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Dude...that thing is beautiful!!!

Let us know how it sounds.

Beautiful...

Can't wait to hear what you think about it.

Jumping Frog wrote:

RJGold wrote:I have been playing for about 25 years. If you're looking for a single electric to play and want good variety, you have two choices (IMO). You've mentioned one, the Les Paul. I own a Les Paul (2006 model I think) Studio Custom. It is an awesome guitar.

The other is the Stratocaster.

I've owned both: a left-handed late 60's Gibson Les Paul and an early 70's left-handed Fender Strat.

Aside from the tonal differences, I just wanted to mention your shoulder will thank you for playing a Strat after a few hours of playing time. If I had an evening playing the Les Paul, I think I walked lopsided for a day or so.

This is one of those times where I am kidding, but there is more truth in kidding than not.

Gibson Les Pauls made after the mid 2000s have CNC Machined cavities in the body to reduce weight. These cavities are designed to actually increase sustain instead of reducing it. Mine is from that era and it sounds and sustains great. It actually weighs less than my Strat!!!

I agree with the other folks who have said buy American if you can afford it. I own a Mexican Strat (but it's pretty old and I think the quality from there has declined since the 90s).

Seeing all of these posts reminds me I love guitars and I love guns. If I could ever get a guitar that is also a gun, I'd be in heaven!!!!

Keith B wrote:

bdickens wrote:What kind of sound are you after and what kind of music do you play?

As many different types of sounds as possible and everything from rock to country to blues to bluegrass).

Narrowed your choice down to Strat IMO.

Kind of freaked me out to see a guitar question on a gun site (thought I was on a different forum for a minute)...

I have been playing for about 25 years. If you're looking for a single electric to play and want good variety, you have two choices (IMO). You've mentioned one, the Les Paul. I own a Les Paul (2006 model I think) Studio Custom. It is an awesome guitar.

The other is the Stratocaster. I own two Strats, one is an American Standard and the other is a Mexican Strat with a humbucker in the bridge position (gives you a meatier hard rock option that the Standard doesn't have). Both strats are awesome as well.

My other advice is no matter what guitar you choose, make sure you get a solid body guitar (not laminate) and buy as much guitar as you can afford (stay away from "entry level").

I play weekly in our church band and also play occasionally outside of church (rock and blues).

You're right about opinions on guitars and guns. You're likely to get as many opinions as you get answers.

That's my two cents.

Good luck.