What's "best" is up to your ear.

A 335 lead and sg rhythm can work.

A cupla jazz guitarists have relatively less difference in sound, btw, than in country or rock.

So... as I said, it's your ear. Any good guitars can give a range of sound.

m

Hi drummer! (from another drummer)

I perfer Gibson lead (honk) and Fender rhythm (quack), for my ear, the rhythm sounds clearer from a Fender bridge pup. Look at the Rolling Stones set up, if that's you type of sound.

Me thinks that it depends on you sound, metal, pop, blues, country..... have fun !

If the Les Paul/Fender Jaguar sounds best to you guys, go with it.
Why doesn't he play the Jag when you want to play a Gibson?
Wouldn't mind seeing a few pictures of your guitars...

Another fellow drummer that plays guitar. Ace!

What is your setup like? I think the guitars are less important than the amps and pedals you use. If you are both playing humbucker equipped guitars through Marshall amps, you are going to drown each other out. Put one of them through a different amp and you will start to hear the guitars separate. Watch the EQ too and watch the parts you two play. Don't both hammer out power chords or full open chords (unless the song warrants it).

My last band did have the Gibson/Fender combo, but I think our sound had more to do with the amps. I was the treble with my SG and Silvertone 1484. He was the mid with his Jaguar and Fender Hot Rod DeVille. He used no pedals, just switched channels on his amp. I had OD, fuzz, and a phaser.

As mentioned before its a personal preference. When I play out most of the time I will have at least one Gibson (LP or SG) and my other guitar is a Ibanez RG Series (H/S/H). Some times I will bring the LP and a Iceman but both sound really close to the same with the H/H pups on each guitar.

Thanks for your input everyone!

I've just overhauled all my guitars, stripped them all down cleaned fingerboards, conditioned, sorted out the action, intonation etc.

No doubt about it. The ES-359 is THE best playing and sounding out of all of mine, but the Jag's single coils really complement the LP.

The LP player is using 'guitar rig' through a line6 amp on the most transparent setting he can find.

I know! it's not everyone's taste to use newfangled stuff, but his setup sounds good for what he wants... He does alot of effects driven stuff..

I go through a BOSS Overdrive, Boss Trem and BOSS fender reverb pedals and then whatever amp is knocking around at the studio. Usually a big MESA or Marshall JCM head... I have 'guitar rig' and play through some very good monitors (for demoing) in my home studio and favour the 'Marshall' settings. For gigs I use a Marshall valvetronics.. (until I can afford a good Marshall Valve amp.. the Class5 looks good)

I tend not to use the OD ped as a 'stomp box' but leave it on a very low OD setting and then use the tone/volume pots and pup selectors to get the tone I want... This works well and allows me to explore the tones of the guitar more than the effects.

I have never liked having two guitars in one band.
I believe this whole notation of having one rhythm and one lead is a lazy mind set, Plus a lot more toes get stepped on if you know what I mean.
Guitarist should be able to do both.

With this said the Bass player and drummer must be in perfect rhythm to fill the gaps when a guitarist solo's.
And still the bass player must be just as crazy as the guitarist soloing and still stay in rhythm with the drummer.


That's how I play, When my brother solos, I'm right there with him.

It worked out pretty well for those four guy's from Liverpool...
But then, Lennon was arguably the best rhythm player ever. In every band I was ever in the bass player and the drummer supported each other. Listen to the Beatles, it was Lennon and Starr that formed the rhythm section.

BTO did Fender Stratocaster and Gibson SG.

Andy Powell and Ted Turner (of Wishbone Ash) both used Strats regularly, but I've heard Turner using a Gibson Flying V and it worked in the mix really damn well.