Comparison And Contrast Essay: The Electric Guitar

Within the wide spectrum of guitarists, young or old, the electric guitar has a diverse lineup for every player. The age-old debate as to whether the Stratocaster or the Telecaster is the dominant Fender model continues to this day. Many musicians will gladly speak about their guitar of choice, often in a bias manner. Regardless, there are notable differences and similarities to pay attention to between both guitar models. The Stratocaster features three single coil pickups each with their own individual sound and tone. Around 1954, guitarists didn’t know what to think when they witnessed the first Stratocaster. This model showed artists the value in having more than just two pickups on the body. The neck pickup is very mellow, the bridge

The first prototype known as the Esquire introduced a new sound that many people would refer to as “Twangy”, which is a popular tone among many Country and Jazz artists, old and new. The pickups are wired to intentionally give a strong clean tone, which is great for players who use reverb. Because of the lighter wiring, a much dirtier tone with more feedback sounds out when the Telecaster is plugged into distortion. The body of a Telecaster is generally thicker and heavier than the rest of Fenders lineup. Almost every model will have a three-way pickup selector. The bridge on a Telecaster has 3 saddles that connect to 2 strings at a time which forces the player to have to adjust two strings at a time. This is often viewed as an annoyance because the ability to fine tune is a little more difficult. It does not feature an input for a whammy bar but can be installed optionally. The Telecaster is praised for its simplicity because of its two pickups, two knobs, and its unexpected potential. The Stratocaster and the telecaster are so popular not only because of their differences but also their similarities. Both these classic guitars are almost on par with each other which is why they are given similar price tags, unless they are special or limited edition models. Both models have the same exact scale length. Many craftsman and manufacturers alike have found favor in these