Why Are Les Pauls So Easy to Play

The Gibson Les Paul and the Fender Stratocaster are two of the most iconic electric guitars available.

If y'all're thinking nearly learning guitar and want to buy either a Les Paul or a Strat, you lot might wonder which is easier to play.

Some guitarists feel a Strat is easier to play due to lower weight, better upper fret access, and a more comfy neck. Other guitarists feel a Les Paul is easier to play due to a shorter scale length.

Every bit at that place is no straightforward answer to this question, let'south have a closer look at the differences between a Strat and a Les Paul to encounter which you may prefer.

Strat vs Les Paul Playability

When comparing a Les Paul and a Strat for playability, there are a few things to consider.

The calibration length, weight, and blazon of neck all play a large role in the playability of a Strat vs a Les Paul. A shorter scale length improves the playability of a Les Paul, while the neck on a Strat improves its playability.

Allow's go through all of the important features that impact playability so you tin can decide which are important to you lot.

Strat vs Les Paul Scale Length

The calibration length of a guitar is the distance from the nut to the bridge.

The calibration length of a Les Paul is 24.75 inches and a Stratocaster'south calibration length is 25.5 inches. A shorter scale length makes the Les Paul easier to play than a Strat.

This doesn't automatically brand a Les Paul easier to play overall, but scale length is a plus for a Les Paul over a Strat.

The longer scale length on a Strat increases cord tension. The shorter scale length on a Les Paul decreases string tension. Cord tension plays a big part in playability, and then I'll encompass it next.

Calibration length too changes the space between frets. A guitar with a longer scale length will have wider gaps between frets. If you have small hands, this is worth considering and will exist covered later.

Calibration length is an incredibly important topic to sympathize. Learn all about Calibration Length in this guide.

Les Paul vs Strat String Tension

A big part of a guitar's playability is due to string tension. The higher the string tension, the harder you need to work to press down and move the strings.

A Les Paul has lower cord tension when compared to a Strat with the same gauge strings. This makes a Les Paul easier to play.

The skillful news is that there is a manner to deal with the actress string tension in a Strat.

An easy way to deal with the longer scale length of a Strat is to employ lighter gauge strings. Lighter guess strings reduce string tension, which makes the Strat easier to play.

If yous're a beginner and feel pain in your fingers when trying to learn, this is worth remembering.

Learn near cord tension and string gauges in this guide.

Strat vs Les Paul Neck

A guitar's neck plays a massive part in playability as it's what y'all will be wrapping your hand around.

There are a few dissimilar things to consider when comparison the neck of a Strat vs a Les Paul.

The cervix width impacts how easily you can stretch your paw out over the fretboard.

The neck width at the nut of a typical Les Paul is one.695 inches (43mm).

The cervix width at the nut of a typical Strat is ane.650 inches (42mm).

Every bit you lot can come across, there is barely whatever difference in cervix width at the nut when comparing a Les Paul and a Strat.

Theneck profile plays a bigger office in playability because different profiles tin can feel completely different to play.

The neck profile is the shape of the neck behind the fretboard. The below diagram shows different neck profile shapes.

The Strat tends to use a 'C' contour, which is the far left example above.

The Les Paul tends to use a 'U' contour, which is the second example from the right.

The Les Paul cervix is thicker when compared to a Strat. Some guitarists prefer the C shape of a Strat neck while other guitarists prefer the U shape of a Les Paul.

While in that location are guitarists who dearest the 'U' neck profile, it's more than mutual for a guitarist to feel thinner necks are more comfortable to play.

The 'C' shape of a Strat does make it easier to play compared to a Les Paul in the minds of a big number of guitarists.

It's hard to say which neck contour will experience better to you as everybody has unlike preferences. The all-time way to find out is to selection up and direct compare both guitars.

The key point to recall is that the cervix profile can completely alter the playability of a guitar.

Strat vs Les Paul Weight

The weight of a guitar impacts how comfy it is to play while standing up.

A typical Les Paul weighs betwixt 9 – 12 lbs (four – 5.five kg).

A typical Strat weights between vii – 8.v lbs (3 – 3.8 kg).

A Les Paul is heavier than a Strat, sometimes by quite a big difference. This tin make a Les Paul less comfortable to play while standing upwards.

While weight doesn't directly impact how easy a guitar is to play, it is worth considering.

If you programme on performing live where you will be continuing up while playing, brand sure yous get a guitar that will be comfortable to play.

Compare the weights of different electric guitars in this guide.

If you lot feel the weight of your guitar makes it uncomfortable to play while standing up, try using a wide and padded guitar strap like this one.

A broad guitar strap will assistance evenly distribute the weight of your guitar across your shoulder. Buying a wide and padded strap can brand a large difference in condolement while standing up.

Strat vs Les Paul Playability Summary

There are a few different factors to consider when comparison playability. Hither is a summary of the differences in playability between a Les Paul and a Strat.

A Les Paul has a shorter scale length, which reduces cord tension. Lower string tension makes a Les Paul easier to play. The shorter scale length also decreases the altitude betwixt frets, which can make information technology easier to play.

A Fender has a longer calibration length, which increases string tension and the altitude between frets. Yous can subtract string tension with lighter guess strings, just you cannot decrease the distance between frets.

The Strat has a neck profile that tends to experience more comfortable to play compared to a Les Paul. Every guitarist is unlike, only more guitarists prefer a Strat neck profile over a Les Paul cervix profile.

Finally, a Les Paul is heavier and bulkier, which makes it less comfortable to play compared to a Strat.

Let'southward look closer at comfort to help clear upwards which guitar might be better for you.

Strat vs Les Paul Comfort

As mentioned above, the extra weight of a Les Paul makes it less comfortable to play than a Strat.

But there are other areas to consider when comparing the comfort of a Les Paul vs a Strat.

Les Paul vs Strat Upper Fret Access

If you play lead guitar, an of import difference to compare is the access to the upper frets on a Les Paul vs a Strat.

In the above comparison, you tin see that the Strat (on the left) has ii cutaways, while the Les Paul simply has a lower cutaway.

This divergence in upper fret access becomes obvious when you try to play both guitars.

The upper fret access on a Strat is significantly easier compared to a Les Paul. The upper cutaway gives you room to slide your hand right in and rest your thumb anywhere y'all want.

While many great guitarists are able to play perfectly fine in the upper range on a Les Paul, it is easier on a Strat.

Les Paul vs Strat Torso Shapes

The other area to consider when looking at comfort is the shape and size of the body and how it sits against your body.

A Strat is significantly more comfortable to play due to the thinner body and meliorate body contours.

Mod Les Pauls are more comfortable to play than vintage Les Pauls, just they nonetheless feel like a large slab of forest confronting your trunk when compared to a Strat.

Have a look at the body contours of the beneath strat and imagine how those contours feel against your body.

The large contour at the back of the body (the left arrow) helps brand it more comfortable while resting against your trunk while standing or sitting.

The contour on the face up of the body (the correct pointer) makes it more than comfortable to rest your arm against as y'all reach for the strings.

Now compare that to the below Les Paul body and how it would rest against you:

The lack of contours and the hard edge all the way around the body makes this an unnatural shape to printing confronting you.

Of course, countless guitarists are completely happy with how a Les Paul feels to play, but there's no denying how the contours of a Strat are better suited to resting against your body.

How to Choose Between a Les Paul and a Strat

If it feels difficult to choose between a Les Paul and a Strat, you're non alone. They're two incredibly popular guitars for a broad range of reasons.

When trying to make up one's mind between the ii guitars, the most important decisionisn't which one is easier to play.

There are guitarists who become keen guitarists on Strats and there are guitarists who become nifty guitarists on Les Pauls. Fifty-fifty if one is easier to play than the other, it shouldn't be the only thing to consider.

Here are another things to consider:

Style of music: while both guitars are used in a wide range of styles, take a look at which type of guitar is more popular in the style of music you want to play. If you find that one type of guitar is preferred over the other, that's worth considering.

Pickup options: the type of pickups available in each type of guitar tin can be very different. A Les Paul will typically come with 2 humbuckers, while a Strat will typically have three single-coils.

There are a lot of different models with different pickup configurations for both types of guitars, so have a think nigh what types of pickups yous want to utilise and which type of guitar will conform yous all-time.

Fashion: in that location's no denying that the manner of guitar plays a big role in what guitars people buy. If you really similar the style of 1 guitar, go for it. Just considering somebody says that it's harder to learn or less comfortable, that doesn't mean you should turn your dorsum on it.

Les Paul or Strat for Minor Hands

If you have small-scale hands, you lot might wonder whether you should get a Les Paul or a Strat.

Some guitarists with pocket-size hands prefer the shorter scale length of a Les Paul. The frets are closer together and the lower string tension makes a Les Paul more comfy to play when you lot have small hands.

Other guitarists with pocket-sized easily feel that the neck contour of a Strat makes up for the longer scale length.

The best way to observe out which one is more than comfortable for your hand size is to play both of them so you tin can do a directly comparison.

If you have small hands, I highly recommend reading my Guide to Guitar for Small Hands.

The guide includes my experience equally a guitar teacher and helping a lot of children and adults with small easily.

Les Paul or Stratocaster for Beginners

If you're thinking almost learning guitar or you're a beginner looking at buying one, y'all may wonder whether you should get a Strat or Les Paul.

Beginners can larn on either a Strat or a Les Paul without any issues. Both have their pros and cons when information technology comes to playability, but either guitar is a fantastic option for beginners.

Every guitar will feel hard at first when you're a beginner, but with the correct do arroyo, your guitar will gradually experience easier to play.

Bank check out this guide to 8 Steps to Learning Guitar for a good starting bespeak for beginners.

While Les Pauls and Strats are ii incredibly popular types of electrical guitars, they aren't the merely options worth considering.

Check out this guide to notice out nigh all types of guitars and which one may suit you best.

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