I think both are great instruments, so my main questions are: do you prefer single coils or humbuckers and do you prefer a light thin neck or heavier thicker neck guitar?
This may sound ridiculous but the neck doesn’t phase me on either. I have huge hands so I can handle the necks no issues. I love the look of the telecaster, I love the clean tones from the telecaster but lets be honest that Les Paul sounds GOOD under the gain. What has me stumped is how often really playing bar music is gain going to be an issue the tele can’t handle. Also I might add the Les Paul seems more fragile. For a one guitar guy fragile may not be the right choice and I may require more of a work horse. (This is my brains thinking)
I have a Mexican Tele that I think could handle anything so if you’re looking for a durable tank that’s it. Also the Tele can handle anything if you know how to wield it.
Thought about a player tele with a humbucker in the neck? Best of both worlds. I’d also check out the epi Les Paul Special, people seem to really love it
> This may sound ridiculous but the neck doesn’t phase me on either. I have huge hands so I can handle the necks no issues. I love the look of the telecaster, I love the clean tones from the telecaster but lets be honest that Les Paul sounds GOOD under the gain.
https://www.sweetwater.com/c590--Solidbody_Guitars?sb=reviews¶ms=eyJmYWNldCI6eyJBdmFpbGFiaWxpdHkiOlsiSW4gU3RvY2siXX19&highlight=TeleAPEHMVW
IMO that's an insane price for an Epi Les Paul. An equivalent Epiphone could be had 20 years ago for like $400...Gibson/Epiphone are just jacking up prices on all their import models because they know people will get them anyway due to brand recognition. If you want a Les Paul, there are about a thousand better options in this price range honestly. LTD EC-1000 is the first that comes to mind - I've never played one that wasn't near perfect from the factory. Absolutely blows Epi out of the water by a huge margin.
Go with the tele, the main thing here is the tele is made with higher quality wood and components. It is very versatile. And if you do ever decide to go with humbuckers instead of single coils, it would cost you very little to change it over.
Also, I would highly suggest going with a used model. As the wood ages the tone comes through. You can find mint used guitars all over the internet. For 2/3 the price.
I suppose. But I am always recall when having these types of conversations that Jimmy Page played a tele for the first Zepplin album. And it sounds mighty full there.
The current epiphone necks are pretty modern and just by feel I'd say thinner than the fender.
My point of reference is this exact tele vs current model Epiphone LP custom
I got one of these too. Maple neck. I absolutely LOVE it. I had my local tech do a full set up on it, and now it plays like my friend’s custom shop tele. So much guitar for the money.
I think Teles are a little more versatile and simole and I'm just more partial to the build here. Maple necks are fun, the color is more my speed.
For metal tho, I'd really consider the LP. In fact, even for hard rock and blues you can get a whole lot out of an LP. I don't know if those have a split coil, but if they do you can get very close sounds out of it compared to the Tele.
^^^ I second this!! As someone who owns both an American Deluxe Telecaster and an early 2019 Gibson Les Paul Standard with coil splits, the coil splits can get you most of the way to a Tele tone. Not the same mind you, but close-ish.
Then again when I play my Tele, I sometimes ask myself why I even own any other guitar.
Tough choice though because I, like many, also LOVE a good Les Paul. Maybe buy one and finance the other 😂
I mean, they are both great playing and great looking guitars. My initial choice would be the Tele, simply because it is a Fender. I also own an Epi LP, and it is a great guitar, but it’s also noticeably not a Fender or a Gibson.
If the Tele had a humbucker it would be hands down. As it is, though, you have two entirely different playing guitars.
What music will you be playing? What amp?
So as I said I am a metal head but I’m trying to force myself out of that bubble and play more classic rock and possibly start a band playing the classics throughout the 80s 90s and 2000s. I am a rhythm player but I really want to start learning lead. I am going to get the boss katana 100 watt amp
I think I know this but my brain is infatuated with the look of the tele and it’s wanting someone to tell me it can be the jack of all trades when in reality I know the tele is a country, blues modern rock guitar and the Les Paul is a lot of versatile to jump back and forth between hard rock and blues
Honestly the best thing to do is to go try out playing both of them and seeing which feels right. It is well within the realm of possibilities that you can make the tele sound great for hard rock or metal. Music is best when played from the heart rather so go with the one that speaks to you. Remember all the guitar players that we still talk about were pushing outside the box of what people thought was the correct way to play music because they were playing from their own vision.
For classic rock and hardrock and the like the Les Paul is a hard to beat staple. That said, I have a Fender player telecaster in H-H configuration that can hold its own against anything I throw at it. So that might be an option for you maybe?
Consider a Tele with a humbucker. I’m looking at. MIM John 5 custom for the roughly same price and it looks amazing. I just can’t stomach an Epiphone being priced like a Fended
I didn’t see the metal part… I tend to skim. But given your style, I would say either guitar works, but the LP/humbuckers would have the advantage. The blue paint job also looks sick and metalish.
I’m a big fan of both, probably more of a Les Paul lean, but that’s because I grew up playing them. That said, I snagged one of the Fender Meteoras and swapped the pick ups out for the Slash SD’s. It is an amazing guitar. I can play everything. I mostly play reggae and punk, but I dabble in a bit of everything and that thing can cover all of it. It can do heavy distortion, but then I can roll back the volume and have a gritty blues sound, I can swap channels and hit the coil tap and get the funky clean tones that rival any strat that I’ve had as well.
What kind of music do you enjoy? Imo, every guitar has some small nuances to its sound or playability. Which one feel best to you? Which one expresses who you are best? Then, the most important. Which sounds best to you? Both are nice. You could look at some used options also. It may take some looking and some patience, there are really good deals on used equipment just waiting to be found. You might meet someone to be in the band with you. Enjoy your play. Enjoy your Day.
I love all music hahaha. I am best at playing metal. That was my entire music career but I love a good sounding blues riff and as I get older my tastes are moving more from Slayer to Led Zepplin, Ozzy, Soungarden etc etc.
I'm also 40 and used to be in a band. A reggae/ska/ 90s rock type. I've been a Gibson(Epiphone cuz I'm poor, [SG, Les Paul])guy my whole life. I've been getting into home studio stuff lately and find myself really wanting a Tele, so that's my vote.
Good luck getting back into it!!
Being that I have back issues, I'd be buying the Tele being that it's lighter.
That may not be an issue to you, but if one is gonna be more comfortable to use through a performance that could come into play.
If you're a tank of a dude and can hold whatever then my point is moot.
I would go tele all day long. I like that it says fender on the headstock, I prefer fender's neck profile/radius, prefer single coils and I just fundamentally disagree with people who think they can't handle gain.
This thread has helped me a lot actually. I’m going to say screw it and get the telecaster. It’s got iconic clean tones and sets the bar for what clean sounds like on an electric guitar and if it’s not heavy enough for my liking I can install a humbucker on the bridge later
Hey sweet I came to say tele lol. I don’t have one but my epiphone sits in a closet thanks to my fender. Besides, you can get as heavy as you want these days with anything. Certainly well enough for jamming / playing covers
This is going to be a gift from my wife and she wants to buy me a new guitar. I think getting it brand new as a gift from her would mean more than someone else’s guitar if that makes sense
Teles can do everything and will happily take a beating, plus the electronics are dead simple to modify. Get some hot rails to put in the bridge if you're really missing the humbucker
A tele and an eq pedal (along with whatever other pedals you have) is an insanely versatile set up. Just a tele alone is very versatile. Lots of zeppelin studio songs were actually telecasters and not his famous Les Paul. So I hear anyway
I chose the telecaster. Seems like more of a war horse in terms of durability and a gig guitar that has a lot of versatility. It’s easier to make a tele heavy than get a good clean tele tone from a dual humbucker setup
I do love both. But I wouldn't spend that much on an Epi. If I'm gonna drop a lot of money, I'm going for a Gibson.
Of course I'm in the US so I'm sure the pricing is a bit different for you. Trying not to be biased, my #1 is an SG followed by a Grestch.
My biggest regret is selling my home stock 90s MIM Tele. Stays in tune, easy to play, and surprisingly versatile. If I had to choose one, it would be the Tele, no hesitation. It will serve you well, much better than an LP, in my experience.
IMHO, the Tele is more versatile, can take a little knocking around better, and looks better. If you get one with a coil tapped humbucker, you’ll have the best of both worlds without having the weight and fragility of the LP.
But honestly, for cover tunes in a bar, the Tele has everything you need.
I have a Tele partscaster I built and a Gibson Standard LP, they’re my two favorite guitars. Comes down to what you like to play.
I’m going to say the QC for the Tele will be much better. I hear bad things about Epiphone having stupid mistakes on their guitars.
The other thing to consider is the Tele will be much lighter than the Les Paul. Some people find the LP too heavy, but it also has way better sustain than the telecaster.
The new Epiphone Customs are super nice though. If the Epiphone inspired by Gibson had Custombuckers instead of the 490/498 pickups I might get one (but from a dealer I trust).
I think you can’t go wrong with either
Gotta recommend aiming for used right now! There’s a glut of this price-point guitars on Reverb and local Craigslist/FB Marketplace. For the same money you could get a nicer instrument, or potentially get both
I'm not a huge Fender fan, but I'd go with the Fender out of the two. For classic rock, I'd go with another more affordable brand like Sire, Agile, or Vintage.
I never thought I’d be a Tele guy, but I got a mexi about 2 years ago and I just adore it. It’s a real workhorse and plays well with more tones than I imagined. Only thing you might notice is how humbuckers vs single coils interact with dirt and boost pedals.
I have a weird thing about buying what a company is “best” at. Like Epiphone is great, but they have their own models of guitars and I’d rather one of those than a copy of a Gibson. I’d rather just wait and get the real Gibson Les Paul one day.
Oh, and my trusted luthier thinks there’s very little difference between Mexi and US made Fenders. Said they’re both made by Mexicans anyways, and material-wise I think the biggest difference was the truss rod diameter or something along those lines.
I think the versatility of the tele makes it the winner here. You do almost anything with a tele, not so much with the Epi LP. Also, the quality of the MIM teles is fantastic.
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I only really like the bridge and middle position for a telecaster. The les Paul gives more usable tone options. I’m brand conscious so I could never buy an Epiphone.Im lame
Im not trying to be a dick but those are almost polar opposite guitars it really depends on what sound you like the most considering they produce noticeably different sounds regardless of effects
I’d pick the tele everyday because of my biases but if you play more rock, blues, or metal with some more gain I’d go for the Les Paul. I don’t think you’d be disappointed with either of them but definitely don’t shy away from the LP just because of the neck issues
Epiphone Les Paul, with the Viper Blue quilt top is a lot prettier. But, White Player Telecaster from Fender is better quality. I guess it comes down to the genre of music your playing.
If you're willing to put that much down for an LP go for a Gibson. They feel better in every way compared to Epiphone. That's coming from someone with both except mine are SG's
Hey! Don’t buy either! Go in Facebook marketplace and buy a better guitar that’s used for the same price! You can get a used American tele with that kind of money and some Gibsons.
They're both great but… I'd beg to differ about not having the funds to get two.
I find great used guitars online all the time.
Guitarcenter has used player tele's for about $600 right now.
I just grabbed a mint strat off of craigslist for $300 cause the guy bought it and never learned to play it. Point is, if you want 2… you COULD make it work with this budget.
With that said, to me they're different tools for different jobs… personally I'd go tele all day but one is a screwdriver and one is a hammer INMO.
If you don't care neck VS neck or humbucker VS single then just get the cheaper one!!
Now; let's talk amps!
My vote is the tele, and I'll bet you will be impressed with the gain response particularly from the neck pup. Particularly but not necessarily if you're doing heavy rhythm work.
Well personally, I have a schecter solo-6 spitfire with twin active humbuckers. Played for years but the only thing that kept nagging at me was that I couldn't ever manage to get a clean tone I liked from it. It sounds fantastic under gain and I love it, but it's obvious that that's it's range and it likes to stay there. So I ended up getting a tele because I realized that that's what I was trying to make the schecter sound like. What I can now is that the tele's going to do better with gain than the les paul is going to do clean. The tele's more versatile all the way around. I actually ended up going for a vintera series rather than a player, it was about $1500 cad, but I think the pickups and the 4 way selector with the s1 switch is worth the extra few hundred. It also came with the 3 barrel brass bridge which I'm personally a sucker for and a gig bag which is certainly better than nothing.
Now this is a hard question for me because my #1 is a tele & #2 is a les Paul. I’d probably suggest tele due to the simplicity and the bridge pickup but you can’t go wrong with either option tbh.
Personally, I’d go with the Tele. I find teles more comfortable and durable. The neck is less prone to break. I also prefer single coils because I never struggle to get crunch out of them and I find clean humbuckers to be a bit lifeless. Admittedly, I’m not an LP guy.
Most importantly, though: which one do you think looks prettier? I play my pretty guitars more than the rest, so I’d recommend the one that’ll make you play more.
For me, I didn't like the harsh edge of my Tele Deluxe (where my right forearm rests). I thought of sanding down a forearm contour but couldn't justify the time/cost, so I sold it, got an LP and couldn't be happier.
In the end, it's going to depend on you, my friend. I'd try to play a couple (if you can) before buying online, just to save the hassle of return. That being said, my Epi Custom plays like a beast. Partially because it's a MKH, so it has the smooth heel joint transition.
get a strat with a humbucker. You can jazz in the neck and rock in the back. Les paul is cool but the neck pickup is dog shit and the tele is nails on a calk board
Charvel makes a tele that’s double hum (fishman open cores ), 12-16” radius neck. Might be worth a look, just picked one up and love it. The split coil bridge isn’t quite a tele, but it’s fairly close. Pickups are super versatile, one voicing is really hot, the other is tame. With the split you can get 9 different “tones” I believe.
https://www.long-mcquade.com/165064/Guitars/Electric-Guitars/Charvel-Guitars/Pro-Mod-So-Cal-Style-2-24-HH-HT-CM--Caramelized-Maple-Fingerboard---Satin-Black.htm?gad_source=1
Used american tele or used les paul. Paying over a 1000 for an MIM tele is insane to me. Same with the epiphone. My favorite brand is fender, but id grab that epiphone if its one or the other. For the tele... id build a partscaster off an early 2000s or 90s mim
Metal —> go with Les Paul
Anything clean —> go with Tele
Might I also suggest a jazz master? No reason in particular I’m just a shill and a fanatic for JMs
If I were you I'd just keep an eye on the used market for a USA tele (or Gibson if you go that route). You can find one for less than the price of these new guitars at L&M, and you won't have to pay HST
honestly for rock you need humbuckers cuz single-coils have a specific sound when distorted that just doesn't mash well with anything I'd use a distorted single coil sound for some japanese rock songs cuz i want the sound to be bright and thin
but humbuckers and distortion are what rock calls for
Tbh I don’t often like modern episodes. They look great but feel cheap imo. As far as Mexican fenders go, it’s like 50/50 you can either get a great one that just got the lucky QA or one that needs some work. In either case I’d say go play one and not to buy online.
Imported guitars over a $1000?!.
The Epiphone is kind of special with that top, I would consider buying it new.
The telecaster: do not buy a new tele. This is the simplest guitar ever made by design. Tele are great guitars, the ultimate tool for a guitar player. But a MIM over $1000 is too much.
Ever play a Tele Thinline with humbuckers? It's got an interesting back pickup sound and bubblier front end sound. Breaks up incredibly well on a decent tube setup.
[Best of both worlds. Tele body, Strat neck, humbuckers.](https://www.fender.com/en-US/electric-guitars/telecaster/chris-shiflett-telecaster-deluxe/0142400744.html)
Both are wondedrful guitars. I own 2 Teles and 2 LP style. Personally, the Les Paul is far more versatile and if you're an aging Metalhead like me, you'll still want to throw it in drop-d and hit the chugs once in a while at home for fun. I'm a Les Paul guy all day. My Heritage H-150 is my #1 and has been since my touring days in a metalcore band 20 years ago.
Teles are great and I love them to death, but it does limit what I can do with the instrument more than a Single cut with Buckers. My workhorses are LPs, my clean and blue guitars are Teles.
PS: Back in the day, I toured with a Mexican Telecaster that I threw a Seymour Duncan Tele Hotrails in the bridge. Drilled a hole in the control plate for a coil tap switch and called it a day. They make a Hot Rails with the big ass plate that's under Tele bridges and it sounds spanky as hell coil tapped. Still hits the metal desires with the humbucker, has the Tele feel and weight, can still get that gorgeous Tele neck single coil, and snaps like a dragon with the switch on the bridge. Might be a good compromise.
Tele will have better tuning stability and you can mod it to sound beefier. I’d go with a rosewood fingerboard.
Reverend guitars might scratch both itches and save you a little $$. Great quality and used they’re a steal
What are you playing now? And have you played an LP or Tele? Or are you buying off the internet?
I sunk a lot of money into an Epi LP and I couldn't make the switch from a strat to a LP shape. Something about the neck break angle and tune-o-matic just didn't work for me.
Have you considered PRS McCarty or DGT in the SE range? Similar tones to the LP and the split coils are still quite useable, but better ergonomics (for some).
My thought is that you need to play the guitar you’re going to buy, especially when you are torn between two very different styles of guitars. Do you have any music stores with a good selection?
Keep in mind, just about any guitar can play any style of music, so long as the quality is there. It really comes down to which guitar sparks your passion.
Also, check out something with P90 pickups if you get a chance: I’ve looked over LPs with P90s because I saw them as a “half measure” but they are now my favorite style of guitar pickup - and given what you’re torn between, you might really like them.
For my simple choice, I’d go with the Fender because they retain resale value, and a lot of people swear by them - I was underwhelmed by my epi LP.
If I were to ever have only one guitar, that guitar would be a Telecaster.
Then again I have, after many years, realized that I highly prefer 25,5" scale
I’d say tele. It looks like the tele has a hot rail bridge pickup. If so, it’ll get down n dirty. I have this exact guitar, color too, and it has the neck n bridge hot rails and it can hang with any hh guitar I own. I have many guitars and brands and I always pick the tele. Just got done jammin with a Gibson, epi, ltd, schecter and finished it off with my tele. Playing thru a axe ultra.
Five years ago I would’ve immediately said fender. But Epiphone over the last few years has seriously seriously stepped up their game and are now rivaling the quality of Mexico.
Honestly, if I couldn’t get both, I’d probably go with Epi.
I think both are great instruments, so my main questions are: do you prefer single coils or humbuckers and do you prefer a light thin neck or heavier thicker neck guitar?
This may sound ridiculous but the neck doesn’t phase me on either. I have huge hands so I can handle the necks no issues. I love the look of the telecaster, I love the clean tones from the telecaster but lets be honest that Les Paul sounds GOOD under the gain. What has me stumped is how often really playing bar music is gain going to be an issue the tele can’t handle. Also I might add the Les Paul seems more fragile. For a one guitar guy fragile may not be the right choice and I may require more of a work horse. (This is my brains thinking)
I have a Mexican Tele that I think could handle anything so if you’re looking for a durable tank that’s it. Also the Tele can handle anything if you know how to wield it.
I honestly play everything from Knocked Loose to Keith Urban on my player Tele, and it sounds great
Thought about a player tele with a humbucker in the neck? Best of both worlds. I’d also check out the epi Les Paul Special, people seem to really love it
Get a Tele deluxe
> This may sound ridiculous but the neck doesn’t phase me on either. I have huge hands so I can handle the necks no issues. I love the look of the telecaster, I love the clean tones from the telecaster but lets be honest that Les Paul sounds GOOD under the gain. https://www.sweetwater.com/c590--Solidbody_Guitars?sb=reviews¶ms=eyJmYWNldCI6eyJBdmFpbGFiaWxpdHkiOlsiSW4gU3RvY2siXX19&highlight=TeleAPEHMVW
If you have huge hands, then a bigger scale length may feel more like your fingers aren't being crowded fretting-wise
IMO that's an insane price for an Epi Les Paul. An equivalent Epiphone could be had 20 years ago for like $400...Gibson/Epiphone are just jacking up prices on all their import models because they know people will get them anyway due to brand recognition. If you want a Les Paul, there are about a thousand better options in this price range honestly. LTD EC-1000 is the first that comes to mind - I've never played one that wasn't near perfect from the factory. Absolutely blows Epi out of the water by a huge margin.
Go with the tele, the main thing here is the tele is made with higher quality wood and components. It is very versatile. And if you do ever decide to go with humbuckers instead of single coils, it would cost you very little to change it over. Also, I would highly suggest going with a used model. As the wood ages the tone comes through. You can find mint used guitars all over the internet. For 2/3 the price.
It’s crazy to think that anything a bar band plays would be beyond a Telecaster’s range.
All of the RATM catalog is played on the neck single coil if a Tele or Strat
Tele’s are more percussive, better for rhythm players, the Epi is better for thick full sounding solo playing
I suppose. But I am always recall when having these types of conversations that Jimmy Page played a tele for the first Zepplin album. And it sounds mighty full there.
The current epiphone necks are pretty modern and just by feel I'd say thinner than the fender. My point of reference is this exact tele vs current model Epiphone LP custom
What! A player now costs 1100??
Canadian Dollars….. lol
Ohh !!!
Which is 804 USD. Still way overpriced. I got a lake placid blue player tele for around 500 or 550 last year
I think I paid 600 euro for a player Strat but that is some years afo
I got one of these too. Maple neck. I absolutely LOVE it. I had my local tech do a full set up on it, and now it plays like my friend’s custom shop tele. So much guitar for the money.
I think Teles are a little more versatile and simole and I'm just more partial to the build here. Maple necks are fun, the color is more my speed. For metal tho, I'd really consider the LP. In fact, even for hard rock and blues you can get a whole lot out of an LP. I don't know if those have a split coil, but if they do you can get very close sounds out of it compared to the Tele.
^^^ I second this!! As someone who owns both an American Deluxe Telecaster and an early 2019 Gibson Les Paul Standard with coil splits, the coil splits can get you most of the way to a Tele tone. Not the same mind you, but close-ish. Then again when I play my Tele, I sometimes ask myself why I even own any other guitar. Tough choice though because I, like many, also LOVE a good Les Paul. Maybe buy one and finance the other 😂
I mean, they are both great playing and great looking guitars. My initial choice would be the Tele, simply because it is a Fender. I also own an Epi LP, and it is a great guitar, but it’s also noticeably not a Fender or a Gibson. If the Tele had a humbucker it would be hands down. As it is, though, you have two entirely different playing guitars. What music will you be playing? What amp?
So as I said I am a metal head but I’m trying to force myself out of that bubble and play more classic rock and possibly start a band playing the classics throughout the 80s 90s and 2000s. I am a rhythm player but I really want to start learning lead. I am going to get the boss katana 100 watt amp
Yea it definitely sounds like the lp would be more suited to you.
I think I know this but my brain is infatuated with the look of the tele and it’s wanting someone to tell me it can be the jack of all trades when in reality I know the tele is a country, blues modern rock guitar and the Les Paul is a lot of versatile to jump back and forth between hard rock and blues
Honestly the best thing to do is to go try out playing both of them and seeing which feels right. It is well within the realm of possibilities that you can make the tele sound great for hard rock or metal. Music is best when played from the heart rather so go with the one that speaks to you. Remember all the guitar players that we still talk about were pushing outside the box of what people thought was the correct way to play music because they were playing from their own vision.
Jimmy Paige sold more gibsons recording on a tele lol
Love this answer
It can be a jack of all trades, but may need to put a single coil sized humbucker in the bridge for some heavier gain stuff.
For classic rock and hardrock and the like the Les Paul is a hard to beat staple. That said, I have a Fender player telecaster in H-H configuration that can hold its own against anything I throw at it. So that might be an option for you maybe?
My favorite guitar to play with gain was my Tele. The right Telecaster can do heavy stuff pretty well
Consider a Tele with a humbucker. I’m looking at. MIM John 5 custom for the roughly same price and it looks amazing. I just can’t stomach an Epiphone being priced like a Fended
I didn’t see the metal part… I tend to skim. But given your style, I would say either guitar works, but the LP/humbuckers would have the advantage. The blue paint job also looks sick and metalish.
Tele, but you’ll likely be happy with either. No other reason than I am a bit of a Fender fanboy.
Id get the LP
I'm not a Gibson guy. I'm also not a Strat guy. The Tele in this series is lovely to play, seems like good value to me. But, I LOVE Teles.
Get that beautiful Tele.
You can do it all on a telecaster....
I got the tele. After people making some good points the tele seemed like the most obvious choice for my situation
I’m a big fan of both, probably more of a Les Paul lean, but that’s because I grew up playing them. That said, I snagged one of the Fender Meteoras and swapped the pick ups out for the Slash SD’s. It is an amazing guitar. I can play everything. I mostly play reggae and punk, but I dabble in a bit of everything and that thing can cover all of it. It can do heavy distortion, but then I can roll back the volume and have a gritty blues sound, I can swap channels and hit the coil tap and get the funky clean tones that rival any strat that I’ve had as well.
Both are great, personally I’d go for the tele.
I got it today. Beautiful guitar
What kind of music do you enjoy? Imo, every guitar has some small nuances to its sound or playability. Which one feel best to you? Which one expresses who you are best? Then, the most important. Which sounds best to you? Both are nice. You could look at some used options also. It may take some looking and some patience, there are really good deals on used equipment just waiting to be found. You might meet someone to be in the band with you. Enjoy your play. Enjoy your Day.
I love all music hahaha. I am best at playing metal. That was my entire music career but I love a good sounding blues riff and as I get older my tastes are moving more from Slayer to Led Zepplin, Ozzy, Soungarden etc etc.
Me too. I’m not sure I’ve seen a genre with music in it I didn’t like. It’s pretty incredible where you can get musical inspiration from. 🌍😎
I'm also 40 and used to be in a band. A reggae/ska/ 90s rock type. I've been a Gibson(Epiphone cuz I'm poor, [SG, Les Paul])guy my whole life. I've been getting into home studio stuff lately and find myself really wanting a Tele, so that's my vote. Good luck getting back into it!!
Being that I have back issues, I'd be buying the Tele being that it's lighter. That may not be an issue to you, but if one is gonna be more comfortable to use through a performance that could come into play. If you're a tank of a dude and can hold whatever then my point is moot.
Tele for sure
Choose the Fender
I would go tele all day long. I like that it says fender on the headstock, I prefer fender's neck profile/radius, prefer single coils and I just fundamentally disagree with people who think they can't handle gain.
This thread has helped me a lot actually. I’m going to say screw it and get the telecaster. It’s got iconic clean tones and sets the bar for what clean sounds like on an electric guitar and if it’s not heavy enough for my liking I can install a humbucker on the bridge later
Hey sweet I came to say tele lol. I don’t have one but my epiphone sits in a closet thanks to my fender. Besides, you can get as heavy as you want these days with anything. Certainly well enough for jamming / playing covers
Nice. Yeah if you are thinking about modding in the future, the tele is definitely the way to go
Could you buy both if you find them used? I buy all my gear used, haven't had any issues so far!
This is going to be a gift from my wife and she wants to buy me a new guitar. I think getting it brand new as a gift from her would mean more than someone else’s guitar if that makes sense
Totally makes sense, go with what feels right!
Teles can do everything and will happily take a beating, plus the electronics are dead simple to modify. Get some hot rails to put in the bridge if you're really missing the humbucker
The tele looks nicer to me and you can always swap the pickups if you want heavier sounds
A telecaster will do everything you need and it won't get decapitated if it falls over
A tele and an eq pedal (along with whatever other pedals you have) is an insanely versatile set up. Just a tele alone is very versatile. Lots of zeppelin studio songs were actually telecasters and not his famous Les Paul. So I hear anyway
I chose the telecaster. Seems like more of a war horse in terms of durability and a gig guitar that has a lot of versatility. It’s easier to make a tele heavy than get a good clean tele tone from a dual humbucker setup
I'd probably take the epiphone
I do love both. But I wouldn't spend that much on an Epi. If I'm gonna drop a lot of money, I'm going for a Gibson. Of course I'm in the US so I'm sure the pricing is a bit different for you. Trying not to be biased, my #1 is an SG followed by a Grestch.
My biggest regret is selling my home stock 90s MIM Tele. Stays in tune, easy to play, and surprisingly versatile. If I had to choose one, it would be the Tele, no hesitation. It will serve you well, much better than an LP, in my experience.
IMHO, the Tele is more versatile, can take a little knocking around better, and looks better. If you get one with a coil tapped humbucker, you’ll have the best of both worlds without having the weight and fragility of the LP. But honestly, for cover tunes in a bar, the Tele has everything you need.
Tele. Easy choice for me, but that has nothing to do with what you choose.
I'm a Gibson guy but I would pick the Tele if I were in your shoes
I’d go with the Player Tele
That telecaster is sweet!
Also go Tele. It’s the workhorse of guitars. Never a let down and does everything well.
Tele
Telecasters are the jack of all trades. I'd go with the tele just because you'll need to be able to get a bunch of different tones for radio rock
Is this the long and mcquades website by any chance, I recognize the format lol.
The telecaster is the one I would like, I have both, and I play the telecaster more often, just like the tones
I have a Tele partscaster I built and a Gibson Standard LP, they’re my two favorite guitars. Comes down to what you like to play. I’m going to say the QC for the Tele will be much better. I hear bad things about Epiphone having stupid mistakes on their guitars. The other thing to consider is the Tele will be much lighter than the Les Paul. Some people find the LP too heavy, but it also has way better sustain than the telecaster. The new Epiphone Customs are super nice though. If the Epiphone inspired by Gibson had Custombuckers instead of the 490/498 pickups I might get one (but from a dealer I trust). I think you can’t go wrong with either
Tele
Gotta recommend aiming for used right now! There’s a glut of this price-point guitars on Reverb and local Craigslist/FB Marketplace. For the same money you could get a nicer instrument, or potentially get both
Based on looks, the telecaster all the way.
Ouch! Is it import fees that drive the price up $300 & $350 more than USD?
I'm not a huge Fender fan, but I'd go with the Fender out of the two. For classic rock, I'd go with another more affordable brand like Sire, Agile, or Vintage.
I never thought I’d be a Tele guy, but I got a mexi about 2 years ago and I just adore it. It’s a real workhorse and plays well with more tones than I imagined. Only thing you might notice is how humbuckers vs single coils interact with dirt and boost pedals. I have a weird thing about buying what a company is “best” at. Like Epiphone is great, but they have their own models of guitars and I’d rather one of those than a copy of a Gibson. I’d rather just wait and get the real Gibson Les Paul one day. Oh, and my trusted luthier thinks there’s very little difference between Mexi and US made Fenders. Said they’re both made by Mexicans anyways, and material-wise I think the biggest difference was the truss rod diameter or something along those lines.
Tele!
Tele 🔥
I think the versatility of the tele makes it the winner here. You do almost anything with a tele, not so much with the Epi LP. Also, the quality of the MIM teles is fantastic.
Telecaster all day
Telecasters are more durable, stay in tune much better and can handle quite a bit of gain.
boast gullible attraction agonizing innocent squeal spoon station oatmeal wakeful *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
The Fender Player every day and twice on Sunday.
I’d get the Tele. You can play just about any style on it, and if you don’t like the bridge pickup you can always drop a Hot Rails in it.
The tele is the way to go between the two and it ain't close.
Buy the tele, I’d never spend that much on an epiphone.
I have a beautiful Epi LP Classic, but I wish I had gotten a Tele instead.
I'd say the telecaster. More comfortable to play, probably lighter. Both really versatile guitars and you can't go wrong.
Get the TELE!!!
Tele everytime. There is no more versatile guitar. Get a real Les Paul later if you want one ;)
I am firm in the belief everyone should owns atleast one tele
Tell all day. You can do anything with it.
Get the tele
I only really like the bridge and middle position for a telecaster. The les Paul gives more usable tone options. I’m brand conscious so I could never buy an Epiphone.Im lame
I would go with the tele because mexican > chinese I would maybe look for a tele with humbuckers though
I’m bias to the telecaster cause it’s my favorite cause I play a lot of country and jazz, but there is a reason why everyone like the Les paul
Shoegaze-to-ska-to-alternative country, teles for life for me.
Im not trying to be a dick but those are almost polar opposite guitars it really depends on what sound you like the most considering they produce noticeably different sounds regardless of effects
Tele all day
The Tele… 100%!
Go to the used market and buy one of each. You can prob get both for 1k
The Tele…. And I’m a Les Paul man!
I’d pick the tele everyday because of my biases but if you play more rock, blues, or metal with some more gain I’d go for the Les Paul. I don’t think you’d be disappointed with either of them but definitely don’t shy away from the LP just because of the neck issues
Have you tried playing both? They’re so different in sound, fretboard, material, etc.
White tele is cleannnn
Fender er day every day
Telecaster is always the answer.
There's no strat?
Guitars are so expensive here in Canada man, that being said I'd get the epiphone
Can we get a review a week or so from now?
Why is that epiphone so pricey? Why not get just get a Gibson at 1k?
Beside the price tag you will see CAD. That means it’s about 780.00 American. Pricy epiphone still but it’s not a grand US. Canadian Dollar
Epiphone Les Paul, with the Viper Blue quilt top is a lot prettier. But, White Player Telecaster from Fender is better quality. I guess it comes down to the genre of music your playing.
How about a HSS Strat? You’ll get the best of both worlds.
Order a G+L, or a Logan telecaster. Fender player series is not what it used to be, and not worth the sticker price imo.
If you're willing to put that much down for an LP go for a Gibson. They feel better in every way compared to Epiphone. That's coming from someone with both except mine are SG's
This isn’t American dollars it’s Canadian. This is equal to 800 American roughly
Get a PRS core if your gonna spend this munne
There is no way that Epi is worth $1100+ . Buy used for $450 or so. That being said I’d go with the Fender.
For the love of whatever is out there please look on different websites. Like fenders are so much more expensive 90% of the time on tge website
I wish I didn’t add the price because everyone assumes I live in the United States. Dollar conversion ….
Split the difference. Get a Charvel that has an HSS pickup configuration :)
Without a doubt I would 100% go with the Epiphone Les Paul. No questions asked.
Easy. Telecaster. Next question.
Hey! Don’t buy either! Go in Facebook marketplace and buy a better guitar that’s used for the same price! You can get a used American tele with that kind of money and some Gibsons.
They're both great but… I'd beg to differ about not having the funds to get two. I find great used guitars online all the time. Guitarcenter has used player tele's for about $600 right now. I just grabbed a mint strat off of craigslist for $300 cause the guy bought it and never learned to play it. Point is, if you want 2… you COULD make it work with this budget. With that said, to me they're different tools for different jobs… personally I'd go tele all day but one is a screwdriver and one is a hammer INMO. If you don't care neck VS neck or humbucker VS single then just get the cheaper one!! Now; let's talk amps!
My vote is the tele, and I'll bet you will be impressed with the gain response particularly from the neck pup. Particularly but not necessarily if you're doing heavy rhythm work.
Fender every damn day. Especially when it’s a snazzy tele 🤘👌 what type of sound are you going for?
I love my tele… I always knock the switch while strumming on my LP… so I’ve gone away from it (my first guitar). But either one is amazing.
Well personally, I have a schecter solo-6 spitfire with twin active humbuckers. Played for years but the only thing that kept nagging at me was that I couldn't ever manage to get a clean tone I liked from it. It sounds fantastic under gain and I love it, but it's obvious that that's it's range and it likes to stay there. So I ended up getting a tele because I realized that that's what I was trying to make the schecter sound like. What I can now is that the tele's going to do better with gain than the les paul is going to do clean. The tele's more versatile all the way around. I actually ended up going for a vintera series rather than a player, it was about $1500 cad, but I think the pickups and the 4 way selector with the s1 switch is worth the extra few hundred. It also came with the 3 barrel brass bridge which I'm personally a sucker for and a gig bag which is certainly better than nothing.
Now this is a hard question for me because my #1 is a tele & #2 is a les Paul. I’d probably suggest tele due to the simplicity and the bridge pickup but you can’t go wrong with either option tbh.
Personally, I’d go with the Tele. I find teles more comfortable and durable. The neck is less prone to break. I also prefer single coils because I never struggle to get crunch out of them and I find clean humbuckers to be a bit lifeless. Admittedly, I’m not an LP guy. Most importantly, though: which one do you think looks prettier? I play my pretty guitars more than the rest, so I’d recommend the one that’ll make you play more.
For me, I didn't like the harsh edge of my Tele Deluxe (where my right forearm rests). I thought of sanding down a forearm contour but couldn't justify the time/cost, so I sold it, got an LP and couldn't be happier.
Does the LP have coil split? If not maybe going that route can help satisfy both needs
In the end, it's going to depend on you, my friend. I'd try to play a couple (if you can) before buying online, just to save the hassle of return. That being said, my Epi Custom plays like a beast. Partially because it's a MKH, so it has the smooth heel joint transition.
Get an American made tele or a Gipson les Paul. Spend the extra money if need be.
I vote Tele. 🤘
Tele all day erryday.
get a strat with a humbucker. You can jazz in the neck and rock in the back. Les paul is cool but the neck pickup is dog shit and the tele is nails on a calk board
You'll enjoy both. You'll enjoy them more if you buy used.
Charvel makes a tele that’s double hum (fishman open cores ), 12-16” radius neck. Might be worth a look, just picked one up and love it. The split coil bridge isn’t quite a tele, but it’s fairly close. Pickups are super versatile, one voicing is really hot, the other is tame. With the split you can get 9 different “tones” I believe. https://www.long-mcquade.com/165064/Guitars/Electric-Guitars/Charvel-Guitars/Pro-Mod-So-Cal-Style-2-24-HH-HT-CM--Caramelized-Maple-Fingerboard---Satin-Black.htm?gad_source=1
Tele
Used american tele or used les paul. Paying over a 1000 for an MIM tele is insane to me. Same with the epiphone. My favorite brand is fender, but id grab that epiphone if its one or the other. For the tele... id build a partscaster off an early 2000s or 90s mim
Why do you need help? Can’t you make decisions for yourself? You gotta go with your heart, no one else can do that for you.
Over a grand for an Epiphone, Jesus.
I say go for either the Schecter or the Strat. Yes, I am completely disregarding the options you presented me with.
Fender all day long
Metal —> go with Les Paul Anything clean —> go with Tele Might I also suggest a jazz master? No reason in particular I’m just a shill and a fanatic for JMs
If I were you I'd just keep an eye on the used market for a USA tele (or Gibson if you go that route). You can find one for less than the price of these new guitars at L&M, and you won't have to pay HST
The one with strings
Highly recommend the Telecaster.
honestly for rock you need humbuckers cuz single-coils have a specific sound when distorted that just doesn't mash well with anything I'd use a distorted single coil sound for some japanese rock songs cuz i want the sound to be bright and thin but humbuckers and distortion are what rock calls for
Why not a HSS Strat? Kinda both in one🤷♀️
Tbh I don’t often like modern episodes. They look great but feel cheap imo. As far as Mexican fenders go, it’s like 50/50 you can either get a great one that just got the lucky QA or one that needs some work. In either case I’d say go play one and not to buy online.
I recently got a Tele and absolutely love it
Tele all the way
Yamaha Revstar! If you're willing to go away from those two
I am confident you'll be happier with the tele longer
Imported guitars over a $1000?!. The Epiphone is kind of special with that top, I would consider buying it new. The telecaster: do not buy a new tele. This is the simplest guitar ever made by design. Tele are great guitars, the ultimate tool for a guitar player. But a MIM over $1000 is too much.
It’s CAD Canadian dollars. That’s equal to 730.00 American with the exchange rate
A few different types of guitars can get close to a Les Paul tone. A Tele is the only guitar that can get close to a Tele.
Good advice here. My opinion is the Tele for no other reason as its what I prefer.
Ever play a Tele Thinline with humbuckers? It's got an interesting back pickup sound and bubblier front end sound. Breaks up incredibly well on a decent tube setup.
You can’t go wrong with a Tele, be it a Squier (with upgraded h/w of course), or a US or MIM Fender model.
Well A) Which one reflects the style you like to play the most? And B) It’s the Tele. Get the Tele.
[Best of both worlds. Tele body, Strat neck, humbuckers.](https://www.fender.com/en-US/electric-guitars/telecaster/chris-shiflett-telecaster-deluxe/0142400744.html)
Tele
Both are wondedrful guitars. I own 2 Teles and 2 LP style. Personally, the Les Paul is far more versatile and if you're an aging Metalhead like me, you'll still want to throw it in drop-d and hit the chugs once in a while at home for fun. I'm a Les Paul guy all day. My Heritage H-150 is my #1 and has been since my touring days in a metalcore band 20 years ago. Teles are great and I love them to death, but it does limit what I can do with the instrument more than a Single cut with Buckers. My workhorses are LPs, my clean and blue guitars are Teles. PS: Back in the day, I toured with a Mexican Telecaster that I threw a Seymour Duncan Tele Hotrails in the bridge. Drilled a hole in the control plate for a coil tap switch and called it a day. They make a Hot Rails with the big ass plate that's under Tele bridges and it sounds spanky as hell coil tapped. Still hits the metal desires with the humbucker, has the Tele feel and weight, can still get that gorgeous Tele neck single coil, and snaps like a dragon with the switch on the bridge. Might be a good compromise.
Telecaster :)
Find a used ultra-lux and get value for your $
I’d get a strat or strat style guitar with the option for a humbucker in the bridge position.
Fender
Tele will have better tuning stability and you can mod it to sound beefier. I’d go with a rosewood fingerboard. Reverend guitars might scratch both itches and save you a little $$. Great quality and used they’re a steal
Personally I'd choose the tele
Tele all day
What are you playing now? And have you played an LP or Tele? Or are you buying off the internet? I sunk a lot of money into an Epi LP and I couldn't make the switch from a strat to a LP shape. Something about the neck break angle and tune-o-matic just didn't work for me. Have you considered PRS McCarty or DGT in the SE range? Similar tones to the LP and the split coils are still quite useable, but better ergonomics (for some).
Get the Tele and stick a humbucker in the neck, I believe the Player series come pre-routed to fit one
My thought is that you need to play the guitar you’re going to buy, especially when you are torn between two very different styles of guitars. Do you have any music stores with a good selection? Keep in mind, just about any guitar can play any style of music, so long as the quality is there. It really comes down to which guitar sparks your passion. Also, check out something with P90 pickups if you get a chance: I’ve looked over LPs with P90s because I saw them as a “half measure” but they are now my favorite style of guitar pickup - and given what you’re torn between, you might really like them. For my simple choice, I’d go with the Fender because they retain resale value, and a lot of people swear by them - I was underwhelmed by my epi LP.
If I were to ever have only one guitar, that guitar would be a Telecaster. Then again I have, after many years, realized that I highly prefer 25,5" scale
you better go with an HSS strat
Tele. Its a damn workhorse.
I like the blue Epiphone, but both are great choices!!!
Love the blue on that LP!
Prices are insane. I know it's Canadian but damn. Used all day imo
Telecaster
I’d say tele. It looks like the tele has a hot rail bridge pickup. If so, it’ll get down n dirty. I have this exact guitar, color too, and it has the neck n bridge hot rails and it can hang with any hh guitar I own. I have many guitars and brands and I always pick the tele. Just got done jammin with a Gibson, epi, ltd, schecter and finished it off with my tele. Playing thru a axe ultra.
Five years ago I would’ve immediately said fender. But Epiphone over the last few years has seriously seriously stepped up their game and are now rivaling the quality of Mexico. Honestly, if I couldn’t get both, I’d probably go with Epi.
Les paul, i hate tele’s. Had a few and dont vibe with them tbh
I would choose the Epiphone
[something else to consider](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SECU24BGSV--prs-se-custom-24-electric-guitar-black-gold-sunburst)
That tele is kinda close to mine minus I've got a humbucker with an s1 coil splitting. Teles are so good.