Les Paul Vs. a Strat

It's like Coke vs. Pepsi in the guitar world. Blinding arrays of musicians, famous or otherwise, play either the Gibson Les Paul or the Fender Stratocaster. Many other guitars are simply variations or copies of these two. I would not give a a single point for originality for playing either one (especially since there are guitars out there that are lesser known but as good or better). That being said, I'd sure as hell give NEGATIVE originality points to all the copycat guitars, and there is a real reason why these two guitars are so popular. They play well, they work, their features have stood the test of time. I must say I started out a fervent Stratocaster type person, but now I grudgingly admit the Les Paul is probably slightly better punch for punch. Here's why:

FENDER STRAT:

*Body is fairly lightweight and has a good shape, sleek styling
*Neck is usually bolt-on
*Pickups are typically 3 single coils with a 5 way selector switch (5 possible sound variations)
*A master volume and tone ctrl thrown in..and you can tap into versatile array of sounds, from scorchin' blues to mellow jazz
*Usually has a whammy or tremolo bar for crazy dives and vibrato
*If set up right and a high enough end model, shredding is a breeze and playability is top notch
*Individual bridge saddles are adjustable so you can fine tune intonation and action quite well
*Special models offer noiseless single coil pickups, humbuckers, even ltd degree guitar modeling and alternate tunings at the flick of a switch (specifically the VG model for that last point).

GIBSON LES PAUL:

*Body is clunkier, less ergonomic than a Stat. However, this helps add to the beefy sound and killer sustain.
*Neck is usually not bolted on, but a set neck that is virtually seamless with body. This helps the sustain as well.
*Pickups traditionally are humbuckers, and will not have hum or buzz as much as the Stat's single coils will (unless the Strat is equipped with special noiseless single coils etc.) Humbuckers have a much more meaty sound. Strats are known for a sharp treble or 'twang' sound but it should be known that similar sounds CAN be had with a Les Paul. The sounds won't be exact, but then again the Strat could not replicate the Les Paul sounds so it really boils down to what your preference is. I believe the overall sound of the Les Paul is more balanced though. Alternate pick up options are available as well to have single coils and split coil sounds etc.
*Instead of just one master volume and one tone control, the Les Paul has two of each SPLIT for a Rhythm and a Lead channel. This is one of the greatest assets in a Les Paul. You can go from a mellow quiet Rhythm channel to a blasting 10 volume Lead channel at the flick of a switch. The sound of both channels can be combined at once when the switch is in center position and neither up nor down.
*Bridge is usually Tune-O-Matic style. It is adjustable for intonation and action just like Fender bridge saddles (though through SLIGHTLY different means). It could be just me, but I think bridges in this style hold most of the tension between the two parts, making the strings very low tension in the playing area and a breeze to manipulate. Whammy bridges are available for those who like that sort of thing.
*Despite the clunkier look, shredding on a Les Paul is no problem. The action is usually great, the neck shape is usually thicker with more of a cushion to rest your hand on, and playing for hours usually presents no ergonomic problems for most people.
*Gibson has its special futuristic model Les Pauls just as Fender would have for its Strats. For example, the 'Robot' Les Paul which has tuners that tune themselves and an option of using 7 different tunings, 6 which are editable.
*Cosmetically, the Les Paul usually looks great with a well rounded shape closer to a traditional guitar. Add in pearly fingerboard inlays, flamed wood tops, and other such features.

The conclusion is if you have a more basic Strat and a more basic Les Paul, Les Paul will probably have the upper hand, based on better sustain and resonance, heavier crunch (if needed), the availability of crisp tones that can sound just as great as the 'twangy' Fender tones, better bridges, TWO sound channels with independent controls on one instrument, and more fancy looks overall. The only glaring problem I've found is a Les Paul's body tends to dig in the ribs quite a bit, whereas Strats are more comfortable in that respect, and the Les Paul bodies are heavier. Also, if you just NEEDED that EXACT Fender twang sound, you'd have no choice but really go with a Strat.The question of whether a Les Paul or Strat is better becomes tricky since there are so many variations on even one of the guitars alone. If you take a top notch creme de la creme Strat versus a basic type Les Paul, the features may be such that the Strat is deemed better (ie a VG Strat is probably better and with more features overall than a basic Les Paul Junior..and it is reflected in the price!) I guess the final question raised is, why not have BOTH?