Gibson or Fender? Which do you prefer?

[Musclecarbuilder]

I discovered the world of guitars back in April and have been wondering what brand ya'll prefer. Personally, Gibson is my current favorite mainly because all the bands I listen to use Gibsons as their guitars, my other reason would probably be the fact that out of the 4 guitars I have, 2 of them are Gibsons. (One of the 2 Gibsons is actually an Epiphone, which basically a more affordable Gibson) What are ya'll's thoughts?

[OldTrucker]

I've had an assortment of brands over the tears, now mostly cheapies or kit guitars.

I never had a real preference as each add their unique dynamics that lend to different style of music.

Just about finished with a kit PJ Bass and a kit Tele and have an ES335 kit sitting in the wings waiting to be built.

[Musclecarbuilder]

52 minutes ago, OldTrucker said:

I've had an assortment of brands over the tears, now mostly cheapies or kit guitars.

I never had a real preference as each add their unique dynamics that lend to different style of music.

Just about finished with a kit PJ Bass and a kit Tele and have an ES335 kit sitting in the wings waiting to be built.

Nice! 

[Thedragsterdude]

Fender they sound the best 

[Bugatti Fan]

Over here in the 60's there was a company named Burns who made really good guitars.

However lots of UK group members opted for Fenders and Gibsons over the Burns. A bit unfortunate as the Burns guitars were fine instruments back in the day.

I used to play drums in a group back in the day, and stuck with my excellent UK made Premier Drum kit. 

Ludwig, Gretch, Rogers and Slingerland were the favoured finely made Stateside drum kits I can remember from back then and the German Sonor and Trixon brands.

[OldTrucker]

48 minutes ago, Bugatti Fan said:

Over here in the 60's there was a company named Burns who made really good guitars.

However lots of UK group members opted for Fenders and Gibsons over the Burns. A bit unfortunate as the Burns guitars were fine instruments back in the day.

I used to play drums in a group back in the day, and stuck with my excellent UK made Premier Drum kit. 

Ludwig, Gretch, Rogers and Slingerland were the favoured finely made Stateside drum kits I can remember from back then and the German Sonor and Trixon brands.

I've only seen one Burns guitar in all my 70+ years. A guy from a 60's retro band in Chicago was using one in the 1980s ! 

Slingerland, now you are talking! LoL

My kit was a mish mash of anything I found decent and that was what I used until I gave it up!

[Mike C.]

always used Fender but my friends had some really nice SGs and Les Paul's . what about Rickenbacker and guilds. vox?

[OldTrucker]

2 hours ago, Mike C. said:

always used Fender but my friends had some really nice SGs and Les Paul's . what about Rickenbacker and guilds. vox?

Was never impressed with Rics, that much, but Vox had some really cool designs back in the day and most sounded pretty solid!

[Bugatti Fan]

Can remember Bill Wyman playing a Vox Phantom Bass Guitar in the Rolling Stones early days.

And of course Paul McCartney sticking with his old Hofner Fiddle Bass.

Hofner made some nice guitars but not sure if they ever made solid electrics like Fender or Gibson. Hofner made a very nice semi acoustic electric guitar named a Verithin. There was another German company Framus who made acoustic electrics too.

The British Burns guitars were very nicely built instruments. I think that their guitar was named a Vibratone or something similar. They also made a guitar named the Bison where they had some sort of marketing tie up with the UK group The Shadows. Very famous over here in the early 60's. I think that they may have had some success in the US with their early instrumentals Apache and FBI.

Edited December 18, 2024 by Bugatti Fan

[Ace-Garageguy]

Only guitar I ever had was a Goya acoustic. Can't remember what kind of bass. Guess I'm not qualified to express an opinion.  

[Bronzekeg]

all of my favorite players use fenders. I personally have fenders and gibsons. stratocasters are my favorite.

[Little Timmy]

In highschool I formed a band. At the time I had a Purple Stratacaster with a White pic guard.

I was thrown out of my own band because I sucked.

After figuring out how to actually play a guitar , I found myself the proud owner of a Fender Mustang. ( I had loaned a friend some money and he let me hold the Mustang as collateral...  he never came back for it. ) I L O V E D  that guitar !

I have played a few Gibsons ( a Les Paul, and a flying V ) and I just didn't like the sound of them.

I also on occasion borrowed my friends  Ovation 6 string bass. I liked it.

Around the time my daughter was born I needed money more than guitar's, so  I had a " everything must go sale" .

I haven't played  in over 26 years.

 

 

 

[Musclecarbuilder]

13 hours ago, Little Timmy said:

In highschool I formed a band. At the time I had a Purple Stratacaster with a White pic guard.

I was thrown out of my own band because I sucked.

After figuring out how to actually play a guitar , I found myself the proud owner of a Fender Mustang. ( I had loaned a friend some money and he let me hold the Mustang as collateral...  he never came back for it. ) I L O V E D  that guitar !

I have played a few Gibsons ( a Les Paul, and a flying V ) and I just didn't like the sound of them.

I also on occasion borrowed my friends  Ovation 6 string bass. I liked it.

Around the time my daughter was born I needed money more than guitar's, so  I had a " everything must go sale" .

I haven't played  in over 26 years.

 

 

 

Gotcha, I feel the same way about Fenders, I've played several, just could never get into how they sound. 

[iamsuperdan]

The Telecaster has been one of my fav guitars for literally decades. I have a mid-90s MIM version and it rips. I love it. Other than changed to a white pearloid pick guard, I've left it stock. And I can get a massive crunch out of it. A lot of people say it's no good for heavy music, but I disagree.

I've really like the Strats I've owned over the years too. Had tow of them, and I should have kept the early 90s American Standard. It was a gunmetal blue colour and had the Lace Sensor pickups and that matte brushed finish on the hardware.

The Explorer has always been my fav shape, but I absolutely hate how a Gibson feels. The neck is just too thick and too much like a baseball bat for my tastes. Would take a Fender all day long over a Gibson.

Ironically, my kid's name is Gibson.

 

Having said all of that, BC Rich is still my fav brand. I have a dozen or so late 80s Superstrats, and a couple of newer ones.

Plus a couple of Kramers.

My Carvin DC800, Jackson COW7, and my homebuilt Explorer 7-string are the ones that get the most use though.

 

[Bugatti Fan]

The late Mick Green a well known UK group guitarist never appeared to play anything else but his old Telecaster from the Sixties onwards. He played in various groups but best known as part of Johnny Kidd and the Pirates in the early days, went on to play for Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas, one of the Liverpool Groups, and eventually returning to the Pirates. To see him playing look out the Pirates playing Reading Festival 1978 doing Shakin All Over.

[NitroMarty]

Back in the day, I had a couple of Fenders, a Gibson, and an Ovation.... Liked the Fender Strat the best.

The best guitar I've ever played was a one-off custom built that a buddy of mine had, that was made by his father... Such a unique sound!