Gibson VS Fender!
 

Ok this isnt actually a competition I would just like to see everyones thought on the two company's products from a general standpoint. Aka this is not a humbucker vs Single Coil thread, it is simply comparing the two.

Personally I think any guitarist worth his weight should really be quite familiar with both styles to really know what he/she likes.

Now GO.

Ps: GB i have reserved a space here for any Gibson ranting you may have :)

Fender makes these, so to me, they are the clear winner.

http://www.vintage-guitars.se/1964_F...ter_L44080.jpg

I have never owned a P90 guitar, how does that feel on the Jazzmaster/Jag in comparison to singles?

:laughing: Lol I don't actually own one of those either. Just went on Google and found a picture of a Jazzmaster (this one happened to have P90's). I've just always liked their look and feel.

I thought I was different for liking the Jazzmaster, but yeah I'm more about the teles and the jazzies so Fender is my answer. I for one would love an ES-330 or maybe a vintage silverburst paul but, a good jazzmaster will cost thousands less than either of the two gibson models I just mentioned.

http://www.gbase.com/files/store_ima...x325eg1_ss.jpg
I mean dude, I would kill for a silverburst paul, see why?

I pick Fender because of the Fender p-bass... :D

I think Fender guitars and Gibson guitars both have their place, they both have distinctive tones and uses. For example, I guess if you play complicated jazz chords, you need a relatively short scale length, and the Gibson may suit this. Personally though I've always been more comfortable playing a Fender, I feel like I can get a great sound and play for ages without straining myself and getting a nice sound.

Pssh, you are generalizing a bit there as jags, mustangs, dou-sonics and a few other Fenders happen to be the same scale length if not shorter than gibson's standard 24.75 SL.

True, I am generalising... and thus your support my stance in which I prefer Fenders!

I love my Fender, but when I bought it I also tried out a Gibson Melody Maker which sounded good as well, over all I'd say Fender. Just because my Fender has been good to me.

Both have some SERIOUS downsides regarding their design, quality control, and pricing.

Pricing is the common issue betwee the two companies. Both charge way over the odds for what you're getting. Theres no way around that I'm afraid, its the truth. Cheaper guitars from elsewhere perform much, much better than most fenders or gibbies.

Quality control is gibsons bugbear. Its absolutely shocking how PLEK'd guitars that are supposed to be perfect from the factory can often be utterly, utterly screwed up, both in cosmetic ways and even in the hardware. People have recieved gibsons before with holes drilled in the wrong places, frets off from the scale, binding falling off, all sorts, and thats just recently, the last few years at most. It IS supposedly getting better, but lets just say that gibsons have always totally underwhelmed me for the price. The best LP i've ever played was an epiphone, that speaks volumes for me.

Fenders bugbear is design. THe jazzmaster is a great guitar, the jaguar too, but things like the microtilt neck (3 bolts) and the jaguar bridge NEEDING heavy guage strings to be stable, in addition to the utterly terrible 6 point strat tremolos, the fact that TO THIS DAY Telecasters can't be intonated correctly without replacement saddles, coupled with a general lack of care in the voicing and design of the guitars, means that unfortunately with fenders, already expensive guitars tend to need modifications direct from the factory in order to make them perform as well as they should.

This isn't to say gibson dont have their share of bad design ideas of course, the new historical Les Paul guitar for example, has a bridge that cannot possibly be intonated correctly, and their neck joints tend to be surprisingly weak particularly on SGs and so on. SGs also dont balance on the strap at all and never have.


Between the two, I have soft spots for both companies guitars in one way or another. The jaguar for example, is a glorious guitar when done right and strung with heavy strings. The strat has a charm to it that most copies dont have (Though of course for me, that benefit is outweighed by the terrible hardware. For me, strats are fun for blues, if I'm only BORROWING the guitar.

Gibson too, have their good points. I hate the TOM bridge, but they have a nice neck profile, and the sustain on some of their models is epic.

Ultimately though, neither company offers what I want. Ibanez come much closer, so as a mass builder they're my go to choice. Custom would be my ideal though.