This is like comparing Jimmy Page to Modern Clapton (No intention of firing up a debate about whos better)
But both guitars have their strengths....just depends on what your looking for.

FENDER DUMB***

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"I don't know how to work a ******' iPod." - Eddie Van Halen

BTW arguing on the internet is like running in the special olympics:
Even if you win youre still retarded...

so lets kiss and make up and actually talk about the original thread.

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"If you are the big tree, we are the small axe. Sharpened to cut you down, ready to cut you down"

just my 2 cents no flaming nessecary but dean guitars is my favorite but fender is my second.

Now THAT's funny.

yes, because losing an arm or a leg makes you mental...

It would me. 'specially the arm since I wouldn't be able to play guitar.

The main non-musical disadvantage of a Gibson is their prices. Gibsons are great guitars but they are so over priced its unreal. Signature model Fenders go for about $1,200, pretty much the price that Gibson starts it's guitars at. Gibson prices many of their guitars at 4,000 to 5,000. Thats a little much.

If I got a Gibson and it was not perfect I would feel like I got screwed. Even while that standard is unreasonable, so are Gibson's prices. If a string buzzed I would want to punch someone in the face. For those prices, I think im entitled to do it. lol

Fender and Gibson both make great guitars. One just completely empties your wallet.

I've wondered about the price issue as well. I always assumed that an Gibson must cost more to make. If someone can enlighten that would be great. BTW, fender for me.

We probably need someone with inside info to do this. I won a tour of Gibson's acoustic factory about 7 years ago. Impressive. But that was acoustic guitars not electric.

Les Pauls are more difficult to make than a strat for several reasons:
a) Each body is at least two pieces (I know strats aren't all one piece) the top and bottom. If they use a similar procedure as used with the acoustics then each top is done with a guy standing over a sander and meticulously shaping it.
b) the set-in neck has to be fitted. The do use CNC machines to do the joints but they are hand glued and the glue has to set. Time is money.
c) The binding is another labor intensive process.
d) The Trapezoid Inlays are larger (more material) and have to routed (slightly more time). They do this with CNC but installing them is done by hand.
d) just my opinion but I think that Les Paul finishes are more complex than Fender's simply because most are sunburst and, again IMO, more nuanced. I know that the finish process for any guitar is time consuming and a pain.

As for the other models (SG, V, Explorer, Firebird) B, C, & D above still hold true.

When I went to the factory one question that was foremost in my mind was, "Why are these guitars so #$@$ expensive?" When I left I thought I knew why.

POST NOTE: I was led on the tour by the VP of marketing. At the end he offered to let me play any guitar they had ready for shipment. I chose a SJ-200 that was tricked out to the max, intervoven vine inlays top to bottom on the fretboard, triple binding, etc. BEAUTIFUL!!!! He sez to me, "That's a $12,000 MSRP guitar" Long story short, my wife then asks, "Do you own one of these?" To which the VP sez, "Hell no." He reaches out and picks out a SJ-100 (GC price is around $1,800 back then 2grand now) and starts to play. "This is what I have,"he sez, "Same guitar without the gingerbread."

Yeah, thinking more about it I'd say that those are the likely reason. Granted you can get those features in an Epiphone LP and I've seen some that were pretty nicely done. But I'm also not a huge Gibson fan either.

Keep in mind that the Epis are made overseas and that's why they cost less than Gibson, like Fender's MIM and Squires.

funniest thing, and most true thing I have ever read on the net, literally laughing out loud

Ray

Fender +2.
I first wanted a gibson les paul but one day i entered that huge store and
there was this American Deluxe Ash Stratocaster with the S1 switch system.
I tried it and fell in love, beacause of the color of the sound and the combination of sound I could do only with the tone controls and 5 way switch + S1.
When I engage the S& switch (pressing done the volume button), i feel allmost as if I have humbucker sounds under the hood. S1 depressed there's a good strat sound emerging from the guitar.
Ash body helps a lot, I got the same granularity of sound as "mapple top and mahogany back" you find in Les Pauls.
Moreover the guitar is well balanced, and quite heavy, unlike Les PAuls who are unbalanced and heavy as hell.

I'm about sure I could crank my amp up and have as much sound as I want to copy and match the sound of a les paul, but i ain't a fan of humbuckers, i still have enough sustain and tone from my lovely strat.
No need for more

A S1 Strat, while it is a lovely instrument, and has it uses, is not a les paul with a burstbucker in the bridge, just mt 2 cents,

Ray