The Assumption
If you ask most guitarists whether they can tell a Stratocaster from a Les Paul, the answer is usually the same: “Of course.”
The Fender vs. Gibson divide is one of the oldest tone rivalries in guitar history .
The Les Paul is supposed to be warm, fat, and sustaining.
The Stratocaster is supposed to be bright, clear, and snappy.
It seems obvious… until you take the logo away.
The Challenge
Last week, we put this assumption to the test.
We posted a short audio clip and asked:
Was it a Fender Stratocaster or a Gibson Les Paul?
175 guitarists replied. These weren’t random listeners:
these were tone-obsessed players who follow us for exactly this kind of challenge.
The Results
Here’s what happened:
61% guessed Strat (105 people)
39% guessed Les Paul (69 people)
Of those, only 18 people (10%) guessed the exact model and pickup position: Les Paul neck pickup.
In other words: 9 out of 10 guitarists got it wrong.
The Reveal
The clip was not a Stratocaster.
It was a Gibson Les Paul Custom Shop R0, neck pickup.
But the vast majority heard “Strat.”
Why? Because we don’t actually hear tone in isolation.
The Problem: Polluted Ears
Our ears are polluted by marketing, mythology, and visual cues.
We “hear with our eyes.”
Gibson ads told us Les Pauls are warm.
Fender ads told us Strats sparkle.
Magazines, reviews, even artist endorsements reinforced those categories.
Over decades, we’ve trained ourselves to hear what we expect, not what’s really there.
The truth is, small details: pickup height, cable capacitance, string gauge, can shift tone more than the brand on the headstock.
The Bigger Picture
The guitar’s voice, its raw tone before pedals, before amps, before marketing copy, is where every guitarist’s sound begins.
And yet… most guitarists cannot identify it.
Tabs? Everywhere.
Gear reviews? Everywhere.
But ear training for guitar tone? Almost non-existent.
That’s why myths dominate.
That’s why even experts failed the challenge.
The Solution: Guitar Earo
We’re building the world’s first platform to train your ears for guitar tone.
Our mission is to help guitarists learn the tone, not the marketing.
Don’t Believe Us?
Want to test yourself?
👉 Join the waiting list to put your ears to the test
See if you can beat the 90% who failed.
Final Word
This isn’t about Strats vs. Les Pauls.
It’s about breaking free from the myths that have shaped guitar culture since the 1950s .
Tone is the language of the electric guitar.
And if we can’t hear it clearly, we’re just repeating slogans.
Learn the tone.
Save the sound.
