It is currently Tue Mar 17, 2020 1:19 am

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 20 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next
Author Message
Post subject: Ease of play for Strat?
Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 10:36 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2008 8:55 am
Posts: 404
I've read a few times that the Strat is hard to play, relative to a Gibson. Is that true in your experience? What, if anything, makes it difficult?


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 10:38 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jul 11, 2008 11:24 am
Posts: 422
Location: Raleigh, NC
I've never thought of a Strat as hard to play, but I've heard this several times before and never understood it. I've also got a super low action guitar, and it is no easier to do a barre chord on that then my strat.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 10:48 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2007 9:34 am
Posts: 68
Location: Alabama
It would depend on how you define "easier." Gibsons (and clones) have a shorter scale. I have an XV500 (Xaviere LP clone) and bending is easier on it than on my Strat. However, and this may be subjective, it isn't so much that it makes a difference.

I think Strats are easier to play because the necks on Strats just feel better to me. The 60s necks on Gibsons are OK, and I can't stand the fat, chunky necks. The body shape of Strats helps. I also like not feeling like I have carried a bag of bricks around all night - Gibsons are heavy.

A lot of things go into what makes something easy to play for a particular person. It's really a matter of personal preference.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 11:06 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:52 am
Posts: 745
Location: Florida
rscornutt wrote:
It would depend on how you define "easier." Gibsons (and clones) have a shorter scale. I have an XV500 (Xaviere LP clone) and bending is easier on it than on my Strat. However, and this may be subjective, it isn't so much that it makes a difference.

I think Strats are easier to play because the necks on Strats just feel better to me. The 60s necks on Gibsons are OK, and I can't stand the fat, chunky necks. The body shape of Strats helps. I also like not feeling like I have carried a bag of bricks around all night - Gibsons are heavy.

A lot of things go into what makes something easy to play for a particular person. It's really a matter of personal preference.

Well said... I agree.
These generalized stereotype statements really don't apply well to electric guitars in my opinion.
Especially for strats as they can differ greatly in feel, mods, & set up.

A great example is my FMT strat that has an ebony fingerboard.
I find it EXTREMELY easy to bend compared to my other strat.
Especially noticable difference down on the first 5 frets.
I have to be careful not to over bend when trying to get semitones.

Subtle differences can make big differences to some & not noticable to others.
This is why here in the forum we always come back to each individual
players opinion being totally different about the same instrument or
manufacturer.

_________________
explorationx


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 11:35 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2007 6:07 am
Posts: 1747
Location: Central WI
And Volkswagons are easier to drive than Subarus.....

Same kind of over generalization. It's all preference. When you say Gibson I immediately think of the iconic Les Paul, in the same way when you say Fender I think of a Strat.

It's not necessarily, the weight, pickup design, body style, etc are completely different. One is easier than the other if that's what you like.

Whatever you like, play it and have some fun.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 12:29 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Thu Dec 06, 2007 8:19 am
Posts: 859
rscornutt wrote:
It would depend on how you define "easier." Gibsons (and clones) have a shorter scale. I have an XV500 (Xaviere LP clone) and bending is easier on it than on my Strat. However, and this may be subjective, it isn't so much that it makes a difference.

I think Strats are easier to play because the necks on Strats just feel better to me. The 60s necks on Gibsons are OK, and I can't stand the fat, chunky necks. The body shape of Strats helps. I also like not feeling like I have carried a bag of bricks around all night - Gibsons are heavy.

A lot of things go into what makes something easy to play for a particular person. It's really a matter of personal preference.



+1 on the heavy thing. Strats are a lot easier to hold for longer periods of time.

_________________
I tried to think of something clever to put here but- OH! Something shiny!!!


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 12:38 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Wed Feb 20, 2008 2:37 pm
Posts: 1811
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
I've played both......and I've always thought the Strat was far easier to play. The necks on the Strats feel a lot better and make for a lot more easy playing.

I play with a friend who plays nothing but Gibson. He refuses to even think of buying a Fender. But he's played my strat, and he said it puts the Gibsons to shame as far as feeling so comfortable, and the ease of play. Still.......he's sticking to the Gibsons.

_________________
"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them."-John Wayne


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 1:44 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2008 4:30 am
Posts: 366
Location: Denmark
I see and feel it this way, you can play WITH a fender or you can play ON a gibson!

If it's harder to play a strat, i would say this is the reason why:
The strat feels and acts more lively to me, you have to feel and put all you got into what you're playing, but the reward is incomparable!
The gibson seems to play for me, sounding good, playing good even while noodling around, but the bag of gold is simply at the opposite end of the rainbow..
Though it doesn't really make it harder! It just takes more feel to get a decent tone(which I think is actually a great thing)

I have small hands and because of the thin neck on fenders contra gibsons big fat chunky neck, I can stretch longer on a strat, despite the longer scale-length

Always remember that your experiences might be different, so try


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 2:49 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 1:53 pm
Posts: 1037
Location: Southeast Missouri.
I don't really care for the high-gloss finish that Fender puts on the Am. Std. Strat necks as much as I do the polyester finish. My hands get get sweaty and the gloss slows me down a bit. My hands just slide on the polyester. I have a Gibson Melody Maker, and just personally, I feel my MiM Strat just plays a lot better.

And with that, I would like to say, Strats play smoother than a gravy sandwich...and that is smooth. :wink:


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2008 12:22 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jul 05, 2007 3:04 pm
Posts: 7056
Location: South Florida
jeffo46 wrote:
Strats are much easier to play. Gibsons have necks like baseball bats.


Many Gibsons have bigger necks like on my Les Paul, but many come with a choice of the '50s (fat) or '60s (slim) necks.

I must admit I like the flatter fingerboard on the LP, 12" radius, I think. Most of my Fenders are a rounder 9.5" radius.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2008 12:23 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist
User avatar

Joined: Sat Aug 23, 2008 3:53 pm
Posts: 83
the few les pauls Ive played have had super high action compared to a strat. My friend let me borrow his les paul, cant remember which model but it was one of the better ones. it was great for certain songs. My MIM strat that I paid 400 bucks for, and dumped about 400 more in for mods sounded better than his 1800 dollar les paul.

800-ish dollars sounds and plays better than 1800 dollars. Fender wins. Plus that les paul weighed about 100 lbs


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2008 2:48 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2007 3:47 pm
Posts: 4294
Location: Somewhere near Seattle
Sounds like another highschool freshman rumor from a kid who never played a strat and his hero plays a LP.

_________________
"is that a real poncho...i mean
Is that a mexican poncho
Or is that a sears poncho?
Hmmm...no foolin ...." FZ


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Ease of play for Strat?
Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2008 5:06 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2008 5:58 pm
Posts: 72
Location: Telford Pa.
RudyH wrote:
I've read a few times that the Strat is hard to play, relative to a Gibson. Is that true in your experience? What, if anything, makes it difficult?

i also have read the same thing i
personaly find that untrue.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 6:45 pm
Offline
Roadie
Roadie
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2008 12:06 am
Posts: 292
Location: SoCal
I am a decided beginner, and I have not played an LP. However, I feel that my Strat is actually easy to "play", but very challenging to play well. This guitar is so accurate, even with distortion, that my beginner hands have a lotta trouble making things sound musical instead of buzzy, hollow, and muted. Maybe the humbuckers make the LP's "easier" to get a good sound.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 5:55 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2008 9:37 am
Posts: 9
no

_________________
play............LOUDER!!!!!


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 20 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: