Sting guitarist Dominic Miller has made his case for the age-old Fender versus Gibson debate, believing the Les Paul to be “the perfect instrument”.
Interestingly, Les Paul’s innovative solid-body electric guitar design could have been a Fender model, with Leo Fender making him an offer before Gibson, his preferred manufacturer, finally got on board with his concept.
Because of that, the Les Paul and Fender’s flagship, now 70-year-old Stratocaster – recently called “a piece of art,” by Hans Zimmer – have consistently fought with one another for the electric guitar crown.
Miller uses both guitars for his shows with Sting, but as far as he’s concerned, there’s only one winner.
“They're two completely different instruments,” he tells Ultimate Guitar. “The strength of a Les Paul is the intonation stays really, really in, much more reliably than on a Fender. And the tuning always stays in. It's a much more reliable instrument in terms of tuning and intonation.
“Also,” he extends, “what I love about a Les Paul is it's got a wider tonal range than a Strat, I think. The lows are much lower, and the high is not quite as high as a Strat, but it's got a very bright sound on the bridge pickup, which I like. You can really mess around the volumes on the two different pickups, which makes a difference on the sound if you're using both pickups.”
Pickups and their electronic configurations will also divide opinion in this debate. LPs are typically loaded with humbuckers – although P-90s are making a comeback thanks to Joe Bonamassa and Warren Haynes – with a three-way switch.
Strats, conversely, are usually served up with a trio of single coils and a five-way switch. On paper, the Strat is arguably a little more versatile here. But it all comes down to a player’s taste.
“The strength of a Fender,” Miller says, turning to the competition, “is that there's nothing that you can't do on a Fender Strat. In terms of the wide sonic range is just incredible. That's why I think it's the most versatile electric solid-body guitar that there is. Closely followed by a Telecaster.”
Gibson, he says, is “standing alone. It's its own continent in a way that nothing sounds like a Gibson Les Paul.
“I mean, maybe an SG would sound a little bit like that because it's a solid body. It's got that 'Gibson sound.' But a Les Paul is a perfect instrument. I love it.”
Pushed on the weaknesses of the two electrics, he’s hard-pressed to provide answers but does pluck some out of the ether and his own experiences.
“The weakness of a Fender is the tuning goes out really easy, because it's a wobblier neck. You can have noise issues depending on what pickup configuration you have. And the weakness of a Les Paul, I would say, is that the bridge pickup is not as glassy as a Fender. That nice, very pristine upper range, it hasn't got.”
