This can make a Les Paul less comfortable to play while standing up. The weight of a guitar impacts how comfortable it is to play while standing up.Ī typical Les Paul weighs between 9 – 12 lbs (4 – 5.5 kg).Ī typical Strat weights between 7 – 8.5 lbs (3 – 3.8 kg).Ī Les Paul is heavier than a Strat, sometimes by quite a big difference. The key point to remember is that the neck profile can completely change the playability of a guitar. The best way to find out is to pick up and directly compare both guitars. It’s hard to say which neck profile will feel better to you as everybody has different preferences. The ‘C’ shape of a Strat does make it easier to play compared to a Les Paul in the minds of a large number of guitarists.
While there are guitarists who love the ‘U’ neck profile, it’s more common for a guitarist to feel thinner necks are more comfortable to play. Some guitarists prefer the C shape of a Strat neck while other guitarists prefer the U shape of a Les Paul. The Les Paul neck is thicker when compared to a Strat. The Les Paul tends to use a ‘U’ profile, which is the second example from the right. The Strat tends to use a ‘C’ profile, which is the far left example above. The below diagram shows different neck profile shapes. The neck profile is the shape of the neck behind the fretboard.
The neck profile plays a bigger role in playability because different profiles can feel completely different to play. The neck width at the nut of a typical Strat is 1.650 inches (42mm).Īs you can see, there is barely any difference in neck width at the nut when comparing a Les Paul and a Strat. The neck width at the nut of a typical Les Paul is 1.695 inches (43mm). The neck width impacts how easily you can stretch your hand out over the fretboard. There are a few different things to consider when comparing the neck of a Strat vs a Les Paul. Strat vs Les Paul NeckĪ guitar’s neck plays a massive role in playability as it’s what you will be wrapping your hand around. Learn about string tension and string gauges in this guide. If you’re a beginner and feel pain in your fingers when trying to learn, this is worth remembering. Lighter gauge strings reduce string tension, which makes the Strat easier to play. The good news is that there is a way to deal with the extra string tension in a Strat.Īn easy way to deal with the longer scale length of a Strat is to use lighter gauge strings. The higher the string tension, the harder you need to work to press down and move the strings.Ī Les Paul has lower string tension when compared to a Strat with the same gauge strings. Les Paul vs Strat String TensionĪ big part of a guitar’s playability is due to string tension. Learn all about Scale Length in this guide. Scale length is an incredibly important topic to understand. If you have small hands, this is worth considering and will be covered later. A guitar with a longer scale length will have wider gaps between frets. Scale length also changes the space between frets. String tension plays a big part in playability, so I’ll cover it next. The shorter scale length on a Les Paul decreases string tension. The longer scale length on a Strat increases string tension.
#Telecaster vs stratocaster headstock overlay plus#
This doesn’t automatically make a Les Paul easier to play overall, but scale length is a plus for a Les Paul over a Strat. A shorter scale length makes the Les Paul easier to play than a Strat. The scale length of a Les Paul is 24.75 inches and a Stratocaster’s scale length is 25.5 inches. The scale length of a guitar is the distance from the nut to the bridge. Let’s go through all of the important features that impact playability so you can decide which are important to you. A shorter scale length improves the playability of a Les Paul, while the neck on a Strat improves its playability. The scale length, weight, and type of neck all play a big role in the playability of a Strat vs a Les Paul.
When comparing a Les Paul and a Strat for playability, there are a few things to consider. 5.1 Related Guides and Lessons: Strat vs Les Paul Playability