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What are the differences, really, between the Gibson Les Paul Standard and the Fender Stratocaster? Here are some key points.

Design differences
Fender Strat———–Gibson Les Paul
Alder wood————-Mahogany
3 pickups, single coil—-2 pickups, double coil or humbuckers
25.5″ long————–24.75″ long
Double-cut away——-Single-cut away
2 tone, 1 volume knob–2 tone, 2 volume knob
Relatively light———-Relatively heavy
Bolt-on neck———–Set neck
6 tuners on one side—-Tuners distributed
No head angle———-15 deg. head angle (for sustain)
Non-locking tremelo—–Stop tail bridge
Five-way toggle——–Three-way toggle

As far as sound goes, the Gibson Les Paul Standard has a warmer, crunchier tone. I think of the Les Paul guitar as being voluptuous. This makes the guitar great for rock n roll. Not that the Fender Strat isn’t great for rock itself. But a Strat is certainly more applicable in different types of music with its cleaner, metallic sound.

Video of Les Paul playing vs Strat playing

Another thing to consider is the weight. Les Paul style guitars are heavy and rounded. The Strat neck, in my experience, feels like a deck of cards in my hand – thin and portable.

There are even more differences if you are looking at the cheaper versions of the Strat/Les Paul. For example, the Epiphone line of Les Paul signature guitars features bolt-on necks instead of set ones.

If you are trying to decide which one to buy, definitely go into your local guitar shop and ask to try them out. The only way to really tell the difference is to play the difference.