Preference in prog gtr: Les Paul vs Strat

Tony Fisher wrote: Hackett and Latimer make the Gibson sing like a bird and Johnny Fean of Horslips and Bill Nelson of Be Bop Deluxe are also exceptional Les Paul players. But Gilmour, Knopfler, Malcolm Jones of Runrig and Bryan Josh of Mostly Autumn produce exquisite sounds from a Strat. So it's a draw. Each has distinct merits. But let's not forget the Yamaha SG 2000 - in Rothery's hands it's as good as anything.

The truth is that any top guitar player worth his salt - from mostly Strat-users like Clapton, Gilmour and others to mostly Paul-users like Fripp, Hendrix and others - owns and uses both types of guitars.  Indeed, Adrian Belew, Gilmour and Clapton (among many others) would consider you warped for thinking that they are "Strat" guys simply because they are oftened pictured with one.

Musicman EBJP is pretty good too

I love both, but in the context of the question - which is your preference for guitar in prog? - I'll say Les Paul. The rich warm tones of a Paul a la Hackett or Fripp better suit prog to me than the more piercing, trebly sound of a Strat.

Owning and playing both, I can tell you that Les Pauls and Stratocasters are very different animals.  There is a best choice for any given song, or even parts the guitar will play in the song.  Guitar players, like keyboardists, have the wonderful option (or is it a curse?) to have several different sounding instruments, and to have more than one on stage for quick changes.  If I had to pick only one to use all the time, I would go with my Les Paul, (or my Explorer which has very similar characteristics) because it is much more versatile.  I can play resounding rhythm guitar with the Les Paul, and still get some piercing solo sounds come out of it - The Strat can't keep up with the Les Paul when chording.  I can make my Gibsons sound more or less like a Strat if I had to, but I cannot do the opposite.  Fortunately, I don't have to make that choice, because duplicating a riff or making up new sounds in the style of a given performer is always best done with an instrument similar to what they used, and an extra guitar or two on stage is not a big problem.

Ivan_Melgar_M wrote: For God's sake, when will people learn that with two top instruments only the performer makes the difference?   Walsh makes an excellent work with a Kurtzweill, a keyboard that most top musicians wouldn't use.   Ivßn