Six Stringed
In the world of American six string electrics two names have effortlessly risen above the throng of
nickel wound single coiled magnetic hardware: Gibson and Fender. Since the early 50's these two
companies have been battling for the throne as America's most coveted rock 'n' roll staple and guitarists
around the world have been plagued by the choice since there conception. Even if you are new to
music, or completely and utterly musically nescient, chances are you have heard the name, or at least
of the musicians that swear by these two American icons.
In the early 1900's Orville Gibson found the Gibson Guitar Corp. in Michigan. Originally his
mission was to make instruments strictly in the mandolin family. By 1930, Gibson Guitar Corp. was
putting into production flat top acoustic guitars as well as the first hollow body electric (“Corporate
Press Kit."). All was well for Orville and his coveted hollow body electric until a rival instrument
company made the release of the world’s first successful solid body electric guitar. In 1948, Leo Fender
released the revolutionary Fender Telecaster (Gearhead). In an effort to stay relevant the Gibson Guitar
corp. brought in a well-known jazz guitarist named Les Paul. The collaboration between Paul and
Gibson resulted in the Gibson Les Paul. Just as his rival did, Leo Fender recognized the need to come
back with an equally ground breaking retort. The first Fender Stratocaster was released in 1954 (“The
History Of”). Much like the mighty Les Paul, the Stratocaster took its place in guitar history. So which
is better?
Despite my opinion, historical rivalry, and the never ending vocal eruption of guitar geeks (like
myself) on the world wide web, there is no correct answer. However, this comparison will attempt to
give a full in depth profile of the most used models of the two. We will take the Gibson Les Paul and
the Fender Stratocaster in account...