The one being played by someone who knows what they're doing?

Umm… Good question. I voted for the LP but I guess its an individual thing. Praise God for choice!!!

it is always good to feel that my own is the best anyway...

Really the best guitar is the one that sounds best to the worship pastor! HI JOHNNY!!!!

Ok I voted for the LP but in truth a Guild will outshine them all. As a second choice IMHO the old Yamaha SG2000 is better than the LP.

I have had my Fender LoneStar Strat for about 10 years. Does everything I need it to and the Seymour Duncan bridge humbucker gives it extra bite.

Is a banana better than an apple? I think this is a rather 'strained' question; 'best' for what? Clean sounds? Country sounds? Grunge sounds? Multi-use? People with big hands? People with little hands? People who strum? People who tap two-handed melodies?

Thankfully, no two electric guitars are the same. Even within a model, even a same model, they may be different. You find one that works in your situation. Please don't forget the other very important piece of the sound... the amp. All of these guitars above will sound different in a Fender or a Marshall or Rivera or Mesa or whatever. The amp colours the sound as desired.

The Tele is so much more versatile

2 favourites - Les Paul & Tele. Both work well together

I have an Ibanez S.A. I'm not an electric Guitarist, and as such any tech talk of coils and pickups will be lost on me.
I use it mostly for recording, I've never led with it ....yet. No Amp but for space saving sake I have a Behringer V-amp 2.
Plenty versitility their.
I'll put a Picture of both electric and acoustic up.
Used both guitars on all loaded material.

Steven.

I don't know which of these on your list is the best...

I have played a Gibson Les Paul - but didn't really like it (couldn't get a decent single coil type sound out of it - didn't seem versatile enough sound wise... (heavy weight wise!)

I regularly play a Fender Strat at work (it isn't mine) - this is quite nice, but again not really versatile - great for single coil type neck pickup sound - but not heavier stuff unless you changed the pups...

I have played a friends PRS a few times - nice feel... but don't really like the sound through his mesa amp with it - too much valve type bite, if you know what I mean... not tried it with any other amps though...

Never played a Gretsch or Rickenbacker so can't comment...

My own guitar is a Washburn KC40 which I got about 16 years ago. This is a great guitar - never felt the need to buy anything else. Never needed to chenge the pups either... it is very versatile sound wise. My friend with his PRS and Mesa wishes he could get the same sound as me!! Just shows - you don't always have to spend a fortune!!

Phil.