While the Fender Stratocaster and Gibson Les Paul are, by most accounts, the two most popular guitar designs ever – and have very much shaped the world of music as we know it today – some modern players aren’t entirely convinced, and prefer builds with more modern spec sheets to suit their playing styles.
Take YouTube star Bradley Hall for example, a formidable player who has built a loyal following of nearly 600,000 subscribers for his comedic takes on guitar culture. He’s also a guitarist for Swedish power metal outfit Twilight Force.
Asked in a recent Q&A for his thoughts on classic guitar designs like the Strat and Les Paul, Hall explains: “I really like the sound of classic guitars like Les Pauls and Strats. They’re amazing guitars for recording, but they’re just not very practical, in my opinion.”
He goes on: “I really don’t find either of those guitars particularly comfortable, especially traditional Strats. I love the sound of a Strat, but man, those guitars are just so uncomfortable to play…
“Les Pauls are a bit more comfortable, but they just feel horrible, especially when playing standing up. They’re just not very ergonomic at all, and I hate the pickup switch being up here. Sucks ass.”
Les Pauls have long gained a reputation for being heavy, which can make them more uncomfortable to play for long periods standing up than other, lighter guitars. And as Bradley Hall points out, a Les Paul’s pickup selector switch is located above the pickups rather than below, which can make on-the-fly pickup switching less seamless.
Bradley Hall’s comments are sure to spark a response from guitar purists who swear by either the Strat or the Les Paul, but a bit of healthy debate in the guitar world never hurt anyone, now, did it?
The post “I really don’t find either of those guitars particularly comfortable”: YouTube star Bradley Hall on classic guitar designs like the Stratocaster and Les Paul appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.