standard Strat Tremolo System. The Jazzmaster Tremelo system at the time was supposed to be an improvement over the Strat's Standard Trem system but in retrospect it wasn't, it has a bridge that is movable and rattles apart and a single spring system, which isn't adjustable like the Strat's. I haven't played a Fender Strat with a two point Tremolo so I can't really comment, but I think the 6-point vintage style tremolo with a bigger block is better, and more nostalgic if you are concern with the fine details of a guitar. The Stratocaster is limited with the sound possibilities though with only a 5 way switch, compared to the Brian May's Red Special which has 26 possibilities though some sounds repeated so it's like 16 different tones. The Gretsch are expensive for what they are, can't dive-bomb on them, but I really prefer the Bisgby Vibrato to other types. Fender released 2K DeArmond p-ups and have them on some guitars some line are discontinued but they are dullsville compare to real vintage DeArmond p-ups. My dream guitar would be a Jazzmaster with the full 25.5" scale length neck, soap-bar p-ups and with a Six point Standard Tremolo System. Rosewood vs Maple neck I prefer the feel of a rosewood neck. Where Fender give different p-up options that are noticeable, a Jazzmaster Jaguar Telecaster and Stratocaster pick ups look noticeable different from looking at them Gibson generally uses the humbucker on most of their guitar models, but the difference for them are the windings that effect output. Where Fender guitars have a similar look, the Gibson's models are much more varied compared to each other, such as Les Paul, Flying V, the Explorer, Thunderbird and ES-335 and Super 400 CES etc.

I think the Les Paul and the 60's Strat w/ Rosewood fretboard are the more popular models among pro-artist, imo. I don't think I could list favourite guitars, if I was force to choose one favourite among all of them, it would be a 50's style Stratocaster with a Maple neck - everyone from Buddy Holly to Hank Marvin to Jimi Hendrix to Eric Johnson played one. And for basses it's easy - the Musicmaster Bass.

__________________