Gibson and Fender too should sue other manufacturers. There are many makes out there where some of their models look so much like a Les Paul, SG, ES, Strat and Tele.

Guy who runs the local guitar store in my area tells me as long as the head stock is somewhat different the other manufacturers are safe with their models that borrow heavily from a Les Paul or Strat. But I think Gibson and Fender need to test some of these. Even Paul Reed Smith has a new guitar they used to lure John Mayer away from Fender. But it looks like a Stratocaster with a PRS neck. Fender should sue PRS.

I saw the guitar store owner just a few days ago and ask him which guitar was the best seller in America last year and he said a Fender Telecaster. Probably means a lot of players are in country music bands. There is a big country music club here and its downtown. I dont go much but when I walk by and look through the big window, about 90 % of the time I see a Tele being played.

What a crock. Other companies copied the V decades ago, this could only hold up if the bodies are exact copies, but they all vary. Just more bad karma for Gibson.

Gibson wasted no time issuing a Strat copy after Fender lost a similar body-shape-as-trademark suit. (Pretty boss, made to look like you are playing it upside down! Ronsonol not included.)

https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/Gibson_Unveils_Strat_Style_Jimi_Hendrix_Signature_Line

I dont know if Epiphone and Gibson are still two heads of the same beast, but Epiphone made Strat copies in the 70s and 80s. On this one the headstock reads "Epiphone by Gibson."

If Epiphone isnt working with Gibson then why isnt Gibson stomping on Epiphone, Epiphones are EXACT copies of Gibson.

[Edited on 6/25/2019 by BrerRabbit]

Gibson and Fender were their own worst enemies by creating lesser versions of their own guitars. There are countless versions of Les Pauls, Strats and to a lesser degree Teles. The varience in quality and price can be huge.

Epiphone was creating lesser versions of Gibsons to compete with knock off brands. But then Gibson did that themselves over time and at the same time Epiphone created some higher end versions. It created a world where an Epiphone copy of a Les Paul is higher quality and price than some Gibson Les Pauls.

Fender did similar things over the years and created brands such as the Squire line. So there are various levels of Strats and then various levels of Squires.

The tales of the two companies is full of success and failures and most of which are their own fault in many ways.

As for Telecasters being the biggext seller, there is no chance of that at all. Maybe in that particular store but that would still be a stretch based on pricing, tastes and market appeal. Fender creates and sells far more Strats than Telecasters in any given year.

For only 1100$ you can have this Dean "Dimebag Dixie".

IMHO country music or not, the Telecaster is probably the best value in a guitar for it's price.

Canadian mule. It's a big guitar store in Carolina. I asked him what is the best selling electric guitar in America but he may have given me his own stores results. Next time I'll ask again for clarity.

In the southern states modern country music is really big. I'm not that much of a fan but when I do see one of those bands a Tele is the guitar that I see the most. But Telecasters have been very popular in Country music for decades haven't they?

It seems to me with the heavy metal movement, neither Gibson or Fender are the most popular. Ibanez, Kramer, Hamer etc I notice more in those bands. Some have Strat type bodies.

Electric guitar sales have been in decline for decades. Fender, Gibson, are going to die soon. The most popular and best selling stringed instrument right now is the ukelele.

[Edited on 7/2/2019 by BrerRabbit]

Fender, Gibson, are going to die soon.

[Edited on 7/2/2019 by BrerRabbit]

I doubt that will happen.

True, they will probably be around in some form for a while, but they will downsize - there just isn't a huge consumer base imitating guitar heroes like there used to be. What will probably happen is more of what is happening now there will be super cheap Squire and Epiphone type axes for the few folks buying, then super expensive for the actual pros with $$$. Also more independent craftsmen will move in on the market, as with acoustics.

Gibson almost went bankrupt last year. Not too long ago Fender was on the rocks. Doing better now.

[Edited on 7/3/2019 by BrerRabbit]

Are there any modern day guitar heroes?

Epiphone actually make very nice guitars. Yes the make lower priced entry level LP's, but you can get a quality guitar from them without breaking the bank around the 400.00 to 600.00 range. I have played Epi's for a good part of my life. The Ibanez artcore series are a quality product also.

[Edited on 7/3/2019 by jszfunk]

[Edited on 7/3/2019 by jszfunk]

As Jorma Kaukonen said to me, "Nothing wrong with a cheap guitar."

You just have to pick them out more carefully. Think about how much of the best music ever recorded was on workingman's guitars. Epis can be incredible, they can also be awful. You mentioned Ibanez Artcore, I picked up an acoustic Ibanez Artsomething for 150$, unbelievable guitar. They had to be losing money. Once played a 400$ Mexican Squier that was beautiful, good as a top shelf strat. But the next Squier was no good.

BrerRabbit. I think David Allen Coe has one of those Confederate flag Dean guitars.

I saw a commercial on TV just last night for Epiphone Les Paul guitars. It's not just a Les Paul style guitar but they zoomed in on the headstock and it says Epiphone Les Paul on it.

Also in the band Les Brers that Butch Trucks was excited about just before his death thinking the band sounded so good they had a good chance to play some gigs and tour that paid good money, the blue Strat Jack Pearson played in the band turned out to actually be a Squire Stratocaster. I saw an interview with Jack on You Tube a couple years ago and he said he prefers Fender Strat guitars and has a couple G & L (L is for Leo Fender and G and L is a company Leo helped start after he sold Fender) but lately Jack has been collecting Squire Stratocaster guitars and Jack says he has found a few that sound really good. That you wouldn't think it is a cheap guitar it sounds so good.

Are there any modern day guitar heroes?

Worth a thread by itself. Also good material for a song, record theme . . .