Which Fender guitar do you think compliments a Les Paul the best?

[Pesh]

3-single Strat, Gretsch Jet, and something with P90's.

 

[brianbzed]

I’ve owned my Gibson Les Paul over 4 years now and it’s a keeper. I’ve owned and played other guitars along the way including 3 Fenders. A 2013 American Deluxe Stratocaster, a 2019 American professional Stratocaster HSS, and currently own a 2007 Highway One Telecaster. To my ears the Tele has been the one that matches nicely with it. The two Strats were nice but, either I didn’t click with them or there was something not quite right about them. Anyway what Fender guitar do you think goes well with a Les Paul?
Cheers

I go with the "Joe Walsh" theory on that.....sound wise, a Les Paul and a Stratocaster work well together on stage.

 

[KelvinS1965]

I've done a few recordings with a Strat or Tele playing alongside my Les Paul. I haven't yet tried with my Jaguar though; it's quite a different sound to either the Strat ot Tele so I wonder how well it would work with a LP?

It's related to my Gold Top too because I resprayed it using the Gold Top nitro I originally bought to respray my 60s Tribute (satin finish to gloss), but decided I liked how the Tribute finish is starting to wear naturally. I then sprayed transparent red as used on a Cherry SG over the gold to create my own version of Candy Apple red:

 

[Nintari]

A Strat. It's pretty much the polar opposite in every way. Long scale vs short scale. Bolt-on neck vs glued-in neck. Maple neck vs mahogany neck. Alder body vs mahogany body. Tremelo vs fixed. Single coils vs humbuckers. Bright vs dark. Contoured, light body vs. squared, heavy body. Dual cutaway vs. single. Thin necks vs. (usually) thick necks. Straight headstock vs. curved. On and on and on.

If a person has a Strat and a Les Paul, they've pretty much got all the sounds a player would ever need. Maybe you could throw in an ESP for metal... but really, you could just as easily put an active pickup in the bridge of your Les Paul and you'd be right there anyway.

 

[PAPADON]

Nope. If you want to compliment a Les Paul you need a Gretsch.

 

[edro]

If I had to pick one of my Lesters and one non, it would be my Kubicki Custom Tele period…. 15” ebony, custom guitar specific pickups, 5-way and a toggle, dbl bound black, red body, flame neck….

 

[Bobby Mahogany]

I sense you’re a Keith Richards fan. You’ve got a couple of great looking guitars.

Hey, have you heard?


Keith is still alive today.

 

[Elmore]

 

[Radbloke McShreddington]

Hey, have you heard?


Keith is still alive today.

It's true. I'm not sure if you guys are aware but every cigarette you smoke takes 10 minutes off your life and gives them to Keith Richards.

 

[lpfan1980]

I always thought that a Telecaster could somewhat cover both a Les Paul’s (Jimmy Page) and a Stratocaster’s tones.

Still, I prefer to have at least one of each guitar.

Teles are closer then Strats for sure.

 

[gtimach1]

Either a Strat or Tele will compliment a Les Paul real well. A lot depends on the pickups and which guitar just feels better to play. An SG with P90s is another good pairing with a LP.

 

[dasherf17]

This one (will)....

Yeah, it's not a Fender, but my Paul's aren't Gibsons...(my bad...)
My preference is to have them all...
By the way, get, a Les Paul Special does it great, too...like I mentioned, gotta have 'em all...

 

[jimmer_5]

You just need one of each....LP, SG, ES, Strat, Tele,....

While this comment seems to a at least partially tongue in cheek, I think it’s true to some extent. I really think everyone should have a good Les Paul and a Strat or Tele depending on preference, taste, and type of music they play. After that, you can season to taste with an SG/Firebird/Explorer or a Jazzmaster/Jaguar/etc. A good acoustic as well. The classic guitars are classic for a reason, and you can get a nice variety of tones these days for reasonable money if you buy right. Even with a low budget, cheap guitars have never been better than they are now.

Assuming traditional single coil Teles and Strats, I personally think a Tele gets along really well with a Les Paul in a two-guitar band. I also think a Tele gets along well with a Strat in a two guitar band. However, Les Pauls and Strats have to choose their parts and tones more carefully to blend well together.

I think this is true as well. Teles compliment a LP nicely in a two-guitar band. Strats have their own sound, and they can get along fine with a LP also, but they are different than a Tele.

 

[BBC]

 

[BBC]

 

[moreles]

Strat. Leaves minimal need for a LP.

 

[Brek]

I would like to say strat, but I cannot get on with them, its the bridge and whammy bar that are the sticking point for me, cannot work around them. Which is a shame as I do like the strat sound. same to a lesser degree with the Tele, so my compliment is a P90 les paul lol.

 

[edro]

Toss the whammy, crank down the claw to sit the bridge on it's ass, and you're good to go...

 

[brianbzed]

I’ve owned my Gibson Les Paul over 4 years now and it’s a keeper. I’ve owned and played other guitars along the way including 3 Fenders. A 2013 American Deluxe Stratocaster, a 2019 American professional Stratocaster HSS, and currently own a 2007 Highway One Telecaster. To my ears the Tele has been the one that matches nicely with it. The two Strats were nice but, either I didn’t click with them or there was something not quite right about them. Anyway what Fender guitar do you think goes well with a Les Paul?
Cheers

I always went with Joe Walsh's philosophy: A Les Paul and a Stratocaster sound good together in a live setting.

 

[Rob H.]

Strat > Jazzmaster > Jaguar > Mustang

Tele anywhere if you don’t care about a vibrato
bridge or have a Bigsby on it.