[Nathans_Dad]

At the risk of starting a riot, I was wondering if we could have a calm and reasoned discussion about the specific differences between Fender and Gibson guitars.

To start, obviously the Fenders tend to favor more single coil pickups and a bit "twangier" sound than the fatter, humbucker tones of the Gibson. Of course, both brands make guitars with single coils and humbuckers.

My question is this, what is it that makes a Gibson Les Paul worth $3000 when a good Fender Strat can be had for $1500? Why is the Gibson considered more of an "instrument" than the Fender?

As a corollary, Epiphone is Gibson's budget brand. You can get an Epiphone Les Paul for 1/10th of a Gibson Les Paul. While I understand that there are savings involved in wood, electronics and manufacturing costs, 10x?? The difference between a Mexican Strat and an American Strat is about double the price, maybe a little more. Why is there such a chasm between the Epiphone and the Gibson? In short, why are Gibsons so friggin expensive?

Discuss...